Xenia, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Xenia is a city in and the county seat
of Greene County, Ohio
, United States
. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles from Dayton
and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name comes from the Greek
word Xenia
(ξενία), which means "hospitality".
Many of its residents supported the Underground Railroad
in the years before the Civil War
.
As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 25,719. Xenia is the third largest city in Greene County, behind Fairborn
and Beavercreek
.
, for "1050 pounds current moneys of Virginia." Paul influenced county commissioners to locate the town seat on this land at the forks of the Shawnee Creeks.
Joseph C. Vance was named to survey the site and lay out the town. The following year, he bought the town site of 257 acres (1 km²) from John Paul for $250. The name of the new village was chosen in typically democratic fashion. Vance called a town meeting to discuss possible names. The committee had considered several suggestions without reaching any decision. Then the Rev. Robert Armstrong proposed the name "Xenia," meaning "hospitality" in Greek, because of the fine hospitality extended to him in this friendly community. When a tie developed, Laticia Davis, wife of Owen Davis, was invited to cast the deciding ballot. She voted for "Xenia."
The first session of the Ohio General Assembly
created Greene County
from the Northwest Territory
, embracing the homeland of the Shawnee Indians
. Their chief tribal village was north of Xenia at old Chillicothe, now called Old Town. The Shawnee war chief Tecumseh
was born there in 1768.
William Beattie was Xenia's first businessman. In 1804, he opened a tavern which became a center of community affairs. In 1804, John Marshall built Xenia's first home. The first log school house was constructed in 1805, and, that same year, Rev. James Towler became the town's first postmaster. The growing community soon attracted many pioneer industries - flour mills, sawmills, woolen mills, pork packing plants, oil mills, and tow mills.
Xenia was incorporated by an act of the legislature in 1817 and became a city in 1834. However, it was the arrival of the Little Miami Railroad
(now the site of the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which passes through Xenia Station) in 1843 which gave the city its first industrial impetus. On March 2, 1850 the Ohio General Assembly
rode from Columbus, Ohio
to Xenia and back on the newly completed Columbus and Xenia Railroad
.
President-Elect Abraham Lincoln made a brief appearance in the city as his inaugural train traveled from Cincinnati to Columbus on Wednesday morning, February 13, 1861. He even gave a small speech which was not recorded by the traveling writer from the New York Times as it echoed the same sentiments that he had expressed before in his previous stops. According to the Times writer, "a very large crowd assembled, and amid the firing of a cannon and enthusiasm, Mr. Lincoln addressed them from the rear car, reiterating what he had said before." (New York Times, February 14, 1861, pg. 1, "THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION; PROGRESS OF PRESIDENT-ELECT TOWARDS WASHINGTON").
The town progressed rapidly during the mid-19th century. Artificial gas was provided in the 1840s and continued in use until natural gas
was made available in 1905. The first fire engine house was built in 1831; the telephone
came to Xenia in 1879; electricity in 1881 and a water works system in 1886. Xenia opened its first free public library
in 1899. By 1900 the city was operating its own sewage system.
Organized under a federal form of government, Xenia elected Cornelius Clark as its first mayor in 1834. On January 1, 1918, the commission-manager plan succeeded the old form of municipal government. The Xenia of today still operates under this commission-manager system.
measuring F-5 on the Fujita scale
cut a path directly through the middle of Xenia during the Super Outbreak
, the second largest series of tornadoes in recorded history. The disaster killed 34 people (including two Ohio Air National Guard
smen who died days later in a related fire), injured an additional 1,150, destroyed almost half of the city’s buildings, and left 10,000 people homeless. Five schools, including Xenia High School, Central Junior High School, McKinley Elementary, Simon Kenton Elementary, and Saint Bridget Catholic School were destroyed. Also destroyed were nine churches and 180 businesses. The city's plight was featured in the national news, including a 1974 NBC
television documentary, Tornado!, hosted by Floyd Kalber
. President Richard Nixon
visited stricken areas of Xenia following the devastation. Legendary comedian Bob Hope organized a benefit for Xenia and, in appreciation, the new Xenia High School Auditorium was named the "Bob Hope Auditorium."
