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Decorative drawing: a county panorama. Not a photograph of this place.

Ross County, Ohio

102 topographic sheets and 13 fire insurance atlases across 2 places.

Research this county

This curated hub for Ross County, Ohio brings together the page's documented record links, visible map or image evidence where published, and routes to related local records.

What is documented here?

Use the page's provenance and linked records to distinguish the source material from the site's navigation and summaries.

How should I cite it?

Open the original record, preserve its repository and identifier, then use the citation tool for this page as a path back to the source.

Where should I go next?

Follow the county or state hub for related places and records, then use the guide for a source-aware research sequence.

From the record

22 National Register listings · 19 businesses named in the fire insurance atlases from 1884 to 1915 · the 1884 county history tells 0 stories and names 0 people.

Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service

Ohio within the United States
Ross County within Ohio
Explore by year 1860 1915

What the record shows

  • 2 places in this county were surveyed for fire insurance: Chillicothe, Kingston, between 1884 and 1949.
  • 13 fire insurance atlas(es) survive for the county. Topographic coverage is national; fire insurance survey reached only incorporated places with something worth insuring.
  • 1,137 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 22 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places, including 1 covered bridge, 13 houses and farms.
  • 16 of the 22 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 85 populated places in this county; 0 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
  • 1 public-domain county history, 1885, supply 35,095 words of narrative reproduced here in full.

Photographs

37 photographs, 1913 to 1940

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Mrs. Haubeil with the ribbons she has won for exhibits at fair, Ross County, Ohio
Mrs. Haubeil with the ribbons she has won for exhibits at fair, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
School buses at consolidated school for Huntington Township. Ross County, Ohio
School buses at consolidated school for Huntington Township. Ross County, Ohio
Vachon, John, 1940. Library of Congress
Mrs. Haubeil in her kitchen of her home, Ross County, Ohio
Mrs. Haubeil in her kitchen of her home, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
George Debakos, Russian-born farmer of Ross County, Ohio
George Debakos, Russian-born farmer of Ross County, Ohio
Vachon, John, 1940. Library of Congress
Children in schoolyard. Ross County, Ohio
Children in schoolyard. Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
D.H. Kempton and wife, resettled in a new house. Scioto Farms, Ohio
D.H. Kempton and wife, resettled in a new house. Scioto Farms, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1938. Library of Congress
Wrecked car on Highway No. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Wrecked car on Highway No. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
[Flood destruction on South Hickory St., Chillicothe, Ohio
[Flood destruction on South Hickory St., Chillicothe, Ohio
Jones, H. L., copyright claimant, 1913. Library of Congress
Farmland. Ross County, Ohio
Farmland. Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1939. Library of Congress
Ira Ison, rehabilitation client, bought two horses with his loan from the FSA (Farm Security Administration). Ross County, Ohio
Ira Ison, rehabilitation client, bought two horses with his loan from the FSA (Farm Security Administration). Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Snowdrifts on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Snowdrifts on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) boy chopping stone for use in building charcoal burners at picnic grounds. Ross County, Ohio, recreation area
CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) boy chopping stone for use in building charcoal burners at picnic grounds. Ross County, Ohio, recreation area
Vachon, John, 1940. Library of Congress
Old settler, property optioned. Near Chillicothe, Ohio
Old settler, property optioned. Near Chillicothe, Ohio
Jung, Theodor, 1936. Library of Congress
Snowdrift, Ross County, Ohio
Snowdrift, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Snowdrifts on farm, Ross County, Ohio
Snowdrifts on farm, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Horse on Ira Ison's farm. Ross County, Ohio
Horse on Ira Ison's farm. Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Child of Lansing family, FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrowers. Ross County, Ohio
Child of Lansing family, FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrowers. Ross County, Ohio
Vachon, John, 1940. Library of Congress
Farmers watch auto wreck on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Farmers watch auto wreck on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Farm. Ross County, Ohio
Farm. Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Flood destruction on Hickory St. near Fourth St., Chillicothe, Ohio
Flood destruction on Hickory St. near Fourth St., Chillicothe, Ohio
Jones, H. L., copyright claimant, 1913. Library of Congress
Mr. and Mrs. Haubeil cooperated in the county planning program, Ross County, Ohio
Mr. and Mrs. Haubeil cooperated in the county planning program, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Corn shocks on Phil Gay's farm in the Scioto River valley at the foot of the hills. Ross County, Ohio
Corn shocks on Phil Gay's farm in the Scioto River valley at the foot of the hills. Ross County, Ohio
Vachon, John, 1940. Library of Congress
Farm. Ross County, Ohio
Farm. Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Snowdrifts on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Snowdrifts on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Member of county agricultural council. Ross County, Ohio
Member of county agricultural council. Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Flood destruction on Middle Hickory St., Chillicothe, Ohio
Flood destruction on Middle Hickory St., Chillicothe, Ohio
Jones, H. L., copyright claimant, 1913. Library of Congress
Farmers watch auto wreck on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Farmers watch auto wreck on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Wrecked car on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Wrecked car on Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Farm. Ross County, Ohio
Farm. Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) boy chopping stone for use in building charcoal burners at picnic grounds. Ross County, Ohio, recreation area
CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) boy chopping stone for use in building charcoal burners at picnic grounds. Ross County, Ohio, recreation area
Vachon, John, 1940. Library of Congress
Bus on snowdrifted Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Bus on snowdrifted Highway U.S. 50, Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Ira Ison, rehabilitation client, bought two horses with his loan from the FSA (Farm Security Administration). Ross County, Ohio
Ira Ison, rehabilitation client, bought two horses with his loan from the FSA (Farm Security Administration). Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
Farm. Ross County, Ohio
Farm. Ross County, Ohio
Rothstein, Arthur, 1940. Library of Congress
The Lansing family, FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrowers. Ross County, Ohio
The Lansing family, FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrowers. Ross County, Ohio
Vachon, John, 1940. Library of Congress
Lansing and daughter feeding chickens. They are FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrowers. Ross County, Ohio
Lansing and daughter feeding chickens. They are FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrowers. Ross County, Ohio
Vachon, John, 1940. Library of Congress

