Mount Vernon is a city in Knox County,

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, United States. It is located northeast of

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

. The population was 16,990 at the 2010 census. It is 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 ...

of Knox County.

History

The community was

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 bea ...

ted in 1805, and named after

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is ...

, the estate owned by George Washington. In May 1953, the telephone exchange for the entire city was destroyed by fire, disrupting calls for months. In January 1959, a severe flood caused 500 homes to be evacuated and caused $5 million in damage. In October of 2021, a board of clergy and activists unanimously voted to start a chapter of PFLAG in Mount Vernon. PFLAG will be the second LGBTQ+ organization formed in Knox County.

Historic sites

The Woodward Opera House, the oldest opera theater of its kind in the United States, is located downtown. The theater, after many years of renovation and restoration, has been transformed into a local cultural and performing-arts center. The Knox County Historical Society, with a building and extensive exhibits, makes its headquarters on Harcourt Road in Mount Vernon. Exhibits feature information about

Daniel Decatur Emmett Daniel Decatur Emmett (October 29, 1815June 28, 1904) was an American songwriter, entertainer, and founder of the first troupe of the blackface minstrel tradition, the Virginia Minstrels. He is most remembered as the composer of the song "Dixie" ...

, Paul Lynde, The Cooper Company and other subjects.

Geography

Mount Vernon is located at (40.392738, −82.481151). 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The city lies in the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau and is surrounded by rolling hills and valleys. The Kokosing River and U.S. Route 36 pass through the city.

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 16,990 people, 7,110 households, and 4,016 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 7,836 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.3%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.2% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 7,110 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% 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, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.5% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 37.2 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 15,256 people, 6,187 households, and 3,730 families living in the city. The

was 1,710.4 people per square mile (660.7/km²). There were 6,713 housing units at an average density of 798.7 per square mile (308.6/km²). The "racial" makeup of the city was 96.66%

, 1.15%

, 0.31% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more "races".

or Latino of any "race" were 0.87% of the population. There were 6,187 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were

living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,801, and the median income for a family was $38,217. Males had a median income of $31,900 versus $21,969 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 $16,471. About 12.7% of families and 15.6% 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 ...

, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Mount Vernon was the birthplace of Cooper Industries. There is a large industrial complex in the western part of the city that manufactures and repairs products for the gas and oil power generation industries. It was acquired by Rolls-Royce North America, and in 2014 Siemens bought the Mount Vernon plant. Facing a declining market, Siemens announced major reductions in employment in October 2016 and in 2018 announced their Mount Vernon facility would close by 2019. Ariel Corporation, a major manufacturerSee http://www.pandmt.com/compressor_manuf_.htm as an example of reciprocating natural gas (and other gasses) compressors, is also located in Mount Vernon. Its history is tied to that of Cooper Industries in that Jim Buchwald, one of the founders of Ariel, was a former engineer for Cooper Industries Mount Vernon. Two universities in Mount Vernon and nearby Gambier, Ohio provide hundreds of jobs to the local residents. Mount Vernon is home to Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Gambier is home to

Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is ...

Education

Colleges and universities

(located in nearby Gambier) * Mount Vernon Nazarene University * Central Ohio Technical College

High schools

* Mount Vernon High School (Ohio) *

Knox County Career Center Knox may refer to: Places United States * Fort Knox, a United States Army post in Kentucky ** United States Bullion Depository, a high security storage facility commonly called Fort Knox * Fort Knox (Maine), a fort located on the Penobscot River i ...

Notable people

Johnny Appleseed John Chapman (September 26, 1774March 18, 1845), better known as Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Ontario, as well as the northern cou ...

(John Chapman), pioneer and folkloric figure *

Eldad Cicero Camp Eldad Cicero Camp, Jr. (August 1, 1839 – November 21, 1920) was an American coal tycoon, attorney and philanthropist, active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the vicinity. He was president of the Coal Creek Coal Company, president of t ...

, coal tycoon *

Fred Dailey Fred L. Dailey (born 1946) is a former director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in Ohio's 18th congressional district. He lost the November 2008 general election by a 40.21%-59.79% margito ...

, State of Ohio Agriculture Director and US Congressional candidate * Hiram and Barney Davis, two dwarf brothers and side-show performers * Columbus Delano, Whig and Republican politician and lawyer *

, composer of "

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cove ...

", Early Blackface performer * Lansford Hastings,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

pioneer * Rob Kelly, NFL football player * Paul Lynde, comedian and actor *

Chris McLernon Chris McLernon is an American musician who is best known as the current bassist of the band Saigon Kick from 1992–1997 and 2012– present. Before joining Saigon Kick Chris played in Cold Sweat and the premiere Kiss tribute band Cold Gin, whi ...

, musician and actor * Juan Manuel García Passalacqua, Puerto Rican politician and television personality *

Ralph W. Sockman Ralph Washington Sockman (October 1, 1889 – August 29, 1970) was the senior pastor of Christ Church (United Methodist) in New York City, United States. He gained considerable prominence in the U.S. as the featured speaker on the weekly NBC ...

, clergyman, author, and radio speaker *

Jim Stillwagon James R. Stillwagon (February 11, 1949 – February 4, 2018) was an American football player who played five years in the Canadian Football League and was a two-time All-American during his college career. Stillwagon was a three-year starter ...

, American football player *

Jesse B. Thomas Jesse Burgess Thomas (1777May 2, 1853) was an American lawyer, judge and politician who served as a delegate from the Indiana Territory to the tenth Congress and later served as president of the Constitutional Convention which led to Illinois be ...

, first senator of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

and proposer of the

Missouri Compromise The Missouri Compromise was a federal legislation of the United States that balanced desires of northern states to prevent expansion of slavery in the country with those of southern states to expand it. It admitted Missouri as a slave state an ...

Ellamae Simmons Ellamae Simmons (March 26, 1918 – May 10, 2019) was the first Black female medical doctor in the United States to specialize in immunology. Life Simmons graduated from Mount Vernon High School and hoped to study medicine and become a doctor. ...

, first African American woman to specialize in asthma, allergy, and immunology in the United States. Integrated the United States Army Nurse Corps and the dorms at the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pu ...

References

External links

City website

Mount Vernon News
a newspaper based in Mt. Vernon
Knox Pages
{{Authority control Populated places established in 1805 County seats in Ohio Cities in Knox County, Ohio 1805 establishments in Ohio Cities in Ohio