Lucas County, Ohio

Lucas County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Toledo
Year Organized: 1835
Square Miles: 340

Court House:

One Goverment Center, Suite 800
Carlson Library
Toledo, OH 43604-2259

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Residents chose the name Lucas in honor of Robert Lucas, the governor of Ohio.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

On June 20, 1835, the Ohio government established Lucas County. Residents chose the name Lucas in honor of Robert Lucas, the governor of Ohio. Lucas County was part of the territory that came under dispute between Ohio and Michigan during the "Toledo War." The Ohio government tried to solidify its claim over the disputed land by creating Lucas County. Previous to the Toledo War, Lucas County was the sight of the Battle of Fallen Timbers. In 1794, General Anthony Wayne defeated an alliance of Ohio's Indian tribes, solidifying white control over the majority of Ohio.

Lucas County is located in the northwestern portion of Ohio. The county's northern border helps form Ohio's boundary with Michigan. The county seat is Toledo, which is the county's largest population center, with 313,619 residents in 2000. The county's next largest community is Sylvania Township, with a population of approximately 25,600 people in 2000. The county experienced a slight decrease in population between 1990 and 2000, reducing the total population to 455,054 residents. This decrease was primarily due to people leaving the busyness of Toledo behind to move to quieter neighboring counties. An average of 1,338 people live in each of Lucas County's 340 square miles.

Urban areas comprise eighteen percent of Lucas County's land mass. Most residents find employment in service-oriented and sales positions, with manufacturing jobs ranking a distant third. During the late nineteenth century, Toledo was known as the "City of Glass" for its numerous glass-producing facilities. The city was also the home of the Willys-Overland Company, the largest manufacturer of jeeps during World War II in the United States. The county's average income was 27,361 dollars per person in 1999, with 13.6 percent of the population living in poverty.

Most voters in Lucas County claim to be independents, yet in recent years, they have overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates at the national level.

Among the county's more prominent residents was actor Jamie Farr, one of the stars of the sitcom M.A.S.H. Ohio Governor Michael DiSalle and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court Morrison R. Waite also were Lucas County residents.

Sources

Lucas County, Ohio History Central, July 24, 2008,

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1965&nm=Lucas-County

Neighboring Counties:

Monroe County, Michigan (north)
Across Lake Erie lies Essex County, Ontario (northeast)
Ottawa County (southeast)
Wood County (south)
Henry County (southwest)
Fulton County (west)
Lenawee County, Michigan (northwest)

Cities and Towns:

- Berkey	village	Incorporated Area
- Harbor View	village	Incorporated Area
- Harding	township
- Holland	village	Incorporated Area
- Maumee	city	Incorporated Area
- Monclova	township
- Northwood	city	Incorporated Area
- Oregon	city	Incorporated Area
- Ottawa Hills	village	Incorporated Area
- Providence	township
- Sylvania	city	Incorporated Area
- Toledo (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Waterville	village	Incorporated Area
- Whitehouse	village	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

Penn Foster High School

Custom Search