Electricity Rates in Duncan Falls, OH

History of Duncan Falls

Duncan Falls is named for an early hunter and trapper by the name of Major Duncan, who emigrated from Virginia and settled near a falls on the Muskingum River, approximately 9 miles (14 km) south of present-day Zanesville, in the 1790s. He reportedly skirmished with the local Shawnee people over his traps, and according to legend was killed by the Shawnee while attempting to cross the river at the falls. Thus, his name became associated with these falls.The settlement of the town, initially known as "Duncan's Falls", began with the establishment of a store by James Taylor in 1825. Alanson Holderidge and Justice Depew both erected blacksmith shops around 1828. A tavern was established by Jacob Hall in 1830. James Taylor established a ferry across the Muskingum River at the falls in 1830. Although the county history by Everhart states that a free bridge was constructed across the river by the county government in 1831, the Zanesville Signal reported that the first bridge across the river did not arrive until 1875. James Taylor built a dam at the falls in 1832 to entice millers to settle in the town, and in 1835 the state government improved the dam. In 1838, a four-story flour mill was erected by Lewis Dugan and William Bowen. As the area around the falls was now starting to develop, James Taylor formally platted a townsite in 1841 (Taylor had previously platted Taylorsville, now known as Philo, on the other side of the river in 1833).

Duncan Falls by the Numbers

Population

1,824

Median Age

39.9 yrs

Median Household Income

$97,466/yr

Median Home Value

$201,300

Homeownership Rate

92%

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