Places on the National Register

22

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Anderson, Levi, Housebuilding197676001524
Buchwalter House-Applethorpe Farmbuilding198383002053
Canal Warehousebuilding197373001522
Chillicothe Water And Power Company Pumping Stationbuilding197979001932
Harris, Dr. John, Dental Schoolbuilding197373001521
Higby Housebuilding197979001933
Highbank Farmbuilding198080003215
Mace, Henry, Housebuilding199898000101
Macomb, Mary Worthington, Housebuilding197676001525
Majestic Theatrebuilding197979001931
McCafferty Run Farmsteadbuilding200404000945
Mountain Housebuilding197878002181
Oak Hillbuilding197373001527
Renick House, Paint Hillbuilding197373001528
Seip Housebuilding198181000450
South Salem Academybuilding197979001937
South Salem Covered Bridgestructure197575001530
Story Mound State Memorialstructure197373001529
Tanglewoodbuilding197979001934
Vanmeter Church Street Housebuilding197979001935
Walke, Anthony, and Susan Cardinal, Housebuilding200707000065
Wesley Chapelbuilding197979001936

Covered bridges

1

Ross County holds 1 covered bridges on the National Register, more than any other property type here. Each is a listed structure with a federal nomination on file.

South Salem Covered BridgeListed 1975, 0 map sheets show this crossing

Bird's-eye views and land ownership maps

1

Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.

Land ownership map, 1860 - Topographical map of Ross County, Ohio
Land ownership map (1860) - Topographical map of Ross County, Ohio. Library of Congress.

The county from the air

23 of 766 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. 766 frames touch this county; the selection below spreads across the decades of flights (at most four per year), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-19, scale 1:19000
1960-04-19, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-19, scale 1:19000
1960-04-19, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-19, scale 1:19000
1960-04-19, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-19, scale 1:19000
1960-04-19, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-04-16, scale 1:99228
1971-04-16, scale 1:99228. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-04-16, scale 1:99228
1971-04-16, scale 1:99228. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-04-16, scale 1:99228
1971-04-16, scale 1:99228. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-04-16, scale 1:99228
1971-04-16, scale 1:99228. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-05-01, scale 1:76000
1974-05-01, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-05-01, scale 1:76000
1974-05-01, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-05-01, scale 1:76000
1974-05-01, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-05-01, scale 1:76000
1974-05-01, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-04-06, scale 1:78000
1975-04-06, scale 1:78000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-04-06, scale 1:78000
1975-04-06, scale 1:78000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-04-06, scale 1:78000
1975-04-06, scale 1:78000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-04-06, scale 1:78000
1975-04-06, scale 1:78000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1979-11-01, scale 1:80000
1979-11-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1979-11-01, scale 1:80000
1979-11-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1979-11-01, scale 1:80000
1979-11-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1979-11-01, scale 1:80000
1979-11-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1994-06-16, scale 1:65000
1994-06-16, scale 1:65000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1994-06-16, scale 1:65000
1994-06-16, scale 1:65000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1994-06-16, scale 1:65000
1994-06-16, scale 1:65000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

City directories

4 volumes

The "who lived here, by year" answer: pre-1929 public-domain directory volumes naming the county's people, machine-read and searchable as text.

