Duncan Falls

History

Duncan Falls is named for an early hunter and trapper by the name of Major Duncan, who emigrated from Virginia and settled near a falls on the Muskingum River, approximately south of present-day Zanesville, in the 1790s. He reportedly skirmished with the local Shawnee people over his traps, and according to legend was killed by the Shawnee while attempting to cross the river at the falls. Thus, his name became associated with these falls. The settlement of the town, initially known as "Duncan's Falls", began with the establishment of a store by James Taylor in 1825. Alanson Holderidge and Justice Depew both erected blacksmith shops around 1828. A tavern was established by Jacob Hall in 1830. James Taylor established a ferry across the Muskingum River at the falls in 1830. Although the county history by Everhart states that a free bridge was constructed across the river by the county government in 1831, the Zanesville Signal reported that the first bridge across the river did not arrive until 1875. James Taylor built a dam at the falls in 1832 to entice millers to settle in the town, and in 1835 the state government improved the dam. In 1838, a four-story flour mill was erected by Lewis Dugan and William Bowen. As the area around the falls was now starting to develop, James Taylor formally platted a townsite in 1841 (Taylor had previously platted Taylorsville, now known as Philo, on the other side of the river in 1833). By the 1840s, the dam and lock system was in place, allowing for steamboat travel, but raising the water level of the river so as to hide the falls. As of 1882, the town had around 200 inhabitants, including one physician, a Dr. Mason. In 1896, the original flour mill burned to the ground. It was rebuilt in 1898, and burned again in 1902, and was…

Geography

Duncan Falls is in southern Muskingum County, in the southeast part of Wayne Township. It is bordered to the south by the Muskingum River, across which is the village of Philo. Ohio State Route 60 passes through Duncan Falls, leading northwest (upriver) to Zanesville, the county seat, and south (downriver) to McConnelsville. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Duncan Falls CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 5.85%, are water, comprising area within the Muskingum River. Salt Creek joins the Muskingum from the northeast at the eastern border of the community. Duncan Falls is up the Muskingum River from its mouth at the Ohio River in Marietta.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  3,678
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,162
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,877
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,579
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  2,427
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,263
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,929
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,903

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 2.6 — 2021-11-19
  2 km NW of Sherrodsville, Ohio