Bellweather and Tolliver County

The village

Bellweather was platted in 1806 at the crossing of two stock routes. The name refers to the bellwether, the lead sheep of a flock, which carried a bell. The spelling in the original plat is “Bellweather,” and it has never been corrected. The village was incorporated in 1848.

Population is approximately 2,900 and has declined in each decennial census since 1970. The figure posted at the corporation limit is higher and predates the 2020 census. Tolliver County’s population is approximately 34,000. The College uses census figures in all published materials.

The village has one traffic signal, at the village center. It has a public library, a post office, two churches, a hardware store, a diner, a pharmacy, and a grocery. The nearest full-service supermarket, big-box retailer, and hospital are in the county seat, 12 miles.

The county

Tolliver County’s economy was built on clay products, coal, and agriculture. The clay works closed in stages between 1961 and 1988. Agriculture remains — dairy, beef, hay, and corn — alongside healthcare, education, light manufacturing, and logistics.

The College is the county’s fourth-largest employer and, by the 2024 impact study, contributes an estimated $18.3 million annually to the county economy. See Economic Impact.

Weather

Average annual snowfall is 42 inches. The county sits at the southern edge of the lake effect belt and receives some of it. Winters are cold and overcast; summers are warm and humid.

The College closes for weather when road conditions in the district make travel unsafe. The decision and notification procedure, and a closure history, are published at Weather Closures.

Animal care obligations are not excused by a weather closure. Barn Complex B and the Reptile House are attended every day of the year.

Living here

Rents in the village and township are among the lowest in the region; the housing list is at Housing. There is no student housing. Most students commute from within the county or from Stark, Carroll, and Tuscarawas counties.

Practical services within the village or the township: a laundromat, two banks, a credit union, an urgent care open until 8:00 p.m. weekdays, a veterinary practice, and a childcare center with a waiting list. The county maintains a childcare referral line. Cell coverage is good in the village and variable in the township, and is poor along the Annex road.

Things students should know

• The county fair is the third week of August. Several programs participate and several instructors judge.
• Deer season affects the Perimeter Course and the Cemetery Practicum Ground; the College posts dates.
• Corliss Pike is a school bus route between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.
• The village enforces its parking ordinance in the winter for snow removal, and student vehicles left on village streets overnight have been towed.

Directions and travel times are published at Location & Directions.