Mount Gilead 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 ...

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 ...

of Morrow 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 41 miles (66 km) 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 3,660 at the 2010 census. It is the

center of population In demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to different geog ...

of Ohio. The village was established in 1832, eight years after white

settler A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settle ...

s arrived in the region. Before their arrival, the forest was a hunting area for the

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

tribe. Located in the center of the village is Morrow County's historic

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Victory Memorial Shaft, unique in the United States, and Mount Gilead State Park is nearby on State Route 95. Other areas drawing

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

include the

Amish The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churc ...

farms, shops and stores east of Mount Gilead, near Chesterville and Johnsville. Mount Gilead is also home to the Morrow County Hospital.

History

19th century

Settlement

The first settler to make Mount Gilead (Mt. Gilead) home was Lewis Hardenbrook, in 1817, though it was then called Whetstone and was located in Marion County. In 1824, Judge Jacob Young drew out the village; the plan consisting of 80 lots and also included a public square. Several years later, in 1832, Henry Ustick added an additional 70 lots to the village as well as an additional public square. The original public square was then referred to as the south square and the newer square, the north square. Many years later, in 1919, the north public square would become home to the Victory Shaft World War I Monument. This monument was given to the county for having the highest per capita war bond sales during a two-year period. Charles Webster built the first cabin in the village in December 1824. He served as the first Postmaster and operated the Post Office from the cabin, as well. In 1832, a measure was proposed to change the name of the town. Residents were asked to vote between the names Warsaw and Mt. Gilead. Mt. Gilead was chosen by a significant margin and the village was incorporated by state legislature several years later in 1839. In 1848, Mt. Gilead was almost unanimously chosen to be the county seat for the newly formed

Morrow County, Ohio Morrow County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,950. Its county seat is Mount Gilead. The county was organized in 1848 from parts of four neighboring counties ...

. Morrow County was formed from parts of surrounding Marion, Knox, Richland, and

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

counties. Given the village's elevated status as the county seat, village leaders enhanced many areas of the town's appearance by creating streets and clearing them and performed other improvements.

Railroad

Soon after being named county seat, there was talk of building a rail line that would pass through Mt. Gilead between

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

and

. Officials opened stock purchases and began preparations for the build. Tensions between villagers and railroad officials broke down the negotiations and the rail station was re-located to Cardington, several miles south of Mt. Gilead, and opened for business in 1851. The railroad would pass Mt. Gilead two miles to the west, in what is now known as Edison. Nearly 30 years later, Mt. Gilead did get a rail spur through the village, named Mt. Gilead Short Line Railway. The Short Line opened in 1880.

Industry

From its beginnings, industry has been a main support for Mt. Gilead. Various mills were an early staple in the village history, followed by a tile factory and with technological advances, eventually the still well know
Hydraulic Press Manufacturing Company
or HPM. HPM maintained some level of operations in Mt. Gilead until 2011, when it was moved to Marion.

Media

Mt. Gilead had two media sources available to them in the 19th century
Democratic Messenger
an
The Whig Sentinel
Both papers began publishing in 1848 and both papers experienced a name change around 1860 with The Sentinel becomin
The Morrow County Sentinel
and The Messenger becomin
The Union Register
The Union Register was published until 1971, while the Morrow County Sentinel is still in existence today.

Historic sites

Four properties in Mount Gilead are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

: the floral hall at the county fairgrounds, Levering Hall, the Morrow County Courthouse, and the

James S. Trimble House The James S. Trimble House is a historic residence in the village of Mount Gilead, Ohio, United States. The most significant house in the village,Owen, Lorrie K., ed. ''Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places''. Vol. 2. St. Clair Shores: Some ...

