Lucas is a village in southeastern Richland County, Ohio, United States. Lucas is part of the Mansfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 589 at the 2020 census.
History
David Tucker, a New Hampshire resident, moved to Richland County in 1819, where he set in a proposal to buy land in the rural country of the county. He was granted this proposal in 1824, allowing him to buy land from the state at $1.25 per acre. After purchasing a mass quantity of land from the state, Tucker hired Mr. Steward to survey the land for auctioning out. David's brother, John, was placed in charge as the head attorney authored to sell land to incoming settlers and pioneers in 1829. Currently three theories exist on how the Village of Lucas acquired its name:
- The town was named after the current at the time and 12th governor of Ohio, Robert Lucas.
- The town was named in honor of Governor Lucas's brother, a major land owner for the town.
- The town was named in honor of the Tucker brothers' mother's maiden name, Lucas.
However the name came to be, the town of Lucas was officially established according to Ohio standards at the time in 1836.
Geography
Lucas lies southeast of Mansfield, a few miles from Interstate 71 on State Route 39. Lucas is surrounded by the Rocky Fork and Black Fork rivers, and the Charles Mill Lake to the east, and the Pleasant Hill Lake to the south. Lucas has many hills and forests and is part of the Mohican Valley area, along with Loudonville, Perrysville, Butler and Bellville. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 615 people, 237 households, and 176 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 269 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.0% White, 0.3% African American, and 1.6% from two or more races.
There were 237 households, of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.7% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.97.
The median age in the village was 34.9 years. 29.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.8% were from 25 to 44; 21.9% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census
The Lucas "Cubs" are a member of the Mid-Buckeye Conference, participating in sports such as baseball, football, basketball, track, cross country, girls volleyball and girls softball.
Lucas has a public library, a branch of the Mansfield–Richland County Public Library.
Notable people
- Louis Bromfield, Pulitzer Prize–winning author and world-famous conservationist
- John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, American pioneer nurseryman
- Tim Seder, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars placekicker