Middletown, Ohio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Middletown is an All-American City[1] located in Butler and Warren counties in southwestern Ohio. Formerly in Lemon, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships, Middletown was incorporated by the Ohio General Assembly on February 11, 1833, and became a city in 1886. The city is the home of AK Steel Holding Corporation (formerly Armco), a major steel works founded in 1900, and Rogers Ltd., Inc. (a.k.a. Rogers Jewelers). Middletown contains a small municipal airport known as Hook Field, (airport code MWO), but is no longer served by commercial airliners, only for general aviation.
The population of Middletown as of the 2000 census was 51,605, as Middletown continues to focus on an outward growth from annexation rather than from interior redevelopment. Its name is believed to have come from its founder, Stephen Vail, but questions remain unanswered as to why. One local historian stated that the town received its name because Mr. Vail, had come from Middletown, New Jersey. Another writer believed that the town was named Middletown because it was the midway point of navigation on the Great Miami River, which was then considered a navigable stream. Vail centered the town in Fractional Section 28 of Town 2, Range 4 North. The Towne Mall, located near I-75, is the main shopping center of the city.
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[edit] Geography
Middletown is located at (39.506007, -84.375885)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 66.8 km² (25.8 mi²). 66.5 km² (25.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.54%) is water.
Middletown adjoins the Great Miami River.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 51,605 people, 21,469 households, and 13,933 families residing in the city. The population density was 776.5/km² (2,011.4/mi²). There were 23,144 housing units at an average density of 348.2/km² (902.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.98% White, 10.59% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.
There were 21,469 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,215, and the median income for a family was $43,867. Males had a median income of $35,705 versus $23,865 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,773. About 9.2% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Historic population figures
- 1890--7,681
- 1900--9,215
- 1910--13,152
- 1920--23,584
- 1930--29,992
- 1940--31,220
- 1950--33,695
- 1960--42,115
- 1970--48,767
- 1980--43,719
- 1990--46,758
- 2000--51,605
[edit] Miscellaneous
From the mills at AK Steel, to the highly respected Hamilton Stands, to the city's biggest employer and one of the nation's top 100 hospitals, Middletown Regional Hospital, Middletown is home to a wide variety of business and industry.
Middletown City School District provides educational opportunities for the majority of the community, while Franklin and Lebanon City School Districts oversee some outlying parts of the city. Other schools/districts located in the area include Bishop Fenwick High School, Middletown Christian, Madison Local, Lakota Local, Summit Academy, Middletown Fitness & Preparatory Academy, Life Skills Center of Butler County, Butler Technology and Career Development Schools, and Miami University Middletown, a Miami University regional campus.
The Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival, Middfest, All-American Weekend, Greek Festival, Fenwick Festival, and numerous outdoor concerts are just some of the many community events held annually in Middletown.
The Middletown Journal is a daily paper printed by Cox Publishing covering area, state, national, and world events.
Telephone service is provided through Middletown and Franklin exchanges.
Middletown is home to two radio stations, WPFB-AM, broadcasting on 910 kHz, and WPFB-FM (The Rebel), broadcasting on 105.9 MHz.
Throughout history Middletown has been home to several main transportation routes including the Great Miami River, Miami and Erie Canal, Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad, Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad, and now Interstate 75.
Blue Ball, Engle's Corner, Morrell's Station, and Excello, Ohio have all been annexed by Middletown.
AK Steel's coke plant includes the first building design that ever needed to take into account the circumference of the earth.
The notorious Clyde Barrow, of Bonnie and Clyde fame, was captured and arrested in Middletown after robberies and a wild police chase on March 17-18, 1930.
Middletown was once home to a professional baseball team.
Due to the fact that many persons from Appalachia moved to Middletown in search of the promise of work and a better life and then eventually permanently settled here, the city is often good-naturedly referred to by others in the region as "Middle-tucky".
Middletown High School has more Division I State Basketball Championships(7) than any other school in the state.
[edit] Notable Natives and Residents
- Todd Bell – Pro Bowl safety for the Chicago Bears during the early 1980s
- Gay Brewer – Former American professional golfer on the PGA Tour who won the 1967 Masters Tournament
- Butch Carter – Former player and coach of the National Basketball Association, brother of Cris Carter
- Cris Carter – Former NFL player and analysist, likely first ballot hall of fame inductee, brother of Butch Carter
- John Wesley Cox – Director of Sports Broadcasting and broadcast play-by-play announcer for the University of Southern Mississippi
- Glenn “Tiger” Ellison – Author and Innovator of the American Football “Run & Shoot” offense
- J. Eugene Harding – Successful businessman and member of the United States House of Representatives
- Howard Jones – Renowned college football player and coach, and member of the College Football Hall of Fame's inaugural class of inductees in 1951
- Jerry Lucas – Legendary NBA Hall of Famer, author, and world-renowned memory education expert
- McGuire Sisters – Vocal trio of American popular music, composed of Christine, Dorothy, and Phyllis
- Clarence Page – Pulitzer Prize winner, journalist, syndicated columnist and member of the editorial board for the Chicago Tribune
- Susan Perkins –Miss Ohio and Miss America 1978.
- Gordon Ray Roberts – Youngest living Medal of Honor recipient and the only Medal of Honor recipient still serving on active duty, has also been awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, and numerous other awards for valor and achievement
- Charlie Root – Successful Major League Baseball pitcher who holds the record for career wins for the Chicago Cubs, he also threw the pitch that Babe Ruth allegedly predicted he would hit into the seats in the 1932 World Series at Wrigley Field in Chicago
- Ed Schrock – Controversial Republican politician and former member of the United States House of Representatives
- Shepherd Sisters – Successful vocal quartet, consisting of Martha, Gayle, Judy, and Mary Lou
- Paul J. Sorg – Successful businessman and member of the United States House of Representatives
- William Verity Jr. – U.S. administrator and steel industrialist, served as the Secretary of Commerce between 1987 and 1989 under President Ronald Reagan
[edit] External links
- City of Middletown
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Middletown Chamber of Commerce
- Madison Township
- Middletown Historical Society
- Middletown Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Middletown Regional Hospital
- Middletown Journal
- Middletown Now News
- TV Middletown
- Miami University Middletown
- Middletown City Schools
- Middletown Christian
- Bishop Fenwick High School
- Butler Tech
- Anthology of Middletown Photographs
[edit] References
- Bert S. Barlow, W.H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, and Frederick Schneider, eds. Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio. Hamilton, Ohio: B.F. Bowen, 1905.
- Jim Blount. The 1900's: 100 Years In the History of Butler County, Ohio. Hamilton, Ohio: Past Present Press, 2000.
- Butler County Engineer's Office. Butler County Official Transportation Map, 2003. Fairfield Township, Butler County, Ohio: The Office, 2003.
- A History and Biographical Cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio with Illustrations and Sketches of Its Representative Men and Pioneers. Cincinnati, Ohio: Western Biographical Publishing Company, 1882. [2]
- Ohio. Secretary of State. The Ohio municipal and township roster, 2002-2003. Columbus, Ohio: The Secretary, 2003.
