County Past
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Portage County, Ohio

Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.

108newspaper titles
14digitized titles
52historic places
1800earliest paper
1808formed
161,791pop. 2020
60cemeteries
—CW battlefields

At a glance

Summary

The Library of Congress U.S. Newspaper Directory lists 108 newspaper titles published in Portage County, Ohio, with the earliest starting in 1800. 14 of these titles have digitized pages on Chronicling America. The National Register of Historic Places includes 52 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1973; 1 is also National Historic Landmark. Most listings are in or near Kent, Ravenna, Aurora.

Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.

Newspapers published in Portage

Library of Congress
108 newspaper titles
TitlePlaceYears
The Bugle EchoHiram1800–1999
The Portage JournalMiddlebury1825–1827
Western Courier, and the Western Public AdvertiserRavenna1825–1826
Western CourierRavenna1826–1833
Portage Journal & Weekly AdvertiserMiddlebury1827–1899
The Ohio Star DigitizedRavenna1830–1854
The Ohio Star DigitizedRavenna1830–?
The Western Courier, and Portage County DemocratRavenna1833–1837
The WatchmanRavenna1834–1835
The Ohio WatchmanRavenna1835–1837
American BalanceAkron1837–1839
Country IntelligencerMantua1837–1838
The Ohio Watchman and Liberal EnquirerRavenna, Mantua1837–1839
Western Courier DigitizedRavenna1837–1838
Western Courier DigitizedRavenna1837–?
People's AdvocateRavenna1838–1838
The Buckeye DemocratRavenna1838–1839
The Ohioan and New EraAkron, Akron1838–1839
The Summit BeaconAkron, Akron1839–1857
The Plain DealerRavenna1840–1899
The PlaindealerRavenna1840–1899
Western Reserve Cabinet and Family VisiterRavenna1840–1843
Portage Sentinel DigitizedRavenna1845–1854
Portage Sentinel DigitizedRavenna1845–?
The Portage County WhigRavenna1848–1853
The InvestigatorRavenna1851–1899
The Home Companion and WhigRavenna1853–1854
The Portage County Democrat DigitizedRavenna1854–1868
The Portage County Democrat DigitizedRavenna1854–?
The Weekly Portage Sentinel DigitizedRavenna1854–1861
The Weekly Portage Sentinel DigitizedRavenna1854–?
Campaign DemocratRavenna1855–1855
The Hickory Flail, and Fusion ThresherRavenna1855–1855
The Independent PressRavenna1855–1855
The Independent Press and ReformerRavenna1855–1856
Reformer and Independent PressRavenna1856–1856
The ReformerRavenna1856–1857
The Portage Sentinel DigitizedRavenna1861–1862
The Portage Sentinel DigitizedRavenna1861–?
The Commercial BulletinKent1866–1867
Kent NewsKent1867–1869
The Garrettsville JournalGarrettsville1867–1972
The Saturday Morning BulletinKent1867–1868
Hiram StudentHiram1868–1869
The Democratic Press DigitizedRavenna1868–1901
The Democratic Press DigitizedRavenna1868–?
The Portage Co. Republican DemocratRavenna1868–1876
The Saturday BulletinKent1869–1879
Kent Saturday BulletinKent1870–1887
Republican DemocratRavenna1876–1883
Portage County RepublicanRavenna1878–1883
The Wide AwakePalmyra1880–1899
Beaman's Monthly BugleHiram1881–1899
The Daily GazetteGarrettsville1882–1899
The Ravenna RepublicanRavenna1883–1928
Saturday ItemGarrettsville1885–1891
Monthly GazetteGarrettsville1886–1899
The Daily RepublicanRavenna1886–1888
The Kent CourierKent1886–1929
Hiram College StarHiram1887–1888
Saturday BulletinKent1888–1899
The College StarHiram1888–1890
The Mantua TimesMantua1888–1889
The National Camp AdvanceMantua, Ashley1889–1899
Hiram College AdvanceHiram1890–1905
Ravenna Daily CourierRavenna1892–1999
The GraphicRavenna1893–1895
The Ravenna GraphicRavenna1895–1895
The BulletinKent1899–1999
The Evening Record, the Daily Courier-TribuneKent1900–1999
The Ravenna DemocratRavenna1901–1902
The Portage County DemocratRavenna1902–1928
The Mantua ReviewMantua1904–1914
The AdvanceHiram1905–1908
The Hiram College AdvanceHiram1908–1911
Ravenna Weekly JournalRavenna1909–1910
The AdvanceHiram1911–1912
The Hiram College AdvanceHiram1912–1916
The Mantua RecordMantua1913–1964
The Kent TribuneKent1916–1929
The AdvanceHiram1920–1944
The Hiram College AdvanceHiram1920–1920
The Kent StaterKent1926–1953
The SearchlightKent1926–1926
The Evening RecordRavenna1928–1935
The Courier-TribuneKent1929–1944
The Evening Record and Daily Courier-TribuneRavenna1935–1956
The Advance of Hiram CollegeHiram1945–1957
The Daily Kent StaterKent1954–?
Evening Record-Courier TribuneRavenna1956–1961
The TerrierHiram1957–1968
Record-CourierRavenna1961–?
Record-NewsMantua1964–1980
The Hiram AdvanceHiram1968–1974
Aurora AdvocateAurora1971–?
Stump CityKent1971–1972
Buckeye News & ReviewHiram1972–1999
The JournalGarrettsville1972–1975
Tribune-GazetteKent1973–1989
AdvanceHiram1974–1975
The Hiram AdvanceHiram1975–1982
The Weekly PrideAkron, Mogadore, Mogadore1976–?
Streetsboro/Mantua Record-NewsStreetsboro1980–?
Portage County Legal NewsRavenna1981–?
The AdvanceHiram1982–1985
The Gateway PressStreetsboro1982–?
The TerrierHiram1985–1989
The AdvanceHiram1990–?

