Meigs

Formed April 1, 1819 (55^th county)

Meigs County (22,197), Pomeroy (1,572), Middleport (2,210)

The Italianate courthouse was created in 1848 and enlarged and remodeled in 1877.  The courthouse is on 2^nd Street at Court Street.  Ohio State Highway 833 is one block to the southeast.  S. S. Bergin is the white brick building designer.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The structure features columns and a tower.  There was an 1820 courthouse in Chester.  Middleport (1819), Chester (1823), and Pomeroy (1841) have all served as the county seat.  The county was formed on April 1, 1819 from parts of Gallia and Athens counties as the 55^th county.  It is named for Governor Return J. Meigs, Jr.  Pomeroy is named for landowner Samuel Pomeroy. 

Meigs County government consists of an auditor, a sheriff, an attorney, and a coroner (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two Common Pleas Court Judges and a court clerk serve Meigs County (judicial.)  The county is on the southeast border with West Virginia.  The Ohio River forms its southeast border.  The county center is 6.5 miles Northeast of Pomeroy nearer Hemlock Grove.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Athens County and West Virginia and Gallia and Vinton counties. 

The area of the county is 429.4 square miles.  It is 46 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 81 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 51.7 persons per square mile making it 81 out of 88 in the state.  Meigs County has 25.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 33 goes north to southeast in the county from Athens County to West Virginia.  The county resembles a small letter r lying on its face.  The county seat is located on the central southern border.  Middleport is located on the southwest border with West Virginia.  Pomeroy is the county seat and Middleport is the largest city.  Pomeroy is 7.1% of the county population while Middleport is 10.0% of the county population.  The county is pronounced MEGS.