Glouster is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in Trimble Township, Athens County,

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, United States. The population was 1,659 at the 2020 census. It is close to Burr Oak State Park.

History

Formerly called Sedalia, the present name of Glouster, after Gloucester, England, was adopted in 1886. A post office called Glouster has been in operation since 1887.

Geography

Glouster is located along Sunday Creek. The village is located entirely within the Sunday Creek watershed, mostly on riparian plains or old stream terraces. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The surrounding area consists of gently rolling hills and large wooded areas, all within the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Nearby public and semi-public areas include the Trimble State Wildlife Area, the Sunday Creek State Wildlife Area, the Trimble Community Forest, the

Wayne National Forest The Wayne National Forest is located in the Appalachian part of the US state of Ohio, in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. It is the first and only national forest in Ohio. Forest headquarters are located between The Plains and Nelsonville, ...

, and Burr Oak State Park. Glouster Community Park is located along the west side of Ohio State Route 13, between the highway and Sunday Creek, on the south end of the village.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 1,791 people, 720 households, and 471 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 864 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population. There were 720 households, of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age in the village was 35.8 years. 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,972 people, 783 households, and 526 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 906 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 95.74%

, 1.37%

, 0.15% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 2.48% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population. There were 783 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were

living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.08. In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.3% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males. The median income for a household in the village was $23,929, and the median income for a family was $28,800. Males had a median income of $28,854 versus $22,206 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $11,837. About 24.2% of families and 28.2% 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 36.3% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

A deep mine is located north of town. The nearby mining pit was closed, with active operations moved to the east of Burr Oak State Park, but the loading station is still at the old site because of the location of the railroad. The Trimble high school and middle school provide some local employment, as does Frog Ranch Foods, and Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action Programs (HAPCAP). Tourist activity from nearby Burr Oak State Park as well as hunting in various nearby public lands also supports the economy. The village owns its own electrical and water utility, although it purchases the electricity from

American Electric Power American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP), (railcar reporting mark: AEPX) is an American domestic electric utility company in the United States. It is one of the largest electric utility companies in the country, with more than five mi ...

and the water from the Sunday Creek Water District.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Ohio state highways 13 and 78 both pass through Glouster. State route 329 begins in adjacent

Trimble, Ohio Trimble is a village in Trimble Township, Athens County, Ohio, United States. The population was 329 at the 2020 census. History Trimble village was originally called Oxford. A post office called Trimble has been in operation since 1839. The p ...

. A through-line of the

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

line passes through the community, and also provides services to the nearby Buckingham Coal Company mine.

Utilities

The village operates its own utility providing electricity and water to local residents. Sewage treatment is provided by a plant in nearby Trimble. Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action Program serves the community by providing jobs, HEAP and PIPP assistance, weatherization of homes, and many other programs and services.

Education

The residents of Glouster are served by the Trimble Local School District and Trimble High School. Glouster has a public library, a branch of the

Athens County Public Libraries The Athens County Public Libraries are a consortium of seven public libraries located in Athens County, Ohio. The library system was originally known as the Nelsonville Public Library. The original facility in Nelsonville was created in 1935 as ...

References

{{Authority control Villages in Athens County, Ohio Coal towns in Ohio English-American culture in Ohio 1886 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1886 Villages in Ohio