Chillicothe, Ohio

City of Chillicothe
City
Overview of Chillicothe from Grandview Cemetery
Seal
Nickname(s): Ohio's First Capital
Location in the state of Ohio
Coordinates: 39°20′11″N 82°59′2″W / 39.33639°N 82.98389°W / 39.33639; -82.98389Coordinates: 39°20′11″N 82°59′2″W / 39.33639°N 82.98389°W / 39.33639; -82.98389
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Ross
Government
• Mayor	Jack Everson (R)
Area[1]
• Total	10.60 sq mi (27.45 km2)
• Land	10.43 sq mi (27.01 km2)
• Water	0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2)
Elevation	630 ft (190 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	21,901
• Estimate (2012[3])	21,735
• Density	2,099.8/sq mi (810.7/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	45601
Area code(s)	740
FIPS code	39-14184[4]
GNIS feature ID	1060960[5]
Website	http://ci.chillicothe.oh.us/

Chillicothe (/ˌtʃɪlɨˈkɒθiː/ CHIL-ə-KOTH-ee)^[6] is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.^[7] It is a part of Greater Columbus Metropolitan Area.

The population was 21,901 at the 2010 census. It is the only city in Ross County and the center of the Chillicothe Micropolitan Statistical Area (as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003). Chillicothe is a designated Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

History

First capital sign at edge of the city

Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River.

The town's name comes from the Shawnee Chala·ka·tha, named after one of the five major divisions of the Shawnee people, as it was the chief settlement of that tribal division. The Shawnee and their ancestors inhabited the territory for thousands of years prior to European contact. At the time of European-American settlement, the community was plotted by General Nathaniel Massie on his land grant.

Modern Chillicothe was the center of the ancient Hopewell tradition, which flourished from 200 BCE until 500 CE. This Amerindian culture had trade routes extending to the Rocky Mountains. They built earthen mounds for ceremonial and burial purposes throughout the Scioto and Ohio River valleys. Later Native Americans who inhabited the area through the time of European contact included Shawnees. Present-day Chillicothe is the most recent of seven locations in Ohio that bore the name, because it was applied to the main town wherever the Chalakatha settled.

It was after the American Revolution that most European settlement came to this area. Migrants from Virginia and Kentucky moved west along the Ohio River in search of land. Chillicothe served as the capital of Ohio from the beginning of statehood in 1803 until 1810 when Zanesville became the capital for two years.^[8] The capital was moved to Zanesville as part of a state legislative compromise to get a bill passed. In 1812 the legislature moved the capital back to Chillicothe. In 1816 the state legislature voted to move the capital again, to Columbus to have it near the geographic center of the state, where it would be more accessible to most citizens.^[9]

Image of President Woodrow Wilson created by 21,000 standing soldiers at Camp Sherman in Chillicothe, 1918

Migrants to Chillicothe included free blacks, who came to a place with fewer restrictions than in the slave states. They created a vibrant community and aided runaway slaves coming north. As tensions increased prior to the breakout of the American Civil War, the free black community at Chillicothe maintained stations and aid to support refugees on the Underground Railroad. Slaves escaping from the South traveled across the Ohio River to freedom, and then up the Scioto River to get more distance from their former homes and slave hunters. White abolitionists aided the Underground Railroad as well.

Geography

The Scioto River at Chillicothe in 2003

Chillicothe is located at 39°20′11″N 82°59′2″W / 39.33639°N 82.98389°W / 39.33639; -82.98389 (39.336525, -82.983822).^[10] It lies within the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau.^[11]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.60 square miles (27.45 km²), of which 10.43 square miles (27.01 km²) is land and 0.17 square miles (0.44 km²) is water.^[1]

The city is surrounded by farming communities, and Chillicothe residents describe the area as the foothills of the Appalachians.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 21,901 people, 9,420 households, and 5,559 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,099.8 inhabitants per square mile (810.7 /km²). There were 10,600 housing units at an average density of 1,016.3 per square mile (392.4 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.1% White, 7.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 9,420 households of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.0% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the city was 41.5 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 21,796 people, 9,481 households, and 5,754 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,283.7 people per square mile (882.1/km²). There were 10,303 housing units at an average density of 1,079.5 per square mile (417.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.21% White, 7.51% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.84% of the population.

