Amesville

History

Amesville was laid out in 1837. The village derives its name from Fisher Ames who was instrumental in gaining federal support for the Ohio Company of Associates which managed much of the settlement in the area. Amesville is perhaps best known for the Coonskin Library. At an 1803 town meeting—held to discuss roads—settlers talked about their desire for books and their lack of money to pay for them. Most of the business was done by barter, so little money was in circulation. However, the surrounding forest had pelts that could be sold in the East to buy books. In the spring of 1804, Samuel B. Brown was given the pelts and, accompanied by Ephraim Cutler, went east to bring back books for the town. Fifty-one books—mostly on religion, travel, biography and history—were purchased for $73.50. These books were passed from home to home until Ephraim Cutler was elected librarian in 1804. The original books can be found at the Ohio Historical Society, as well as Ohio University's Alden Library. A commemorative marker, placed by the Nabby Lee Ames D.A.R. Chapter of Athens in 1925, is located near the Community Bank on State Street. The Coonskin Library Museum opened in May 1994 in the former cafeteria of the Amesville Grade School. A post office called Amesville was established 1820. Another unique feature of Amesville history was the election of Alonzo Weed as mayor in 1903. Research by Tyler Buchanon, of the Athens Messenger, tells the story of a wandering hobo that became mayor of the village. Alonzo Weed was likely born somewhere on the west coast around 1850. Amesville residents found Weed a strange, but friendly figure. It's hard to say for sure what first prompted his name to get placed on the ballot. In many versions, he was nominated by a few friends on Election Day…

Geography

Amesville is situated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, approximately 45 miles south by southeast of the terminal moraine, a topographical feature often associated with the boundaries of glaciers, and is surrounded by wooded hills, narrow valleys, and numerous creeks flanked by lowland pastures and farmland. These features are largely indicative of the areas in the State of Ohio that fall to the south of the terminal moraine. The terminal moraine in the State of Ohio, and to the north of Amesville, effectively serves to bisect the state along a line running on a west to east axis across the south by southeastern third of Ohio thereby contributing to certain distinctive topographical, socio-economic, and cultural attributes on either side of this feature. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Amesville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,143
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,647
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  5,978
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  5,777
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  5,708
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  5,704
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  5,597
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  5,538

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2025-05-09
  3 km S of Pleasant City, Ohio
• M 2.8 — 2025-04-29
  1 km SE of Pleasant City, Ohio
• M 3.1 — 2025-04-24
  3 km S of Pleasant City, Ohio
• M 3.1 — 2025-04-22
  3 km ESE of Buffalo, Ohio
• M 2.8 — 2025-02-03
  0 km NE of Reno, Ohio
• M 3.1 — 2025-02-03
  2 km NNW of Oak Hill, Ohio