Windham, Ohio

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Windham, Ohio
settlement_type = Village
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of within the state of Ohio.


mapsize1 = 250px
map_caption1 = Location within Portage County.

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Ohio
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Portage

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Rob Donham
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 5.5
area_land_km2 = 5.5
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.1
area_land_sq_mi = 2.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 2806
population_density_km2 = 511.0
population_density_sq_mi = 1321.4

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes = GR|3
elevation_m =
elevation_ft =
latd = 41 |latm = 14 |lats = 19 |latNS = N
longd = 81 |longm = 2 |longs = 12 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 44288
area_code = 330, 234
blank_name =
blank_info =
blank1_name =
blank1_info =
website = [http://www.windhamohio.net WindhamOhio.net]
footnotes =

Windham is a village located in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is formed from portions of Windham Township, one of the original townships of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 2,806 at the 2000 census. On July 1, 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated 2,723 people resided in the village. [cite web
url= http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2006-04-39.xls
title= Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Ohio, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006
accessdate= 2008-02-11
format= Excel
publisher= U.S. Census Bureau] In 1942, the US government chose Windham as the site of an army camp for workers at the newly-built Ravenna Arsenal. As a result, Windham experienced the largest increase in population of any municipality in the United States between the 1940 and 1950 censuses: The population increased from 316 residents to 3,946.cite web
title= History of the Windham Schools
date= 1998
url= http://windham.sparcc.org/about2.html
publisher= Windham Exempted Village School District
accessdate= 2007-10-24
archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20040810042334/http://windham.sparcc.org/about2.html
archivedate= 2004-08-10]

Windham is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area. Owing to its location, which is slightly closer to Youngstown than Akron and significantly closer to Warren (at 12.8 miles away, even closer to Windham than the county seat of Ravennacite web |url=http://www.windhamvillage.com |title=The Village of Windham, Ohio |accessdate=2008-08-19] ), the village also positions itself in relation to cities in the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Area.cite web |url=http://windhamohio.net/categoryblog/31-general/44-where-is-windham-ohio.html |title=Where is Windham, Ohio? |publisher=Windham Chamber of Commerce |date=2007-12-21 |accessdate=2008-08-19] Accordingly, the sole bank in Windham holds membership in the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce. [cite web |url=http://www.regionalchamber.com/detail.asp?MemberID=15662 |title=Cortland Banks - Windham |publisher=Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber |accessdate=2008-08-19]

History

Prior to 1811, the land now comprising the Village and Township of Windham was owned by Caleb Strong [http://www.windhamtownship.com/aboutwindhamtwp.htm About Windham Township] . Windham Township Government, Windham, Ohio. Retrieved January 6, 2008.] , as part of his holdings through the Ohio Company of Associates. [http://digicoll.marietta.edu/oca/images/Inventory.pdf Manuscripts and Documents of the Ohio Company of Associates] . Digital Collections at Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio. Retrieved January 6, 2008.] On September 11, 1810, a group of sixteen men met in Becket, Massachusetts at the home of Thatcher Conant to discuss the purchase of land in Ohio for settlement. These men, who would be known as the Beckettsic Land Company, consisted of Conant, Elijah Alford, Nathan Birchard, Gideon Bush, Dillingham Clark, Elisha Clark, Isaac Clark, Benjamin Higley, Aaron P. Jagger, Enos Kingsley, Jeremiah Lyman, Bill Messenger, Ebenezer Messenger, Benjamin C. Perkins, John Seely, and Alpheus Streator.

On November 11, 1810, the Beckett Land Company purchased about Acre to km2|14825 from Caleb Strong. The land was divided into 100 lots, and allotted according to each family's investment in the company. Conant, his wife Elizabeth, Dillingham and Abigail Clark, and Alpheus and Anna Streator donated portions of their allotments near the center of the township for a village green, which was common practice for townships in the Connecticut Western Reserve. The group of sixteen families then departed from Massachusetts on May 2, 1811. [http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohportag/hist018.htm Windham - 1811 - 1850] ] Six weeks later, they arrived in the purchased survey township, which was located immediately south of Nelson Township in the Connecticut Western Reserve. This new township, known today as Windham Township, was survey town 4 in range 6 of the Western Reserve.

The first religious service in the new township was held on July 28, 1811 in the home of one of the settlers. This service was very likely Congregationalist, as several of the families belonged to the Congregational Church in Becket, Massachusetts.. The Congregational Church eventually constructed a building on the Green, and today that church still remains on the Green as a member church of the United Church of Christ.

