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Stark County History
Stark County is situated in the northeast section of Ohio. With 579.04 square miles, it ranks tenth in area among the 88 counties. The northern two-thirds of the County lie in the glaciated section of the Appalachian plateau and the southern one-third in the unglaciated section. The prehistoric age glaciers deposited a wealth of rich chemicals into the soils contributing much to the County's progress and development.
During the Stone Age, this territory was inhabited by the Mound Builders - a race that had made considerable advances in civilization. French explorers traversed this area in 1669 and the first English traders visited the County between 1730 and 1740. By 1750 there were seven major tribes of Indians in Ohio: Mingo, Chippewa, Delaware, Shawnee, Miami, Ottawa, and Wyandot. Several important trails crossed the County long before the white man came. The two most famous were the Great Trail and the Muskinghum Trail.
Stark County was originally part of Columbiana County with the county seat at Lisbon. In 1808, the Columbiana County Commissioners formed Stark County with 22 townships. Stark County was named in honor of General John Stark of Revolutionary War fame, although he never set foot in the county. In 1834, Stark lost three townships to Carroll County and two townships to Summit County, leaving Stark County with its present 17 townships. Canton - the county's largest city - was laid out in 1805, incorporated as a village in 1822, as a city in 1854, and has been the site of three courthouses.
STARK COUNTY STATISTICAL DATA ROAD MILEAGE
State Roads 251.01 miles
County Roads 415.16 miles
Township Roads 1273.40 miles
ELEVATIONS
City of Canton: 1,060 feet above seal level
Stark County: Highest Point - 1,360 feet above mean seal level, 1 mile N.E. Paris
Lowest Point - 880 feet above mean sea level, Tuscarawas River, Bethlehem Township
NUMBER OF COUNTY BRIDGES: 358
NUMBER OF COUNTY CULVERTS: 2,700
POPULATION STARK COUNTY - (2000 Estimate): 378,098
Stark County Engineer
5165 Southway S.W.
Canton, OH 44706
Phone (330) 477-6781
Fax (330) 477-3926
