History
Brown County is situated on the Ohio River about 35 miles east of Cincinnati. It was formed in 1817 from parts of Adams and Clermont counties. It is named for Jacob Brown, a hero in the War of 1812.
Georgetown, the largest village, is the county seat. It is also the boyhood home of Ulysses S. Grant. Near Georgetown, the John Rankin House in Ripley was the first established station of the Underground Railroad north of the Ohio River. The "railroad" was a means of secret transportation for slaves escaping to freedom. Now a state memorial that is open to the public, the Rankin House is said to have provided Harriet Beecher Stowe with ideas for her book, Uncle Tom's Cabin.
|
Business Opportunities A pleasantly paced lifestyle and employees with a strong work ethic, motivation and responsibility make Brown County attractive to prospective employers.
Business Growth and Potential
Brown County's population has grown 11 percent since 1990, making it one of the fastest growing counties in Ohio. The area is peppered with signs calling attention to Mount Orab's Enterprise Zone, which has available rail-served industrial land.
Major Employers
Brown County General Hospital
Brown Local Board of Education
Eastern Local Board of Education
Milacron Inc
Ohio Valley Manor
Ripley-Union-Lewis Local Board of Education
Stanley Works
Western Brown Local Board of Education
Natural Resources
Agricultural products produced in the county include tobacco, livestock and grain.
Business Support Organizations
The Ohio Small Business Development Center in partnership with The Ohio State University South Centers and the Brown County Economic Development Office hosts a small business development consultant on a rotational basis.
Brown County Chamber of Commerce
110 E. State Street
Georgetown OH 45121
(937) 378-4784
Brown County Economic Development
800 Mt. Orab Pike
Georgetown OH 45121
(937) 378-3536
Adams-Brown County Economic Opportunities, Inc.
200 S. Green Street
Georgetown OH 45121
(937) 378-6041
Educational Opportunities
Southern State Community College is a two-year institution that offers associate degrees in both technical and transfer programs. It also offers adult basic literacy courses and workforce training programs.
Chatfield College is a two-year, private Catholic liberal arts college. Chatfield offers an Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts with concentrations in business, human services, early childhood education and liberal arts as well as a third year of study toward a bachelor's degree.
Tourism and Lifestyle
Recreation
There are two state wildlife preserves in Brown County: Grant Lake Wildlife Area in Mt. Orab (181 acres), and Indian Creek Wildlife Area in Fayetteville.
Attractions and Points of Interest
- The John P. Parker House in Ripley is a National Historic Landmark. Parker was an ex-slave, abolitionist, inventor, entrepreneur and hero who frequently crossed the Ohio River to bring across fugitive slaves into Ohio, keeping the Underground Railroad filled with passengers.
- New Hope Road Bridge in Georgetown is the longest single covered bridge still standing in Ohio. Other covered bridges in Brown County include the McCafferty Road Bridge, Brown Bridge, George Miller Bridge and North Pole Road Bridge.
- The Rankin House in Ripley is a National Historic Landmark and was a stopping point on the Underground Railroad.
- The Ripley Museum, with federal style architecture, is an 1850s frame structure home that contains a collection of Ripley's historical artifacts.
- Ulysses S. Grant attended the Grant Schoolhouse, which was built in 1829 and is owned by the Ohio Historical Society.
- The Boyhood Home of Ulysses S. Grant in Georgetown is a National Historic Landmark. Built by his father, the home was Ulysses S. Grant's residence for 16 years.
- Ohio Tobacco Museum Inc. in Ripley is an 1850's home that was once inhabited by the Espy family, owners of the heavy munitions works in Cincinnati that produced Ripley's three cannons for protection during the Civil War. In 1988 it became the site for the Ohio Tobacco Museum and stands as the only such museum in the state of Ohio.
- The Ohio Tobacco Festival in Ripley is a celebration of the golden crop that is an important part of Ohio's heritage. The Festival recognizes tobacco growers, their families and the communities in which it is grown.
- The Glass Refactory in Georgetown makes items out of recycled glass.
Famous People
Hailing from Brown County are: Albert N. Marquis, the author and founder of Who's Who in America; George M. Verity, the industrialist who founded Armco Steel; James L. Reid, the agriculturalist who developed Yellow Dent Corn (the most popular variety of field corn grown world-wide between 1900-1930), John Rankin the abolitionist who maintained one of the first stops for fugitive slaves along the Ohio River and Ulysses Simpson Grant, General and 18th president of the United States.
Visitor Information
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Brown County Department of Travel & Tourism
740 Mt. Orab Pike
Georgetown, Ohio 45121
Phone: 937-378-1970
Fax: 937-378-3286
email: browncountytourism@county.brown.oh.us
Airport
The Brown County Airport serves Georgetown and Brown County. The paved runway extends for 3529 feet.
Hospital
Brown County General Hospital
425 Home St.
Georgetown, OH 45121
(937) 378-7500 |