Seneca County, Ohio
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Seneca County is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the northwestern part of 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 ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,069.2020 census
/ref> Its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is Tiffin. The county was created in 1820 and organized in 1824. It is named for the Seneca Indians, the westernmost nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. This people were based in present-day New York but had territory extending into Pennsylvania and Ohio. Seneca County comprises the Tiffin, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Findlay–Tiffin, OH Combined Statistical Area.


History

This area was long occupied by a succession of indigenous peoples. During and after the colonial period, French, British and American fur traders established relations with the historic peoples of the time. The county was barely inhabited by European Americans until the 1830s, but this period was one of steady migration by settlers from New York and New England. The migration was stimulated by completion of the Erie Canal through New York, which connected the markets by the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and New York City. By 1860 the population of Seneca County had increased to about half the current number of residents. It was developed for agriculture, and grew slowly thereafter. In 1889 900
luxembourgers Luxembourgers ( ; ) are an ethnic group native to their nation state of Luxembourg, where they make up around half of the population. They share the culture of Luxembourg and speak Luxembourgish, a West Germanic language. Luxembourgers w ...
settled in Seneca County where they built substantial churches and schools. Toward the end of the 19th century, during the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, and the post–World War II baby boom, this area had periods of greater population increase. In 1980 the census recorded a population of 61,901; the total has since declined. Since about 2000, the county's population declines by about 100–300 persons annually, mainly due to a migration deficit of about 300 persons annually. This decline is projected to continue in the future.


Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water. Almost 80% of the county's total area is
agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...
land. Some 10% is covered by forest. Most of the rest is developed, with some allocated for pastureland. The terrain of Seneca County is nearly level, gently sloping from about 290 meters ASL in the southeast to about 210 m ASL at the edge of the Great Black Swamp in the northwest. Most of the county's area is located between 230 and 260 m ASL, however. Almost the entire county belongs to the Sandusky River
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
; the river bisects the county from north to south slightly west of its middle. Tiffin developed on both sides of the river, which flows north to its mouth at Lake Erie. There is some steeper terrain along the river's course, formed by the occasional ravine of its tributaries. The
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
moderate temperatures somewhat, but Seneca County has essentially a
continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...
. After most of the forests were cleared for agricultural development, the microclimate was disrupted. Winters can be harsh, with plentiful snowfall due to lake-effect snow. Summers are often hot and oppressively humid, bordering on subtropical. The mostly featureless surface does not form any obstacles to the winter winds sweeping south from Canada, resulting in extreme wind chill at times. In a 1906 description, the local climate was described as "rather unhealthful".


Adjacent counties

* Sandusky County (north) * Huron County (east) * Crawford County (southeast) * Wyandot County (southwest) * Hancock County (west) * Wood County (northwest)


Demographics


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 58,683 people, 22,292 households, and 15,738 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 23,692 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.04%
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 ...
, 1.76%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
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 ...
, 0.18% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.01%
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 ...
, 1.39% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 3.36% of the population were
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. There were 22,292 households, out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.10% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,037, and the median income for a family was $44,600. Males had a median income of $32,387 versus $22,383 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 county was $17,027. About 6.10% of families and 9.00% 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 9.60% of those under age 18 and 7.20% of those age 65 or over.


2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 56,745 people, 21,774 households, and 14,870 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 24,122 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.7% white, 2.3% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 47.6% were German, 10.4% were Irish, 8.9% were American, and 8.2% were English. Of the 21,774 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.7% were non-families, and 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 38.8 years. The median income for a household in the county was $42,573 and the median income for a family was $51,216. Males had a median income of $39,494 versus $30,286 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,976. About 8.7% of families and 11.9% 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 17.9% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.


Politics

Prior to 1936, Seneca County had supported Democrats in presidential elections, supporting Republican candidates only four times from 1856 to 1932. But starting with the 1936 election, it has become a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. Its support for Democrats Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
in 1996 were the exceptions.