Xenia was hit by a much smaller tornado in April, 1989 and again by another F-4 tornado on September 20, 2000. The 1989 tornado caused over two-million dollars in damage, but no one was killed. The twister of 2000 left one person killed, and 100 people injured. This third tornado followed a path roughly parallel to the 1974 tornado.
Xenia has a long history of severe storm activity. According to local legend, the area was referred to by Shawnee Indians
as "the place of the devil wind" or "the land of the crazy winds" (depending upon the translation). This is mentioned on a historical marker on Route 68 on the road from Xenia to Oldtown. Records of storms go back to the early 19th century. Local records show 20 tornadoes in Greene County
since 1884.
The freight rail lines that served the city of Xenia were:
The rights-of-way of five of Xenia's six rail tracks have been converted to rail-trails
. The one exception, the B&O line west of town, is not a separate trail because it closely paralleled the Pennsylvania mainline, running side-by-side for much of the way. With so many trails in town, a water tower refers to Xenia as the "Bicycle Capital of the Midwest".
Xenia was also served by two interurban
railways: the Dayton and Xenia Transit Company, and the Springfield and Xenia Railway. These were dismantled in the 1940s or earlier.
, 42
, and 68
, tying the community to one of the nation's largest 90-minute highway markets. Before the creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway system
, U.S. 68 was one of the main southward routes from Detroit, Michigan. Within Xenia, U.S. 68 is named "Detroit Street".
Xenia is at 39°41′1"N 83°56′17"W (39.68, -83.94).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31.3 km²), all of it land.
Others:
of 2000, there were 24,164 people, 9,378 households, and 6,527 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,989.3 people per square mile (767.9/km²). There were 9,924 housing units at an average density of 817.0 per square mile (315.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.30% White, 13.51% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races
, and 1.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population.
There were 9,378 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples
living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,457, and the median income for a family was $43,046. Males had a median income of $34,497 versus $24,094 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,481. About 8.9% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Private Schools in Xenia:
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Greene County, Ohio
Greene County, Ohio
Greene County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 161,573 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Xenia, and it was named for General Nathanael Greene, an officer in the Revolutionary War. Greene County was established on March 24, 1803.Greene County is part...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles from Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name comes from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word Xenia
Xenia (Greek)
Xenia is the Greek concept of hospitality, or generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home. It is often translated as "guest-friendship" because the rituals of hospitality created and expressed a reciprocal relationship between guest and host.The Greek god Zeus sometimes referred...
(ξενία), which means "hospitality".
Many of its residents supported the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
in the years before the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 25,719. Xenia is the third largest city in Greene County, behind Fairborn
Fairborn, Ohio
Fairborn is a city in Greene County, Ohio, United States, near Dayton and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The population was 32,352 at the 2010 census...
and Beavercreek
Beavercreek, Ohio
Beavercreek is the largest city in Greene County, Ohio, United States, and is the second largest suburb of Dayton behind Kettering. The population was 45,193 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
History
Xenia was founded in 1803, the year Ohio was admitted into the Union. In that year, pioneer John Paul bought 2000 acres (8.1 km²) of land from Thomas and Elizabeth Richardson of Hanover County, VirginiaHanover County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 86,320 people, 31,121 households, and 24,461 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 32,196 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
, for "1050 pounds current moneys of Virginia." Paul influenced county commissioners to locate the town seat on this land at the forks of the Shawnee Creeks.
Joseph C. Vance was named to survey the site and lay out the town. The following year, he bought the town site of 257 acres (1 km²) from John Paul for $250. The name of the new village was chosen in typically democratic fashion. Vance called a town meeting to discuss possible names. The committee had considered several suggestions without reaching any decision. Then the Rev. Robert Armstrong proposed the name "Xenia," meaning "hospitality" in Greek, because of the fine hospitality extended to him in this friendly community. When a tie developed, Laticia Davis, wife of Owen Davis, was invited to cast the deciding ballot. She voted for "Xenia."
