Electricity Rates in Albany, OH

History of Albany

Albany was laid out in about 1832. It was incorporated as a village in 1842.The small rural village had at least four routes leading into it and became a major stop in Athens County for the Underground Railroad, as fugitives could come upriver on the Hocking River from the Ohio River. Former slaves, many of whom had migrated from the Upper South to escape its slavery and discrimination, settled the village in the mid-19th century.The black population increased during the 1850s from four in the township to 174 by 1860. In 1860, 70 members of the black community were from the South: 53 from Virginia and 17 from other slave states.Although Ohio laws made attending public schools difficult for African-American children, private schools in Albany offered educational opportunities to them that were unavailable in most parts of the state.In 1848, William S. Lewis founded the Lewis Academy, which admitted students regardless of race or gender. Lewis's admission policies were influenced by the liberal ideals of Oberlin College, which he had attended as a student.In 1850, a joint-stock company took over administration of Lewis Academy, and the name was changed to the Albany Manual Labor Academy, and then later to the Albany Manual Labor University (AMLU). The school continued to admit students of all genders and races. Slaveholders were not permitted to become shareholders.

Albany by the Numbers

Population

5,361

Median Age

41.5 yrs

Median Household Income

$78,866/yr

Median Home Value

$181,300

Homeownership Rate

81%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)