| Steubenville, Ohio | |||
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| — City — | |||
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| Nickname(s): The City of Murals and Ohio's Cookie Capital | |||
| Location within the state of Ohio | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Ohio | ||
| County | Jefferson | ||
| Founded | 1795 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Dominic Mucci (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| • City | 10.3 sq mi (26.7 km2) | ||
| • Land | 10.3 sq mi (26.8 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 1,047 ft (319 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| • City | 19,329 | ||
| • Density | 1,842.2/sq mi (711.4/km2) | ||
| • Metro | 128,000 (Shared with Weirton, WV) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP codes | 43952-43953 | ||
| Area code(s) | 740 | ||
| FIPS code | 39-74608[1] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1065383[2] | ||
| Website | http://www.ci.steubenville.oh.us | ||
Steubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio on the Ohio-West Virginia border in the United States. It is the political county seat of Jefferson County[3]. It is also a principal city of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,659.
Steubenville is called the City of Murals because more than 25 murals can be found in the downtown area and Ohio's Cookie Capital. It is the home of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Eastern Gateway Community College [5] (formerly Jefferson Community College), and Old Fort Steuben [6].
It is the birthplace of singer and actor Dean Martin, actress, producer and director Traci Lords, television commentator and oddsmaker Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder and Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Rollie Fingers.
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Steubenville was platted as a town in 1797, immediately after the creation of Jefferson County. It was built on the site of Fort Steuben which was erected in 1786–1787 and named in honor of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. Steubenville received a city charter in 1851. The city was also a stop along the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad that connected Pittsburgh to Chicago and St. Louis. Bezaliel (Bezaleel) Wells and James Ross were the founders of the city. Wells, a government surveyor born in Baltimore, received about 1,000 acres (4 km2) of land west of the Ohio River, and Ross, a lawyer from Pittsburgh, owned land north of his. The two men were responsible for the layout of the city.
Steubenville is located at (40.365535, -80.631483)[4].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.0 square miles (26 km2), all land. The city lies along the Ohio River, with the city spreading west from the floodplains to the hills that surround the city.
| Steubenville Elected Officials: | |
|---|---|
| Mayor: | Domenick Mucci |
| City Council: | Eddie Chanoski (At-Large) Gerald DiLorreto (1) Richard Perkins (2) Gregory Metcalf (3) Angela Kirtdoll-Suggs (4) Albert Stasiulewicz (5) David Lalich (6) |
| Municipal Judge: | Dan Spahn |
| Officials Appointed by Steubenville City Council | |
| City Manager: | Cathy Davison |
| Fire Chief: | Terri English |
| Police Chief: | William McCafferty |
| Law Director: | Gary Repella |
| City of Steubenville Directors | |
| Finance Director: | Alyssa Kerker |
| Building Inspector: | Anthony Bodo |
| Civil Service Commission: | Delores Wiggins |
| Health Department: | Patricia Reda |
| Engineering Department: | Michael Dolak |
| Parks and Recreation: | Troy Kirkendall |
| Sanitation, Street, and Electric Department: | Bob Baird |
| Water Department: | Bob Ribar |
| Wastewater Department: | Chuck Murphy |
Steubenville has had a reputation for political corruption. The U.S. Department of Justice alleged that the city and police force had subjected numerous individuals to "excessive force, false arrests, charges, and reports" and had engaged in practices regarding "improper stops, searches, and seizures." The report from the Department also stated that excessive force was levied against individuals who witnessed incidents of police misconduct, and against those who were known critics of the city and its police force. Those individuals were also falsely detained if the city and the police agreed that they were "likely to complain of abuse." It also stated that the officers involved also falsified reports and tampered with official police recorders so that "misconduct would not be recorded." [5][6]
Over a period of 20 years the city lost, or settled out of court, 48 civil rights lawsuits involving its police force. The city paid out more than $800,000, $400,000 of which was between 1990 and 1996. As a result, the city's police force became the second city in the United States to sign a consent decree with the federal government due to an excessive number of civil rights lawsuits. The decree was signed on September 4, 1997 under the "pattern or practice" provision. Under this agreement, the city agreed to improve the training of its police officers, implement new guidelines and procedures, establish an internal affairs unit, and establish an "early warning system."
