Local events in Ithaca
Nothing is posted for Ithaca itself yet; here is what is on within 10 miles. All local events in Ithaca
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Ithaca began
Ithaca was platted in 1832 by John Colville (Wikipedia's 'Twinsborough' first name is not corroborated by the 1880 county history, which names the site only as Ithaca). It stands near where Twin Township's first attempted settler, Jacob North, was burned out by Native residents around the War of 1812, and where Richard Robbins became the township's first permanent settler in 1815, just west of the future village site. Ithaca served for years as the trading center for a wide surrounding area; Ithaca Lodge, F. & A.M. No. 295, chartered in 1857, still meets in a three-story building there.
Settled 1815 (Richard Robbins, just west of the future village site), platted 1832, by John Colville.
Where the name comes from
The 1880 county history records the village only as Ithaca, platted by John Colville in 1832, without mentioning an earlier name; Wikipedia states it was first platted as Twinsborough and later renamed for Ithaca, New York, but 'Twinsborough' was not found in the primary source checked.
Before the town
Twin Township's first attempted white settlement stood at what became Ithaca. Jacob North built a cabin on the creek bank near the present township cemetery, probably around the War of 1812; as tensions rose and settlers named Stoner and Elliott were killed nearby, a half-breed neighbor warned North to leave for his own safety, and he and his wife fled back to their old settlement shortly before Native people burned the cabin to the ground. After the war, first permanent settler Richard Robbins, who arrived in 1815 just west of the future village, was once shot at while feeding pigs by an Indian neighbor he suspected of wanting his rifle, though the neighbor denied it; white and Native residents in these years, the source says, regarded each other with mutual distrust and both went armed. No specific nation is named.
Nations recorded here: Shawnee, Miami.
Timeline
- — Richard Robbins, formerly of Randolph County, North Carolina, becomes Twin Township's first permanent settler, locating on land just west of the future site of Ithaca; he dies of measles in 1824.
- — Jacob Baumgardner dies and is buried in what becomes the township cemetery at Ithaca, the first burial in the township.
- — John Colville plats Ithaca, which serves as the trading center for the surrounding country for many years; Joseph Evans opens the first dry-goods store, kept by 'Jacky' North, and Eli Shearer opens the first tavern on the site of the later hotel.
- — The Methodists organize at Ithaca with forty-two members, their first congregation in the township; their meeting house is built two years later, the township's first Methodist church.
- — Ithaca Lodge, F. & A.M. No. 295, is chartered with ten founding members, including William H. Matchett as first Master; the lodge grows to a membership of 63 by 1880, meeting in a large three-story building.
- — Population rises to 142 residents after decades of fluctuation.
- — Population peaks at 161 residents.
- — Former mayor David Peterson, who served 2012-2020, pleads guilty to criminal charges of misappropriating village funds and is ordered to pay restitution.
Stories
Burned out before the village began
Ithaca's site had already seen one settler come and go before Richard Robbins made the area's first permanent home there in 1815. Jacob North, who arrived from the Lewisburg settlement probably around the War of 1812, built his cabin on the creek bank near the present township cemetery -- but as violence spread through the area and two neighbors, Stoner and Elliott, were killed, a half-breed acquaintance quietly warned North that his family was in danger. North and his wife fled back to their old home with what few belongings they could carry; soon after, Native residents surrounded the empty cabin and burned it to the ground. It was, the 1880 county history notes dryly, 'probably well for the owner that a friend had given him warning' -- and it marked the failed first chapter of settlement on ground that would, two decades later, become Ithaca.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Arcanum Village93% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)
- Verona, Village Of7% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Ithaca's boundary: 1 spill case. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Spills reported since 2021 (1)
-
Manure Chicken Reached water2022-02-02 · Ithaca
- Reported
- 2022-02-02
- What spilled
- Manure Chicken
- Largest amount reported
- 5,000 gallons
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Ithaca, Darke County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2202EPA0000110
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: Ohio EPA emergency response spill reports, 2021 to September 2026, one point per case where Ohio EPA placed it. A report is what the caller or responder recorded; amounts are often blank or estimated.