There were 9,481 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,991, and the median income for a family was $42,477. Males had a median income of $35,199 versus $25,010 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,101. About 9.3% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Ross County Court House

Public officials

Chillicothe is governed by a mayor-council structure in which the mayor is elected separately from the members of the city council. Chillicothe's mayor is Jack Everson (R). The members of the city council are

Other elected officials

Public services

Parks and recreation

Chillicothe has several public parks, including Yoctangee Park, Poland Park, Strawser Park, Manor Park, Goldie Gunlock Park, Pine Street Park, Veterans Memorial Park, and Western View Park.

The biggest park, Yoctangee Park, consists of numerous baseball /softball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and playground equipment. There is also a skatepark within Yoctangee park called Henry Good skatepark, which was constructed with help from a generous donation of $65,000 from Henry Good, a local Chillicothe citizen.

Chillicothe's floodwall, protecting the city from floods of the Scioto River, has a 5.0-mile-long paved bike path. This path connects to the Tri-County Triangle Trail which currently is 30.3 miles long, measured from Bridge St. (SR 159) in Chillicothe, passing thur Frankfort and then to Christman Park near Washington Court House. The Tri-County Triangle Trail's goal is to connect Chillicothe and Greenfield. This same former railroad continues to Jamestown and Xenia, but those connections are a long range plan.

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is found on the north end of the city. The park is administered by the National Park Service and has a large concentration of Native American earthworks.

Education

A branch of Ohio University, Ohio University-Chillicothe is a public 4-year institution which enrolls about 2,000 students each year. Daymar College (formerly Southeastern Business College and Samuel Stephen College) offers five different 2-year programs, including Massage Therapy, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Human Resources Management, and Medical Assisting. Ohio Christian University offers 3 Associates degree programs, including Christian Ministry, Business Management, and Agribusiness and 5 Bachelor of Arts degrees, including Business Management, Health Care Management, Logistics, Psychology and Substance Abuse Counseling. Ohio Christian University is a fully accredited University that offers evening classes.

The city of Chillicothe provides education for pre-school through grade 12 students. The Chillicothe City School District includes the following facilities: Allen Elementary; Mt. Logan Elementary, previously Mt. Logan Middle School; Tiffin Elementary; Worthington Elementary; Western Latchkey/Preschool/Western Administration Office, the headquarters of the Board of Education; Chillicothe Middle School; and Chillicothe High School. Additionally, Wesley-Taylor Preparatory Academy offers private education. Bishop Flaget Catholic School, the parish school of St. Mary's and St. Peter's Catholic Churches, offers an academic program with the faith-based component to both Catholic and non-Catholic families for students in Prekindergarten through 8th grade.

Chillicothe is the home of Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center, located at 895 Crouse Chapel Road. Founded in 1974, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center (or Pickaway-Ross) is the operational arm of the Pickaway-Ross Joint Vocational School District. Pickaway-Ross offers 20 high school tech-prep programs to students from 10 high schools in Ross and Pickaway counties. High school students attend Pickaway-Ross their junior and senior years, and can earn a Career Passport in addition to a diploma from their home schools. The high school (or secondary education) side of Pickaway-Ross serves approximately 600 students on its main campus and another 1,500 students in off-campus (or satellite) programs housed in affiliated high schools. School districts affiliated with Pickaway-Ross include: Adena, Chillicothe, Huntington, Paint Valley, Southeastern, Unioto, and Zane Trace in Ross County, and Circleville, Logan Elm and Westfall in Pickaway County. In addition to high school programs, Pickaway-Ross boasts a full-service Adult Education Division, offering a wide array of programs in skilled trades, public safety and medical services fields, to name a few. Pickaway-Ross is a regional leader in career tech education.

Chillicothe is also home to the Recording Workshop, an audio engineering school.

Culture

The south side of West Main Street. The squat, square building left of center is a replica of Ohio's first capitol building and serves as the office of the Chillicothe Gazette.