Weather records

17 stations, 25 gages

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that watched its rivers, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

66 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 71-1Buckskin township: South Salem village
  • 71-2Buckskin township - That part outside South Salem village
  • 71-3Colerain township: Adelphi village
  • 71-4Colerain township - That part outside Adelphi village
  • 71-5Concord township: Frankfort village
  • 71-6Concord township - That part northeast of U.S. Hwy. 35, outside Frankfort village
  • 71-7Concord township - That part southwest of U.S. Hvy. 35 and southeast of State Hwy. 138, outside Frankfort village
  • 71-8Concord township - That part southwest of U.S. Hwy. 35 and northwest of State Hwy. 138
  • 71-9Deerfield township: Clarksburg village
  • 71-10Deerfield township - That part outside Clarksburg village
  • 71-11Franklin township
  • 71-12Green township: Kingston village
  • 71-13Green township - That part outside Kingston village
  • 71-14Harrison township
  • 71-15Huntington township: Huntington township - That part southeast of State Hwy. 772
  • 71-16Huntington township - That part northwest of State Hwy. 772
  • 71-17Jefferson township
  • 71-18Liberty township: Liberty township - That part northeast of U.S. Hwy. 50
  • 71-19Liberty township - That part southwest of U.S. Hwy. 50
  • 71-20Paint township
  • 71-21Paxton township: Bainbridge village
  • 71-22Paxton township - That part outside Bainbridge village
  • 71-23Scioto township: Chillicothe city: Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by City limits; Ward line, Paint; Water; High, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
  • 71-24Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by High; Chestnut; Church
  • 71-25Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by High; Church; Chestnut; Vine
  • 71-26Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by Buckeye; Vine; Allen Ave.; Piatt Ave.
  • 71-27Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by City limits, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; High, Buckeye, Piatt Ave.; Allen Ave.; City limits
  • 71-28Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by City limits, Allen Ave.; Delano Ave.; City limits; City limits
  • 71-29Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by Allen Ave.; Vine; Arch; Delano Ave.
  • 71-30Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by Arch; Vine; Water, City limits; City limits
  • 71-31Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by Chestnut; High; Main; City limits, Water, Vine
  • 71-32Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 1 Bounded by Water; Paint; Main; High
  • 71-33Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 2 Bounded by City limits; City limits; Main, Poplar, Water; Sugar, Riverside, Norfolk and Western Railroad
  • 71-34Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 2 Bounded by City limits; Norfolk and Western Railroad, Riverside, Sugar, Water, Sugar; Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; Water, Hirn, Riverside, Bridge
  • 71-35Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 2 Bounded by City limits; Bridge, Riverside, Hirn; Water; Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Ward line
  • 71-36Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 2, excluding Warner Hotel Bounded by Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; Water, Mulberry; Main; Paint, Ward line
  • 71-37Warner Hotel (In Chillicothe city, Ward 2)
  • 71-38Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 2 Bounded by Water; Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; Main; Mulberry
  • 71-39Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 2 Bounded by Water; Brownell; Main; Sugar
  • 71-40Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 2 Bounded by Water; Poplar; Main; Brownell
  • 71-41Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by Main; Hickory; Fifth; Paint
  • 71-42Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by Main; Paint; Sixth, Walnut, Fourth; City limits
  • 71-43Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by Fourth; Walnut; Sixth, Belleview Ave.; City limits
  • 71-44Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by Fifth; Hickory; Seventh; Paint
  • 71-45Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by Seventh; Hickory; Eighth, Mulberry, Ninth; Paint
  • 71-46Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by Belleview Ave., Sixth; Paint; City limits; City limits
  • 71-47Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by Ninth, Mulberry, Eighth; Hickory, Ward line; City limits; Paint
  • 71-48Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by Main; City limits; Fourth, Watt; Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
  • 71-49Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; City limits; City limits; Norfolk and Western Railroad, Seventh, Sugar
  • 71-50Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by Main; Sugar[; Fifth; Hickory
  • 71-51Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by Fifth; Sugar; Seventh, Eastern Ave., Seventh; Hickory
  • 71-52Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by Seventh, Eastern Ave., Seventh; Norfolk and Western Railroad; City limits; Ward line, Hickory
  • 71-53Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by Jefferson Ave.; City limits; City limits; Watt
  • 71-54Chillicothe city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by Fourth; City limits; Jefferson Ave.
  • 71-55East Chillicothe, unincorporated (See boundaries shown on aerial photo BCS - 4 - 79)
  • 71-56Scioto township - That part north and east of U.S. Hwy. 50, outside Chillicothe city and the unincorporated place of East Chillicothe excluding U.S. Industrial Reformatory. (See aerial photo BCS - 4 - 79 for boundaries of East Chillicothe)
  • 71-57U.S. Industrial Reformatory (In Scioto township)
  • 71-58Scioto township - That part south of U.S. Hwy. 50, and northwest of State Hwy. 772 and U.S. Hwy. 23, outside Chillicothe city
  • 71-59Scioto township - That part southeast of State Hwy. 772, and west of U.S. Hwy. 23
  • 71-60Scioto township - That part northeast of U.S. Hwy. 23, outside Chillicothe city and the unincorporated place of East Chillicothe. (See aerial photo BCS - 4 - 79 for boundaries of East Chillicothe)
  • 71-61Springfield township
  • 71-62Twin township: Twin township - That part northwest of U.S. Hwy. 50
  • 71-63Twin township - That part southeast of U.S. Hwy. 50
  • 71-64Union township: Union township - That part northeast of State Hwys. 277 and 104, excluding Veterans Administration Facility
  • 71-65Union township - That part southwest of State Hwys. 277 and 104
  • 71-66N/A