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Ithaca, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.
| ZIP | Share | Water | Radon | Home value | Schools | Flood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45304 Arcanum | 1% | Mostly private wells | 5.9 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1963 | Arcanum Butler Local · 4 stars overall | 8.1% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Ithaca, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Mayor | Lyla J. McCoy 20, 100.0% |
| 2015-11-03 | Mayor | David H. Peterson 24, 100.0% |
| 2015-11-03 | Council | Robert Brown 19, 48.72%; Richard L. Hoover 20, 51.28% |
Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.
Auditor of State record
- No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
- Financial Audit, 2023 to 2024, released 2026-02-26
- Fiscal Analysis, 2024 to 2025, released 2025-09-11
- Special Audit, 2012 to 2022, released 2025-01-28
The county
Darke County: 16 ZIP codes, 40 cities, villages and townships, 52,318 people.
Nearby places
Rain and snow
How much has actually fallen on Ithaca, day by day, from 1893 to now. Daily totals, not averages.
- rain, last 30 days
- 1.13 in
- 2026-09-30 to 2026-10-29
- rain so far in 2026
- 41.3 in
- 6.0 in above normal for the date
- snow so far in 2026
- 16.8 in
- a normal year brings 18.3 in
- a normal year
- 41.8 in
- average of 30 years, 1991-2020
| Month | Rain (in) | Snow (in) | Days counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 1.13 | — | 29 |
| September 2026 | 4.96 | — | 30 |
| August 2026 | 9.24 | — | 31 |
| July 2026 | 2.69 | — | 31 |
| June 2026 | 3.98 | — | 30 |
| May 2026 | 6.83 | — | 31 |
| April 2026 | 3.12 | — | 30 |
| March 2026 | 6.06 | 1.4 | 31 |
| February 2026 | 1.25 | 2.5 | 28 |
| January 2026 | 2.04 | 12.9 | 31 |
| December 2025 | 1.87 | 8.1 | 31 |
| November 2025 | 1.70 | 2.2 | 30 |
| Wettest year | 2011 — 58.2 in |
|---|---|
| Driest year | 1934 — 24.8 in |
| Snowiest year | 1951 — 52.1 in |
| Wettest day on record | 25 March 1913 — 4.35 in |
| Heaviest snowfall in a day | 16 February 1910 — 9.67 in |
| Deepest snow on the ground | 8 January 1996 — 17.38 in |
Estimated, not measured. No rain gauge has ever stood inside Ithaca, so every figure here is worked out from the gauges around it - the nearest ones weighted most. Treat them as close estimates rather than readings.
48,162 days of records, 1893-06-01 to 2026-10-29. Source: NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily, 3,240 gauges in and around Ohio. A day is "gauged" when a gauge standing inside the boundary reported it, and the value is the mean of those gauges. Otherwise it is interpolated by inverse distance from every gauge reporting within 50 miles. Nothing is carried forward, back-filled or smoothed. Against NOAA nClimDiv county monthly precipitation over 136,848 complete county-months (checked 2026-10-31): correlation 0.9515, median absolute difference 0.217 in a month. Built 2026-10-31 from the Cracked Buckeye precipitation archive. Snow is the softer number — snowfall is measured by hand with a ruler, no agency publishes a gridded county snowfall series, and blowing snow defeats every observer.
Quick answers
What county is Ithaca, Ohio in?
Ithaca is a village in Darke County, Ohio, with 80 residents.
When was Ithaca, Ohio founded?
Ithaca was settled 1815 (Richard Robbins, just west of the future village site); laid out 1832. Founders on record: John Colville. Source
How did Ithaca, Ohio get its name?
The 1880 county history records the village only as Ithaca, platted by John Colville in 1832, without mentioning an earlier name; Wikipedia states it was first platted as Twinsborough and later renamed for Ithaca, New York, but 'Twinsborough' was not found in the primary source checked. Source
Where does Ithaca, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Ithaca (Arcanum Village): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Ithaca, Darke County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/ithaca/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31
