Mount Vernon, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Vernon, Ohio
City
East High Street Historic District, Mount Vernon
Flag Logo
Motto(s):  "One of Ohio's Most Likable Communities"
Location of Mount Vernon, Ohio
Mount Vernon, Ohio Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Mount Vernon, Ohio Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Knox
Area
• Total	9.91 sq mi (25.68 km2)
• Land	9.73 sq mi (25.20 km2)
• Water	0.18 sq mi (0.48 km2)
Elevation	974 ft (297 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,956
• Density	1,742.65/sq mi (672.82/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	43050
Area code(s)	740
FIPS code	39-53102
GNIS feature ID	1086410
Website	mountvernonohio.org

Mount Vernon is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Ohio, United States, along the Kokosing River. It is located 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Columbus. The population was 16,956 at the 2020 census.

History

The community was platted in 1805, and named after Mount Vernon, the estate owned by George Washington.

In May 1953, the telephone exchange for the entire city was destroyed by fire, disrupting calls for months.

In January 1959, a severe flood caused 500 homes to be evacuated and caused $5 million in damage.

Historic sites

The Woodward Opera House, the oldest opera theater of its kind in the United States, is located downtown. The theater, after many years of renovation and restoration, has been transformed into a local cultural and performing-arts center.

The Knox County Historical Society, with a building and extensive exhibits, makes its headquarters on Harcourt Road in Mount Vernon. Exhibits feature information about Daniel Decatur Emmett, Paul Lynde, The Cooper Company and other subjects.

Geography

The Kokosing River in Mount Vernon in 2006

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.60 square miles (24.86 km²), of which 9.41 square miles (24.37 km²) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.49 km²) is water. The city lies in the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau and is surrounded by rolling hills and valleys.

The Kokosing River and U.S. Route 36 pass through the city.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 16,990 people, 7,110 households, and 4,016 families living in the city. The population density was 1,805.5 inhabitants per square mile (697.1/km²). There were 7,836 housing units at an average density of 832.7 per square mile (321.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.3% White, 1.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 7,110 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.5% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the city was 37.2 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

Economy

Mount Vernon was the birthplace of Cooper Industries. There is a large industrial complex in the western part of the city that manufactures and repairs products for the gas and oil power generation industries. It was acquired by Rolls-Royce North America, and in 2014 Siemens bought the Mount Vernon plant. Facing a declining market, Siemens announced major reductions in employment in October 2016 and in 2018 announced their Mount Vernon facility would close by 2019.

Ariel Corporation, a major manufacturer of reciprocating natural gas (and other gasses) compressors, is also located in Mount Vernon. Its history is tied to that of Cooper Industries in that Jim Buchwald, one of the founders of Ariel, was a former engineer for Cooper Industries Mount Vernon.

Two universities in Mount Vernon and nearby Gambier, Ohio provide hundreds of jobs to the local residents. Mount Vernon is home to Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Gambier is home to Kenyon College.

Education

Colleges and universities

• Kenyon College (located in nearby Gambier)
• Mount Vernon Nazarene University
• Central Ohio Technical College

High schools

• Mount Vernon High School (Ohio)
• Knox County Career Center

Notable people

• Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman), pioneer and folkloric figure
• Eldad Cicero Camp, coal tycoon
• Fred Dailey, State of Ohio Agriculture Director and US Congressional candidate
• Hiram and Barney Davis, two dwarf brothers and side-show performers
• Columbus Delano, Whig and Republican politician and lawyer
• Daniel Decatur Emmett, composer of "Dixie", Early Blackface performer
• Lansford Hastings, California pioneer
• Rob Kelly, NFL football player
• Paul Lynde, comedian and actor
• Chris McLernon, musician and actor
• George W. Morgan, general and U.S. Congressman
• Juan Manuel García Passalacqua, Puerto Rican politician and television personality
• Ellamae Simmons, first African American woman to specialize in asthma, allergy, and immunology in the United States.
• Ralph W. Sockman, clergyman, author, and radio speaker
• Joan Steinbrenner, wife of New York Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner
• Jim Stillwagon, American football player
• Jesse B. Thomas, first senator of Illinois and proposer of the Missouri Compromise
• Jason Wolfe, racing driver

See also

In Spanish: Mount Vernon (Ohio) para niños