Loveland, Ohio
Loveland, Ohio | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: The Sweetheart of Ohio | |
 | |
| Country State County | United States Ohio Hamilton, Clermont, and Warren |
| Founded Incorporated | May 12, 1878 1961 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Rob Weisgerber (R) |
| Population (2000) | |
• Total | 11,667 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Website | City of Loveland |
Loveland is a city in Hamilton, Clermont, and Warren counties in southwestern Ohio, near exit 52 off Interstate 275, about fifteen miles northeast of the Cincinnati city line. It borders Symmes, Miami and Hamilton Townships. The population was 11,677 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Loveland is located at 39°16′8″ North, 84°16′13″ West (39.268759, -84.270397)Template:GR.
According to the julia, the city has a total area of 12.2 km² (4.7 mi²). 12.0 km² (4.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi² or 1.28%) of it is water. The city is situated at an elevation of 597 ft. (182 m) above sea level.
Loveland is located within three counties: Hamilton County, Clermont County, and Warren County. About 35 Ohio cities cross county borders,[1] including Dublin, which is also in three counties. Historic Downtown Loveland and the central business district lie in a small valley on opposite sides of the Little Miami Scenic River, whereas most of Loveland's residential areas are located on the hills surrounding the valley on either side.
These areas include some neighborhoods from the 1950s and earlier, as well as a number of newer subdivisions built as part of the urban sprawl that saw nearby Mason grow tremendously. Unlike the suburbs closer to Interstate 71 and Interstate 75, Loveland is considered somewhat of a "bedroom community," as neighborhoods (and churches) seemingly outnumber businesses, and most residents make the half-hour commute to Downtown Cincinnati for work each day.
The city lies in the Little Miami telephone exchange. The 45140 ZIP Code and 513 area code both contain the entirety of Loveland, and the 45108 FIPS55 code and US XHT LOCODE both correspond to the city proper.
History
Loveland was first settled in 1795 by Col. Thomas Paxton[2] and is named after James Loveland, who operated a general store and post office near the railroad tracks downtown. It was incorporated as a village on May 12, 1878, and later incorporated as a chartered city in 1961.[3] In its early days, Loveland was known as a resort town, with its summer homes for the wealthy, earning it the nickname "Little Switzerland of the Miami Valley." Notable residents included future Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase.[4]
The Hillsboro and Cincinnati Railroad was chartered in 1846 to run a line between Hillsboro and O'Bannon Creek in Loveland on the Little Miami Railroad's route. By 1850, the H&C had completed the thirty-seven miles to Hillsboro, Ohio. The H&C would lease its line in perpetuity to the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad and ultimately became the mainline of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Loveland's location at the junction of the Little Miami Railroad (now converted into the Loveland Bike Trail) and the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad fueled the city's growth, bringing "40 passenger trains per day, and 12 scheduled freight trains between Loveland and Cincinnati."[3]
Downtown Loveland's proximity to the Little Miami River has made it vulnerable to flooding. In 1913, a major flood washed out the Loveland Bridge, which was rebuilt over the river at present-day Branch Hill–Miamiville Road.
In the late 1990s, Loveland was designated a Tree City by the National Arbor Day Foundation, as it began a number of efforts to promote its Historic Downtown neighborhood, in part to celebrate the city's bicentennial. The programs included a renovation of Historic Downtown itself to sport a more "gentrified" look, for example replacing concrete sidewalks with brick ones, installing park benches throughout, and providing incentives to businesses willing to improve their façades. Major roads such as Lebanon Road were expanded and given landscaped medians.
The Loveland Beautification Committee was established to sponsor various programs and events that aim to improve landscapes and other buildings around town. The Tour de Loveland, an annual cycling race, was also started in order to promote the Loveland Bike Trail as the centerpiece of Historic Downtown Loveland. On January 24, 2005, Loveland City Council voted to cancel the Tour, due to declining attendance and a lack of sponsors.[5]
With "four blooms," Loveland won the 2005 America in Bloom competition for cities with 10,001 to 15,000 residents[6] and competes in the 2006 Communities in Bloom competition for cities with up to 20,000 residents.[7]
Politics
Loveland uses a city council / city manager form of government. The Loveland City Council has seven seats; as of 2006, they include Mayor Rob Weisgerber and Vice Mayor Joe Schickel. The other five councilmembers are Dan Daly, Paul Elliott, Todd Osborne, Katie Showler, and former Vice Mayor David Bednar.[8] After Fred Enderle resigned as City Manager to serve the same position in Piqua, Tom Carroll was appointed interim City Manager. He formally became Loveland City Manager on February 14, 2006.[9]
In recent years, some controversy has developed over the city's plans to develop the White Pillars property that the city acquired. Prior to being elected councilman, Paul Elliot participated in a lawsuit against the city over attempting to re-zone the property for commercial use without voter approval. An earlier attempt to develop a YMCA location on a section of Phillips Park failed, when a group of residents protested the city's development plans, prompting the YMCA to abandon the location.[10][11]
At the federal level, the entirety of Loveland is located within the Ohio Second Congressional District. At the state level, it is also served by the 66th House District and the Seventh, Eighth, and 14th Senate Districts.[12] See Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate for the current representatives of the respective state districts.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 11,677 people, 4,497 households, and 3,224 families residing in the city. The population density was 969.6/km² (2,513.5/mi²). There were 4,653 housing units at an average density of 386.4/km² (1,001.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.66% White, 1.56% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.12% of the population.
