Mantua ( ) 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 northern Portage 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 United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, along the

Cuyahoga River The Cuyahoga River (see ) is a river located in Northeast Ohio that bisects the City of Cleveland and feeds into Lake Erie. As Cleveland emerged as a major manufacturing center, the river became heavily affected by industrial pollution, so mu ...

. The population was 1,001 at the time of the 2020 census. It 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 County, Ohio, Summit and Portage County, Ohio, Po ...

. It was formed from portions of Mantua Township in the

Connecticut Western Reserve The Connecticut Western Reserve was a portion of land claimed by the Colony of Connecticut and later by the state of Connecticut in what is now mostly the northeastern region of Ohio. Warren, Ohio was the Historic Capital in Trumbull County. T ...

History

The first settlers came to Mantua Township in 1798. The area that eventually became the village of Mantua was owned by the Tappan family of Tappanville, later

Ravenna, Ohio Ravenna is a city in Portage County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 11,323 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located east of Akron, Ohio, Akron. Formed from portions of Ravenna Township, Portage Co ...

. After they made the Grand Tour of Europe in 1842, they renamed their northern county properties to Mantua, and simultaneously renamed Tappanville to Ravenna, after the two towns in Italy. The town was laid out in the 1840s as Mantua Station, a stop on the

Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad The Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad (C&MV) was a shortline railroad operating in the state of Ohio in the United States. Originally known as the Cleveland and Mahoning Railroad (C&M), it was chartered in 1848. Construction of the line beg ...

. It was incorporated as Mantua in 1898. Like the township, the village is named after the Italian city of

Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...

, in honor of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, who had captured it in early 1797 at the end of the Siege of Mantua. Mantua includes three properties on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: the Horace L. Hine House, the Mantua Station Brick Commercial District, and the William H. Crafts House.National Register listings for Portage County, Ohio
/ref>

Geography

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

flows through the southern part 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 1,043 people, 451 households, and 267 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 477 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.2%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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, 0.1% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, and 1.2% 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 0.5% of the population. There were 451 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% 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, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.8% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the village was 41.5 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 30.7% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% 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 1,046 people, 440 households, and 278 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 452 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.85%

, 0.29%

, 0.10% Native American, 0.19% Asian, and 0.57% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population. There were 440 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were

living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $49,519, and the median income for a family was $56,125. Males had a median income of $35,288 versus $22,500 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 $19,472. About 4.9% of families and 3.4% 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 4.3% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

For public education, Mantua is part of the Crestwood Local School District, which also includes Mantua Township, most of Shalersville Township, the village of Hiram, and western Hiram Township. One of the district's three school facilities, Crestwood High School (grades 7 to 12) and the district offices, which are located in the former middle school building, are located in Mantua while the two elementary-level buildings, Crestwood Intermediate School (grades 3 to 6) and Crestwood Primary School (grades K to 2) are located nearby in Mantua Township.

Community events

Mantua hosts the Potato Festival, a celebration that has occurred annually for over 45 years. The festival features live entertainment, food, rides, a parade, a 15k road race (the Potato Stomp), and varying special attractions. Past special events included the world's largest serving of mashed potatoes and gravy (they were "mashed" in a cement mixer), and Spud Wrestling (mud wrestling in a massive ring full of mashed potatoes). The Ox Roast is another annual event that is a fund-raiser for the St. Joseph Church.

Notable people

* Jack Lambert, professional football player in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

; born and raised in Mantua * Brent Simon, musician; resident of Mantua * Barbara St. Hilaire, video game blogger known as "Old Grandma Hardcore"; resident of Mantua * William Stanton, author; resident of Mantua for a time * Emerson E. White, 3rd president of Purdue University; born in Mantua

References

External links

Village website
{{authority control Villages in Portage County, Ohio Villages in Ohio