The current political make-up of Steubenville is largely Democratic and an above-average number of registered Independents. There are six Democrats for every one Republican in Steubenville.
The City of Steubenville is part of the 6th Congressional district of Ohio and represented by Bill Johnson. The 6th district is the longest US House district in Ohio and runs along the southeast state borders of Ohio.
Steubenville Board of Parks and Recreation maintains four parks within the City. Belleview Park is the main park, where the Steubenville Little League holds all of their games. Belleview also has a swimming pool, tennis courts, and picnic areas. The golf course that once was part of Belleview Park is now the property of Franciscan University. The grounds are open to the public during daylight hours and students at the University frequent the hills for cross country practice runs. Beatty Park, located in the south side of Steubenville, was reopened for public use in September 2007. A newly installed Disc Golf Course was the focus for the Park's reopening. Other activities for Beatty Park may include hiking trails, a dog park, and bird watching. Thanks to efforts by local individuals working with the Steubenville Parks and Recreation Department, the idea of Beatty Park in “state of disrepair for sometime“ is no longer the theme. North End Park maintains a softball diamond (for use by Steubenville High School), playgrounds, and a picnic area.Jim Woods Park, in the west end of Steubenville, has a walking/jogging track, baseball diamond, and a picnic area. The newest elementary school in Steubenville is located at Jim Woods Park. The Steubenville City Council has successfully sold the Belleview Golf Course along with the "Green Strip" to Franciscan University of Steubenville. This move will allow the University to expand its operations and attract more potential students. The sale has come under scrutiny as the Belleview Golf Course was the only public course in the city. Smaller Parks Exist within the city as well The Flats Park on Highland Ave. and Maple Way, Linda Way Park at the end of Linda Way, Piece of Pie Park at the end of Maryland Ave.,Veterans Memorial Park near the Pleasant Heights Fire Station, Pico Park at the corner of Pico Street and Cherry Street, and Murphy's Field and Playground also on Pleasant Height.Also there is a rec center located dowtown called the Martin Luther King center where they host basketball games due to the courts,weight lifting and also zumba.
The speed camera program began in 2005 and earned the city $600,000 in revenues, as nearly 7,000 tickets at $85 each were issued during that time period. In March 2006, the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas ruled that the city ordinance of supporting the speed camera program was illegal and unconstitutional. The city refused to remove the cameras, however, because it stated it was "bound by contract to continue the services" of Traffipax, Inc., the US subsidiary of ROBOT Visual Systems, a German corporation. Despite attempts to remove the cameras, the city continued to defy the judge's order and reinstated an identical ordinance to continue issuing citations. Councilman at Large Michael Hernon cast the sole dissenting vote against reinstating the traffic cameras.[7]
In mid-2006, attorney Gary Stern filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Steubenville for illegally collecting fines and generating unnecessary revenue from motorists. He won the case in December 2005 and the city was forced to refund thousands of tickets totaling $258,000.[8] Stern also gathered enough signatures from the residents of the city to put forth a referendum that posed the question of whether the city's ordinance authorizing the speed camera program should continue. On November 8, 2006, the voters of Steubenville voted to end the city's speed camera program with a 76.2 percent majority.[9]
On May 4, 2007, Stern asked the Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge to hold Steubenville in contempt of court for failing to mail out $7,947 in owed refunds stemming from the lawsuit filed in mid-2006.[8] Stern stated that the city has held possession of the money owed for nine months, an unreasonable amount of time, and that the city should be charged interest for the money held. The checks, which were mailed out on August 3, 2006, were returned due to incorrect addresses listed. On March 30, Stern sent a letter to the city listing the people who had not been reimbursed for the traffic camera violations, which featured the amount of money owed; the addresses were updated, however, the city did not respond. A similar letter was sent April 11, however, the city failed to reply again.[8]
Ohio traffic law allows small cities such as Steubenville to establish mayor's courts instead of the traditional county courthouses. The theory behind this is for the city to keep most of the revenue generated via traffic stops, although this has led to the encouragement of speed traps and other revenue-generating schemes, such as speed and red-light cameras. This practice has come under fire in Middlefield, Ohio [10]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1830 | 2,987 |