There were 4,497 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $52,738, and the median income for a family was $63,535. Males had a median income of $49,653 versus $29,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,920. About 5.7% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Historic population figures
The city had 10,122 people in 1990; 9,990 in 1980; 9,106 in 1970; 7,144 in 1960; 2,149 in 1950; 1,904 in 1940; 1,557 in 1920; and 1,260 in 1900.
Culture and recreation
Biking along the Loveland Bike Trail and canoeing along the Little Miami River are popular activities during the summer. Loveland has a series of 16 city parks, including neighborhood "tot lots," a Veteran's Memorial, Fireman's Memorial, and the Little Miami Bike Trail (of which the Loveland Bike Trail is a subsection). The parks are maintained by the City of Loveland Recreation Commission.
Loveland is also home to the Loveland Stage Company, a theatre group that started in 1979 and has preformed at least two major productions each year since 1980. In October 2002, after several years of fundraising and renovations, the group moved into an old movie theater donated by the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department.[13]
During the summer months, JulyFest, SymmesFest, and local church festivals are held annually. Fireworks displays by Rozzi's Famous Fireworks of nearby Symmes Township are a staple at such events. Loveland offers a small collection of bars and restaurants including The Works, Paxton's, Blue Chip Cookies, Sonny's Friendly Tavern, The Sleepy Hollow Inn, and Zappz.
Although the city's unusual name came from the last name of a village storeowner, rather than the concept, Loveland has incorporated a "love" theme throughout the city. Loveland water towers and welcome signs sport the city's logo: a red heart with inscribed with a sun, clouds, and the Little Miami River, and surrounded with the city's nickname, "Sweetheart of Ohio." The Loveland Post Office, which began operations in October 24, 1831 as the Obionsville Post Office,[14] was also the site of the United States Postal Service's unveiling of a special "Love Stamp" in 1994. Since 1972, the Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce has run a special Valentine's Day program, which includes a poetry contest, the selection of a "Valentine Lady," and the hand-stamping of envelopes with a Valentine-themed cachet and cancellation.[15]
References
- ^ Steele, Jeremy W. (2003-08-19). "You say your city hall is two counties away?". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett. Retrieved 2006-07-31.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); More than one of|author=and|last=specified (help) - ^ Loveland Beautification Committee. "City of Loveland, Ohio, USA". Communities in Bloom. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
- ^ a b Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce (2005). "History of the Loveland Area". Retrieved 2006-05-02.
- ^ Woolery, Alisha. "Loveland's natural touch". Cincinnati.com. Gannett. Retrieved 2006-05-18.
{{cite news}}: More than one of|author=and|last=specified (help) - ^ Staff writer (2006-01-25). "Loveland cancels bike race". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett. Retrieved 2006-05-02.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ America in Bloom (2005-09-12). "America In Bloom 2005 Award Winners". America in Bloom. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ City of Loveland (2006). "Beautification Committee". Retrieved 2006-08-01.
- ^ City of Loveland. "Loveland City Council". Retrieved 2006-05-02.
- ^ "City of Loveland to Hire Tom Carroll as Next City Manager" (PDF) (Press release). Office of Mayor Robert Weisgerber, City of Loveland. 2006-01-28. Retrieved 2006-05-02.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Winston, Earnest (2001-06-27). "Opposition voiced to YMCA in park". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett. Retrieved 2006-05-02.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); More than one of|author=and|last=specified (help) - ^ Staff writer (2002-01-24). "YMCA scraps plan for Loveland facility". Cincinnati Business Courier. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 2006-05-02.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Ohio Senate. "Senate District ZIP Code Search". Your Senators. Retrieved 2006-05-02.
- ^ Loveland Stage Company (2005-12-07). "A Brief History of the Loveland Stage Company". Retrieved 2006-05-29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Gallagher, John S. (1979). The Post Offices of Ohio. Burtonsville, Maryland: The Depot. p. 111.
Established as Obionsville Post Office on 24 October 1831, name changed to Obanionsville Post Office on 31 July 1832, name changed to Loveland Post Office on 14 January 1848.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); More than one of|author=and|last=specified (help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce. "Chamber Programs". Retrieved 2006-05-18.
See also