Majestic Theatre

Chillicothe is home to the 158-year-old continuously operating Majestic Theatre. Its stage has been graced by such greats as Laurel and Hardy, Milton Berle, George Arliss, Sophie Tucker, and many others. In 1853 the Masonic Hall was built, as the first incarnation of what is now the Majestic Theatre. The two-story brick building was a combination lodge room, dance hall, and theatre. Stock companies stayed for as long as a month, performing a repertory of plays. In 1876 the Masons appointed a building committee to enlarge their building. The original building was 40 ft. x 100 ft. and was extended to 50 ft. x 120 ft. Upon completion in December 1876 it was announced that the Masonic Opera House was one of the finest theatres in the state. After the remodeling and with the completion of the Clough Opera House across the city, theatre offerings were tremendous, and varied drama, comedy, farce, minstrel shows and operas were presented.

In 1904 A. R. Wolf bought the Masonic Opera House. Mr. Wolf remodeled the theatre and enlarged the stage. He replaced all the windows in the front of the building with stained glass windows. The Masonic Opera House continued under Wolf's managerial abilities until he sold it to the Myers Brothers in 1915. They again made some improvements and repairs and installed a movie screen and equipment. The Myers Brothers changed the name to the Majestic Theatre. They occasionally had live theatre productions on the stage but finally switched exclusively to motion pictures. In July 1971, Harley and Evelyn Bennett became the new owners of the Majestic Theatre. They did careful restoration with reference to the original wall painting. Three Chillicothe businessmen bought the theatre as a non-profit organization in 1990. All new wiring throughout the theatre, fire safety, and security systems were installed.

Fairs and festivals

Chillicothe's Story Mound State Memorial

Chillicothe, rich in Native American history, hosts the annual Feast of the Flowering Moon Festival. Started in 1984, the May festival draws crowds of approximately 85,000. Yoctangee Park, in the historic downtown, is the setting for this family-oriented, three-day event featuring Native American music, dancing, traders and exhibits, a mountain men encampment, rendezvous with working craftsmen and demonstrations, and an extensive arts and crafts show with more than 80 crafters and commercial exhibits. The main stage has a schedule of family-friendly entertainment, such as local school bands and performers. The streets are lined with food booths and games/contests. Events are free to the public.

On the Friday and Saturday after Labor Day in September, Chillicothe hosts the annual Southern Ohio Storytelling Festival. The festival features concert performances by several highly acclaimed and award-winning storytellers. Storytelling concerts are held throughout the day on both Friday and Saturday. Thousands of students participate during the day on Friday in various venues, including the Majestic Theatre, a tent at the Pump House Art Gallery in Yoctangee Park, and local school auditoriums.

Athletic events

The Chillicothe Paints are a minor league baseball team that was established in February 1993. The team was previously a member of the Frontier League. Now a member of the summer collegiate Prospect League, the Paints played in the independent Frontier League from the 1993 season until the end of the 2008 season. They were one of the original teams in the league. The Paints play their home games at V.A. Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1954.

As the V.A. Memorial Stadium can be turned into a field for many uses, it also plays host to numerous sports events such as the M.A.C. Division baseball playoffs, OHSAA soccer playoffs, and OHSAA baseball playoffs.

In June, the streets of Chillicothe near Yoctangee Park are blocked off to accommodate temporary courts for the Gus Macker three-on-three basketball competition.

Notable people

Artists and architects

• Dave Canterbury, Co host Dual Survival Show
• Martha Finley, author of the Elsie Dinsmore series
• Eston Hemings, violinist and fiddler, son of Sally Hemings and President Thomas Jefferson
• Madison Hemings, Eston's brother, also a fiddler
• Dard Hunter, American authority on printing, paper, and hand papermaking
• Billy Ireland, cartoonist
• Chip Mosher, columnist, poet, and educator
• Donald Ray Pollock, author
• Noel Sickles, illustrator
• Burton Egbert Stevenson, author
• Woe of Tyrants, American Death Metal Band
• Joe Waters, country music singer
• Nancy Wilson, singer