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| 1840 | 4,247 | 42.2% | |
| 1850 | 6,140 | 44.6% | |
| 1860 | 6,154 | 0.2% | |
| 1870 | 8,107 | 31.7% | |
| 1880 | 12,093 | 49.2% | |
| 1890 | 13,394 | 10.8% | |
| 1900 | 14,349 | 7.1% | |
| 1910 | 22,391 | 56.0% | |
| 1920 | 28,508 | 27.3% | |
| 1930 | 35,422 | 24.3% | |
| 1940 | 37,651 | 6.3% | |
| 1950 | 35,872 | −4.7% | |
| 1960 | 32,495 | −9.4% | |
| 1970 | 30,771 | −5.3% | |
| 1980 | 26,400 | −14.2% | |
| 1990 | 22,125 | −16.2% | |
| 2000 | 19,015 | −14.1% | |
| 2010 | 18,659 | −1.9% | |
As of the census[1] of 2000, there are 19,015 people, 8,342 households, and 4,880 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,842.2 inhabitants per square mile (711.4/km²). There are 9,449 housing units at an average density of 915.4 per square mile (353.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 79.55% White, 17.25% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 8,342 households out of which 23.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% are married couples living together, 14.9% have a female householder, and 41.5% are non-families. 36.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 18.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.19 and the average family size is 2.86.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100 females there are 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,516, and the median income for a family is $36,597. Males have a median income of $36,416 versus $21,819 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,830. 20.4% of the population and 15.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 29.2% of those under the age of 18 and 11.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
From 1980 to 2000, census figures show that the Weirton–Steubenville population dropped faster than any other urban area in the United States.[11]
In 1993, Steubenville had the worst air pollution of six cities studied, and had a 26% higher adjusted mortality rate than Portage, Wisconsin, the least polluted city studied. Findings were statistically significant in relation to fine particulate air pollution.[12] This is because it is in close proximity in a pig iron plant downwind.
Steubenville and the communities that surround it, especially Weirton, West Virginia, have experienced sluggish growth in their local economies since the steel industry waned during the 1980s. Corporations such as Weirton Steel have had to reduce their workforce in order to become more efficient and competitive against other steel producers and lower steel prices worldwide.
Although there is a municipal income tax for individuals [7], one local organization, Progress Alliance, has been promoting the city as a low-cost suburban area that is less than 30 minutes away from western Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh International Airport. The organization also touts the fact that Jefferson County provides free college education at Eastern Gateway Community College (formerly Jefferson Community College). This, it is promoted, means that the area has a skilled labor pool with potential employees who probably will not demand the high pay and benefits which are usually associated with jobs that require college-level education.
A recent survey, conducted by business representatives from Weirton, showed that many of Pittsburgh's residents still do not know how close in proximity Weirton and Steubenville are from western Pennsylvania. In an effort to combat the survey's results, Progress Alliance has advertised on U.S. Route 22 through a billboard campaign.
The new Findlay Connector has been built in western Pennsylvania as a toll-access highway between Pittsburgh International Airport at PA Route 60 and U.S. Route 22 in northwestern Washington County. The trip between western Pittsburgh, an economically burgeoning area, and eastern Ohio and the northern panhandle of West Virginia has become even shorter and more streamlined. Travel time between the Pittsburgh International Airport and the city of Steubenville is now approximately 25 minutes.
One major company has already invested millions of dollars in the Upper Ohio Valley region. Walmart has built an 800,000 sq ft (70,000 m2). distribution center at the largest development site in eastern Ohio, located within five miles (8 km) of Steubenville.
In the 2012, Steubenville is expected to get thousands of jobs through natural gas drilling. As of October 2011, 300 jobs have already been established in the city.
Steubenville is home to two institutions of higher education. The Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private, four-year university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. It was founded in 1946.
