The State of Our Villages
These small places are on the brink of extinction
According to the last U. S. Census, there are 108,774 people who live in Miami County. Of those folks, 11,801, or just over 10%, live in one of the county’s nine villages.
What’s a Village?
Villages are basically small towns with fewer than 5,000 residents. They have some power of local self-government, similar to cities, but there are quite a few restrictions in place. They can have their own police and fire departments, as well as utility systems, just like bigger cities. Here's an interesting tidbit: villages often provide water and sewer services and have a Board of Public Affairs. This board consists of elected individuals who oversee these systems.
The Villages of Miami County
There are currently nine villages in Miami County, most of them in the western part of the county either near or along the Stillwater River. Before the advent of improved roads, rivers were the main transportation corridors that were used. Not only that, but the river also provided an ample supply of water for people and animals alike, which was an important source of food for early settlers.
Villages in the county run the gamut from fairly large (for a village) to almost miniscule. As of the 2020 Census, here are the population counts of the county’s nine villages:
West Milton - 4,697
Covington - 2,548
Bradford - 1,796
Pleasant Hill - 1,241
Fletcher - 451
Laura - 398
Casstown - 270
Potsdam - 225
Ludlow Falls - 175
This History of Our Villages
Back in the day, villages were bustling hubs of agricultural-based commerce. They were the heart and soul of the subsistence economy, serving as local and convenient trading spots. Farmers and traders from nearby areas would gather in these villages to buy and sell goods. If you take a stroll through any village nowadays, chances are pretty good you might stumble upon an old grain elevator. And you know what? A saloon, a church, and a dry goods store were the economic powerhouses of those villages. And hey, if a post office was established, you knew that village had really hit the big time!
Let's dive into some Census data from 1920. Back then, Miami County was home to 7,438 village residents. Sure, that may sound small compared to the nearly 12,000 people living in villages today, but we have to consider that the county's population was much smaller overall. Just a little over 48,000 people called the county home a century ago, and 15% of them resided in villages.
Fast forward to 1970, when the county's population had grown to just over 84,000 people. At that time, 11,445 folks were living in villages, making up slightly less than 14% of the county's population. It's worth noting that one village, Bradford, actually experienced a decrease in residents between 1920 and 1970, with nearly 8% of its population moving away. Bradford had played a significant role in the early development of railroad infrastructure, but as the trains favored other places, the village's fortunes declined.
Between 1970 and 2020, most of the county's villages saw a decline in population. Bradford continued its downward trend, losing an additional 17% of its population. Casstown saw a 29% decrease, and Fletcher's population shrunk by 16%. Even Covington, a town with a diversified local economy, remained stagnant, experiencing a 1% decline in population. Only West Milton (up 27%) and Pleasant Hill (up 21%) were the exceptions, as they were the only villages that actually saw population growth between 1970 and 2020.
A Bleak Future of Our Villages
If we look at the past, it seems like our county's villages might face depopulation to the point where they could potentially vanish completely. Believe it or not, this phenomenon isn't unheard of. Just take a drive around Miami County, and you'll come across smaller towns and villages that no longer really "exist" or have the ability to govern themselves. Places like Phoneton, West Charleston, Staunton, and Frederick come to mind. They were once vibrant villages, but now you might spot nothing more than a small sign along the road (if even that).
Under the current state law, there are three ways a village can be dissolved. First, the village must be in a fiscal emergency. Second, it must have a population of less than 150 residents. And third, the voters in the village can petition for its dissolution. In such cases, the village's assets and liabilities are transferred back to the township where the village is located. Any one of those three trip wires can cause a dissolution.
It's worth mentioning that in other parts of Ohio, the dissolution of smaller villages has had messy consequences. Let's take the example of Amelia in Clermont County. In 2019, the residents of this quaint community faced two ballot questions. The first was whether they were willing to impose a 1% income tax to support village operations. The second was whether they were in favor of dissolving the village altogether. The voters rejected the first measure but approved the second.
The whole process turned out to be quite messy and prompted Ohio's General Assembly to discuss House Bill 101, which aims to clarify some of the provisions surrounding village dissolution. The state legislature is trying to find ways to navigate this issue more smoothly because there is no doubt that more village dissolutions will happen in the future. The bill was recently approved out of the committee process and you can learn more about the legislation here.