Circleville, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Circleville is a city in and the county seat
of Pickaway County
, Ohio
, United States
, along the Scioto River
. The population was 13,485 at the 2000 census.
Noted frontier explorer Christopher Gist was the first recorded European visitor to the Circleville area. Gist reached "Maguck," a small town of about 10 families on the east bank of the Scioto River and the south side of Circleville, on January 20, 1751, and remained in the town until January 24.
Circleville was founded in 1810. It derived its name from the circular portion of a large Hopewell culture
earthwork upon which it was built. The original town plan integrated Circleville into the preexisting land with a street layout of concentric circles. An octagonal courthouse stood directly in the center.
Dissatisfaction rose with Circleville's layout, however, and in 1837, the Ohio General Assembly
authorized the "Circleville Squaring Company" to convert it into a square. By 1856, this had been completed in several phases. No remaining traces of the original earthworks remain, though a few old buildings retain curved walls that were part of the original circular layout.
On October 13, 1999, an F-3 tornado hit the city. A squall line moving through the region spawned several tornadoes in the county, including the F-3 that hit town. The tornado touched down on the north side of town doing substantial damage to a barber shop and a masonry building. A furniture store was also damaged with a hole in its roof where it was reported that items from inside the store were sucked out. Damage to nearby buildings also occurred as the tornado moved east across the north-central part of town.
The tornado then moved into a residential area in the Northwood Park neighborhood where several homes along Fairlawn Drive were destroyed. Heavy damage to trees and vehicles also occurred in this area. The tornado would lift as it crossed Edgewood Drive, but snapped the tops of some nearby trees as it lifted and moved on.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which, 6.6 square miles (17.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.78%) is water.
Calamus Swamp
is a 19 acre public reserve located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the town.
of 2000, there were 13,485 people, 5,378 households, and 3,581 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,037.2 people per square mile (786.5/km²). There were 5,706 housing units at an average density of 862.0 per square mile (332.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.36% White, 2.54% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races
, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.
There were 5,378 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,572, and the median income for a family was $41,943. Males had a median income of $32,342 versus $26,115 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,220. About 11.1% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over. Median home prices in the Circleville area as of 2009 were $120,147.
, Storm Chaser & Meteorologist Tony Laubach
, formerly a Circleville resident, wore the colors of his former high school, Circleville High School
. He is heavily featured in season 4 wearing Circleville Tigers apparel.
The city of Circleville, and most notably Green's Heritage Museum in nearby Orient, Ohio
were featured on an episode of the History Channel's American Pickers
.
The hotel that is across Ohio Street from Everts Middle School and next to the softball field was featured as the hotel where children from the A&E Network
show "Psychic Kids
" stayed during their visit to the Ugly Tuna in Columbus, Ohio.
A PBS Show, "History Detectives
", featured a resident of Circleville named Paul Mayberry who assisted the show's host in finding information about weapons used during the nineteenth century.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Pickaway County
Pickaway County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 52,727 people, 17,599 households, and 13,287 families residing in the county. The population density was 105 people per square mile . There were 18,596 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, along the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
. The population was 13,485 at the 2000 census.
History
The Delaware Indians were pushed west from Pennsyvania by the coming of the English-lead settlers to that state. They were given permission by the Wyandot to settle in the Ohio country, and one of their settlements was Maguck, built by 1750 in the area of modern Circleville.Noted frontier explorer Christopher Gist was the first recorded European visitor to the Circleville area. Gist reached "Maguck," a small town of about 10 families on the east bank of the Scioto River and the south side of Circleville, on January 20, 1751, and remained in the town until January 24.
Circleville was founded in 1810. It derived its name from the circular portion of a large Hopewell culture
Hopewell culture
The Hopewell tradition is the term used to describe common aspects of the Native American culture that flourished along rivers in the northeastern and midwestern United States from 200 BCE to 500 CE. The Hopewell tradition was not a single culture or society, but a widely dispersed set of related...
earthwork upon which it was built. The original town plan integrated Circleville into the preexisting land with a street layout of concentric circles. An octagonal courthouse stood directly in the center.
Dissatisfaction rose with Circleville's layout, however, and in 1837, the Ohio General Assembly
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...
authorized the "Circleville Squaring Company" to convert it into a square. By 1856, this had been completed in several phases. No remaining traces of the original earthworks remain, though a few old buildings retain curved walls that were part of the original circular layout.
On October 13, 1999, an F-3 tornado hit the city. A squall line moving through the region spawned several tornadoes in the county, including the F-3 that hit town. The tornado touched down on the north side of town doing substantial damage to a barber shop and a masonry building. A furniture store was also damaged with a hole in its roof where it was reported that items from inside the store were sucked out. Damage to nearby buildings also occurred as the tornado moved east across the north-central part of town.
The tornado then moved into a residential area in the Northwood Park neighborhood where several homes along Fairlawn Drive were destroyed. Heavy damage to trees and vehicles also occurred in this area. The tornado would lift as it crossed Edgewood Drive, but snapped the tops of some nearby trees as it lifted and moved on.
Geography
Circleville is located at 39°36′11"N 82°56′21"W (39.602990, -82.939272).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which, 6.6 square miles (17.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.78%) is water.
