Clermont County's History

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Early Inhabitants

The earliest people to inhabit Clermont County were the Native Americans.  The first group to live in the area that would become Clermont County were the Archaics, who were nomadic hunter-and-gatherers.  It is believed that the Archaics lived in this area around 5000 B.C.  The next group to live in Clermont County were the Adena.  The Adena inhabited this area from 1000 B.C. to A.D. 100 and they buried their dead in large mounds of earth.  The Hopewell followed the Adena, living in Clermont County from 150 B.C. to A.D. 500.  Like the Adena, the Hopewell also buried their dead in mounds.  The mounds of the Adena and Hopewell still exist today in Clermont County and include the Edington Mound, Snead Mound, and Elk Lick Mound.  It is believed that the Adena and Hopewell people were eventually dissolved into the Eastern Woodland Native American tribes that were living in Clermont County when the area was first explored by French and English in the 1700s.  The Native Americans who lived in Clermont County in the 1700s included the Miami, Delaware, Mingo, Ottowa, and Cherokee.  (Picture of Neville, or Adomeit, Indian Mound).

Clermont County as a part of the Virgina Military District

For the most part, the early American settlers of Clermont County were from Virginia.  There were also settlers from Pennsylvania and Kentucky, too, however.  Most of the early settlers were Virginians because the area of Clermont County was originally part of the Virginia Military District.  The Virginia Military District in Ohio was opened for settlement on July 13, 1787.  The land in the Virginia Military District was divided up and given to Revolutionary War veterans from Virginia as payment for the work they had done during the war.  Among the Virginia Civil War veterans who received deeds for land in what would become Clermont County was General George Washington.  George Washington was supposed to receive 23,333 acres of land free, but instead chose to buy 3,100 acres from men who had served under him.  Washington's 3,100 were located in what would become Franklin Township, Union Township, and Miami Township of Clermont County. 

 

The Establishment of Clermont County, Ohio

Clermont County was established on December 6, 1800 by proclamation of General Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory at that time.  Clermont County was the seventh county of what would become the state of Ohio and the eleventh county to be created in the Northwest Territory.  In the late 1700s and early 1800s, before Clermont County became an official county, the area was known and described as "clermont."  "Clermont" is a French word meaning "clear mountains and hills."  The Virginians who first settled the area were very appreciative of the assistance the French had given to the Americans during the Revolutionary War.  To show their appreciation of the French, the settlers decided to carry on the French term used to describe the area and named their new county Clermont County.  The county's southern border is the Ohio River and the total area of Clermont County is 394 square miles.  The first village in Clermont County was Williamsburg, established by William Lytle, the Father of Clermont County.  Today, there are 14 townships, 12 villages, and two cities in Clermont County.  The most populous township is Batavia Township, while Milford is the largest village. 

 

Clermont County Government

The first county seat,Williamsburg, was established in 1803.  In 1809, Clermont County's first jail, courthouse, and clerk's office were built in Williamsburg.  Williamsburg remained the county seat until 1823, when it was moved to New Richmond.  A year later, in 1824, Batavia, with its central location in the middle of the county, became the county seat.  Batavia remains the county seat today.  

Abolition and the Underground Railroad

Prior to and during the Civil War, Clermont County was very involved in the Underground Railroad and abolitionism.  Anti-slavery activity in Clermont County ranged from James G. Birney's publishing of the abolitionist newspaper, The Philanthropist, in New Richmond to Thomas Fee Jr.'s work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad in Moscow.  Ohio, a free state, is separated by only the Ohio River from Kentucky, a slave state before the Civil War.  In the 1800s, the Ohio River was not as wide or deep as it is today, so runaway slaves could get across the river from Kentucky to Clermont County with out much trouble.  Runaway slaves wanted to get to Ohio very badly because it was often the first free state they came to.  Also, Ohio was the bridge between the slave states of the South and the free country of Canada.  Abolitionists in Clermont County organized stations along the Underground Railroad to help the large numbers of runaway slaves who crossed the Ohio River into Clermont County.  Among the most active townships or villages in Clermont County along the Underground Railroad were New Richmond, Moscow, Williamsburg, and Bethel.  It is believed that there were at least 36 conductors of the Underground Railroad living in Clermont County. 

Population

Clermont County is continuously growing.  During Clermont County's first 20 years as a state, 15,820 lived in the county.  By 1950, the population had grown to42,182 people.  In recent years, growth and development in Clermont County have skyrocketed.  In 1998, there were an amazing 177,000 people living in the county, with the population climbing to 188,614 by 2004.

Sources and Links

The information above was gathered from the following sources:

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