Source: Library of Congress U.S. Newspaper Directory. “Digitized” links lead to page images on Chronicling America.

Coverage timeline

Newspapers

Each bar is one title’s publication span. brown = digitized on Chronicling America Open-ended runs extend to today.

18001856191319692026

Sample front pages

Chronicling America

Digitized page-1 issues from papers published in Portage. Thumbnails link to the Library of Congress.

Courtesy Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Page images are hotlinked from loc.gov; generally public domain / no known restrictions (U.S. papers older than 95 years are public domain in their entirety; newer issues may contain some copyrighted third-party material). Rights & access.

On this day — November 5

Front pages

Front pages from Portage papers published on November 5 in past years. Refreshed when the site data is rebuilt (weekly now; could be daily).

Courtesy Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Page images are hotlinked from loc.gov; generally public domain / no known restrictions (U.S. papers older than 95 years are public domain in their entirety; newer issues may contain some copyrighted third-party material). Rights & access.

National Register of Historic Places

NPS NRHP

41 of 52 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.

52 listed properties
PropertyCityTypeListed
Atwater Congregational ChurchAtwaterBuilding1973
Aurora Center Historic DistrictAuroraDistrict1974
Aurora Train StationAuroraBuilding1986
Beebe, Horace Y., HouseRavennaBuilding1983
Byers, John F., HouseRavennaBuilding2008
Cleveland Worsted Mills Redfern MillRavennaBuilding1988
Cottage Hill FarmRavennaDistrict1993
Crafts William H., HouseMantuaBuilding1982
Crystal Lake Stock FarmRavenaBuilding1986
Davey, John, HouseKentBuilding1975
Diver, John, House and StorebuildingDeerfieldBuilding1982
East Main Street Historic DistrictRavennaDistrict1985
Ellenwood HouseGarrettsvilleBuilding1975
Etna HouseRavennaBuilding1985
Ferrey, Aaron, HouseKentBuilding1974
Franklin HotelKentBuilding2013
Franklin Township HallKentBuilding1975
Freedom Congregational ChurchFreedomBuilding1975
Garfield, James A., HouseHiramBuilding1975
Griffin, A. B.,-O. H. Griffin HouseRavennaBuilding1985
Griffin, Alexander B., HouseRavennaBuilding1987
Gross, L.N., Company BuildingKentBuilding2016
Hine, Horace L., HouseMantuaBuilding1976
Hopkins, Benjamin F., Stone BuildingKentBuilding1982
Howard, C. R., HouseAuroraBuilding1974
Johnson, John, FarmHiramBuilding1976
Kent Industrial DistrictKentDistrict1974
Kent JailKentBuilding2001
Kent, Charles HouseKentBuilding1978
Kent, Zeno, HouseAuroraBuilding1973
Kentway Apartments Historic DistrictKentDistrict2026
Mantua Center District (Additional Documentation)Mantua CenterDistrict1974
Mantua Center District (Boundary Increase)Mantua CenterDistrict2023
Mantua Center SchoolMantuaBuilding2013
Mantua Station Brick Commercial DistrictMantuaDistrict1974
Masonic TempleKentBuilding1974
May 4, 1970, Kent State Shootings SiteKentSite2010
May 4, 1970, Kent State Shootings Site NHLKentSite
Mott Drug StoreGarrattsvilleBuilding1996
Nelson, Luman, HouseRavennaBuilding1993
Ohio State Normal College At KentKentBuilding1975
Olin, Arvin, HouseKentBuilding1995
Palmyra Center HotelPalmyraBuilding1976
Phoenix BlockRavennaBuilding1985
Reed, C. A., HouseRavennaBuilding1985
Riddle BlockRavennaBuilding1976
Riddle Block #11RavennaBuilding1985
Riddle Block #5RavennaBuilding1985
Riddle Block #9RavennaBuilding1985
Wadsworth, Frederick, HouseEdinburgBuilding1975
West Main Street DistrictKentDistrict1977
Young, Thomas F., HouseHiramBuilding1976

Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.