The first session of the Ohio General Assembly
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...
created Greene County
Greene County, Ohio
Greene County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 161,573 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Xenia, and it was named for General Nathanael Greene, an officer in the Revolutionary War. Greene County was established on March 24, 1803.Greene County is part...
from the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
, embracing the homeland of the Shawnee Indians
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
. Their chief tribal village was north of Xenia at old Chillicothe, now called Old Town. The Shawnee war chief Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
was born there in 1768.
William Beattie was Xenia's first businessman. In 1804, he opened a tavern which became a center of community affairs. In 1804, John Marshall built Xenia's first home. The first log school house was constructed in 1805, and, that same year, Rev. James Towler became the town's first postmaster. The growing community soon attracted many pioneer industries - flour mills, sawmills, woolen mills, pork packing plants, oil mills, and tow mills.
Xenia was incorporated by an act of the legislature in 1817 and became a city in 1834. However, it was the arrival of the Little Miami Railroad
Little Miami Railroad
The Little Miami Railroad, now defunct, was a railway of southwestern Ohio, running from the eastern side of Cincinnati to Springfield, Ohio. By merging with the Columbus and Xenia Railroad it created the first through rail route from the important manufacturing city of Cincinnati to the state...
(now the site of the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which passes through Xenia Station) in 1843 which gave the city its first industrial impetus. On March 2, 1850 the Ohio General Assembly
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...
rode from Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
to Xenia and back on the newly completed Columbus and Xenia Railroad
Columbus and Xenia Railroad
The Columbus and Xenia Railroad was the first railroad to operate in Columbus, Ohio. By merging with the Little Miami Railroad it created the first through rail route from the important manufacturing city of Cincinnati to the state capital, Columbus....
.
President-Elect Abraham Lincoln made a brief appearance in the city as his inaugural train traveled from Cincinnati to Columbus on Wednesday morning, February 13, 1861. He even gave a small speech which was not recorded by the traveling writer from the New York Times as it echoed the same sentiments that he had expressed before in his previous stops. According to the Times writer, "a very large crowd assembled, and amid the firing of a cannon and enthusiasm, Mr. Lincoln addressed them from the rear car, reiterating what he had said before." (New York Times, February 14, 1861, pg. 1, "THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION; PROGRESS OF PRESIDENT-ELECT TOWARDS WASHINGTON").
The town progressed rapidly during the mid-19th century. Artificial gas was provided in the 1840s and continued in use until natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
was made available in 1905. The first fire engine house was built in 1831; the telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
came to Xenia in 1879; electricity in 1881 and a water works system in 1886. Xenia opened its first free public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
in 1899. By 1900 the city was operating its own sewage system.
Organized under a federal form of government, Xenia elected Cornelius Clark as its first mayor in 1834. On January 1, 1918, the commission-manager plan succeeded the old form of municipal government. The Xenia of today still operates under this commission-manager system.
Tornadoes
On April 3, 1974 a tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
measuring F-5 on the Fujita scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
cut a path directly through the middle of Xenia during the Super Outbreak
Super Outbreak
The Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
, the second largest series of tornadoes in recorded history. The disaster killed 34 people (including two Ohio Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
smen who died days later in a related fire), injured an additional 1,150, destroyed almost half of the city’s buildings, and left 10,000 people homeless. Five schools, including Xenia High School, Central Junior High School, McKinley Elementary, Simon Kenton Elementary, and Saint Bridget Catholic School were destroyed. Also destroyed were nine churches and 180 businesses. The city's plight was featured in the national news, including a 1974 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television documentary, Tornado!, hosted by Floyd Kalber
Floyd Kalber
Floyd Kalber was a noted American television journalist and anchorman, nicknamed "The Big Tuna."Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent two years in the army during World War II and began his television career as KMTV-Omaha's first newscaster...
. President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
visited stricken areas of Xenia following the devastation. Legendary comedian Bob Hope organized a benefit for Xenia and, in appreciation, the new Xenia High School Auditorium was named the "Bob Hope Auditorium."
