Geneva, Ohio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Geneva | |||
| — City — | |||
| City of Geneva | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Ohio | ||
| County | Ashtabula | ||
| Township(s) | Geneva Harpersfield |
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| Area first settled | 1805 | ||
| City first settled | 1816 | ||
| Incorporated | 1866 as village 1958 as city |
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| Named for | Geneva, New York | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Council-manager | ||
| - City manager | James Pearson | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 4.0 sq mi (10.3 km²) | ||
| - Land | 4.0 sq mi (10.3 km²) | ||
| - Water | 4.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 673 ft (205 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 6,595 | ||
| - Density | 1,648.8/sq mi (640.3/km²) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 44041 | ||
| Area code(s) | 440 | ||
| Demonym | Genevan | ||
| FIPS Code | 39-29610[1] | ||
| GNIS Feature ID | 1040812[2] | ||
| Website: http://www.genevaohio.com | |||
The City of Geneva[3] (pronounced /dʒɨˈniːvə/), commonly known as Geneva, is a city located within Ashtabula County, Ohio in the United States.[4] The area which would become Geneva was originally settled in 1805, and was incorporated as a city in 1958. It is named after Geneva, New York. The city's population as of the 2000 Census was 6,595.[1]
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[edit] History
The area which would eventually be the City of Geneva was first settled in 1805 by a handful of settlers from Charlotte, New York.[5] In 1806, settlers from Harpersfield, New York arrived and established Harpersfield Township, which included the present-day townships of Geneva, Trumbull and Hartsgrove.[5] However, in 1816, citizens of Harpersfield decided to withdraw from the township and form their own township, which then became Geneva Township, named after Geneva, New York.[5] In 1866, the town of Geneva then became a village, and, nearly one hundred years later, in 1958, Geneva was incorporated as a city.[5]
[edit] Demographics
As of the 2000 census,[1] there were 6,595 people, comprising 2,515 households with 1,594 families, residing within the city. The population density was 1648.8 people per square mile (640.3km²). There were 2,660 housing units, with only 145 unoccupied and 15 reserved for seasonal use.
| Historical Population Figures | |
|---|---|
| Census Year | Population |
| 1900 | 2,342 |
| 1910 | 2,496 |
| 1920 | 3,081 |
| 1930 | 3,791 |
| 1940 | 4,171 |
| 1950 | 4,718 |
| 1960 | 5,677 |
| 1970 | 6,449 |
| 1980 | 6,655 |
| 1990 | 6,597 |
| 2000 | 6,595 |
Population was spread out in the city, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% between the ages of 18 and 24, 27.6% between 25 and 44, 22% between 45 and 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older, and the median age was 38 years. For everyone 100 females, there were 92.6 males, while there were 90.2 males for every 100 females 18 years of age and older.
The racial makeup of the city was 94.8% white, 1.2% African American and less than 1% of Native American, Asian and Pacific Islander races, as well as 1.8% of other races. Those of Hispanic and Latino races were 5.9% of the racial makeup. 20.6% were of German, 12.4% Irish, 11.9% American, 10.4% English and 8.9% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.8% spoke English and 4.7% Spanish as their first language.
There were 2,515 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 within them, while 47.6% were of married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. Of all households, 30% were made up of individuals and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 people and the average family size was 3.04 people.
The median income for a household in the city was US$35,048, and the median income for a family as $41,511. Males had a median income of $31,817, while females had a median income of $23,927. The per capita income for the city was $16,940. About 5.1% of families and 9.4% of the population total were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those 65 years of age or older.
[edit] Geography
Geneva is located at .[6] Geneva is 45 miles east of Cleveland and 55 miles west of Erie, Pennsylvania.
The city is bordered to the north, east and west by Geneva Township and Harpersfield Township to the south. The Grand River flows around Geneva to the south in Harpersfield and to the west in Lake County. The Geneva State Park is located to the north of the city (within Geneva Township).
According to the 2000 census,[1] Geneva has a total area of approximately four square miles (10.3km²), with all of the area being land and none of it being water.
[edit] Transportation
Three major routes pass through (or near) Geneva. Interstate 90, the northernmost east-west and coast-to-coast interstate, passes roughly two miles south of the city. There, a full-access interchange (exit 218) intersects Route 534, which passes through Geneva and terminates north of the city. Route 534 intersects Route 20, the longest road in the United States, in downtown Geneva.
[edit] Education
The Geneva Area City School District provides K–12 education to students in Geneva as well as Geneva Township (including Geneva-on-the-Lake), Harpersfield Township, Trumbull Township and Austinburg Township (including Austinburg). The district is has four elementary schools (Geneva Elementary, Spencer Elementary, Cork Elementary and Austinburg Elementary), one junior high school (Geneva Junior High) and one high school (Geneva High School). The elementary schools serve students in grades K–6, while the junior high and high schools serve students in grades 7–8 and 9–12 respectively. The district has an open enrollment policy, allowing students from the entire county, as well as Lake and Geauga Counties to enroll.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Geneva Grape Jamboree
The Grape Jamboree is an annual celebration of the area's grape-growing and wine-producing industries.[7] The festival occurs during the final full weekend of September, and lasts both days.[7] Festivities include two parades, one held on each day, as well as various amusement park-type rides and typical festival food kiosks set up on the main streets (Route 20 and Route 534) of Geneva.[7]
[edit] Declaration of Lunar Ownership
On 1966-04-12, more than 200 people attended announcement ceremonies at Geneva High School at which it was unveiled that the city had claimed ownership of the moon.[8] The "Declaration of Lunar Ownership" contained 35 signatures, and was revealed simultaneously with the city's 100th anniversary.[8] It claimed that the "physical property of the moon shall belong exclusively to the citizens of Geneva, Ohio," and that unfriendly acts upon the city would be responded to with "all human dignity and moral circumspection."[8] The city also held the right to rent or lease its moon holdings via a two-thirds vote of the city's entire population, and provided for the sale of 100 deeds for 100 acres of land, each acre priced at US$100.[8]
[edit] Notable residents
- Brian Anderson, a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the California Angels, Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks (with whom he won a World Series in 2001) and Kansas City Royals
- Emy Coligado, an actress best-known for her role as Piama on the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle
- Edward S. Ellis, an author best known for writing hundreds of dime novels under his own name and various noms de plume
- Ransom E. Olds, a pioneer in the automobile industry and namesake of the Oldsmobile and REO brands
- Platt Rogers Spencer, a calligrapher who invented Spencerian Script, a form of cursive handwriting, and namesake of Spencer Elementary School
- Freeman Thorpe, an artist who has 46 works listed in the Smithsonian Institution's Inventory of American Paintings and Sculptures, eight of which (including a painting of Abraham Lincoln) are housed within the United States Capitol
- Timothy A. Winters, an entrepreneur of the highest honor.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Geneva, Ohio Codified Ordinances, Article I: Incorporation; Powers. American Legal Publishing Corporation. Retrieved on 2008-01-26.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b c d City of Geneva, Ohio - History. Retrieved on 2008-01-26.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b c Geneva Grape Jamboree, About. Retrieved on 2008-01-26.
- ^ a b c d Press Release (2004-04-20). Moon Over Ohio: Residents Claimed Lunar Ownership in 1966. eMediaWire. Retrieved on 2008-01-26.
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