East Palestine, Ohio

East Palestine (pronounced eest pal' uh steen) is a village in eastern Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. In 2020, 4,761 people lived there. It is on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.

 History 
East Palestine, originally named Mechanicsburg when it was platted in 1828 by Thomas McCalla and William Grate, underwent a name change in 1833. It adopted the moniker(nickname) "East Palestine," inspired by the Middle Eastern region of Palestine. This historical transition in naming reflects the town's evolution over the years.

 2023 train accident 

On February 3, 2023, there was a train accident in the village. A freight train was carrying dangerous chemicals. The train went off the tracks and the chemicals escaped from some of the twenty or so freight cars that carried the chemicals. The East Palestine government declared a state of emergency the next day. Two days later, on February 6, the governor of Ohio said people had to leave ("evacuate") the area. He said they had to do this because the chemicals might explode. Then the chemicals were drained from the many freight cars into a trench and burned to get rid of them. Then the chemicals were burned. On February 8, people could return. 

The chemicals in the freight cars included vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and ethylene glycol monobutyl. 

Public service
There are three public schools in East Palestine:
 East Palestine Elementary School – grades K-4
 East Palestine Middle School – grades 5-8
 East Palestine High School – grades 9-12

The village has a public library, the East Palestine Memorial Public Library.

The village has a history museum, the Log House Museum, as well as a post office. 

References

Category:1828 establishments in the United States
Category:1820s establishments in Ohio
Category:Settlements in Columbiana County, Ohio
Category:Villages in Ohio