Martins Ferry, Ohio

Martins Ferry is the most populous city in Belmont County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,260 as of the 2020 census. Located along the Ohio River across from Wheeling, West Virginia, it is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area.

History

thumb|left|Aerial view of Martins Ferry in 1899

Martins Ferry is the oldest European settlement in the state of Ohio, having been settled at least as early as 1779, almost a decade before Marietta. The settlement got its start as a consequence of a land grant to George Mercer of the Ohio Company in 1748 from the British Crown for 200,000 acres in the Ohio Country, a colloquial term for what is now much of Ohio, and western West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The grant called for among other things, establishment of a fort. The grant was for land south of the Ohio River in West Virginia (then Virginia). Settlement was hampered by the outbreak of the French and Indian War. The settlement was named Zanesburg (renamed Wheeling in 1795). The Ohio Company was dissolved in 1779, and claims issued by the Crown became moot after the Revolutionary War. The community across the river was a westward extension of Zanesburg, but at that time, settlement on the west bank of the Ohio River was prohibited by the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, 1768. Through the years, it has been known as Hoglinstown, Mercertown, Norristown (1785), Jefferson (1795), Martinsville (1835), and Martin's Ferry (1865).

Squatters from across the Ohio were the earliest settlers. The settlement formed in the shadow of Virginia's Fort Fincastle, later renamed Fort Henry on the Virginia side of the Ohio, built in 1774. The town was disbanded a couple of times before becoming established as Norristown in 1785. In 1795, the town of Jefferson was platted by Absalom Martin, one of the city's earliest settlers, who operated a ferry there. In 1801, he abandoned his plat when St. Clairsville was selected as the county seat of the newly organized county of Belmont, one of the founding territories of the Northwest Territory.

In 1835, Ebenezer Martin, the son of Absalom Martin, redesigned the town, which he called Martinsville, with a grid system of streets, much of which survives to this day. Martinsville remained an unincorporated settlement for a relatively long time. It was eventually incorporated as a village in 1865 and renamed Martin's Ferry for Ebenezer's father's ferry. It was chartered as a city in 1885, and sometime later the apostrophe was dropped from the city's name.

The city developed as an important industrial center during the late 19th century and early 20th century. It became an important rail hub and river port. Over the past 50 years, the town's population has decreased significantly as industries have closed or moved elsewhere. Today, the city's population is less than half of what it once was.

The town is built on two basic plateaus between a hill and the Ohio River. The lower plateau, along the river, is dominated by a large industrial park, the Martins Ferry Football Stadium, and Ohio State Route 7 (a four-lane traffic artery that runs from north to south across eastern Ohio). The higher plateau, which is the larger of the two, is predominantly residential and commercial, and is home to most of the city's residents. It gradually rises to a steep hillside in the west that forms a natural wall.

Directly across the river lies the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, and to the east is the Pennsylvania state line. The city of Columbus is to the west, and Pittsburgh is northeast of the city. On the southern end of town, Martins Ferry is directly connected to the village of Bridgeport.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and dry, cold winter temperatures. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Martins Ferry has a Humid continental climate.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Martins Ferry had a population of 6,260. The median age was 40.9 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.0 males age 18 and over.

There were 2,811 households in Martins Ferry, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 32.7% were married-couple households, 22.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 5,408 || 86.4%

| Black or African American || 323 || 5.2%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 18 || 0.3%

| Asian || 10 || 0.2%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%

| Some other race || 29 || 0.5%

| Two or more races || 472 || 7.5%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 86 || 1.4%

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,915 people, 3,022 households, and 1,787 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,431 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.6% White, 5.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race 0.7% of the population.

There were 3,022 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.9% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the city was 42.1 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 28.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census

During the census

Notable people

Joe DeNardo, Pittsburgh meteorologist
Alex Groza, 1948 Summer Olympics gold medalist and star basketball player
Lou Groza, Pro Football Hall of Fame kicker and offensive lineman with Cleveland Browns and Ohio State Buckeyes
John Havlicek, Hall of Fame basketball player for Ohio State and Boston Celtics
Cecil Hobbs, scholar of Southeast Asian history
William Dean Howells, realist author
Johnny Lipon, Major League Baseball infielder and Cleveland Indians manager
Dan McGrew, professional football player (center) for Buffalo Bills
Robert E. Murray, mining engineer and businessman
Joe Niekro, Major League Baseball pitcher
Phil Niekro, Major League Baseball pitcher inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997
Tim Spencer, NFL and USFL football player, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running backs coach
Charlie Wilson, politician who served as member of the U.S. House and Ohio General Assembly
Jason Wilson, politician and former member of the Ohio Senate
James Wright, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and author

In popular culture

James Wright wrote Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio. The James Wright Poetry Festival was held in Martins Ferry from 1981 to 2007.

References

External links

Martins Ferry Public Library
Official website