Businesses named in the atlases

19 businesses

Every Sanborn volume opens with a printed index naming the town's mills, tanneries, hotels and works by proprietor. Those indexes were read off the scanned sheets by machine and then matched to each other, so a business surveyed four times appears here once, with the years it survived. 0 of these 19 were named in more than one atlas. Each carries a crop of the line it was read from: the spelling is the recogniser's and the 1880s lithographer's, and the scan behind it is the proof.

Wildfire, 2002 to 2020

241 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 241 of them, burning about 1,163 acres. 0 started naturally and 10 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning145
Missing data/not specified/undetermined48
Smoking11
Arson/incendiarism10
Recreation and ceremony9
Equipment and vehicle use9
Power generation/transmission/distribution5
Misuse of fire by a minor2
Other causes2

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
15 April 2010Missing data/not specified/undetermined355 acresOhio Department of Natural ResourcesPARK CABIN
14 October 2020Debris and open burning50 acresOhio Department of Natural Resources15850
24 September 2010Missing data/not specified/undetermined46 acresOhio Department of Natural ResourcesLONDONDERRY
31 March 2015Power generation/transmission/distribution30 acresOhio Department of Natural Resources745
5 April 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined30 acresOhio Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
18 April 2008Debris and open burning25 acresOhio Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
5 March 2009Debris and open burning23 acresOhio Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
20 April 2014Recreation and ceremony21 acresOhio Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1954 to 2025

60 of 417 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 417 reports for this county, causing 4 deaths, 18 injuries and about $8,200,256 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind216
Hail89
Flood52
Flash Flood40
Tornado16
Lightning4

