Craig Beach is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in northwestern

Mahoning County Mahoning County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 228,614. Its county seat and largest city is Youngstown. The county is named for a Lenape word meaning "at the licks" or "there is a lick", refer ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, United States. Located along the shores of Lake Milton, the population was 1,076 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area.

History

In 1910, the city of

Youngstown Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, which ...

acquired 3,416 acres along the

Mahoning River The Mahoning River is a river located in northeastern Ohio and a small portion of western Pennsylvania. Flowing primarily through several Ohio counties, it crosses the state line into Pennsylvania before joining with the Shenango River to form the ...

in Milton Township to construct a reservoir to be used as a water supply. The plan was to construct a 2,800-foot dam across the river, impounding 1,640 acres. Entertainer Ward Craig founded Craig’s Landing to initially watch the construction of the dam, which later offered a refreshment stand, swimming area, boat docks, and picnic facilities. In 1922, Craig formed his own amusement company that would create the Craig Beach Amusement Park along the new Lake Milton. Featuring rides, a dance hall, as well as rental cottages, Craig Beach became a popular entertainment hub for the area as

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

s of the 1930s toured the area. Future

crooner Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

would get his start at the Craig Beach dance hall performing with these orchestras. Craig Beach was incorporated as a village in 1931. The amusement park would close by 1966, although Craig Beach would rebound as a small

resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...

within Lake Milton State Park.

Geography

Craig Beach is located at (41.117553, -80.985928). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 1,180 people, 483 households, and 327 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 597 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 95.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.5% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 483 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the village was 40.4 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,254 people, 489 households, and 333 families living in the village. The

was 1,350.3 people per square mile (520.6/km²). There were 568 housing units at an average density of 611.6 per square mile (235.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.69%

, 0.24%

, 0.24% Native American, 0.56%

, 0.08%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.08% from

, and 1.12% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.72% of the population. There were 489 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were

living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 94.2 men. The median income for a household in the village was $38,594, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $35,729 versus $22,500 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $16,630. About 6.7% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 18.4% of children under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Children in Craig Beach are served by the Jackson-Milton Local School District. The current schools serving Craig Beach are: *Jackson-Milton Elementary School – grades K-5 *Jackson-Milton Middle School – grades 6-8 * Jackson-Milton High School – grades 9-12

References

{{authority control Villages in Mahoning County, Ohio Villages in Ohio