Xenia was hit by a much smaller tornado in April, 1989 and again by another F-4 tornado on September 20, 2000. The 1989 tornado caused over two-million dollars in damage, but no one was killed. The twister of 2000 left one person killed, and 100 people injured. This third tornado followed a path roughly parallel to the 1974 tornado.
Xenia has a long history of severe storm activity. According to local legend, the area was referred to by Shawnee Indians
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
as "the place of the devil wind" or "the land of the crazy winds" (depending upon the translation). This is mentioned on a historical marker on Route 68 on the road from Xenia to Oldtown. Records of storms go back to the early 19th century. Local records show 20 tornadoes in Greene County
Greene County, Ohio
Greene County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 161,573 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Xenia, and it was named for General Nathanael Greene, an officer in the Revolutionary War. Greene County was established on March 24, 1803.Greene County is part...
since 1884.
Railroads
In 1960, Xenia had three freight railroads that ran through town. Today there are none, with the last track sections abandoned and ripped up in 1989.The freight rail lines that served the city of Xenia were:
- The B&OBaltimore and Ohio RailroadThe Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
WellstonWellston, OhioWellston is a city in Jackson County, Ohio, United States, in the southeastern part of the state. Founded in 1873 as an iron and coal producing center, the city was named after founder Harvey Wells, a member of the Ohio Constitutional Convention. The city was incorporated in 1876. The population...
subdivision, which ran between Washington Court HouseWashington Court House, OhioWashington Court House is a city in Fayette County, Ohio, United States. It is the county seat of Fayette County and is located approximately halfway between Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. The population was 14,192 in 2010 at the 2010 census...
and DaytonDayton, OhioDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. - The Pennsylvania Railroad'sPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
Little Miami branch, between CincinnatiCincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and SpringfieldSpringfield, OhioSpringfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
. Part of this line actually street-ran on Detroit StreetU.S. Route 68U.S. Route 68 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from northwest Ohio to western Kentucky. The highway's western terminus is at U.S. Route 62 in Reidland, Kentucky. Its eastern terminus is at Interstate 75 in Findlay, Ohio...
, and as such was the first section to be dismantled. - The Pennsylvania RR's Pittsburgh-St. Louis mainlineMain Line (Pittsburgh to St. Louis)The Pittsburgh to St. Louis Main Line was a rail line owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The line ran from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania west via Steubenville, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana, Terre...
. AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
used this line for the National LimitedNational LimitedThe National Limited was the premier train of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on its route between New York City and St. Louis, Missouri, with major station stops in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, Ohio. The all-Pullman version of the National Limited was introduced by the B&O on April 26,...
until 1979.
The rights-of-way of five of Xenia's six rail tracks have been converted to rail-trails
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
. The one exception, the B&O line west of town, is not a separate trail because it closely paralleled the Pennsylvania mainline, running side-by-side for much of the way. With so many trails in town, a water tower refers to Xenia as the "Bicycle Capital of the Midwest".
Xenia was also served by two interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
railways: the Dayton and Xenia Transit Company, and the Springfield and Xenia Railway. These were dismantled in the 1940s or earlier.
Geography
Xenia is centrally located in the "transportation triangle" formed by three major interstate highways: I-70, I-71, and I-75. These north-south, east-west arteries are within minutes of Xenia via U.S. Routes 35U.S. Route 35
U.S. Route 35 is a north–south United States highway that runs northwest-southeast for approximately from northern Indiana to the western suburbs of Charleston, West Virginia. The highway's northern terminus is in Michigan City, Indiana, at U.S. Route 20. Its southern terminus is in Scott...
, 42
U.S. Route 42
U.S. Route 42 is an east–west United States highway that runs northeast-southwest for 355 miles from Cleveland, Ohio to Louisville, Kentucky. The route has several names including Pearl Road from Cleveland to Medina in Northeast Ohio, the Cincinnati and Lebanon Pike in southwestern Ohio and...
, and 68
U.S. Route 68
U.S. Route 68 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from northwest Ohio to western Kentucky. The highway's western terminus is at U.S. Route 62 in Reidland, Kentucky. Its eastern terminus is at Interstate 75 in Findlay, Ohio...
