Walnut Creek, Ohio

Walnut Creek, Ohio
Census-designated place
US Post Office in Walnut Creek, Ohio.
Walnut Creek Show map of Ohio Walnut Creek Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°32′41″N81°44′25″W / 40.54472°N 81.74028°W / 40.54472; -81.74028
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Holmes
Township	Walnut Creek
Area [1]
• Total	2.22 sq mi (5.76 km2)
• Land	2.22 sq mi (5.76 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,106 ft (337 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	908
• Density	408.46/sq mi (157.68/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	44687
Area code	330
FIPS code	39-80612
GNIS feature ID	2628984 [2]

Walnut Creek is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in central Walnut Creek Township, Holmes County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 908. Located in Ohio's Amish Country, Walnut Creek is a popular location for tourists. ^[3]

History

Carlisle Gifts is part of the Amish tourism industry in Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek was laid out in 1826. ^[4] Originally named New Carlisle, the village was renamed to Walnut Creek when the post office was established in 1841. ^[5]

Beginning in the 1990s business leaders developed Walnut Creek into an American-Victorian themed town, which the University of Dayton's Susan Trollinger calls "puzzling" because of the stark contrast between Victorian overdecorating and the Amish plainness. ^{[6] : 49–50} Tourist-oriented businesses typically include "resting places" such as parlors in hotels or wrapround porches lined with rocking chairs or other seating on retail shops, which emphasizes a sense of having plentiful time. ^{[6] : 57} Her conclusion is that the Victorian theme and emphasis on resting places is capitalizing on the attraction of nostalgia for a simpler life with plentiful time, which it has in common with the Amish. ^{[6] : 51–60} Large parking lots and sidewalks connect the business district, which is condensed into six square blocks and connected by wide sidewalks, further encouraging a feeling of a slower-pace and life lived on foot. ^{[6] : 59} American flags and other patriotic-themed decor are commonly displayed in both exterior and interior spaces, which Trollinger again finds interesting when contrasted to the Amish, who refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and do not fly flags at their schools and homes. ^{[6] : 70}

Geography

Walnut Creek is in eastern Holmes County, sitting atop a 200-foot-high (61 m) ridge between Goose Creek to the north and Walnut Creek to the south. It is part of the Tuscarawas River watershed.

It lies at the intersection of State Routes 39 and 515. Route 39 leads west 11 miles (18 km) to Millersburg, the Holmes county seat, and east 17 miles (27 km) to New Philadelphia, while Route 515 leads north 6 miles (10 km) to Winesburg.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Walnut Creek CDP has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²), of which 1.1 acres (4,467 m²), or 0.08%, are water. ^[7]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2010	878		—
2020	908		3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] [7]

Education

East Holmes Local Schools operates Walnut Creek Elementary School in the community. ^[9]

Walnut Creek has a public library, a branch of the Holmes County District Public Library. ^[10]

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Walnut Creek, Ohio
3. "Welcome to Walnut Creek Ohio". VisitWalnutCreek.com. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
4. Overman, William Daniel (1958). Ohio Town Names. Akron, OH: Atlantic Press. p. 138.
5. Westfall, Larry (2013). Ninety-Nine Rats on a String. Sugarcreek, OH: Carlisle Printing. p. 15. ISBN   978-0615847825.
6. Trollinger, Susan L. (2012). Selling the Amish : the tourism of nostalgia. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   978-1-4214-0467-7. OCLC   823654526.
7. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Walnut Creek CDP, Ohio". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
9. "Walnut Creek Elementary". East Holmes Local Schools. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
10. "Hours and locations". Holmes County District Public Library. Retrieved February 25, 2018.