The second institution is Eastern Gateway Community College. It is a public, two-year college that opened its doors in 1968; its service district includes Columbiana, Mahoning, and Trumbull Counties as well as Jefferson County.
Public schools in Steubenville are operated by the Steubenville City School District. There are a total of five schools in the district, Wells Academy, West Pugliese, Garfield, Harding Middle, and Steubenville High School. A portion of far western Steubenville is served by the Indian Creek Local School District.
Several private schools are located in Steubenville. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Steubenville operates Bishop John King Mussio Central Elementary School, Bishop John King Mussio Central Junior High School and Steubenville Catholic Central High School.
The Steubenville High School football team, the Big Red, had a 15–0 record for the 2005 season, ending as Ohio Div-III State Champions. Steubenville then went 15-0 in the 2006 season, repeating as Ohio Div-III State Champions. The Big Red was handed their first regular season loss in almost seven years by the Inkster (Michigan) Vikings on Oct. 23, 2009. Their streak was 68 regular season games.[13]
The Big Red also won the 1984 Division II State Championship in football and were runners-up in Division II in 1987 and 1988, and runners-up in Division IV in 2008. Big Red is ranked number 20 in the nation for alltime wins. Not only does Steubenville High excel at football, it also has the second-most victories in the state for baseball state poll champions 1994,1998,and 2011 and twelfth most wins in the state for basketball.
The city is also home to Steubenville Catholic Central High School, 1993 Div-V State Champion and 2005 Div-VI State runner-up. The Steubenville Stampede was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League.
Although Steubenville is known for its steel and manufacturing economy, there are several sites in the city that take visitors back to the days of frontier life and early settlement. Historic Fort Steuben, located downtown on South Third Street, is a reconstructed 18th century fort on its original location overlooking the Ohio River. Built in 1787 to protect the government surveyors of the Seven Ranges of the Northwest Territory, Fort Steuben housed 150 men of the 1st American Regiment. A visit to Historic Fort Steuben reveals the daily life and hardships of the men who settled the Ohio frontier. The non-profit organization that worked to rebuild the fort also developed the surrounding block into Fort Steuben Park that includes the Veterans Memorial Fountain and the Berkman Amphitheater. The Fort Steuben Visitors center is home to the Museum Shop and the Steubenville Convention & Visitors Bureau and is an official site on the Ohio River Scenic Byway.
Adjacent to the fort is the First Federal Land Office with its original logs from 1801. After the Ohio country was surveyed, it could be sold or given away as land grants; the settlers brought their deeds to be registered at the Land Office to David Hoge, the Registrar of Lands and Titles for the Northwest Territory. Not only does the Land Office provide a glimpse of life in early Steubenville, it also features examples of some of the 19th century industries of the area: pottery and woolen mills.
"Ohio Valley Steelworker" Statue: This statue was created by artist Dimitri Akis as a tribute to the Ohio Valley Steelworkers. The life-size figure carries a long-handled dipping ladle, and is wearing the hooded fire-proof suit worn in the steel mills. The statue is located at the junction of Hwy 22 (University Blvd) and Hwy 7 (Dean Martin Blvd).
There is a statue downtown commemorating Edwin Stanton, President Abraham Lincoln's secretary of war. Stanton was born and raised in Steubenville.
Steubenville is the birthplace of Dean Martin (1917–1995). Martin was a famous singer and actor, primarily through the 1950s and 1960s. In 1970, the band Wild Cherry was formed in Steubenville by Mingo Jct's Rob Parissi. In 1976, Wild Cherry's "Play that Funky Music" was number one on the Billboard charts for three weeks. The song is a staple of "disco" era music. It is also the birthplace of Dorothy Sloop (1913–1998), a jazz musician who performed under the nickname "Sloopy" and was alleged to be the inspiration for the song "Hang on Sloopy". The Stereos, an all-African American R&B Soul band/Group, also was formed in the city. Steubenville is also home to Wu-Tang Clan affiliates 4th Disciple, Beretta 9, and ShoGun Assason.
Ohio High School Athletic Assoc. http://www.ohsaa.org
| Wikisource has the text of the Encyclopaedia Britannica (9th ed.) article Steubenville. |
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