, tying the community to one of the nation's largest 90-minute highway markets. Before the creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway system
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, U.S. 68 was one of the main southward routes from Detroit, Michigan. Within Xenia, U.S. 68 is named "Detroit Street".
Xenia is at 39°41′1"N 83°56′17"W (39.68, -83.94).
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31.3 km²), all of it land.
Climate
Surrounding communities
Local government
City Council Members and term start years:- Marsha J. Bayless (2010) -- Mayor
- Jeanne Mills (2010) -- City Council President
- Bill Miller (2008) -- City Council Vice President
- John Caupp (2008)
- Dale Louderback (2008)
- Wesley Smith (2010)
- Micheal Engle (2010)
Others:
- Jim Percival—City Manager
- Brent Merriman—Assistant City Manager
- Mark Bazelak—Finance Director
- Ryan Duke—Assistant Finance Director
- Ronald Lewis—Law Director
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 24,164 people, 9,378 households, and 6,527 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,989.3 people per square mile (767.9/km²). There were 9,924 housing units at an average density of 817.0 per square mile (315.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.30% White, 13.51% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population.
There were 9,378 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,457, and the median income for a family was $43,046. Males had a median income of $34,497 versus $24,094 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,481. About 8.9% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Xenia Community School District has 7 elementary, 2 middle, and 1 high school:- Arrowood Elementary School (Grade K-5)
- Cox Elementary School (Grade K-5)
- McKinley Elementary School (Grade K-5)
- Shawnee Elementary School (Grade K-5)
- Simon Kenton Elementary (Grade K-5)
- Spring Hill Elementary (Grade K-5)
- Tecumseh Elementary (Grade K-5)
- Central Middle School (Grade 6-8)
- Warner Middle School (Grade 6-8)
- Xenia High SchoolXenia High SchoolXenia High School is a public high school in Xenia, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Xenia Community Schools district. The school's average daily student enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year was 1452. The Ohio Department of Education has given Xenia High School a rating of "Continuous...
(Grade 9-12)
Private Schools in Xenia:
- Xenia Christian Elementary School (Grade Pre-K-5)
- Xenia Christian Middle School (Grade 6-8)
- Xenia Christian High SchoolXenia Christian High SchoolXenia Christian High School is a private, Christian high school in Xenia, Ohio. It is one of two high schools run by the Dayton Christian School System. Xenia Christian High School includes grades 9-12. Dayton Christian School System added Xenia Christian Elementary and High School in 1993 and...
(Grade 9-12) - St. Brigid School (Grade Pre-K-8)
Popular culture
- Comedian Dave ChappelleDave ChappelleDavid Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...
owns several houses in Xenia, Ohio - Novelist Helen Hooven SantmyerHelen Hooven SantmyerHelen Hooven Santmyer was an American writer.She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Xenia, Ohio when she was five years old. She went to Wellesley College in 1918 and was active in the struggle for women's rights. She attended Oxford University in England...
lived here; her most well-known work remains And Ladies of the ClubAnd Ladies of the Club"...And Ladies of the Club" is a novel, written by Helen Hooven Santmyer, about a group of women in the fictional town of Waynesboro, Ohio who begin a study club, which evolves through the years into a significant community service organization in the town.The book, which looks at the club as it...
. - The town is featured in the nonprofit historical documentary film "Ropewalk: A Cordage Engineer's Journey Through History".
- The town was the setting of the independent film Who's Your Daddy?, directed by Andy FickmanAndy FickmanAndy Fickman is a film and stage director and screenwriter. His credits as a theater director include the premiere of the Reefer Madness! musical and the first Los Angeles production of the play Jewtopia....
. - Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
mentions the town in novels The StandThe StandThe Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It demonstrates the scenario in his earlier short story, Night Surf...
