| Shelby County, Ohio | |
|
Shelby County Courthouse
|
|
Location in the state of Ohio |
|
Ohio's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | April 1, 1819[1] |
|---|---|
| Named for | Isaac Shelby |
| Seat | Sidney |
| Largest city | Sidney |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
411 sq mi (1,065 km²) 409 sq mi (1,060 km²) 2 sq mi (5 km²), 0.43% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
47,910 117/sq mi (45/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | co.shelby.oh.us |
Shelby County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,423. [1] Its name honors Isaac Shelby, former governor of Kentucky.[2] Its county seat is Sidney.[3]
The Sidney Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Shelby County.
Contents |
The Algonquian-speaking Shawnee Native Americans had come into the area in the 18th century, displacing the Ojibwa-speaking Ottawa of the Anishinaabeg, a related language group who moved northwest. The Shawnee were joined by the Iroquois, Seneca and Mingo peoples as well, displaced by colonial encroachment to the east. In 1792 the European-American pioneer John Hardin was killed by the Shawnee in Shelby County. Early settlers named the first county seat of Hardin after him.
Shelby County was created in 1819 from Miami County. For many years it contained Minster, New Bremen, etc.; these were included in Auglaize County when it was created from Shelby and Allen counties.
In 1846, a group of 383 free blacks from Virginia, called the "Randolph Slaves", settled in the county, most at Rumley. They had been freed by the 1833 will of the Virginia planter John Randolph of Roanoke. He provided money for their transportation and resettlement on land in a free state.[4][5] Their gaining freedom was delayed by court challenges, but the families finally traveled in 1846. Randolph had provided that those over the age of 40 were given 10 acres each for resettlement.[6] "The 1846 edition of Howe’s History of Ohio says of Rumley, 'There are 400 Negroes (half the population of Van Buren Township) as prosperous as their white neighbors and equal to the whites in morals, religion and intelligence'."[7]
In 1900 survivors and descendants formed the Randolph Ex-Slaves Association (later they changed the name to the Randolph Slave Association) and held their first reunion at Midway Park near Piqua. Sixty-two of the original settlers attended who had been born in Virginia into slavery. After being manumitted, they had come to Ohio as small children with their families. They were called the "Old Dominions" after the nickname of Virginia; the "Buckeyes" were those born in Ohio. Over the years the reunions were also held at Troy and the Shelby County Fairgrounds, with 100-300 attending.[8]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 411 square miles (1,060 km2).409 square miles (1,060 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km2) of it (0.43%) is water.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 2,106 |
|
|
| 1830 | 3,671 | 74.3% | |
| 1840 | 12,154 | 231.1% | |
| 1850 | 13,958 | 14.8% | |
| 1860 | 17,493 | 25.3% | |
| 1870 | 20,748 | 18.6% | |
| 1880 | 24,137 | 16.3% | |
| 1890 | 24,707 | 2.4% | |
| 1900 | 24,625 | −0.3% | |
| 1910 | 24,663 | 0.2% | |
| 1920 | 25,923 | 5.1% | |
| 1930 | 24,924 | −3.9% | |
| 1940 | 26,071 | 4.6% | |
| 1950 | 28,488 | 9.3% | |
| 1960 | 33,586 | 17.9% | |
| 1970 | 37,748 | 12.4% | |
| 1980 | 43,089 | 14.1% | |
| 1990 | 44,915 | 4.2% | |
| 2000 | 47,910 | 6.7% | |
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 47,910 people, 17,636 households, and 13,085 families residing in the county. The population density was 117 people per square mile (45/km²). There were 18,682 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.04% White, 1.49% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 17,636 households out of which 36.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.60% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,507, and the median income for a family was $51,331. Males had a median income of $36,212 versus $24,470 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,255. About 5.30% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.30% of those under age 18 and 5.30% of those age 65 or over.