. Levering Hall in particular is distinguished by its ornate

Italianate architecture The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

and its place as the center of community life for several decades. The Victory Shaft was erected in Mount Gilead's

town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true square, geometric square, used for community gathe ...

in December 1919, following

. It was presented as a gift from the

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...

to Morrow County citizens to thank them for purchasing more

war bond War bonds (sometimes referred to as Victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an unpopular level. They are ...

s per capita than any other county. Warren G. Harding, a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

who would later be elected

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

, was the

keynote A keynote in public speaking is a talk that establishes a main underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address. The keynote establishes the framework fo ...

speaker at the dedication.

Geography

Mount Gilead is located at (40.552090, -82.831587). Its

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...

is 1,081 feet above sea level. 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 th ...

, the village has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Mount Gilead is considered to be a part of "Mid Ohio."

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 3,660 people, 1,482 households, and 875 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 1,658 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.1%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% 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 2.0% 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 1.9% of the population. There were 1,482 households, of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% 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 ...

living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.0% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age in the village was 36.9 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,290 people, 1,291 households, and 843 families residing in the village. The

was 1,035.7 people per square mile (399.5/km²). There were 1,354 housing units at an average density of 426.3 per square mile (164.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.78%

, 0.12% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.30% from

, 1.06%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, and 0.49% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population. There were 1,291 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were

living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.91. In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males. The median income for a household in the village was $31,894, and the median income for a family was $42,529. Males had a median income of $35,714 versus $22,425 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 $19,064. About 10.1% of families and 13.2% 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 18.1% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.

19th-century census data

According to A.J. Baughman'
''History of Morrow County, Ohio'' (1911)
early population data is as follows:

Government

Mount Gilead is governed by a mayor and council. As of 2021, the mayor was Jamie L. Brucker.

Education

The city has a public lending library, the Mount Gilead Public Library.

Notable people

Tim Belcher Timothy Wayne Belcher (born October 19, 1961) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987 to 2000 for seven different teams. He was named '' The Sporting News'' Rookie Pitcher of the Year ...

- former Major League Baseball player (Born in Mt Gilead however he grew up in Sparta, OH.) *

Oswald Bruce Cooper Oswald Bruce Cooper (April 13, 1879 – December 17, 1940) was an American type designer, lettering artist, graphic designer, and teacher of these trades. Early life and education Cooper was born in Mount Gilead, Ohio but moved to Coffeyville, K ...

— graphic designer * Claude Dallas — self-styled mountain man convicted of involuntary manslaughter, later escaped from prison. * C.B. Dollaway — professional

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

fighter * Frank K. Dunn - Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court * Merrill Gilfillan — author * William Vermillion Houston — president of

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

* Robert Byington Mitchell — soldier and governor of New Mexico * Walter Olds — Justice of the

Indiana Supreme Court The Indiana Supreme Court, established by Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution, is the highest judicial authority in the state of Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, the Court's chambers are in the north wing of the Indiana Statehouse. In Decem ...

Edwin Taylor Pollock Edwin Taylor Pollock (October 25, 1870June 4, 1943) was a career officer in the United States Navy, serving in the Spanish–American War and in World War I. He was later promoted to the rank of captain. As a young ensign, Pollock served aboard ...

— United States Navy Captain, Governor of U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa * Dawn Powell — satirical author *

Samuel Snider Samuel Prather Snider (October 9, 1845 – September 24, 1928) was a representative from Minnesota. He was born in Mount Gilead, Morrow County, Ohio and attended the public schools, the local high school at Mount Gilead, Ohio, and Oberlin Co ...

— U.S. Representative from Minnesota *

Lefty Webb Lefty Webb (March 1, 1885 – January 12, 1958) was a baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1910. His full name is Cleon Earl Webb. He was a switch hitter and threw left-handed. He was 5'11 and 165 pounds. He went to Ohio Wesleyan Universi ...

— baseball player for the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

* Samuel Newitt Wood — Kansas state legislator

References

External links

Village website
* {{Authority control Populated places established in 1824 1824 establishments in Ohio County seats in Ohio Villages in Morrow County, Ohio Villages in Ohio