Lowell, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Lowell is a village in Washington County
, Ohio
, United States
, along the Muskingum River
. The population was 628 at the 2000 census.
opened the territory for settlement. Soon after the Ordinance took effect, the Ohio Company of Associates
purchased 1500000 acres (6,070.3 km²) of land along the Muskingum River
and proceeded to survey the area. The first settlement in what would become the state of Ohio was Marietta
, founded in 1788 near the mouth of the Muskingum about 14 miles (22.5 km) downstream from the site that would become Lowell. By 1789, settlement had spread north to the area where the Cats Creek enters the Muskingum River.
By the 1830s the Muskingum Valley had long been settled, and local leaders created a plan to improve the Muskingum River for use as a source of power. In 1836 the State Legislature approved a bill that appropriated $400,000 to create a series of locks and dams along the river as far north as Dresden
. Between 1837 and 1841, eleven dams and twelve locks were built at a cost that had ballooned to over $1.6 million. The third lock was built within a one mile (1.6 km) long canal constructed near the mouth of the Cats Creek to bypass a series of rapids in the Muskingum. Two competing companies bought land near the canal with the intentions of building a town. The first settlement was laid out on November 8, 1837 and was named Lowell with the idea that it would grow into a large manufacturing city similar to Lowell, Massachusetts
. It was located along the upper end of the canal on the west side of the Cats Creek. The second settlement, called Buell's Lowell, was laid out on March 22, 1838. The second settlement quickly grew to dominate to the point that the first settlement became known as Upper Lowell. In 1850, Buell's Lowell was incorporated as a village and in 1889 officially changed its name to Lowell.
During the second half the 19th century several mills, tanneries, and factories were built along the canal. In 1888 the Zanesville and Ohio River Railroad was constructed across the river from Lowell giving the small village rail access to Zanesville in the north and Marietta in the south. By the turn of the 20th century, Lowell's fortunes began to decline as river trade was replaced by the railroads and later automobiles. Industry in the city declined and much of the land along the canal has since been replaced by parkland. Today many Lowell residents rely on Parkersburg and Marietta for jobs and shopping.
On November 8, 2011, Dave Pitzer was elected Mayor in a 114-57 landslide defeating Douglas Seese.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
State Routes 60
and 530
connect in Lowell.
of 2000, there were 628 people, 258 households, and 182 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,476.3 people per square mile (969.9/km2). There were 297 housing units at an average density of 1,171.1 per square mile (458.7/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 99.68% White, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.
There were 258 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,865, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $26,029 versus $18,864 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $14,611. About 11.9% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
and was once the site of Lowell High School which is no longer in use.
. It forms an island, Buell Island, named for native son Don Carlos Buell
. Some residents of Lowell live on Buell island, but the island is mostly used for recreation at Buell Park.
Buell Island is also home to the historic Strait Run one room school house. Although the school has been moved from its original location, its structure and furnishings are otherwise intact.
Washington County, Ohio
Washington County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 61,778. Its county seat is Marietta. The county, the oldest in the state, is named for George Washington. Washington County is included in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, West Virginia-Ohio...
, 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 Muskingum River
Muskingum River
The Muskingum River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 111 miles long, in southeastern Ohio in the United States. An important commercial route in the 19th century, it flows generally southward through the eastern hill country of Ohio...
. The population was 628 at the 2000 census.
History
The first European settlers to the land that would become Lowell arrived in the late 18th century after the 1787 Northwest OrdinanceNorthwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States, passed July 13, 1787...
opened the territory for settlement. Soon after the Ordinance took effect, the Ohio Company of Associates
Ohio Company of Associates
The Ohio Company of Associates, also known as the Ohio Company, was a land company which is today credited with becoming the first non-American Indian group to settle in the present-day state of Ohio...
purchased 1500000 acres (6,070.3 km²) of land along the Muskingum River
Muskingum River
The Muskingum River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 111 miles long, in southeastern Ohio in the United States. An important commercial route in the 19th century, it flows generally southward through the eastern hill country of Ohio...
and proceeded to survey the area. The first settlement in what would become the state of Ohio was Marietta
Marietta, Ohio
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, United States. During 1788, pioneers to the Ohio Country established Marietta as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory. Marietta is located in southeastern Ohio at the mouth...