Calamus Swamp
Calamus Swamp
Calamus Swamp is a public preserve located from Circleville in Pickaway County, Ohio, United States. It has a natural kettle lake/wetland and is owned by the Columbus Audubon, the local chapter of Audubon.- History :...
is a 19 acre public reserve located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the town.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 13,485 people, 5,378 households, and 3,581 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,037.2 people per square mile (786.5/km²). There were 5,706 housing units at an average density of 862.0 per square mile (332.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.36% White, 2.54% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.
There were 5,378 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,572, and the median income for a family was $41,943. Males had a median income of $32,342 versus $26,115 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,220. About 11.1% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over. Median home prices in the Circleville area as of 2009 were $120,147.
Notable residents
- Sydney Wickline - First 9 yr. old to pitch 4 strike outs in a CGSL game.
- Tyler Evans - Won the Division II National Basketball Championship for The University of Findlay with a 3-point buzzer beater on March 28th, 2009.
- Caleb AtwaterCaleb AtwaterCaleb Atwater was an American archaeologist, historian, and politician whose career is associated with the state of Ohio.-Early years:...
- known as the “Father of Ohio’s Public School System” - Tony LaubachTony LaubachTony Laubach is an American professional storm chaser and Meteorologist. He has participated in several field research projects, been contracted as a severe weather photojournalist for several major television networks, starred in several television shows, including Seasons 3 and 4 of "Storm...
- Storm Chaser and Meteorologist who has been featured on the National Geographic Channel and as one of the featured Meteorologists with the TWISTEX team on Discovery Channel's "Storm Chasers"; his severe weather videos have been featured regularly on national television networks such as The Weather Channel, CNN, and ABC as well as local news stations across the country. - Ted LewisTed Lewis (musician)Theodore Leopold Friedman, better known as Ted Lewis , was an American entertainer, bandleader, singer, and musician. He led a band presenting a combination of jazz, hokey comedy, and schmaltzy sentimentality that was a hit with the American public. He was known by the moniker "Mr...
- VaudevilleVaudevilleVaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer and one of the preeminent bandleaders during the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. There is a Ted Lewis Museum in the city, as well as a local park that bears his name - Pat Colangeli - ABC News person of the week.
- TJ Wilkinson - Appeared in Frontier: Decisive Battles - The Battle of Fallen Timbers which aired on the History Channel.
- Conchata FerrellConchata FerrellConchata Galen Ferrell is an American actress. She is best known for playing Berta the housekeeper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, for which she received two Emmy Award nominations in 2005 and 2007.-Personal life:...
- Emmy nominated Actress, most well known for the role of Berta on the popular CBS sitcom Two And A Half MenTwo and a Half MenTwo and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
. - The Circleville Writer - an unidentified letter writer that terrorized the town of Circleville with letters threatening people's lives and making fake allegations. He/she is wanted for attempted murder and a person named Paul Freshour was arrested and convicted of the crimes. However, he was eventually released, but the identity of the writer is still unknown. The story was shown on Unsolved MysteriesUnsolved MysteriesUnsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
. - John Maxwell - New York Times bestselling author and leadership speaker.
- Trenton Dunlap - NHL's first player from Ohio.
In popular culture
In "Storm Chasers" on the Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, Storm Chaser & Meteorologist Tony Laubach
Tony Laubach
Tony Laubach is an American professional storm chaser and Meteorologist. He has participated in several field research projects, been contracted as a severe weather photojournalist for several major television networks, starred in several television shows, including Seasons 3 and 4 of "Storm...
, formerly a Circleville resident, wore the colors of his former high school, Circleville High School
Circleville High School
Circleville High School is a public high school in Circleville, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Circleville City School District. Their nickname is the Tigers.-Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships:* Boys Golf – 1951, 1986...
. He is heavily featured in season 4 wearing Circleville Tigers apparel.
The city of Circleville, and most notably Green's Heritage Museum in nearby Orient, Ohio
Orient, Ohio
Orient is a village in Pickaway County, Ohio, United States. The population was 269 at the 2000 census.Orient is home to the Pickaway Correctional Institution.-Geography:Orient is located at ....
were featured on an episode of the History Channel's American Pickers
American Pickers
American Pickers is an American reality television series that premiered on January 18, 2010 on History Channel. The series began running concurrently on sister channel Lifetime in December 2010.-Summary and reception:...
.
The hotel that is across Ohio Street from Everts Middle School and next to the softball field was featured as the hotel where children from the A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
show "Psychic Kids
Psychic Kids
Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal is a paranormal television series broadcast on the A&E television network. Hosted by Chip Coffey, an American psychic investigator, with Edy Nathan, Chris Fleming, and Kim Russo, the show brings together children who report having psychic abilities with...
" stayed during their visit to the Ugly Tuna in Columbus, Ohio.
A PBS Show, "History Detectives
History Detectives
History Detectives is a documentary television series on PBS. A group of researchers help people to seek answers to various historical questions they have, usually centering around a family heirloom, an old house or other historic object or structure...
", featured a resident of Circleville named Paul Mayberry who assisted the show's host in finding information about weapons used during the nineteenth century.