Government and politics


County officials


Transportation


Major highways

* U.S. Route 23 * U.S. Route 224


Other highways

* State Route 4 * State Route 12 * State Route 18 * State Route 19 * State Route 53 * State Route 67 * State Route 100 * State Route 101 * State Route 162 * State Route 228 * State Route 231 * State Route 587 * State Route 590 * State Route 635 * State Route 778


Airports

* Bandit Field Airdrome * Fostoria Metropolitan Airport * Seneca County Airport * Weiker Airport


Communities


Cities

* Bellevue (partly) * Fostoria (partly) * Tiffin (county seat)


Villages

* Attica * Bettsville * Bloomville * Green Springs (partly) * New Riegel *
Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...


Townships

* Adams * Big Spring * Bloom * Clinton * Eden * Hopewell * Jackson * Liberty * Loudon * Pleasant * Reed * Scipio * Seneca * Thompson *
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...


Census-designated places

* Bascom * Flat Rock * Fort Seneca *
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
* McCutchenville * Melmore * Old Fort


Unincorporated communities

* Adrian * Alvada * Amsden * Angus * Berwick * Caroline * Carrothers * Cooper * Cromers * Fireside * Frenchtown * Iler * Lowell * Maple Grove * Omar * Reedtown * Rehoboth * Rockaway * Saint Stephens * Siam * Springville * Swander * Watson * West Lodi


Places of interest

* Seneca Caverns


Natural history

Before widespread settlement, the area of Seneca County was for the most part woodland. Besides the fringe of the Great Black Swamp in the northwest, there was also an extensive area of marshland in the Bloomville area as well as smaller patches of swamp terrain which were formed due to the county's essentially level terrain. Native American inhabitants and later settlers used the region mainly for hunting fur animals, with little
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
of note until the early 19th century. Starting in the early-mid 19th century, the county's area was subject to wholesale deforestation. This led to massive alteration of much of the local wildlife, with grassland and farmland animals replacing the native woodland fauna. Migrant waterbirds, in ancient times commonly encountered throughout the region as they foraged in the swamps on their way south, are nowadays rare and concentrate on the few remaining waterbodies large enough to sustain them. The passenger pigeon (''Ectopistes migratorius'') had several roosting (and probably nesting) places in the county when it was still wooded. Removal of the forest had driven the birds away by the 1860s, foreshadowing its eventual total
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
ion due to large-scale logging which rendered this species unable to sustain the massive hunting pressure. Several
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of waterbirds, formerly frequently encountered during migration, are only rarely seen nowadays. These include, for example, the common loon (''Gavia immer''), American wigeon (''Anas americana''), redhead (''Aythya americana''), canvasback (''Aythya valisneria''), and several species of mergansers. Landbirds were apparently less seriously affected; apart from the passenger pigeon, the ruffed grouse (''Bonasa umbellus''), wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo''),
golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...
(''Aquila chrysaetos'') and marsh wren (''Cistothorus palustris'') had essentially or completely disappeared by 1900. However, it is not known how many of the numerous species of New World warblers, most of which today only occur only as transient migrants, formerly bred in Seneca County. The Eskimo curlew (''Numenius borealis''), possibly extinct today, occurred as a transient in Ohio until about 1900; to what extent it migrated through Seneca County is not well known but even if it did it is unlikely that it was often seen after deforestation had gotten underway in earnest. The extinct Carolina parakeet (''Conuropsis carolinensis'') – or probably individuals of the western
subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
, the Louisiana Parakeet (''C. c. ludovicianus'') – may have on occasion have occurred in Seneca County as a vagrant before 1862. The only record of the long-billed murrelet (''Brachyramphus perdix'') in Ohio comes from Seneca County. A stray individual of this North Pacific auk was observed and photographed between November 12–18, 1996. The rare Kirtland's warbler (''Setophaga kirtlandii'') is again increasing in numbers and may occasionally range as far north as Seneca County. The introduced
house sparrow The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the Old World sparrow, sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pa ...
(''Passer domesticus'') is common since at least the late 19th century. The ring-necked pheasant (''Phasianus colchicus''), another species introduced from
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, never seems to have become really plentiful, though it has been a breeding resident since at least 1901.


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Seneca County, Ohio


References


External links


''A Centennial Biographical History of Seneca County, Ohio.''
Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1902.
County website
{{coord, 41.13, -83.13, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-OH_source:UScensus1990 1824 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1824