Martins Ferry is a city located in Belmont County, Ohio. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,226.
The city, which is located on the Ohio River, is the largest in Belmont County and is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Martins Ferry is located at 40°5'57" North, 80°43'31" West (40.099122, -80.725154).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.6 km2 (2.2 mi2). 5.6 km2 (2.2 mi2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
The town is built on two basic plateaus situated between a hill and the Ohio River. The lower of the plateaus, along the river, is dominated by a large industrial park, the Martins Ferry Football Stadium and by Ohio 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 people. It gradually rises to a rather steep hillside in the west that forms a natural wall.
Directly across the river lies the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, and just 11 miles to the east is the Pennsylvania state line. The City of Columbus, Ohio is 125 miles to the west, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is only 38 miles northeast of the city. On the southern end of town, Martins Ferry is directly connected to the village of Bridgeport.
As of the census of 2000, there are 7,226 people, 3,202 households, and 1,959 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,291.7/km2 (3,345.1/mi2). There are 3,680 housing units at an average density of 657.8/km2 (1,703.6/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 93.19% White, 5.11% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. 0.64% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,202 households out of which 26.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% are married couples living together, 15.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% are non-families. 35.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 19.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.24 and the average family size is 2.86.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 78.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $23,960, and the median income for a family is $32,365. Males have a median income of $30,486 versus $21,979 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,672. 18.3% of the population and 16.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 28.6% of those under the age of 18 and 9.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Today Martins Ferry's largest employers include East Ohio Regional Hospital, a 250 bed hospital that is home to a level three trauma center, a popular birthing unit and a rapidly expanding surgical department. A new surgical building is scheduled for completion this year. Other major employers include Nickles Bakery, one of three modern bakeries in the Nickles family providing fresh baked goods to a 7 state area; the United Dairy, a family owned dairy serving nine states; and the Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Corporation, which operates their galvanizing plant in Martins Ferry, producing some 700,000 tons of SofTite Galvanized Steel each year.
Martins Ferry is also home of the corporate headquarters of United Bancorp, a financial institution operating two banks, The Citizens Savings Bank of Martins Ferry and the Community Bank of Lancaster. These two banks have a total of 15 locations across Eastern and Southern Ohio. The city is also home of the Times-Leader, one of East Central Ohio's largest newspapers serving over 50,000 people.
Martins Ferry enjoys the honor of being the oldest permanent settlement in the state of Ohio, having been settled at least as early as 1779. The community was a westward extension of the city of Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia), but at that time settlement on the west bank of the Ohio River was not permitted. The town was disbanded a couple of times before finally permanently taking hold in 1785.
Unlike Marietta, Ohio's oldest city, Martins Ferry remained an unincorporated settlement for a relatively long time. It did not officially become a city until 1865, a full 77 years after Marietta. Through the years it has been known as Hoglinstown, Mercertown, Norristown, Jefferson, Martinsville and Martin's Ferry (the apostrophe between "Martin" and "s" is no longer used).
In 1835, Ebenezer Martin, the son of Absalom Martin one of the cities earliest settlers, redesigned the town, with a grid system of streets, much of which survives to this day. It was from this family that Martins Ferry took its name.
The city developed as an important industrial center during the late 1800's and early 1900's. It became an important rail hub and river port, from where products where shipped all over the United States and beyond. 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, and work is relatively scarce.
Source:
MartinsFerry.com
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