Muskingum County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located 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 sove ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,410. Its

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 ...

Zanesville Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. It is located east of Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the 2020 census, down from 25,487 as of the 2010 census. Historically the state capit ...

. Nearly bisected by the

Muskingum River The Muskingum River (Shawnee: ') is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long, in southeastern Ohio in the United States. An important commercial route in the 19th century, it flows generally southward through the eastern hill country o ...

, the county name is based on a

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 Del ...

American Indian word translated as "town by the river" or "elk's eye". Muskingum County comprises the Zanesville, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area. The Zanesville Micropolitan Statistical Area is the second-largest statistical area within the Combined Statistical Area, after the Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Name

The name ''Muskingum'' may come from 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 ...

word ''mshkikwam'' 'swampy ground'. The name may also be from Lenape ''"Machkigen,"'' referring to thorns, or a specific species of thorn bush. ''Muskingum'' has also been taken to mean 'elk's eye' (''mus wəshkinkw'') by folk etymology, as in ''mus'' 'elk' + ''wəshkinkw'' 'its eye'. Moravian missionary

David Zeisberger David Zeisberger (April 11, 1721 – November 17, 1808) was a Moravian clergyman and missionary among the Native American tribes who resided in the Thirteen Colonies. He established communities of Munsee (Lenape) converts to Christianity in the ...

wrote that the Muskingum River was called Elk's Eye "because of the numbers of elk that formerly fed on its banks."

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.2%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in Ohio by land area.

Adjacent counties

* Coshocton County (north) * Guernsey County (east) * Noble County (southeast) * Morgan County (south) * Perry County (southwest) * Licking County (west)

Demographics

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 84,585 people, 32,518 households, and 22,860 families living in the county. 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 127 people per square mile (49/km²). There were 35,163 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile (20/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.91%

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 o ...

, 4.01%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.27%

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 ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.20% 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 1.37% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were

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 forme ...

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. There were 32,518 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.30% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.90% 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 3.01. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,185, and the median income for a family was $41,938. Males had a median income of $31,537 versus $22,151 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 county was $17,533. About 9.90% of families and 12.90% 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 17.90% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, there were 86,074 people, 34,271 households, and 23,125 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 38,074 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.0% white, 3.8% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.2% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 15.5% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 11.1% were American, and 10.9% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. Of the 34,271 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 39.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $39,538 and the median income for a family was $48,425. Males had a median income of $40,183 versus $28,668 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,561. About 13.0% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the

, including 24.6% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The county is served by 7 high schools: John Glenn High School in New Concord (East Muskingum Local School District), Philo High School confusingly not located in Philo but instead across the river in Duncan Falls (Franklin Local School District), Maysville High School located in South Zanesville (Maysville Local Schools), Bishop Rosecrans (

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

high school in downtown Zanesville), Tri-Valley High School located in

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

(Tri-Valley Local School District), West Muskingum High School located in Zanesville (West Muskingum Local School District), and Zanesville High School which, as the name implies, is in Zanesville (Zanesville City School District). Each high school is the only high school in school districts of the same name, the exception being Roscrans as the district is referred to as Bishop Fenwick. The county is also served by three colleges,

Muskingum University Muskingum University is a private liberal arts college in New Concord, Ohio. Chartered in 1837 as Muskingum College, the institution is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Collectively, the university's alumni are referred to as th ...

, Zane State College, and a branch campus of

Ohio University Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subseq ...

known as Ohio University Zanesville.

Politics

Muskingum County is a Republican stronghold county in presidential elections. The 1964 election is the most recent in which the county voted Democratic, but

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

came within 48 votes of carrying it in 1996.

Culture

The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society was originally created as an auxiliary of the American Anti-Slavery Society and held its first meeting Putnam, Ohio, in April 1835. In 1872, Zanesville

annex Annex or Annexe refers to a building joined to or associated with a main building, providing additional space or accommodations. It may also refer to: Places * The Annex, a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada * The Annex (New H ...

ed the town of Putnam. It is now the Putnam Historic District of Zanesville. The ''Muskingum County Library System'' serves the communities of Muskingum County from its administrative offices in

Zanesville, Ohio Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. It is located east of Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the 2020 census, down from 25,487 as of the 2010 census. Historically the state capita ...

