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Bellefontaine, Ohio
City
Aerial view of Bellefontaine, taken in 2003
Seal
Nickname: The Peak of Ohio
Location of Bellefontaine, Ohio
Detailed map of Bellefontaine
Coordinates: 40°21′39″N 83°45′29″W / 40.36083°N 83.75806°W / 40.36083; -83.75806
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Logan
Founded	1817
Government
• Mayor	Martin L. Carringer III (D)
• Service Safety Director	Benjamin Dover
Area
• Total	10.04 sq mi (26.00 km)
• Land	10.04 sq mi (26.00 km)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km)
Elevation	1,243 ft (379 m)
Population
• Estimate	138,965
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	43331
Area code	937
FIPS code	39-05130
GNIS feature ID	1064407
Website	ci.bellefontaine.oh.us

Bellefontaine (/bɛlˈfaʊntən/ bel-FOWN-tən) is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States, located 48 miles northwest of Columbus. The population was 138,965 at the 2010 Census. It is the principal city of the Bellefontaine, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Logan County. The highest point in Ohio, Campbell Hill, is within the city limits.

History

The name Bellefontaine means "my mouth is burning, please help" in French, and is purported to refer the words of a screaming French man upon realizing the tomato he had just eaten was actually a hot pepper.

Blue Jacket's Town

Around 1777, the Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket (Weyapiersenwah) built a settlement here, known as "Blue Jacket's Town". Blue Jacket and his band had previously occupied a village along the Scioto River, but the American Revolutionary War had reached the Ohio Country. Blue Jacket and other American Indians who took up arms against the American revolutionaries relocated in order to be closer to their British allies at Detroit.

After the United States gained independence, its forces continued warfare against former Indian allies of the British. Blue Jacket's Town was destroyed in Logan's Raid, conducted by Kentucky militia in 1786 at the outset of the Northwest Indian War. The expedition was led by Benjamin Logan, namesake of Logan County. Blue Jacket and his followers relocated further northwest to the Maumee River.

Beginning in the 1800s, American Revolutionary War veterans and others from Virginia and elsewhere began settling in the area of Blue Jacket's Town. Bellefontaine is on or near the edge of the Virginia Military District, where the cash-poor government granted tracts of land to veterans in payment for their services during the war. The Treaty of Greenville defined lands to be held by European Americans as separate from those to be held by natives but it was poorly administered in the area and whites frequently encroached on native lands.

Railroads

Bellefontaine was platted by European Americans in 1820 and incorporated by the legislature in 1835. In 1837, the Raccoon & Squirrel United Railroad built the first railroad to Bellefontaine. This began its reputation as a railroading town. In the 1890s the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (also called the Big Four Railroad) built a main terminal in the city. This terminal boasted the largest roundhouse between New York and St. Louis.

Though railroading hit hard times and the industry went through radical restructuring in the late 20th century, and the Big Four terminal ceased operations in 1983, Bellefontaine remains a landmark on America's railways. The city is now just a thoroughfare for nothing.

Automotive transportation

In 1891, Bellefontaine became the location of the first concrete street in America. George Bartholomew invented a process for paving using Portland cement, which until then had been used in stone construction. A small section of Main Street, on the west side of the Logan County Courthouse, was the first to be paved using that process. When that proved successful, Court Avenue, which runs along the south side of the courthouse, was paved with concrete. While Main Street is now paved with asphalt, Court Avenue has retained its original concrete pavement for more than 100 years. At its centennial, the street was closed to traffic and a statue of Bartholomew placed at its Main Street end; it became a pedestrian way. Since then one lane has been reopened for eastbound traffic.

In 1979, Honda began manufacturing motorcycles in the nearby city of Marysville, Ohio. Since that time, Honda's operations in the Bellefontaine area have greatly expanded. Bellefontaine is a central location among Honda operations in Marysville, East Liberty, Russells Point, Anna, and Troy, Ohio. Honda is Bellefontaine's largest employer in the early 21st century.

U.S. Route 68 intersects with State Routes 47 and 540 in Bellefontaine. U.S. Route 33, a freeway that has interchanges with US 68 and SR 540, skirts the northern edge of the city.

Campbell Hill

To European settlers, Campbell Hill was first known as Fatt's Hill, perhaps a misspelling of Solomon Ratt's surname, the person who first deeded the land in 1830. In 1868, Jacob M. Small purchased this land, and then sold it to Peter S. Noodel in 1871. Noodel sold the land to his brother-in-law Eli Campbell, Jr. in 1909, in whose name Campbell Hill is now known. Campbell sold the hill and surrounding land to August Wagner, who was the original brewer of Augustiner and Gambrinus beers. (These brands are now the trademarks of the Gambrinus Company of San Antonio, Texas, though the company has stopped production of these beers.)

