Where is Windham, Ohio? NWS confirms tornado in Portage County
The focus is on Windham this week after a tornado caused damage in the community. Here's what to know.
Where is Windham, Ohio?
Windham is in Northeastern Portage County, along its border with Trumbull County. The community is about a 34-mile drive from Akron, and 47 miles from Cleveland.
Windham, Ohio, history, population
A community of about 4,000 people split between the village and township, Windham was settled in the early 19th century and was severely impacted by World War II and the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant.
When was Windham settled?
Windham was part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, an 3.3 million acre portion of Northeast Ohio claimed by the colony of Connecticut, according to information from Case Western Reserve University. According to the Village of Windham, the area's first settlers were the "Beckett Company," a group of 16 men from Beckett, Massachusetts who traveled to the area in 1811.
Originally named Strongsburg, Windham was briefly called Sharon before its current name was chosen in 1820 to honor Windham, Connecticut, the original home of the Beckett Company. The village was incorporated in 1892.
Ravenna Arsenal takes Windham land during World War II
The Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant, now known as Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center, occupies 21,427 acres of Portage County property, including 5,700 acres from Windham Township, according to the village website. The land was acquired in 1940, at the start of the war.
The village population boomed as Ravenna Arsenal workers were housed there, growing from 316 to 3,946 residents between 1940 and 1950, according to the June 1951 issue of National Geographic Magazine, as noted on the Windham Schools site.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Where is Windham, Ohio? National Weather Service confirms tornado