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 2005LightningChillicothe1 killed, 5 hurtAn inmate in the yard at the Chillicothe Correctional Institute was struck and killed by lightning. Five others were injured by the lightning strike.
June 1996LightningFrankfort1 killed, 2 hurt, $50,000no account filed
May 1996Flash FloodMassieville1 killed, $5,000no account filed
March 2018FloodMassieville1 killedTrego Creek was running high due to recent heavy rains. An 8 year old boy drowned after being swept away in the creek. M8IW.
August 1982Tornado (F1)not stated5 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
May 1983Tornado (F1)not stated3 hurt, $250,000no account filed
October 2021Tornado (EF0)South Salem1 hurt, $30,000The tornado briefly touched down on a residential property, partially removing the roof of a manufactured home. A few outbuildings were also damaged and a large shipping container was blown from its location. A child sustained minor injuries due to flying glass. A few large trees were also downed.
September 1999LightningChillicothe1 hurtA man was struck by lightning and suffered injury.
April 1988Thunderstorm Windnot stated1 hurtno account filed
May 2001Flash FloodCountywide$2,000,000Heavy rainfall for most of the afternoon hours caused widespread flooding across the county. Thirty six roads were closed across the county. Several culverts were washed away across the county. Three people were rescued from high water on Buckskin Creek.
October 2021Tornado (EF2)South Salem$300,000The tornado initially caused damage to trees east of South Salem Cemetery and within Sunset Park. The highest intensity occurred shortly after touch down with two structures destroyed along Stewart Street. One structure, which was bolted to a concrete foundation, was lofted onto Stewart Street. The other structure had nearly all of the exterior walls collapsed. The roof was lofted and pieces were found littered along the tornado track through the town. Snapped power poles also occurred along Stewart Street. The tornado then moved southeast over Main Street with significant tree and minor structure damage observed. The tornado continued to cause tree damage and minor structure damage along Lower Twin Road before exiting South Salem to the east. The final tree damage observed was along a creek south of Lower Twin Road, where multiple trees were snapped and uprooted.
March 1997Flash FloodCountywide$250,000no account filed
December 1973Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
March 1954Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
May 2014Thunderstorm WindYellow Bud$200,000A storm survey concluded that a microburst occurred in the area and damaged or destroyed numerous grain bins, outbuildings, power poles, and trees. A house also lost part of a roof.
March 2023Thunderstorm WindMooresville$100,000Widespread tree and powerline damage was reported from Chillicothe to about 6 miles southeast of Chillicothe. Several buildings also had shingles blown off and a semi was blown over on U.S. 35.
October 2021Tornado (EF0)Greenland$100,000The tornado appears to have touched down near Vollmar Road. Numerous trees were knocked down in a field between Vollmar Road and Albright Mill Road and additional hardwood trees and limbs were blown down at two residences along Albright Mill Road. The roof of one of the residences also sustained damage, where part of the roof was lifted off and blown across the road. A back porch was also destroyed. Damage in this area was estimated be near 85 mph, which corresponds to a high end EF0 tornado.||Additional tree damage occurred to the east of Albright Mill Road, primarily on Egypt Pike and Cattail Road. The tornado is believed to have ended on or just east of Cattail Road as no additional damage was observed east of Cattail Road.
April 2007Thunderstorm WindKingston$100,000A silo at the Valley Grain Facility sustained significant damage as a result of a possible microburst. Part of the silo was blown down, causing additional structural damage to several other buildings in the complex.
October 2006Flash FloodBainbridge$100,000Several homes were volunatrily evacuated along Paint Creek from Bainbridge to Bourneville due to rising water. Three automobiles were trapped in flood waters, requiring a water rescue from one of the vehicles near Chillicothe.
July 2009Tornado (EF1)Summithill$95,000The tornado initially touched down near a grocery store near State Route 772 and Valley Road in Summithill where several trees were knocked down and uprooted. There were several intermittent touch downs between Summithill and Denver. To the southeast of Summithill, along Schaffer Road, approximately six homes and two mobile homes were damaged and numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. An eye-witness on Schaffer Road reported a rope tornado which had several brief touch downs. Further southeast in the Denver area, a home received substantial damage with a loss of the roof and some walls down. Portions of the roof were thrown 700 yards and wrapped around trees. There was also widespread crop damage in the area. Two barns off of Denver Road were completely destroyed and uprooted trees were observed intermittently along this path.
July 2025Flash FloodLattasville$50,000Homes along Little Creek Road were evacuated due to high water.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindMassieville$50,000About 75 trees were blown down.
June 2020Tornado (EF0)Anderson$50,000The tornado initially touched down on the south side of County Road 550 (Pleasant Valley Rd) where several barns were heavily damaged with roofing material thrown across the road and into adjacent properties about 1/4 mile downstream. From there, a consistent swath of enhanced tree damage was found along a nearly six mile continuous path across U.S. 35, County Road 125 (Union Lane), Egypt Pike, OH-207, and OH-104. A home and some outbuildings were damaged as the tornado crossed OH-207. With the enhanced swath of damage not found on the east side of the Scioto River, it is expected that the tornado lifted somewhere in the Scioto River flood plain.
August 2000Thunderstorm WindClarksburg$50,000Thunderstorm winds knocked trees down and blew a roof of a garage.