County formation

Newberry AHCB

Portage was formed in 1808 (1808-06-07) from Trumbull.

PORTAGE created from TRUMBULL. Part of TRUMBULL reverted to Non-County Area 4 and was attached to PORTAGE for administrative and judicial purposes.

Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Population by decade

Census

Portage County population from 1810 to 2020 (Census historical series).

162k82k2,9951810184018801920196020002020
1810182018401860188019001920194019501960198020002020
2,99510,09522,96524,20827,50029,24636,26946,66063,95491,798135,856152,061161,791

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.

Cemeteries & historical places

USGS GNIS

60 cemeteries and 6 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.

Cemeteries — 60 of 60 listed
NameLatLon
Abbot Cemetery41.3208-81.09539
Atwater Cemetery41.02144-81.14954
Aurora Cemetery41.31477-81.349
Breakneck Cemetery41.16853-81.34997
Cackler Cemetery41.20349-81.38083
Charlestown Township Cemetery41.16227-81.14121
Deerfield Cemetery41.02616-81.03426
Disciple Cemetery41.03561-81.24871
Drakesburg Cemetery41.23146-81.1357
East Lawn Cemetery41.02323-81.3453
Eastlawn Cemetery41.30894-81.24427
Edinburg Cemetery41.10894-81.15899
Evergreen Cemetery41.22116-81.31871
Fairview Cemetery41.20261-81.29896
Fairview Cemetery41.30894-81.15204
Freedom West Cemetery41.23936-81.16129
German Reformed Cemetery41.03144-81.26954
Harrington Cemetery41.28784-81.05745
Hartzell Cemetery40.99672-81.01037
Hawley Cemetery41.15088-81.03176
Hayden Cemetery41.00293-81.03512
Hillside Cemetery41.23866-81.23704
Hillside Cemetery41.28088-81.23343
Hillside Cemetery41.33945-81.16207
Homeland Cemetery41.10027-81.23531
Keiper - Tuller Cemetery41.28793-81.03182
Kennedy Ledge Cemetery41.33389-81.01132
Maple Grove Cemetery41.17201-81.24121
Mottown Cemetery41.04477-81.01564
North Cemetery41.10199-81.05037
North Dyke Cemetery41.06476-81.30106
Old Cemetery41.09783-81.23815
Old German Cemetery40.98866-81.12426
Palmyra Cemetery41.10088-81.06231
Park Cemetery41.2924-81.08082
Pioneer Cemetery41.1506-81.36644
Pioneer Trail Cemetery41.29255-81.24482
Plainview Cemetery41.29116-81.34455
Randolph Hillside Cemetery41.03501-81.26847
Restland Cemetery41.10231-81.34806
Riverside Cemetery41.24505-81.2801
Robinson Cemetery41.07005-81.05148
Russell Cemetery41.18183-81.36539
Saint Joseph Cemetery41.02979-81.29784
Saint Josephs Cemetery41.17538-81.00902
Saint Mary Cemetery41.15199-81.25649
Saint Michaels Cemetery41.05128-81.37345
Saint Peters Cemetery41.07144-81.2676
Springfield Cemetery41.02505-81.38288
Standing Rock Cemetery41.16718-81.35322
Streetsboro Cemetery41.2356-81.3451
Thorndyke Cemetery41.10041-81.3659
Tinker Cemetery41.3109-81.06269
Upson Meacham Cemetery41.04168-81.31248
Vaughn Cemetery41.29906-81.18084
Welsh Cemetery41.13366-81.05092
Westlawn Cemetery41.09649-81.37953
Westlawn Cemetery41.31032-81.2476
Whippoorwill Cemetery41.12477-81.06926
Windham Cemetery41.25073-81.04733
Historical populated places — 6 of 6
NameLatLon
East Davis41.13811-81.11232
Greenleafs Corners41.192-81.10954
Harrisport41.18145-81.00982
Hilltown41.07367-81.32872
Hutson41.01672-81.02204
Keans41.06228-81.03176

Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.

Historical markers

HMdb link

Marker text and photos from the Historical Marker Database (HMdb) are not embedded here. HMdb allows non-commercial reuse with attribution, but commercial/compensated use needs written permission; this is a commercial site, so we only link out.

Search HMdb for Portage County, Ohio

Terms: hmdb.org/copyright.asp. Linking is encouraged by HMdb.