thumb|right|Waverly corporation limit sign

Waverly is a village in, and the county seat of, Pike County, Ohio, United States, located about south of Chillicothe. The population was 4,165 at the 2020 census. The town was formed in 1829, as the construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal along the west bank of the Scioto River brought new growth to the area. In 1861, the county seat was moved here from Piketon.

Waverly is served by the Garnet A. Wilson Public Library.

History

First inhabitants and native cultures

Historians believe that Waverly and the surrounding areas were inhabited by nomadic people as early as 13,000 BC. The first historical evidence that can be tied to a particular culture dates back to sometime between the years 1000 and 800 BC, to the culture known as the Adena. The area around Waverly is particularly rich in Adena heritage, including a number of mounds throughout the area. The Adena were given their cognomen from Thomas Worthington's Adena Estate near Chillicothe, where evidence of their culture was found in the early 1900s.

There is evidence pointing to the emergence of the Hopewell culture in the Waverly area beginning about 300 BC. The namesake for the Hopewell is Captain M. C. Hopewell, the owner of the Ross County farmstead where artifacts leading to the discovery of the Hopewell's separate cultural identity were found. Pike County was named for General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, who was killed at the storming of York in Upper Canada in the war of 1812–15. He died during the war, on April 25, 1813, aged 35, and is considered a war hero, many landmarks and geographic areas being named after him.

Waverly was platted in about 1829 by a M. Downing, and it had 306 inhabitants by 1840. It was originally known as Uniontown; Francis Cleveland suggested changing the name to Waverly. He is believed to have done this because he was an admirer of Sir Walter Scott's Waverley novels.

The Ohio and Erie Canal

The Ohio and Erie Canal, which was completed to Waverly in the early 1830s, transformed the landscape of southern Ohio in many ways, and played a major part in the development of Waverly and its surrounding areas. The initial plan for the Canal's route was likely not through Waverly, and it is believed that several noteworthy interested parties, including Robert Lucas and James Emmitt, had a hand in redirecting the route of the Canal to pass through or near their land, thereby benefiting them personally. Robert Lucas plotted the Canal right through his land near Jasper, while Emmitt had many interests in Waverly on the canal route, and owned the first canalboat to pass through the Canal, the Governor Worthington.

The battle for the county seat

After several years of political battle, the county seat of Pike County was moved from Piketon to Waverly in 1861, and Waverly remains the county seat to this day. In 1859, James Emmitt led a group of supporters to petition to remove the county seat to Waverly, which met with strong resistance from those with an interest in keeping the seat in Piketon which had been the county seat for over 45 years. To finally push the removal across the line, those in favor of moving the county seat to Waverly promised to provide a new courthouse as a gift to the people of Pike County in Waverly.

The Civil War through the atomic era

During the Civil War years of 1861-1865, Waverly was impacted by the conflict; more than 100 Pike County residents died. Morgan's Raiders passed through Waverly in 1863.

Many Pike County residents represented the area through service in both World War I and World War II. In an 1884 history of the area, an anonymous author wrote that "Waverly's not having a single colored resident is a rare mark of distinction for a town of its size" and that Waverly had never had "a Negro or mulatto resident". and asserts that the community was one of a number of Midwestern cities created for the purpose of excluding all races but whites.

The area known as East Jackson, about east of Waverly on Ohio State Route 335, developed a distinct racial history and culture because its residents were excluded from Waverly as "poor" or "negro". After several generations, many East Jackson residents identified as "Black" but appeared to be "white". Many residents also self-identify as being of Native American descent.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,408 people, 2,035 households, and 1,142 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,290 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.2% White, 1.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 2,035 households, of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.9% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.75.

The median age in the city was 48 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 27.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,433 people, 2,028 households, and 1,237 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,219 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.75% White, 1.15% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population.

There were 2,028 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 29.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,895, and the median income for a family was $41,346. Males had a median income of $38,045 versus $20,972 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,554. About 9.1% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.1% ages 65 or older.

Education

thumb|right|Waverly High School

Waverly City School District operates Waverly Primary School, Waverly Intermediate School, Waverly Junior High School, and Waverly High School.

Waverly has a public library, a branch of the Garnet A. Wilson Public Library of Pike County.

Notable people

Waverly is the hometown of the Pure Prairie League, a pioneering band of the country rock genre.

See also

  • List of sundown towns in the United States

References

  • Garnet A. Wilson Public Library
  • City of Waverly Web site