Eaton is a city in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Preble County, Ohio Preble County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,999, down 3.0% from the 2010 census population of 42,270. Its county seat is Eaton. The county was formed on February 15, 1808, from por ...

, United States, approximately 24 mi (38 km) west of

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

. The population was 8,375 at the 2020 census, down 0.4% from the population of 8,407 at the 2010 census.Eaton city, Preble County, Ohio Demographics and Housing 2020 Decennial Census , cincinnati.com
/ref> Eaton's sister city is Rödental bei Coburg (Germany).

History

Eaton was founded and

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1806 by William Bruce. The village derives its name from Gen.

William Eaton William Eaton or Bill Eaton may refer to: * William Eaton (soldier) (1764–1811), United States Army soldier during the Barbary Wars * William Eaton (athlete) (1909–1938), British long-distance runner * William Eaton (guitarist), American luth ...

(1764–1811), the U.S. Consul at Tunis, who led a diverse army in a harrowing march from Egypt to Tripoli to meet the U.S. Naval forces. In addition to the city of Eaton and the county of Preble, various streets in Eaton (Barron, Decatur, Israel, Wadsworth, and Somers) were named in honor of heroes of the

First Barbary War The First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the Barbary Wars, in which the United States and Sweden fought against Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war against Sw ...

and the

Second Barbary War The Second Barbary War (1815) or the U.S.–Algerian War was fought between the United States and the North African Barbary Coast states of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers. The war ended when the United States Senate ratified Commodore Stephen De ...

. The town grew quickly following its establishment. In 1846, the town first had 1000 inhabitants. This growth was primarily derived from the town's location at the strategic junction of two turnpikes. In 1849, Eaton was the site of a

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

outbreak. About half of the inhabitants fled; of the remaining 600 people, 120 die

19th century fire

In June 1859 a fire in Eaton destroyed thirteen of its primary business establishments. The total loss was estimated at $40,000 to $50,000. Caused by

incendiaries Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, th ...

, the fire scorched the courthouse and left it a brown color. The disaster was first reported by the ''Cincinnati Commercial''.

Geography

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 city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The city includes Crystal Lake and Seven Mile Creek. Parks include:

Fort St. Clair Fort St. Clair was a fort built during the Northwest Indian War near the modern town of Eaton, Preble County, Ohio. The site of the fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. History Northwest Territory Governor Ar ...

, Water Works Park, 7-Mile Park, and Clarence Hook Memorial Park.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 8,375 people living in Eaton. The racial makeup of the city was 92.8% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity made up 1.2% of the population.Eaton city, Preble County, Ohio Demographics and Housing 2020 Decennial Census , cincinnati.com
/ref>

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 8,407 people, 3,486 households, and 2,181 families living in the city. 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 3,903 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.3%

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 ...

, 0.6%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 1.0%

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 1.5% 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 0.8% of the population. There were 3,486 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% 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, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the city was 40.4 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 8,133 people, 3,274 households, and 2,183 families living in the city. The

was 1,434.2 people per square mile (553.8/km²). There were 3,467 housing units at an average density of 611.4 per square mile (236.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.02%

, 0.39%

, 0.09% Native American, 0.55%

, 0.02%

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 ...

, 0.07% from

, and 0.85% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.57% of the population. There were 3,274 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were

living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,231, and the median income for a family was $42,241. Males had a median income of $32,404 versus $24,006 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 city was $16,771. About 5.8% of families and 8.7% 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 10.0% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Eaton hosts the annual Preble County Pork Festival, held the third full weekend each September, and the summer Preble County Fair. Downtown Eaton is home to Preble Arts, the art center of Preble County Art Association. Eaton has a branch and administrative offices of the Preble County District Library.

Education

Eaton Community Schools operates two elementary schools, one middle school, and Eaton High School. Edison State Community College operates a satellite campus in Eaton.

Notable people

Victor J. Banis Victor Jerome Banis (May 25, 1937 – February 22, 2019) was an American author, often associated with the first wave of West Coast gay writing. For his contributions he has been called "the godfather of modern popular gay fiction." He was Coming ...

- "the godfather of modern popular gay fiction." *

Andrew L. Harris Andrew Lintner Harris (also known as The Farmer–Statesman) (November 17, 1835 – September 13, 1915) was one of the heroes of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War and served as the 44th governor of Ohio. Biography Har ...

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

general and former governor of Ohio. *

Jane LeCompte (Nancy) Jane LeCompte (born August 20, 1948 Eaton, Ohio) is an American writer of romance novels as Jane Ashford and Jane LeCompte. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is a two-time nominee for a Career Achievement Award by ''Romantic Tim ...

- novelist who has written over 20 romance novels under the name Jane Ashford * Matthew Lindley - NCAA Heavyweight Wrestling All-American 1991, Purdue University. * Travis Miller - former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher for the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

. * William Stephens - former mayor of Los Angeles and 24th governor of California (1917-1923). * Kent Vosler - diver in the 1976

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

.Eaton diver Kent Vosler fondly recalls Games
Retrieved 2018-06-05.

References

External links

City website
{{authority control 1806 establishments in Ohio County seats in Ohio Cities in Preble County, Ohio Populated places established in 1806 Cities in Ohio