The Windham Historical Society notes that the township was originally named Strongsburgcite web
title= Windham Historical Society
url= http://www.history.portage.oh.us/windham%20hist%20soc.htm
accessdate= 2008-01-06
publisher= Portage County Historical Society] , however, some sources cite the original name as Strongsburgh.. The namesake was original landowner Caleb Strong, who was by then the Governor of Massachusetts. There is some discrepancy in how this township came to be known as Windham. According to the Windham Historical Society, the name of the township "was changed to Sharon, by an act of legislature in about 1820….A few years later the name was again changed to Windham, which it has remained to present." The Historical Society also cites political concerns as the reason the name was changed from Strongsburg to Sharon. However, on Windham Township's website, March 2, 1813 is cited as the date on which "the Township was made a district by itself and the name was changed to 'Sharon'." The website goes on to state that in 1820, by an act of legislature, the name was changed again to Windham.. Yet another source, "The Ohio Gazetteer, and Travelers'ssic Guide", states that the name was changed from Sharon to Windham in January, 1829.cite web
url=http://ohiotidbits.com/13.html
title=The Ohio Gazetteer, and Travelers's Guide
accessdate=2008-01-06
publisher=Ohio Tidbits] . Still another source places these dates as 1817 and 1820, respectively. Common to most sources are a few claims which reasonably can be ascertained to be fact:

* Caleb Strong was the original namesake of the township.
* The name of the township was changed from Strongsburg/Strongsburgh, to Sharon, and again to Windham.
* The second name change, from Sharon to Windham, was in honor of Windham, Connecticut-- home to at least some of the township's original settlers.

A private academy was chartered in Windham on February 19, 1835. Windham Academy was the 44th to be chartered by Ohio.cite web |url=http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohstemplate.cfm?action=detail&Page=002799.html&StartPage=1&EndPage=271&volume=27&newtitle=Volume%2027%20Page%201 |title=Ohio History the Scholarly Journal of the Ohio Historical Society] This school closed in 1853, and was replaced by a second, short-lived private school in the 1860's. Windham High School was founded in 1883, across the street from the present school building.

The Village of Windham was incorporated in 1892, and on October 12, 1993 the village officially withdrew from Windham Township.

Geography

Windham is located at coor dms|41|14|19|N|81|2|12|W|city (41.238706, -81.036731)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²), all of it land. Interstate 80 and the Ohio Turnpike pass through the village, although there is presently no interchange in either Windham or Windham Township. Windham's location on the expressway, however, has in recent years caused an expansion of wireless communication services for the people of Windham. [cite web |url=http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=82A6270D-EA9D-4A06-94D7-B4A895467A5C |title=Alltel Wireless expands wireless broadband network in Ohio |publisher=Computer Business Review |date=2008-07-21 |accessdate=2008-08-05 |quote=Coverage also runs east along Interstate 80 from Vermilion to Windham, and extends northeast to Lake County, southeast to the town of Deerfield and southwest to the town of Lodi.]

Demographics

USCensusPop
1940= 316
1950= 3946
1980= 3721
1990= 2943
2000= 2806

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 2,806 people, 959 households, and 729 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,321.4 people per square mile (511.0/km²). There were 1,143 housing units at an average density of 538.2/sq mi (208.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 92.94% White, 4.92% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.43% of the population.

There were 959 households out of which 45.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the village the population was spread out with 35.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $31,630, and the median income for a family was $32,679. Males had a median income of $30,791 versus $20,859 for females. The per capita income for the village was $11,875. About 23.5% of families and 23.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable Windhamites

Laurin D. Woodworth represented Ohio's 17th district in the United States Congress from 1873 until 1877. Woodworth was born in Windham, and is interred at Windham Cemetery. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000735 Laurin D. Woodworth's biography] at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress] Windham is also the birthplace of Thomson Jay Hudson, known for his three laws of psychic phenomena. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=i1IDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT436&lpg=PT436&dq=thomson+jay+hudson+windham&source=web&ots=fG-35Dm_Wp&sig=EliSeM-e5djdvaLfhBy_y7ruX7k&hl=en The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans] ]

Angela Johnson was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, but raised in Windham. [cite web |url=http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=2913 |title=Angela Johnson biography |publisher=Scholastic] Her inspiration to become an author came as a student in the Windham Exempted Village School District. [cite web |url=http://www.ohioana-authors.org/johnson/highlights.php |title=Angela Johnson: Highlights of a Life| publisher=WOSU| work=Ohioana Authors] Johnson has been honored by the American Library Association, and has won the Coretta Scott King Award three times.

Windham High School's football coach from 1972 until 1974 was Stan Parrish [ [http://ballstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=67658&SPID=7633&DB_OEM_ID=14200&ATCLID=1148147&Q_SEASON=2008 Stan Parrish profile] at ballstatesports.com. Accessed June 10, 2008] , then a recent graduate of Heidelberg College. Parrish would go on to coach the Marshall Thundering Herd to their first winning season since the 1970 air disaster that claimed the lives of most of Marshall's football team. Parrish also was head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats football team, and as of 2008 is an assistant at Ball State University. [cite news |last=McKeever |first=Curt |title=Ball State assistant has seen highs and lows during long career |url=http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/09/22/huskerextra/football/doc46f47c689b7e4246803813.txt |date=2007-09-22 |accessdate=2008-06-10]

References

External links

* [http://www.windhamvillage.com/ Village website]
* [http://windhamohio.net Chamber of Commerce website, at WindhamOhio.net]