, in which it is the hometown of character Dayna Jurgens, and The Talisman. - Tom ClancyTom ClancyThomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
also mentions the town on page 18 of his Jack Ryan novel, The Bear And The DragonThe Bear and the DragonThe Bear and the Dragon is a political thriller novel by Tom Clancy featuring Jack Ryan. It was published in 2000.-Plot introduction:In the book Jack Ryan is President of the United States. After Russia discovers oil fields rivaling those of the Persian Gulf in Siberia and gold deposits just as...
(published in the year 2000) - Maynard James KeenanMaynard James KeenanMaynard James Keenan is an American rock singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor. Originally from Ohio, Keenan spent his high school and college years in Michigan. After serving in the Army in the early 1980s, he attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids...
mentions Xenia at least twice with his band PusciferPusciferPuscifer is a side project of Maynard James Keenan from the bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. As Keenan is the only permanent member and he considers the project to be his "creative subconscious", Puscifer could also be considered a pseudonym for his solo work....
. First, in "Sour Grapes (Where is the Line Mix)", and again in a fictional documentary played before shows on their 2011 tour. The Puscifer Characters Billy Dee Burger and Hildy Burger are credited as being from Xenia. - Xenia is the only city in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
starting with the letter "X" with a population over 5,000 people. - Xenia is mentioned by They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
in the song "Out of Jail" on their album John HenryJohn Henry (album)John Henry is the name of They Might Be Giants' fifth original album, although it is the sixth disc in their discography. It was released in 1994. It is the first album in which John Linnell and John Flansburgh utilized a full band, as opposed to playing most or all of the instruments themselves....
. - Xenia calls itself the "Bicycle Capital of the Midwest."
- Xenia is the setting for Harmony Korine's 1997 film "GummoGummoGummo is a 1997 American independent drama film written and directed by Harmony Korine. It was his directorial debut and has since become a cult film. The film stars Jacob Reynolds, Nick Sutton, Jacob Sewell, Chloë Sevigny, Linda Manz and Max Perlich...
". The movie was not filmed in Xenia however, but in Korine's hometown of Nashville, TN.
Notable natives and residents
- Dave ChappelleDave ChappelleDavid Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...
-- American Comedian - Joseph Warren Keifer -- Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1881-1883.
- Trent ColeTrent Cole-2005:Cole was selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles with the draft pick acquired from the Washington Redskins for wide receiver James Thrash. He signed a 4-year contract before his rookie season....
-- NFL defensive end for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - Charles GrapewinCharles GrapewinCharley Ellsworth Grapewin was an American vaudeville performer and a stage and film actor, who portrayed Uncle Henry in MGM's The Wizard of Oz and Grandpa Joad in the film The Grapes of Wrath ....
-- Played Uncle Henry in The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1939 film)The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
. - John LittleJohn Little (congressman)John Little was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born near Grape Grove, Ross Township, Greene County, Ohio, Little attended the common schools.He was graduated from Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, in 1862....
-- U.S. Congressman, 1885–1887 - Thomas TaggartThomas TaggartThomas Taggart was a U.S. political figure, serving as mayor of Indianapolis and influential in state and national politics.-Early life and family:...
-- Mayor of Indianapolis, 1895-1901 - Roland JamesRoland JamesRoland Orlando James is a former American football defensive back who was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft. At 6'2", 190 lbs from the University of Tennessee, James played his entire NFL career for the Patriots from 1980 to 1990...
-- NFL defensive back for the New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, 1980–1990 - Matt BrownMatt Brown (fighter)Matthew Burton Brown is an American professional mixed martial artist.Brown starred in the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter television series and was eliminated from the show in the ninth episode due to a loss to Amir Sadollah by Triangle Choke...
-- UFC MMA fighter - Arthur M. Schlesinger, Sr.Arthur M. Schlesinger, Sr.Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Sr. was an American historian. His son, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. was also a noted historian.-Life and career:...
-- American Historian - Caitlin HalliganCaitlin HalliganCaitlin Joan Halligan is an American lawyer and the Solicitor General of the state of New York from 2001 until 2007. She has been nominated by President Barack Obama to fill a federal judicial vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.- Early life and...
-- Federal judicial nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a... - Doug Adams—NFL linebacker for the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
- Lili Marlene, Adult Film Actress