, founded in 1788 near the mouth of the Muskingum about 14 miles (22.5 km) downstream from the site that would become Lowell. By 1789, settlement had spread north to the area where the Cats Creek enters the Muskingum River.
By the 1830s the Muskingum Valley had long been settled, and local leaders created a plan to improve the Muskingum River for use as a source of power. In 1836 the State Legislature approved a bill that appropriated $400,000 to create a series of locks and dams along the river as far north as Dresden
Dresden, Ohio
Dresden is a village in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States, along the Muskingum River at the mouth of Wakatomika Creek. It was incorporated on March 9, 1835...
. Between 1837 and 1841, eleven dams and twelve locks were built at a cost that had ballooned to over $1.6 million. The third lock was built within a one mile (1.6 km) long canal constructed near the mouth of the Cats Creek to bypass a series of rapids in the Muskingum. Two competing companies bought land near the canal with the intentions of building a town. The first settlement was laid out on November 8, 1837 and was named Lowell with the idea that it would grow into a large manufacturing city similar to Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
. It was located along the upper end of the canal on the west side of the Cats Creek. The second settlement, called Buell's Lowell, was laid out on March 22, 1838. The second settlement quickly grew to dominate to the point that the first settlement became known as Upper Lowell. In 1850, Buell's Lowell was incorporated as a village and in 1889 officially changed its name to Lowell.
During the second half the 19th century several mills, tanneries, and factories were built along the canal. In 1888 the Zanesville and Ohio River Railroad was constructed across the river from Lowell giving the small village rail access to Zanesville in the north and Marietta in the south. By the turn of the 20th century, Lowell's fortunes began to decline as river trade was replaced by the railroads and later automobiles. Industry in the city declined and much of the land along the canal has since been replaced by parkland. Today many Lowell residents rely on Parkersburg and Marietta for jobs and shopping.
On November 8, 2011, Dave Pitzer was elected Mayor in a 114-57 landslide defeating Douglas Seese.
Geography
Lowell is located at 39.529174°N 81.507370°W, along the Muskingum RiverMuskingum River
The Muskingum River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 111 miles long, in southeastern Ohio in the United States. An important commercial route in the 19th century, it flows generally southward through the eastern hill country of Ohio...
.
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 village has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
State Routes 60
Ohio State Route 60
State Route 60 is a north–south state highway that runs the entire length of the U.S. state of Ohio, from State Route 7 along the Ohio River in Marietta to U.S. Route 6 near Lake Erie in Vermilion....
and 530
Ohio State Route 530
State Route 530 is a nearly long, east-west state highway in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Ohio. The western terminus of State Route 530 is at a signalized T-intersection with State Route 60 in downtown Lowell...
connect in Lowell.
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 628 people, 258 households, and 182 families residing in the village. 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 2,476.3 people per square mile (969.9/km2). There were 297 housing units at an average density of 1,171.1 per square mile (458.7/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 99.68% White, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.
There were 258 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% 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, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,865, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $26,029 versus $18,864 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 village was $14,611. About 11.9% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Lowell is the home of Lowell Elementary (k-6) which is part of the Fort Frye School District Fort Frye High SchoolFort Frye High School
Fort Frye High School is a public high school in Beverly, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Fort Frye Local School District. Their nickname/mascot is the Cadets. They are members of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference....
and was once the site of Lowell High School which is no longer in use.
Historic sites
Lowell is the location of Lock #3 on the Muskingum RiverMuskingum River
The Muskingum River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 111 miles long, in southeastern Ohio in the United States. An important commercial route in the 19th century, it flows generally southward through the eastern hill country of Ohio...
. It forms an island, Buell Island, named for native son Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville. The nation was angry at his failure to defeat the outnumbered...
. Some residents of Lowell live on Buell island, but the island is mostly used for recreation at Buell Park.
Buell Island is also home to the historic Strait Run one room school house. Although the school has been moved from its original location, its structure and furnishings are otherwise intact.
Notable natives and residents
- Don Carlos BuellDon Carlos BuellDon Carlos Buell was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville. The nation was angry at his failure to defeat the outnumbered...
- Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Further reading
- Schneider, Norris F. History of Lowell and Adams Township, Midwest Book Company, Lowell, Ohio, 1946.
- Williams History of Washington County, Ohio 1788-1881, H. Z. Williams & Brother Publishers, Cleveland, Ohio, 1881.