Rural Ohio Voters Want to Keep Their Townships Small

Out in Freedom, a township in Portage County with just more than 2,600 people, no buildings or city smog interrupt the night sky for stargazing and the quiet atmosphere amplifies every gust of wind and distant bird call.

Freedom residents Pete and Judy Thornton revel in the township’s ruralness, but worry about farmland being turned into housing developments.

As midterm elections on Nov. 8 approach, Ohio’s rural residents are voicing their concerns for their communities even if those concerns are not on the ballot. For many in remote areas, fostering a sense of community, maintaining access to stores and supporting local businesses takes precedence over political disputes.

“I would like to see Freedom stay small,” Pete said. “I wouldn’t necessarily like to see some great big housing developments come in. That may be selfish on my part.”

Before moving to Freedom in 1999, the Thorntons lived in Aurora where Pete worked as a postal carrier for 40 years. After Aurora no longer felt suitable for the simple lifestyle the Thorntons desired, they found their small town oasis at Three Ponys Farm in Freedom. The Thorntons have lived on Nichols Road for 22 years while their son lives next door and their daughter lives further down the road.

An “Old Cowboy Crossing” sign (a present from their grandson) propped up in their front yard greets visitors, preparing them to meet Pete, who is better known as Papa Pete to his grandchildren. At 82 years old, Pete has proudly worn his signature cowboy hat for the majority of his life, and he said it only leaves his head once he gets in bed.

The Thorntons now have plenty of land to care for their animals and immerse themselves in nature, but they are concerned about how climate change could affect Freedom. Summers have gotten hotter, Judy said, and she is worried about how these temperature changes will affect farmers in the area.

In the United States, the average surface temperature has risen at an average rate of 0.17℉ each decade since 1901, but the rate has increased since the 1970s, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Not only would hotter temperatures hurt farmers working in the fields, but it could also bring more extreme drought and precipitation.

“My one concern too about the environment is, when all the good farmland gets put into housing developments, where are people going to get their food?” Judy asked.

Judy is the president of the Freedom Historical Society, and the organization is currently turning a one-room schoolhouse built around 1874 into a museum for Freedom Township. Finding volunteers to help finish the project is one of the biggest challenges, but Judy said this museum will “bring back a big sense of pride and community” to Freedom.

The township does not have its own school district, so school-age children attend the James A. Garfield Local Schools district in Garrettsville. This Freedom pride was also interrupted by the introduction of the Ravenna Arsenal which spans approximately 21,418 acres. About 1,481 acres are now classified as environmentally contaminated, according to Ohio History Central. Though the arsenal was built around World War II, its impact is still felt by Freedom residents whose families had to relocate.

The arsenal also cut off access to the southeast corner of Freedom, which affected the already sparse business sector of the township. Connie Evans, a Freedom resident and a retired teacher, said bars have played a big role in the community since there was not a store closely available to Freedom residents.

“Finally they got a Family Dollar and that store just thrives here because people never had any store here,” Evans said. “They did have a carry out liquor store that actually started a little store where you could buy some food and stuff, but when [Family Dollar] opened it kind of closed some of that, but the stores have made a huge difference.”

Evans was a teacher for 37 years and taught English, Spanish and technology. She majored in elementary education and Spanish in college, and eventually traveled the world before settling down in Freedom on Asbury Road with her husband, Charles. All of Charles’ brothers and three of their nephews built houses on Asbury Road, which has kept the family close.

Evans’ two daughters attended James A. Garfield schools when they were young, and Evans said for nine times straight, no levies were passed to help fund the school. The James A. Garfield school district has approximately 1,200 K-12 students, according to enrollment data from the Ohio Department of Education.

“What I liked about a small school is you get to do everything,” Evans said. “In a big school, you may only play one sport, [my daughters] played every sport. … You get so many more opportunities in a small school. Sometimes maybe the rigor of the school isn’t as good as you’d like to see, but there’s a lot of opportunities.”

For those who live in rural Ohio such as Freedom and Windham townships, family plays an important role in daily life, whether that be living in close proximity or maintaining a family business. Lisa Maiorca has worked at Stoney’s Pizza, her family’s pizzeria, since she was 12. Stoney’s Pizza is a Windham staple found in the village of just more than 2,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Stoney’s Pizza was founded by Maiorca’s grandparents in 1958, and she has kept the family business alive. Maiorca starts her mornings by making pizza dough for the restaurant and then opens her doors in the evening with the help of her grandsons, who both work there.

Family photos adorn the walls, capturing a snapshot of the restaurant’s history and the Maiorca family’s bond. Maiorca visits with many of her customers who are long-time fans of Stoney’s Pizza, so much so that some customers have noticed a change in the type of pepperoni Maiorca uses because of rising food prices.

“Our issue here is that my product has always been the same and things are changing,” Maiorca said. “If you ask, they’ll say, ‘Why’d the pepperoni change?’ Well, you know you have to go with what your supplier is giving you. I’m not going to travel to Cleveland to look for it, it’s too far.”

The Consumer Price Index report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that food prices have risen 11.4% from August 2021 to August 2022. With rising food costs, some families may be cutting back on buying food —business owners like Maiorca are opting for more cost-efficient choices.

Even before the pandemic tightened supply chains, Maiorca said she struggled to find help for Stoney’s Pizza. Most of the workers come from her family: Her grandsons, Colton and Phillip, deliver pizzas and her husband, Russell, helps out as well. Her family is by her side as she makes her pizzas, and they are also the reason she continues working.

“It’s in my family,” Maiorca said. “It’s been my family business, [it’s] something I want to keep going because it’s been in my family so long. And I like it, it is something I like. I’m serving the community, I am giving.”

Though the midterm elections will bring campaign advertisements and calls for change, rural Ohio voters are first thinking about their families and their communities before their politics. With midterm elections around the corner, voting is still at the top of some voters’ minds even if all of their concerns are not on the ballot.

“If you don’t vote and then if something comes up that you don’t like, you shouldn’t be saying anything about it because you had a chance to vote one way or another,” Freedom resident Pete Thornton said. “And your vote might be the one that changed it.”