Stafford 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 ...

Monroe County, Ohio Monroe County is a county located on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Ohio, across the Ohio River from West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,385, making it the second-least populous county in Ohio. Its county seat ...

, United States. The population was 71 at the 2020 census.

History

Originally named Bethel, the town was laid out by John Jones in 1838. William Steel, a Scottish-born abolitionist, is credited with changing the name of the village from Bethel to Stafford. He was the father of

William Gladstone Steel William Gladstone Steel (September 7, 1854 – October 21, 1934) was an American journalist who was known for campaigning for 17 years for the United States Congress to designate Crater Lake as a National Park. Steel is from Ohio, and worked in th ...

. He is credited with establishing a good educational system that was also integrated. Stafford has a rich history as a station on the Underground Railroad. It was known as a "free black" settlement because of the number of African Americans living there, but its population included both black and white ardent abolitionists. It is said that almost everyone in the village was involved in the protection of slaves fleeing to freedom. The most frequented route ran from

Marietta Marietta may refer to: Places in the United States *Marietta, Jacksonville, Florida *Marietta, Georgia, the largest US city named Marietta *Marietta, Illinois *Marietta, Indiana *Marietta, Kansas *Marietta, Minnesota *Marietta, Mississippi *Mar ...

Washington County, Ohio Washington County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 59,711. Its county seat is Marietta. The county, the oldest in the state, is named for George Washington. Was ...

, through Stafford and on to Summerfield, Ohio. These lines continued into

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Geography

Stafford is located at (39.713226, -81.277435). 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 , all of it land.

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 81 people, 34 households, and 25 families residing 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 41 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.8%

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 ...

, 4.9%

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 ...

, and 1.2% Native American. There were 34 households, of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% 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, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.5% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.52. The median age in the village was 47.2 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.5% were from 25 to 44; 37% were from 45 to 64; and 19.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 86 people, 38 households, and 25 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 42 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.84%

and 1.16% Native American. There were 38 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were

living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.77. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $24,167, and the median income for a family was $22,917. Males had a median income of $24,063 versus $16,250 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 $12,747. There were 10.0% of families and 11.4% of the population living 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 6.3% of under eighteens and 18.8% of those over 64.

Notable people

Stafford was the hometown of

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

activist David Kirby whose life and death were featured in

Life Magazine ''Life'' was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging weekly general-interest ma ...

in the 1990s.

References

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