Kenton

History

Kenton was originally the site of Fort McArthur, erected in 1812 by Colonel Duncan McArthur as one of the forts along the line of General William Hull's march against the British headquarters at Fort Detroit during the War of 1812. In 1845, Kenton was incorporated as a village; it became a city in 1886. The city was named after frontiersman Simon Kenton. The city began as a center for agricultural trade, then in the late 19th century, developed industry common to America of the time. From 1890 to 1952, Kenton was home to the Kenton Hardware Company, manufacturers of locks, cast-iron toys, and the very popular Gene Autry toy cap guns. International Car Company, a manufacturer of rail cabooses, operated in Kenton for many years. In 1975, it was purchased by Paccar, a manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. In 1983, Paccar closed down the business, noting a decrease in demand for rail equipment. The 2001 CSX 8888 incident involving an unmanned freight train ended in Kenton.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is covered by water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,904
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,736
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,674
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,648
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  1,618
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,576
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,549
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,357

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2023-12-09
  5 km W of Jackson Center, Ohio
• M 2.7 — 2010-05-14
  1 km ENE of Gibsonburg, Ohio
• M 2.8 — 2008-09-30
  5 km SW of Kettlersville, Ohio
• M 2.5 — 2006-08-15
  3 km NE of Fort Shawnee, Ohio
• M 2.8 — 2006-05-12
  2 km E of Lima, Ohio
• M 2.5 — 2004-01-30
  2 km S of Rockford, Ohio