June 1994HailCountywide$50,000Numerous trees were downed in a number of locations. Several utility poles were also downed and large hail damaged some crops.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindCountywide$50,000Numerous trees were downed in a number of locations. Several utility poles were also downed and large hail damaged some crops.
November 1993Thunderstorm WindHallsville$50,000Two mobile homes were blown off their foundations and damaged.
May 2004Tornado (F0)South Salem$30,000A tornado moved out of southern Fayette County into extreme western Ross County before lifting. A barn and a windmill were heavily damaged.
November 2000Thunderstorm WindCountywide$30,000Numerous trees and power lines knocked down across the county. Winds were estimated at 70 mph in Kinnickinnick and damage occurred to an apartment building in Bainbridge.
May 2000LightningChillicothe$30,000A lightning strike caused a fire in the attic of a house leading to extensive damage.
July 2025Flash FloodLattasville$25,000A culvert along McDonald Hill Road was washed out.
February 2000Flash FloodChillicothe$25,000North Fork Creek flooded west of Chillicothe causing evacuation of a camp ground.
May 1997Tornado (F1)Greenland$25,000A second tornado formed from a mini-supercell which tracked across much of northern Ross county. Much of the county is open fields so very little structural damage occurred. However, a barn roof was ripped off and power lines were downed near Kingston.
June 1970Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
May 1962Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 2025Flash FloodAnderson$20,000Anderson Station Road near Maple Grove Road was washed out.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindChillicothe$20,000Numerous trees were downed and trees were snapped in the Chillicothe area.
May 2014Thunderstorm WindAntonis$20,000Numerous trees and power lines were downed in Franklin Township due to thunderstorm winds.
May 2014Thunderstorm WindKingston$20,000Multiple trees were downed on Blackwater Road due to thunderstorm winds. One of these trees destroyed a porch.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindMassieville$20,000Numerous trees and power lines were downed in Massieville due to thunderstorm winds.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindMassieville$15,000Numerous trees were uprooted south of Chillicothe. A few homes also had shingle damage.
March 2023Tornado (EF0)Frankfort$15,000This short-lived tornado is believed to have touched down just to the southwest of Adena Middle/High School, west of County Road 550. Several trees were uprooted along a tree line approximately 750 yards to the west of County Road 550, with additional minor tree damage closer to the road near a commercial property.||On the east side of County Road 550, several other trees were uprooted or snapped along the southern portion of Climer Lane, closest to the school grounds. A video near this location appeared to show a short-lived tornadic circulation moving approximately southwest to northeast between Climer Lane and the school grounds. Tree damage was a bit more extensive toward the southern parts of the properties on Climer Lane toward the athletic fields. Here, a concession stand suffered minor roof damage and a chain-linked fence was damaged as well.||The tornado is believed to have tracked a bit further to the northeast, damaging a barn/outbuilding structure near the cul-de-sac of Climer Lane before dissipating.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindChillicothe$15,000A metal roof was removed from a building on Race Street due to thunderstorm winds.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindFrankfort$15,000Several power poles and trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds. A camper was also damaged due to the winds.
May 2011Flash FloodFrankfort$15,000Twenty residents were evacuated from their homes and two people were rescued from vehicles due to flash flooding.
October 1999Thunderstorm WindLyndon$15,000A barn was blown down on equipment that was housed inside of it. A grain bin was blown off of its foundation at the same location. A garage was destroyed, as well as siding and roofing being peeled off of a residence.
April 2005HailChillicothe$15,000no account filed
June 2011Thunderstorm WindChillicothe$12,000Trees and utility poles were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindCountywide$12,000Several trees and powerlines were downed throughout the county. 5500 residents were without power. In Union Springs, fires were sparked by lightning strikes.
February 2022FloodKingston$10,000Snyder Road and Sulphur Spring Road were closed due to high water. A water rescue was needed for a stranded person in a car.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindMassieville$10,000Trees were reported knocked down throughout the county.
August 2019Flash FloodLondonderry$10,000Water was reported in the Family Donut Shop on U.S. 50.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindAlma$10,000A tree was reported down on a house along Prussia Road due to thunderstorm winds.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindMetzger$10,000Scattered trees were snapped off in the Clayburne Heights Neighborhood. One empty truck trailer was tipped over in a parking lot adjacent to State Route 159 due to thunderstorm winds.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindTucson$10,000Numerous trees were downed in Tar Hollow State Forest due to thunderstorm winds.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindChillicothe$10,000Numerous trees were reported down along several roadways in the county.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindChillicothe$10,000Damage occurred to a building due to thunderstorm winds.
May 2011Flash FloodBainbridge$10,000Water covered roadways and caused some road damage due to heavy rainfall.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindChllcth Ross Co Arpt$10,000The porch posts were blown off of a house. Portions of an adjacent cornfield were flattened.
August 2003Thunderstorm WindBainbridge$10,000A mobile home being towed on a flatbed truck on US Route 50 was destroyed. One home had its roof blown off, and trees were downed throughout town.

Mines and quarries

17 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 17 workings inside this county. 5 still produce and 12 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction13
Stone, Crushed/Broken3
Limestone, General1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Bainbridge QuarryLimestone, GeneralPast ProducerSedimentary
Bainbridge QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Southern Silica Inc PitStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Southern Silica Sandstone PitStone, Crushed/BrokenPast ProducerSedimentary
Blazer QuarrySand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Fuller Sand and Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
Fuller Sand and Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Miami Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
Miami Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Morrison PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
Morrison PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
N3 Sand and Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
N3 Sand and Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Parry CompanySand and Gravel, ConstructionPlant
Parry Silica Sand and Gravel PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
Plant Number 6 PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
Plant Number 6 PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Collected here, 1845 to 1975

8 of 3,589 shown

Museum specimens collected inside this county and catalogued with a date and a place: 3,589 of them, by kingdom 2,740 animalia, 627 fungi, 202 plantae, 16 protozoa, 3 unrecorded. Each is a physical object in a named collection, not a sighting. Held by Ohio State University - Fish Division, Columbus, OH (OSUM), CUP, CINC, Ohio State University - Mammal Division, Columbus, OH (OSUM), UMMZ, OSUC among others, and each settlement page carries the specimens collected near it.

The oldest of them. A specimen proves something was collected on that day; its absence proves nothing.

Photograph YearSpecies KingdomWhere CollectorCatalogue
A photograph of the species Symphyotrichum dumosum, not of this specimen1845Symphyotrichum dumosum (L.) G.L.NesomPlantae3 mi E of Kingston.L. L. PontiusNY 1846621
A photograph of the species Euaesthetus iripennis, not of this specimen1874Euaesthetus iripennis Casey, 1884Animalia[Not Stated][Not Stated]USNM
A photograph of the species Myrmedonia loricata, not of this specimen1874Myrmedonia loricata Casey, 1893Animalia[Not Stated][Not Stated]USNM
A photograph of the species Passiflora lutea, not of this specimen1885Passiflora lutea L.PlantaeChillicotheSafford, William EdwinUS 100187143
Specimen of Puccinia flosculosorum Röhl., 18131895Puccinia flosculosorum Röhl., 1813FungiRoss CountyF. L. S.ILL ILL00066681
Specimen of Puccinia tanaceti DC.1895Puccinia tanaceti DC.FungiRoss CountyF. L. StevensILL ILL00068590
Specimen of Puccinia violae (Schumach.) DC.1895Puccinia violae (Schumach.) DC.FungiRoss CountyF. L. StevensILL ILL00068868
A photograph of the species Albugo ipomoeae-panduratae, not of this specimen1896Albugo ipomoeae-panduratae (Schwein.) SwingleChromistaChillicotheSelby, A. D.BPI BPI 185569

The townships, in 1884

35,095 words

History of Lower Scioto Valley, Ohio, Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History, Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 1 are reproduced here in full. Each row shows the township's own shape and where it lies in the county, drawn from the Census Bureau's boundary. Which settlements belong to which township is computed from that same boundary, not taken from the book.

Shape and position in the county TownshipSettlements in it LengthSections
Springfield TownshipEustis, Hopetown, Jarvis, Schrader, Seymoreville35,095 words38

Every populated place in the county

85

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the watercourse or landform it stands on and the survey quadrangle it falls on. The 2 places that were also surveyed for fire insurance come first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.

Recorded here

Chillicothe, Ohio

15 topographic sheets and 8 fire insurance atlases, 1884 to 1949

Kingston, Ohio

13 topographic sheets and 5 fire insurance atlases, 1895 to 1949

Everything this county holds

The complete index, with nothing left out. Each of these is a separate record with its own page: a federal survey report, or the case file that argued a property on to the National Register. Both are public domain and reproduced word for word.

Surveyed structures

7 structures

Nomination case files

22 case files

The vanished settlements of Ross County, the places these records name that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.