. This includes service to

, Duncan Falls, New Concord, and Roseville. In 2005, the library loaned more than 918,000 items to its 73,000 cardholders. Total holding are over 328,000 volumes with over 190 periodical subscriptions. The Wilds is a wildlife preserve open to visitation for a fee.

Communities

City

(county seat)

Villages

* Adamsville *

* Frazeysburg * Fultonham * Gratiot * New Concord *

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

Philo Philo of Alexandria (; grc, Φίλων, Phílōn; he, יְדִידְיָה, Yəḏīḏyāh (Jedediah); ), also called Philo Judaeus, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria, in the Roman province of Egypt. Philo's de ...

* Roseville * South Zanesville

Townships

* Adams * Blue Rock *

Brush Creek A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped durin ...

Cass Cass may refer to: People and fictional characters * Cass (surname), a list of people * Cass (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Big Cass, ring name of wrestler William Morrissey * Cass, in British band Skunk Anansie * Ca ...

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

* Falls *

Harrison Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

* Hopewell *

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

* Jefferson *

Licking Licking is the action of passing the tongue over a surface, typically either to deposit saliva onto the surface, or to collect liquid, food or minerals onto the tongue for ingestion, or to communicate with other animals. Many animals both gro ...

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

* Meigs * Monroe * Muskingum * Newton *

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

* Rich Hill * Salem * Salt Creek * Springfield *

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

* Washington Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, Washington * Wayne Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, Wayne https://web.archive.org/web/20160715023447/http://www.ohiotownships.org/township-websites Map of Muskingum County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels

Map of Muskingum County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels

Census-designated places

* Duncan Falls * East Fultonham, Ohio, East Fultonham * North Zanesville, Ohio, North Zanesville * Pleasant Grove, Ohio, Pleasant Grove * Trinway, Ohio, Trinway

Other unincorporated communities

* Adams Mills, Ohio, Adams Mills * Bloomfield, Muskingum County, Ohio, Bloomfield * Blue Rock, Ohio, Blue Rock * Bridgeville, Ohio, Bridgeville * Chandlersville, Ohio, Chandlersville * Coal Hill, Ohio, Coal Hill * Dillon Falls, Ohio, Dillon Falls * Duncan Falls * Ellis, Ohio, Ellis * Freeland, Ohio, Freeland * Gaysport, Ohio, Gaysport * Gilbert, Ohio, Gilbert * High Hill, Ohio, High Hill * Hopewell, Muskingum County, Ohio, Hopewell * Irville, Ohio, Irville * Licking View, Ohio, Licking View * Mattingly Settlement, Ohio, Mattingly Settlement * Meadow Farm, Ohio, Meadow Farm * Mount Sterling, Muskingum County, Ohio, Mount Sterling * Museville, Ohio, Museville * Nashport, Ohio, Nashport * Otsego, Muskingum County, Ohio, Otsego * Rix Mills, Ohio, Rix Mills * Ruraldale, Ohio, Ruraldale * Sonora, Ohio, Sonora * Stovertown, Ohio, Stovertown * Sundale, Ohio, Sundale * White Cottage, Ohio, White Cottage * Young Hickory, Ohio, Young Hickory * Zeno, Ohio, Zeno

Historical places

* Irville - Former populated place in Licking Township, removed for the creation of Dillon Lake. * Mattingly Settlement - Named for the many members of the Mattingly family who settled in Muskingum Township.

References

External links

Muskingum County Library System website

Muskingum County Sheriff's Office
{{Coord, 39.97, -81.95, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-OH_source:UScensus1990 Muskingum County, Ohio, 1804 establishments in Ohio Appalachian Ohio Counties of Appalachia Populated places established in 1804