Waynesburg

How Waynesburg began

Waynesburg was platted in 1814 in Sandy Township along Sandy Creek in southern Stark County and named for Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne. A post office opened as Waynesburgh in 1824, with the spelling standardized to Waynesburg in 1893. The small village produced two Medal of Honor recipients: William Bensinger, a Union soldier in the Civil War's Great Locomotive Chase, and Joseph J. Cicchetti, honored for World War II service in the Philippines; its population peaked at 1,186 in 1930 and stood at 925 in 2020.

Platted 1814.

Where the name comes from

Named for General Anthony Wayne, the Revolutionary War officer whose 1794 victory at Fallen Timbers led to the Treaty of Greenville that opened this part of Ohio to settlement. A post office called Waynesburgh opened in 1824, and the spelling was standardized to Waynesburg in 1893.

Before the town

No Native American village, mound, or treaty site specific to Waynesburg is documented in the sources consulted, though the village's own name honors the general whose victory at Fallen Timbers directly led to the 1795 Treaty of Greenville that ceded this part of Ohio. The village lies within that ceded area, on Sandy Creek.

Nations recorded here: Lenape (Delaware).

Timeline

1. 1814 — Waynesburg is platted along Sandy Creek in Sandy Township.
2. 1824 — A post office opens under the name Waynesburgh.
3. 1862 — Waynesburg native William Bensinger takes part in the Union Army's Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War, later receiving the Medal of Honor.
4. 1870 — The village's population is recorded at 425 residents.
5. 1893 — The post office and village name are standardized from Waynesburgh to Waynesburg.
6. 1930 — The village's population peaks at 1,186 residents.
7. 1945 — Waynesburg native Joseph J. Cicchetti is recognized for actions during World War II's Philippines campaign, later receiving the Medal of Honor.

Stories

One small village, two Medal of Honor recipients

For a village that never held more than about 1,200 residents, Waynesburg produced an unusual concentration of wartime distinction. William Bensinger, a Union soldier, took part in the Civil War's Great Locomotive Chase -- the 1862 raid in which a small group of Union soldiers and civilian volunteers stole a Confederate train, the Union commemorated decades later with the Medal of Honor. More than eighty years afterward, Waynesburg produced a second recipient: Joseph J. Cicchetti, honored for his actions during the Philippines campaign of World War II. Two Medal of Honor recipients from one small Sandy Creek village, separated by roughly eighty years and two different wars, is a record most larger Ohio cities cannot match.

Photographs

Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org

Mostly private wells The water here

• Waynesburg Village98% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
• Magnolia Village2% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)

Fire and EMS stations (1)

Private schools (1)

Museums, historical societies, gardens and zoos (1)

Police stations (1)

Who holds office

Roster as of 2026-08-12: county board of elections.

Money issues on the ballot since 2019: 1 of 1 passed.

Ballot issues

Elections for office

Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.

Source: Ohio EPA eDocument portal (edocpub.epa.ohio.gov), indexed 2026-10-14. Facilities are placed on the map from Ohio EPA's own map layers, EPA's Facility Registry, coordinates written in the filings, or a geocoded street address. A permit filed under a private person's name (most are household septic systems) is counted but never named, placed or linked; licenses for individual workers and open-burning notices are left out entirely.

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