Shadyside had its start in 1879 when the railroad was extended to that point. The town site was platted in 1901. The village was named after a local tree-lined farm. On the evening of June 14, 1990, three inches of rain fell in less than two hours, creating a flash flood in the Shadyside area which caused twenty-six fatalities and destroyed or damaged many buildings. Flooding occurred along Pipe Creek, Wegee Creek, and Cumberland Run. Witnesses reported seeing a "wall of water" ten to thirty feet high moving downstream. Communications issues experienced during the response to the flood contributed to the state's decision to build an interoperable statewide radio system. South of Shadyside was the location of the R.E. Burger Power Station. The coal fired power plant generated electricity from 1944 to 2011.
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,785 people, 1,717 households, and 1,045 families living in the village. The population density was. There were 1,863 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the village was 99.0% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 0.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population. There were 1,717 households of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couplesliving together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age in the village was 47.9 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 30.2% were from 45 to 64; and 23.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 45.9% male and 54.1% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,675 people, 1,721 households, and 1,044 families living in the village. The population density was 3,844.6 people per square mile. There were 1,856 housing units at an average density of 1,941.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 99.24% White, 0.11% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.22% of the population. There were 1,721 households out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.79. In the village, the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $28,989, and the median income for a family was $39,364. Males had a median income of $35,703 versus $18,973 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,636. About 5.9% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Shadyside is home to three schools: Shadyside High School, Leona Avenue Middle School and Jefferson Elementary School. There are 853 students and 43 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 19.9:1. The school system is 99.9% white and has a 51% to 48% ratio for gender. The high school is located at 3890 Lincoln Avenue, Shadyside, Ohio 43947. The middle school is located at 3795 Leona Avenue, Shadyside, Ohio 43947. The elementary school is located at 4895 Jefferson Avenue, Shadyside, Ohio 43947. The school system has a strong alumni association. It provides services to the community along with scholarships, a fund to help develop academic programs within the school and reunions. As of December 31, 2001, there were 699 members in the association. Shadyside has a public library, a branch of the Belmont County District Library.
