Canfield is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. The population was 7,699 at the 2020 census. Located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 62 and 224, it is surrounded by Canfield Township and is part of the Youngstown, Warren metropolitan area.
At a Glance
- County: Mahoning County
- State: Ohio
History of Canfield
Canfield Township was established in 1798 as township number 1 in range 3 by purchase from the Connecticut Land Company in the Connecticut Western Reserve. It was purchased by six men, although the majority was owned by Judson Canfield, a land agent. The township took his name in 1800.
Canfield’s first settlers arrived shortly after surveying was initiated in 1798, primarily from Connecticut, although waves of German immigrants around 1805 and Irish around 1852 would occur. Goods were transported initially by horse and wagon about 55 miles (91 km) from Pittsburgh; later, the Beaver Canal served as the primary method for commerce. By 1805, Canfield had approximately 17 homes, a store and a school; it became a trade center for the region.
Canfield was part of Trumbull County until 1846, when the counties in the area were redefined and Mahoning County emerged as a new county. Canfield was made the county seat in 1846 and incorporated in 1849, igniting a three decade long feud with larger Youngstown on which should be the seat. The Ohio State Legislature voted to move the seat to Youngstown in 1874.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Canfield, Ohio, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.