Athletes

• Scott Bailes, former Major League Baseball player
• Edward Cook, pole vaulter who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics and tied for gold with fellow American Alfred Gilbert^[17]
• Greg Cook, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback
• Bobby Fulton, professional wrestler
• Chris Givens, New Orleans Saints, Miami University wide receiver
• Ben Hartsock, Carolina Panthers tight end
• John Herrnstein, Philadelphia Phillies, University of Michigan football and baseball player
• Michael Hess, Pan American Games gold medal rower; competed at the 1976 summer Olympics^[18]
• Neil Johnston, NBA All-Star basketball player
• Elbie Nickel, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end
• John Poff, MLB player for the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers
• Garin Veris, New England Patriots, Stanford University, defensive end

Military

• Joseph S. Skerrett (1833-1897), United States Navy rear admiral

Ohio founders

• William Creighton, Jr., Ohio’s first Secretary of State and designer of the Great Seal of Ohio
• Duncan McArthur, Ohio's 11th Governor
• Nathaniel Massie, first speaker of the Ohio Senate and founder of Chillicothe
• Edward Tiffin, first Governor of Ohio
• Thomas Worthington, "Father of Ohio Statehood" and Ohio's 6th Governor

Political figures

• Lucy Ware Webb Hayes, First Lady of the United States, wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes
• Thomas S. Hinde, city founder, writer, Methodist minister, and real estate investor
• Charles Henry Langston, abolitionist and educator in Ohio and Kansas
• John Mercer Langston, abolitionist, activist, educator and politician; first African-American in Ohio elected to public office
• David Leroy Nickens, first licensed African-American minister in Ohio
• Frederick Madison Roberts, California Assemblyman, believed to be the first African American elected to public office on the West Coast
• Lewis Woodson, AME minister, abolitionist, educator, one of the founders of Wilberforce University in 1856

Sister city

• Chillicothe is the sister city of Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. This relationship is honored through the Foreign Exchange Student Program with students at Chillicothe High School.
• Chillicothe also is the sister city of Tulua, Valle del Cauca Colombia.

Cultural references

• The USS Chillicothe was named after the city.
• In the novel Laughing Gas (1936) by P.G. Wodehouse, Chillicothe is mentioned as the home of the child star Joey Cooley.
• In the Nero Wolfe novels of the 1930s by Rex Stout, Chillicothe is the hometown of the character Archie Goodwin.
• In the film, The Harvey Girls (1946), the character of Alma (played by Virginia O'Brien) was from Chillicothe.
• Chillicothe was featured in a trilogy of popular and award-winning frontier novels by Conrad Richter: The Trees, The Fields, and The Town, which won the 1951 Pulitzer Prize. Known collectively as The Awakening Land series, the trilogy was the basis of the 1978 NBC mini-series by the same name.
• In Robert A. Heinlein's novella Methuselah's Children, the ship which Lazarus Long pilots is named The City of Chillicothe.
• In the 1961 film noir Blast of Silence, the main character, a Cleveland-based hitman, is originally from Chillicothe.
• Chillicothe is mentioned in the Elvis Presley movies Blue Hawaii and Viva Las Vegas.
• Chillicothe is mentioned in the 1949 movie "Battleground".
• Chillicothe was shown twice on the TV series, the Daily Show's "Midwest Midterm Midtacular".
• In the HBO series Deadwood, character Sol Star mentions having lived in Chillicothe.

See also

• Great Hopewell Road

References

External links

• "Capitals of Ohio", Ohio Historical Society
• Pat Medert, "Chillicothe History", Chillicothe, OH Website
• Chillicothe Gazette (newspaper) Information Source of Record for Chillicothe
• Downtown information
• Chamber of Commerce
• Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library
• Chillicothe.com Community site with active message boards
• Ross County Visitor's Bureau
• Chillicothe News, Events, Weather and Citizen Journalism
• Chillicothe Police Chillicothe Police Department
• "Chillicothe, Ohio" by Betty Harris & The Four Tunes

v t e Municipalities and communities of Ross County, Ohio, United States County seat: Chillicothe City Chillicothe Villages Adelphi Bainbridge Clarksburg Frankfort Greenfield‡ Kingston South Salem Townships Buckskin Colerain Concord Deerfield Franklin Green Harrison Huntington Jefferson Liberty Paint Paxton Scioto Springfield Twin Union CDPs Andersonville Bourneville Richmond Dale Unincorporated communities Deadman Crossing Denver Hallsville Kinnikinnick Londonderry North Fork Village Roxabell Ghost town Knockemstiff Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties