BlockWest Salem, Ohio
11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1906 and the latest in 1994. It stands in Congress Township. It lies in ZIP code area 44287. The Survey maps it on the West Salem quadrangle. 1,430 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,112 feet above sea level.
Then and now
1906 to 1994The same ground, surveyed 88 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.
On record in West Salem
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Deerlick Farmlisted 1986
Businesses named in the fire insurance atlases 3 records
- High SchoolSchool, in the atlas of 1926
- Milton Presbyterian ChurchChurch, in the atlas of 1926
- Post OfficeIce House, in the atlas of 1926
Population over time
2 figuresWest Salem fell from 1,464 to 1,430 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,464 | |
| 2020 | 1,430 | -34 (-2%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 11 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1906 USGS West Salem quadrangle1:62500
- 1908 USGS West Salem quadrangle1:62500
- 1950 USGS Marion quadrangle1:250000
- 1961 USGS West Salem quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1962 USGS Marion quadrangle1:250000
- 1966 USGS Marion quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1986 USGS Mansfield quadrangle1:100000
- 1994 USGS Mansfield quadrangle1:100000
In the county-history sources
3,379 words on this townshipHistory of Wayne County, Ohio, from the Days of the Pioneers and the First Settlers to the Present Time, published 1878 names this settlement in its chapter on Congress Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
Jacob Leatherman came to Congress township March 26, 1842, settling on a farm two miles southwest of the village of Congress, land which his father, Peter Leatherman, in early days had entered from the Government, Jacob afterwards purchasing the same from him. He was married January 16, 1841, to Miss Urith Sherrod. In 1857 he quit farming and removed to Congress village, there engaging in the dry goods business, and in April, 1864, went to West Salem, where he continued in the mercantile trade until 1869, and where he at present resides, at the same time owning and managing his farm near Congress village. His life has been an earnest one, and his business career characterized by the strictest probity. For years he has been one of the most enterprising and leading business men of the township, closely identified with all its projects for improvement, and by dint of unflagging industry and perseverance, aided by good common sense and clear judgment, has secured a competency. He is courteous in manner and of kindly disposition - will go all lengths to befriend a friend, but, on the other hand, will exert himself just as much to punish a person who has done him an injury. He is an uncompromising Democrat, taking a prominent part in local and state politics ; and as a man, to a great extent, commands the respect and esteem of the community at large.
Passage source: History of Wayne County, Ohio, from the Days of the Pioneers and the First Settlers to the Present Time, published 1878.
John Keeler was born within four miles of Philadelphia, Pa., August 20, 1819. His father came to Wayne county at an early date, bringing his family, and worked for a period on the Samuel Funk farm in Chester township. He then removed to Gallon, Ohio. John, however, remained in Wayne county, and was married to Hannah Matthews, of Wooster, whose mother was Catherine Poe, sister of Mrs. Kuffel, and daughter of old Adam Poe, the Indian fighter. After marriage they removed to Congress village, and lived there until Mr. Keeler's death, February 14, 1875. They had four children, two of whom are dead, one dying when a child. William, a son, was a soldier in Company F, I02d Regiment, and was killed by the explosion of the steamer Sultana, on the Mississippi river, April 28, 1875. Sarah C. is the wife of Joseph McVicker. Thomas B. , married to Ida J. Weltmer, is a lawyer in practice in West Salem.
Passage source: History of Wayne County, Ohio, from the Days of the Pioneers and the First Settlers to the Present Time, published 1878.
Robert Lowry, a gallant soldier of the Mexican war and the last conflict between the North and South, informs us that Michael Funk and Elmer Yocum built the first house in the village of Congress, and that it was situated upon the site of the present Methodist church ; that Jacob Hare was the first postmaster, the office being kept on lot No. 5, in the village ; that Dr. Mills was the first permanent physician ; that George Wicks kept the first hotel, and that David W. Poe established the first tannery in the village. An Indian died in the house now occupied by the Beard family, and was buried in the old Congress graveyard. The old Indian and his wife were on a tramp, and stopped at Griffith's Tavern, where they got tight and abusive, and the landlord's wife threw a pot of boiling water on him^ and he died.
Passage source: History of Wayne County, Ohio, from the Days of the Pioneers and the First Settlers to the Present Time, published 1878.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Congress Township - it names this place 1 more 1 time.
Fires near this place
9 since 2019Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 9 fires within 5 miles of West Salem between 2019 and 2020, burning about 12 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 6 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 July 2019 | Debris and open burning | 6.0 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15219 |
| 13 July 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 4.0 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15779 |
| 16 June 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15755 |
| 8 April 2020 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15641 |
| 6 April 2020 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15640 |
| 27 March 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15154 |
| 27 November 2019 | Other causes | under an acre | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15366 |
| 9 January 2020 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15388 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Specimens collected near this place
12 of 64 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 64 specimens collected within 10 miles of West Salem between 1897 and 1972: 50 Animalia, 14 Plantae. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A C ALLEN, Fullerton, J.C., George T. Jones and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.
| Image | Species | Year | Collected by | Where, as recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Aster vimineus Lam. | 1897 | Selby, A.D.; Thorne, B.H. | New Pittsburg road |
 | Carya glabra (Mill.) Sweet | 1897 | Selby, A.D. | New Pittsburg Road |
 | Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Muhl. | 1899 | Selby, A.D.; Duvel, J.W.T | Peewee Hollow |
 | Festuca subverticillata (Pers.) E.B.Alexeev | 1899 | Selby, A.D. | Armstrong |
 | Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. lanceolata (Borkh.) Sarg. | 1899 | Selby, A.D.; Duvel, J.W.T | N of Armstrong |
 | Helianthus microcephalus Torr. & A.Gray | 1899 | Selby, A.D.; Duvel, J.W.T | N of Armstrong |
 | Lechea racemulosa Michx. | 1899 | Selby, A.D.; Duvel, J.W.T | Peewee Hollow, Congress Twp |
 | Olethreutes nigranum (Heinrich, 1923) | 1899 | M. Murtfeldt | Canaan |
 | Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium | 1899 | Selby, A.D.; Duval, J.W.T | near Armstrong |
| Hieracium scabrum Michx. | 1900 | Selby, A.D. | Peewee Hollow | |
 | Desmognathus fuscus (Rafinesque, 1820) | 1925 | not recorded | 1 MI S OF OVERTON |
 | Eurycea bislineata (Green, 1818) | 1925 | R K ENDERS | 1 MI S OF OVERTON |
All 64 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Storms near this place
22 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names West Salem in 22 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 12 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 1 tornado, 1 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2011 | Flood | West Salem | $500,000 | Heavy rain and rapid snow melt led to widespread flooding across Wayne County. Rainfall totals across the county ranged from one to two inches on February 27th and 28th. Up to ten inches of heavy snow was on the ground at the onset of the rain. This snow rapidly melted as temperatures warmed into the 50s on the 28th. Up to an additional inch of water equivalent rainfall was released from the melted snow. Hundreds of homes in the county sustained damage, mainly from basement flooding. Many roads had to be closed because of the flooding. Officially 1.53 inches of rain was measured at the Wooster Airport. |
| November 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a lot of trees from West Salem to near Congress. |
| November 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds tore the roof off of a mobile home. |
| May 2007 | Hail | West Salem | $10,000 | Quarter size hail was observed. Also, a wind gust of 50 mph was measured by a trained spotter with this storm. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several trees in West Salem and Creston. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | $6,000 | Five trees were reported down in the northwest part of the county. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | $4,000 | One tree and several large limbs downed from thunderstorm winds. |
| April 2014 | Hail | West Salem | $2,000 | A trained weather spotter reported quarter size hail with wind speeds estimated between 50 and 60 mph. |
| April 2003 | Hail | West Salem | $2,000 | Dime size hail was observed. |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | $2,000 | no account filed |
| November 2002 | Tornado (F2) | West Salem | $1,200 | A tornado touched down about four miles south of West Salem just east of State Route 301 along Pleasant Home Road. The tornado then traveled northeast for approximately five miles before dissipating two and one half miles southwest of Burbank near the intersection of Britton and Franchester Roads. Extensive damage was done along the damage path which was mostly around 50 yards in width but up to several hundred feet wide along Palmer Road. A home on Pleasant Home Road was heavily damaged as were three other homes on Easton Road to the west of Wohlganuth Road. Two more homes were severely damaged on Wohlganuth Road. A home and six outbuildings were destroyed as the tornado crossed Palmer Road about a mile east of State Route 539 (Wohlganuth Road). A second home was leveled on Ruff Road just to the west of Stratton Road. Finally, a home was heavily damaged near where the tornado dissipated. Several other homes and buildings sustained minor damage. Many vehicles were also damaged. At least 20 power poles were snapped and several hundred trees downed along the damage path. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a couple large tree limbs. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | - | Tree branches broken about one-mile SSE of West Salem. |
| June 2025 | Hail | West Salem | - | Hail up to nickel-size in West Salem. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | - | Trees downed in West Salem. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Salem | - | Downed tree punctured roof of camper in West Salem. |
| March 2012 | Hail | West Salem | - | Penny to quarter sized hail was observed. |
| August 2012 | Hail | West Salem | - | Nickel sized hail was observed. |
| June 2009 | Hail | West Salem | - | Penny size hail was reported. |
| May 2006 | Hail | West Salem | - | Penny size hail was observed. |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Home | 3.9 miles | 11 | |
| Congress | 4.4 miles | 11 | |
| Aukerman | 4.6 miles | 11 | |
| Burbank | 6.2 miles | 16 | |
| Lattasburg | 6.4 miles | 11 | |
| West Canaan | 6.4 miles | 16 | |
| Armstrong | 6.6 miles | 11 | |
| Golden Corners | 7.8 miles | 16 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on West Salem | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2018675 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1047798. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
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.
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.