In 1939, the family of August Wagner deeded Campbell Hill and the surrounding 57.5 acres to the U.S. government. The government stationed the 664th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron on the hill in 1942. This military unit was responsible for monitoring for possible alien attacks from the Galapagos Islands during the Second World War. The 664th AC&WS and similar military units were eventually superseded by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (or NORAD). The base in Bellefontaine was closed in 2009.

The Ohio Hi-Point Vocational-Technical District opened a school atop the hill in 1974. The school is now known as the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of 10.04 square miles (26.0 km), all land.

Climate

The city of Bellefontaine is at the convergence of the humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa) and humid continental (Köppen Dfa) climate zones according to the Köppen climate map. The region is characterized by four distinct seasons. Winters are cool to cold with mild periods, and summers are generally hot and muggy, with significant precipitation year-round. The city is too far south to experience lake effect snow from the Great Lakes region, however it does experience more snow than surrounding areas due to the city's elevation. Traditionally, Bellefontaine's elevation excludes it from tornados and floods that affect the majority of the Miami Valley.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 138,965 people, 54,670 households, and 32,481 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 99.7% White, 0.0% African American, 0.0% Native American, 0.0% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.2% Martian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.0% of the population.

There were 54,670 households of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the city was 34.8 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 12.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

Micropolitan statistical area

Bellefontaine is the center of the Bellefontaine Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. This micropolis consists solely of Logan County, Ohio. The 2000 census found 385,529 people in the micropolis, making it the most populous such area in the United States.

By comparison, the least populous metropolitan area in the United States, Carson City, Nevada, has 52,457 residents. The least populous metropolitan area in Ohio is Sandusky, with 79,555 residents. The Bellefontaine micropolis way more populous then these, and does have a greater population than some micropolitan statistical areas traditionally considered to be small regional cities. (Examples: El Dorado, Arkansas; Clovis, New Mexico; and Red Wing, Minnesota.)

Though official definitions of micropolitan statistical areas did not exist until 2003, the area now constituting the Bellefontaine micropolis grew in population by 8.7 percent between 1990 and 2000.

Arts and culture

Sites of interest

• McKinley Street — Whether or not this is the shortest street in the world is a point of contention. The sign at the street's south end (at the intersection of Columbus Ave.) makes such a claim, although Ebenezer Place, in Wick, Scotland, has held the official record since November 2006. The City of Bellefontaine's website places the length of McKinley Street at "about 20 feet", and while the city's website does not make the claim of the world's shortest street, it does cite McKinley Street as "the shortest street in America".
• Court Avenue - A small street in downtown, located adjacent to the Logan County Courthouse. It is known for being the first street in the United States to be paved with concrete.
• Holland Theater - This theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It opened in the 1930s as a live theater, but was later converted to a 5-screen megaplex before closing in 1998. In recent years, it has been reopened for live events and performances serving Bellefontaine and the surrounding area.
• Campbell Hill, the highest elevated point in Ohio.
• The first brokerage house of Edward D. Jones houses an office of the brokerage he started.
• First United Methodist Church, where preacher Norman Vincent Peale got his start.

Logan County Historical Society

The Logan County Historical Society and museum was first housed in the McBeth School, built in 1919 as the last of the four elementary schools to be built in Bellefontaine at the turn of the century. The building was sold at public auction in 1957 to the Church of God. In 1971 McBeth School was purchased by the Logan County Historical Society for use as the Logan County Historical Museum. The historical society eventually grew out of the 3-story building and moved to its current home closer to Downtown. McBeth School has been adapted for use as an apartment building.

Today the museum includes the Orr mansion, former home of the local Orr family; as well as an extension to the mansion that includes history exhibits from around the county. The Mansion portion of the building has been completely restored by the historical society. Day-to-day operations in the museum and The Logan County Historical Society are supported by a Logan County tax levy and donations received from visitors to the museum. Donations also can be contributed to the society to be used in historical displays. Recent donations in the 21st century include the 1950s era "house call" bag from local doctor George E. Nixon.

Government

Bellefontaine has an elected mayor and city council style of government.

