Minerva 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 ...

primarily in Stark and Carroll counties in the U.S. state of

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 ...

, with a small district in Columbiana County. The population was 3,684 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Canton–Massillon metropolitan area.

History

The village of Minerva began when a surveyor named John Whitacre purchased 125 acres of land from Isaac Craig in 1818 for the construction of a log mill. The town, named for his niece, Minerva Ann Taylor born April 19, 1828, grew up around the mill. She was born in a log house that still stands to this day, on which it is noted that she was born in 1828. Minerva's first schoolhouse was built in 1846. In its early years the Sandy and Beaver Canal helped drive Minerva's economy, to be replaced in importance by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1840s. Minerva manufacturers Willard and Isaac Pennock patented the United States' first steel railroad car in the nineteenth century. In 1915, the town's weekly newspaper, ''The Minerva News'', charged one dollar for an annual subscription.

Geography

Minerva is located along Sandy Creek. 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 , all land.

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 3,720 people, 1,580 households, and 1,009 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 1,762 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.7%

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, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.3% 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 0.7% of the population. There were 1,580 households, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 32.3% 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 2.93. The median age in the village was 41.2 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,934 people, 1,603 households, and 1,082 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 1,718 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 99.03%

, 0.05%

, 0.08% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population. There were 1,603.5 households, out of which 30.31% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.56% were non-families. 28.41% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% 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 2.91. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $33,468, and the median income for a family was $39,669. Males had a median income of $30,477 versus $21,156 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 $116,853. About 6.3% of families and 9.8% 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 15.2% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Wheeling and Lake Erie RR Minerva Station

Minerva operates under a chartered council–manager government, where there are four council members elected as a legislature for 4-year terms in addition to a mayor, who serves as an executive. The council employs a village manager for administration. The current mayor is Mason Boldizar, and the current village administrator is Diane Ruff.

Education

Children in Minerva are served by the public Minerva Local School District, which includes one elementary school, one middle school, and Minerva High School.

Notable people

* Carol Costello, television commentator, former host of '' CNN Newsroom'' * John Cowan, soul music and progressive bluegrass musician; bassist for The Doobie Brothers * Phil Davison, former candidate for Stark County Treasurer * Oscar Grimes, baseball player, son of Ray Grimes and nephew of Roy Grimes, twin brothers who were also major leaguers. * Ralph Hodgson, poet * Bill Powell, owner and designer of Clearview Golf Club * A. J. Trauth, actor and musician known for playing Alan Twitty on ''Even Stevens'' * Theodore Newton Vail, telephone industrialist * Charles Erwin Wilson, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and CEO for General Motors

References

External links

* {{Authority control Villages in Carroll County, Ohio Villages in Columbiana County, Ohio Villages in Stark County, Ohio 1818 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1818 Villages in Ohio