On May 5, 1802, a group of prospective settlers founded the Scioto Company at the home of Rev. Eber B. Clark in Granby, Connecticut for the purpose of forming a settlement between the Muskingum River and Great Miami River in the Ohio Country. James Kilbourne was elected president and Josiah Topping secretary (McCormick 1998:7).
On October 5, 1802, the Scioto Company met in Granby, Connecticut and decided not to purchase the lands along the Scioto River on the Pickaway Plains, but rather to buy land 30 miles (48 km) farther north from Dr. Jonas Stanbery and his partner, an American Revolutionary War general, Jonathan Dayton. Sixteen thousand acres (65 km2) were purchased along the Whetstone River (now known as the Olentangy River) at $1.50 per acre (McCormick 1998:19-27). This land was part of the United States Military District surveyed by Israel Ludlow in 1797 and divided into townships 5 miles (8.0 km) square.[4]
Organization
On May 7, 1803, James Kilbourne arrived at what is now Worthington to inspect the Scioto Company's purchase. A work party of seven hired laborers, paid $12 per month each, soon began work clearing the forest (McCormick 1998: 29).
On August 10, 1803, the Scioto Company voted to name the village for Thomas Worthington, one of Ohio's first two senators, and for each member to contribute $2 (about four days wages) to support a library.
In September 1803 the first settlers departed Connecticut by horse. Ezra Griswold was the lone settler who traveled by ox-cart. With this he is officially the first settler of Worthington, beating his fellow Company men to the site. By December 1803, Worthington was divided into 160, three quarter acre city lots with a 5-acre (20,000 m2) public green in the center of the village. Thirty seven persons bid between $53 and $0.25 to select a lot. Those who bid nothing were given a choice of the remaining lots.
Farm lots, ranging from 20 to 130 acres (0.53 km2) and averaging 93 acres (380,000 m2), were sold off in the same way. Both the Episcopal Church and Worthington Academy were given an 80-acre (320,000 m2) farm lot and 20-acre (81,000 m2) wood lot to provide financial support.
Dissolution of the Company
By August 11, 1804, the plat maps were completed, payments or notes promising payments collected and deeds prepared for all sixteen thousand acres (65 km2) of the Scioto Company's purchase (McCormick 1998:71). On January 28, 1805, having completed its work of apportioning land and establishing the church, school and library, the Scioto Company was dissolved (McCormick 1998:76).
Incorporation
On February 20, 1808, the Worthington Academy was incorporated by the Ohio legislature and a brick building was constructed facing the northeast quadrant of the public square. Its bell now adorns Kilbourne Middle School. That same year James Kilbourne erected a commercial building for a newspaper. This building still stands at 679-681 High Street as the oldest commercial building in continuous use in the state.
In 1811, Ezra Griswold built a large south-facing brick tavern on the lot north of the northeast quadrant of the public square. That same year, the Orange Johnson house was constructed north of the Village Green.
War of 1812
During the War of 1812, several Worthington militia marched north with General William Hull's army and were surrendered at Detroit on August 12, 1812. Orders issued by General William Henry Harrison from "Northwest Army Headquarters, Worthington, Ohio" on October 28, 1812, indicate the commander, like his supply wagons, was using the road north from the capital. On September 7, 1814, Zophar Topping died while serving with Indian scouts. He was one of two Worthington casualties during the war along with Luther Palmer.[5]
Aurora Buttles House in Worthington, built in 1818
On August 25, 1817, President James Monroe visited Worthington. Also in 1817, Philander Chase moved to Worthington to become the first rector of St. John's Episcopal Church. He concurrently served as rector of Episcopal churches in Columbus and Delaware and as principal of the Worthington Academy. In June 1818, Rev. Chase was elected Bishop of the newly organized Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. Chase initially founded Kenyon College in Worthington.
The period from the 1820s to the Civil War was a time of slow growth for the sleepy village. In 1820, Aurora Buttles erected a Masonic hall. In 1826 the Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike was incorporated (now U.S. Route 23) to connect the center of the state to Lake Erie, further cementing the importance of High Street.
Louis Noble House, built in 1863
Civil War
In September, 1861 Captain William Pinney and 14 members of the "Olentangy Reserves" mustered into Company E of Thomas Worthington Jr.'s 46th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which trained at Camp Lyon on the old Worthington Manufacturing Co. site southwest of the village. This unit suffered forty percent casualties at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862.
On April 29, 1865, at Appx 6:50 AM, President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train passed through Worthington en route to the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.
Post-war growth
In 1866 the Bishop House was converted to the Union Hotel (Worthington Inn) by the Lewis family. In 1873 the Worthington School located at Evening Street and State Route 161 was completed. The first Worthington High School class graduated in 1880 (including 2 girls).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.63 square miles (14.58 km2), of which 5.55 square miles (14.37 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.[7]
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Newer information is available from the 2020 Census. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (November 2021)
2010 census
As of the census[11] of 2010, there were 13,575 people, 5,691 households, and 3,874 families living in the city. The population density was 2,445.9 inhabitants per square mile (944.4/km2). There were 5,940 housing units at an average density of 1,070.3 per square mile (413.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.0% White, 2.2% African American, 2.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.
There were 5,691 households, of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.88.
The median age in the city was 44.9 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.7% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.
2000 census
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 14,125 people, 5,692 households, and 4,052 families living in the city. The population density was 2,494.6 inhabitants per square mile (963.2/km2). There were 5,845 housing units at an average density of 1,032.3 per square mile (398.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.97% White, 1.71% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.77% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.
There were 5,692 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $68,568, and the median income for a family was $83,074. Males had a median income of $59,258 versus $39,424 for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,495. About 1.4% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Library
The Worthington Public Library serves the community with three branches. In 2015, the library loaned more than 3.2 million items to its 79,500 cardholders, making it one of the busiest libraries in Ohio.[12] Total printed materials held are over 473,000 volumes with 20,000 print subscriptions.[12]
Transportation
Worthington's downtown centers around the intersection of Ohio State Route 161 and U.S. Route 23. In addition, the 315 expressway and Interstate 71 flank Worthington's west and east ends respectively, and Worthington is accessible by Interstate 270, a ring road surrounding Columbus which itself cuts through the northern end of Worthington.
McCormick, Virginia E. & McCormick, Robert W. New Englanders on the Ohio Frontier. Migration and Settlement of Worthington, Ohio, The Kent State University Press, 1998. ISBN0-87338-586-1
