Delaware

Delaware, city, seat (1808) of Delaware county, central Ohio, U.S. It lies along the Olentangy River, 25 miles (40 km) north of Columbus. The Delaware Indians had a village in the vicinity before Col. Moses Byxbe of Massachusetts settled on the east bank of the river in 1804. The town was laid out in 1808 and became a popular health resort because of its close proximity to a sulfur spring. Ohio Wesleyan University (1842) was built around the town’s Mansion House (now Elliot Hall). The Methodist Theological School in Ohio was opened in Delaware in 1960. Perkins Observatory, maintained by Ohio Wesleyan University, is 4 miles (6 km) south of the city. A stone monument marks the birthplace of U.S. president Rutherford B. Hayes. After World War II there was some industrial growth; the city’s manufactures now include industrial and automotive coatings, copper products, stone and concrete, tools and dies, building materials, and chemicals. Since 1946 the Little Brown Jug, an annual harness-racing classic, has been held in September at the Delaware County Fair. Inc. town, 1815; city, 1903. Pop. (2000) 25,243; (2010) 34,753.