Rayland, Ohio
| Rayland, Ohio | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
Northern end of Main Street
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 Location of Rayland, Ohio |
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 Location of Rayland in Jefferson County |
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| Coordinates: 40°11′0″N 80°41′27″W / 40.18333°N 80.69083°WCoordinates: 40°11′0″N 80°41′27″W / 40.18333°N 80.69083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Jefferson |
| Township | Warren |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.50 sq mi (1.29 km2) |
| • Land | 0.47 sq mi (1.22 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 679 ft (207 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 417 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 408 |
| • Density | 887.2/sq mi (342.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 43943 |
| Area code(s) | 740 |
| FIPS code | 39-65662 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1049113 |
Rayland is a village in Jefferson County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 417 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Rayland was originally called Portland. A post office called Portland Station was established in 1871, and the name was changed to Rayland in 1905. Rayland was once one of the biggest port towns on the Ohio River. It has served as a safe haven for civil war soldiers during the civil war and was a place to be doctored back to health. Rayland was the scene of several bloody battles fought in the civil war.
The Hopewell Nation of indigenous people people to the Ohio Territory were among many of the natives who were here. The Hopewell cemetery in Rayland along with the Hopewell Church are named in honor of the tribe which disappeared from the area roughly 450 B.C.
The "Old Stone House" built by and owned by John Bayless, an abolitionist from Maryland. He hired an Italian Artist to come in and paint a water fall coming down the wall in the home along the spiraling staircase. This dwelling was built in the early 1800s prior to the industrial revolution. This home was an unusual one, as the front of the house faced the creek running in the back instead of facing the road. The second unusual thing about this house is that the main entrance was on the second floor of the home. The reason for the home facing the creek was because John's wife wanted a view of the creek and the mountain side. Sadly this home was destroyed in the 1980s from fire when juvenile arsonists set the historical home into a blaze. This home also had a slave tunnel running from the home to the Ohio River just less than a half mile from the home to help hide slaves. The home rested in the field next to present day Dairy Queen in Rayland, Ohio.
Rayland had a drive in movie theater, gas stations, a race track, stores, and the old grade school in town.
Chief Red Cloud lived in Rayland until his final days. Red Cloud was 120 years old and fathered 20 children. He was the oldest social security recipient in history. He was a medicine man and spinner of tales. Red Cloud traveled with Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, the Ringling Brothers, and Barnum and Bailey. He lived out his final days in Connorville, Rayland, Ohio in a home that he build using sandstone rocks from the nearby creek, (Short Creek). It was said that people who had cancer or some other medical ailment that they would go to Red Clouds home and be cured after spending many days at his house. Red Cloud used to drive a Model T Ford draped with a dead 5 foot black snake with a deer skull and antlers on the front of the hood. Chief Red Cloud most often wore hemp jeans, flannel shirt, and a long black trench coat.
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