Norton is a city in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
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 ...
. The population was 12,085 at the
2010 census and 11,996 at the 2019 estimate. All but a small portion of the city is in
Summit County and is part of the
Akron metropolitan area
The Akron, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, sometimes referred to as Greater Akron, is defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget as an area consisting of two counties, Summit and Portage, in Northeast Ohio and anchored by t ...
; a part extends into
Wayne County and the
Wooster Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
In 1818, Norton Township was organized. It was originally a part of Wolf Creek Township which consisted of present-day Norton, Copley, Wadsworth, Sharon, Guilford, and Montville townships. Norton Township was surveyed by Joseph Darrow and plotted into lots half a mile square. Norton was known as Town 1, Range 12 of the Western Reserve. It was named after Birdseye Norton, one of the original owners of the township. The first two people to settle on this land, in 1810, were James Robinson and John Cahow. Robinson purchased lot 19 and Cahow lot 20. It is a matter of some dispute as to whether Robinson's or Cahow's house was the first one built in the township. The first marriage in the township was in the fall of 1814 between James Robinson and Lois Bates. The first tavern was built by John Cahow on his lot 20 in 1812. The first saw and grist mills were built by Thomas Johnson in 1823 (saw) and 1830 (grist). Norton Township consisted of seven small villages: Loyal Oak (also known as Bates' Corners, located at 261 & Cleveland-Massillon Rd), Western Star (Greenwich and Medina Line Roads), Sherman (Originally known as Dennison located at Hametown Rd & Sherman St), Johnson's Corners (31st St and Wooster Rd W), Norton Center (Cleveland-Massillon & Greenwich Rd & Norton Ave), Hametown (Hametown and Wooster Roads), and New Portage (Wooster Rd N & Norton Ave.).
One of Norton's famous families is the Seiberling family; Frank A. and Charles W. Seiberling started the Goodyear tire and rubber company in 1898. The Seiberling farm is still in operation today on Greenwich Road at Knollbrook Drive. In 1890,
Ohio Columbus Barber
Ohio Columbus Barber (April 20, 1841 – February 4, 1920) was an American businessman, industrialist and philanthropist. He was called "America's Match King" because of his controlling interest in the Diamond Match Company, which had 85 percent ...
, Charles Baird, Albert T. Paige and John K. Robinson purchased a number of farms adjacent to New Portage. Their purchase was for the purpose of founding a new manufacturing city. This city was named Barberton after O. C. Barber. The Ohio & Erie Canal ran through the southeastern part of the township from 1827–1913. Electric trolley lines were installed from Barberton to Wadsworth through Norton in 1905. In 1958 the Norton Township Development Committee was formed. Residents believed the Township form of government, with its three Trustees, needed a more structured form of government to effectively meet the needs of a fast-growing community. After time, an issue to incorporate as a village was placed on the election ballot. Although defeated the first time, it passed in 1961, thus incorporating Norton as a village. Norton's first Village Mayor was Richard DuFore. The General Election of November 1968, brought Norton to a City status. The former Norton Village officially assumed City status on January 11, 1969. Norton's current government consists of Mayor Mike Zita and council members: Doug DeHarpart, Jamie Lukens, Ben Bates, Paul Tousley, Joe Kernan, Scott Pelot, and Charlotte Whipkey.
Geography
Norton is located in Summit County, with a small portion containing several parcels in Wayne County.
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.
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 12,085 people, 4,711 households, and 3,439 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 4,951 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.2%
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 ...
, 1.7%
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, 0.8%
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 ...
, 0.1%
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 ...
, 0.1% 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 1.0% 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 ...
or
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 0.9% of the population.
There were 4,711 households, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.0% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the city was 43.7 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 31.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.
2000 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 2000, there were 11,523 people, 4,343 households, and 3,361 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 572.8 people per square mile (221.1/km). There were 4,523 housing units at an average density of 224.8 per square mile (86.8/km). The racial makeup of the city was 97.35%
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 ...
, 1.34%
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 ...
, 0.17%
Native American, 0.28%
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 ...
, 0.03%
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 ...
, 0.14% 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 0.69% 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 ...
or
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 0.41% of the population.
There were 4,343 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% 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, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,085, and the median income for a family was $50,737. Males had a median income of $38,289 versus $25,687 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 $20,661. About 4.3% of families and 5.9% 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 7.1% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
The city holds a yearly Apple Cider Festival in September. It includes a parade, fireworks, crafts and attractions. Begun by the Lions Club in 1988, the family members thought about starting an Octoberfest, but decided that since the Lions were known for selling cider in the Loyal Oak area of the City, that a Cider Festival would best suit the residents of that area. On September 23 and 24, 1989, the first Cider Festival was held as a local community event. For the 20th Anniversary in 2008, the location of the Festival was changed to be held closer to the City center at the Columbia Woods Park complex.
The City is also home to the Wolf Creek Players, a local, community theater group that presents three productions per season. Proceeds are used for future productions and scholarships.
Education
Norton City School District operates one elementary school, one middle school, and
Norton High School.
Norton has a public library, a branch of the
Akron-Summit County Public Library
The Akron-Summit County Public Library was founded in 1874, and operates Main Library on South High Street and South Main Street in downtown Akron, 18 branch libraries throughout the city of Akron and Summit County, the Akron Art Library (located ...
.
Infrastructure
Public safety
Norton operates a police department and a fire department
with one fire station.
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Cities in Summit County, Ohio
Cities in Wayne County, Ohio
Cities in Ohio