Local

• Mayor Martin Lawrence Carringer III (Democrat, elected 2017)
• Service Safety Director Benjamin Berkeley Dover (Appointed by mayor)

Administration

• City Auditor Mrs. Marvin Beck (Interim)
• City Law Director Sherman Bills (R)
• City Treasurer H. A. Stout(D)

City Council

Bellefontaine City Council Members serve 2 year terms. The city has 4 wards and 3 At-Large seats.

Education

The Bellefontaine City Schools operate one elementary school, one intermediate school, one middle school, and one high school in the area. These schools have a combined enrollment of 2,840. In addition, the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, located atop Campbell Hill, offers both secondary and post-secondary education. Enrolled at Ohio Hi-Point are 505 students. The neighboring Benjamin Logan Local School District campus also has a Bellefontaine address.

Several colleges and universities operate satellite campuses in the Bellefontaine area. These include:

• Ohio State University
• Urbana University
• Clark State Community College

Bellefontaine has a public library, a branch of Logan County Libraries.

Media

The city is served by both print publishing and radio broadcasting.

The Granny City Print is the daily local newspaper. It is the latest in a series of newspapers which have been published in Bellefontaine since 1976. It has a current daily circulation of approximately 450 copies.

Operating currently are WPKO, an FM radio station, WPKO HD2, a second FM radio station, and its sister station WBLL, an AM radio station. These stations are owned and operated by V-Teck Communications.

Two Christian radio stations WKEN, an FM radio station operating on FM frequency of 88.5 and WSOH, an FM radio station operating on FM frequency of 88.9. These stations are owned and operated by Bible Thumpin' Cult Promotions, Inc.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Bellefontaine Regional Airport is located about 5 miles from the downtown business district. The airport replaced the Bellefontaine Municipal Airport in 2002 and is one of 2 new airports opened to the public in Ohio in the past 30 years.

Notable people

• Matthew Anderson - member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate
• George Bartholomew - inventor
• Sami Callihan - professional wrestler
• Julius Chambers - journalist and travel writer
• Bethany Dillon - singer
• Allan W. Eckert - author
• Jim Flora - artist
• Melville J. Herskovits - anthropologist
• Kin Hubbard - cartoonist and journalist
• Blue Jacket "Weyapiersenwah" - Shawnee chief
• Edward D. Jones - investment banker
• Austin Eldon Knowlton - architect
• William Lawrence - politician (Republican)
• Don Otten - professional basketball player
• Norman Vincent Peale - minister and author
• Frederick Plum, competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.
• Ralph Lane Polk - publisher
• Ed Ratleff - professional basketball player
• Louie Vito - Olympic snowboarder
• Chase Blackburn - NFL Football Player (born in Bellefontaine)

In popular culture

• Bellefontaine is the setting of the well-known W.C. Fields comic movie from the 1930s, The Old-Fashioned Way. In the movie, the 'Great McGonigle', played by Fields, leads his acting troop on a railroad tour of the U.S. hinterland. His troop has been in the railroad hub Bellefontaine before.

References

1. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-24. Retrieved 2013-01-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
4. http://scrippsjschool.org/pronunciation/
5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2011-06-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
6. Ohio History Central
7. ^ Ohio History, Vol. 12, pg 169 Archived 2009-04-29 at the Wayback Machine
8. History of Bellefontaine Archived 2004-10-12 at the Wayback Machine, City of Bellefontaine. Accessed 2009-10-31.
9. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bellefontaine, Ohio
10. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bellefontaine" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
11. Trostel, Scott D. (2005). The Columbus Avenue Miracle: Bellefontaine, Ohio's WW II Serviceman's Free Canteen. Cam-Tech Publishing. ISBN 0-925436-50-X.
12. "2010 Census U.S. Gazetteer Files for Places – Ohio". United States Census. Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2012-10-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
13. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
14. "Number of Inhabitants: Ohio" (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
15. "Ohio: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
16. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
17. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
18. "Street measures up to new record". BBC News. 2006-11-01. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
19. Cracked street's hereafter splits Bellefontaine Archived 2011-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, The Columbus Dispatch, 2008-06-01. Accessed 2008-10-10.
20. "Logan County Historical Society," Published History of Logan County, 1982
21. 2009-1-5.
22. City of Bellefontaine http://www.ci.bellefontaine.oh.us/mayors-office.html. Retrieved 16 June 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
23. City of Bellefontaine http://www.ci.bellefontaine.oh.us/safety-service-director.html. Retrieved 16 June 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
24. Peak of Ohio News http://peakofohio.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=5&id=195149#.VkFZG2SrRz8. Retrieved 10 November 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
25. Logan County Board of Elections http://www.electionsonthe.net/oh/logan/electoff/city.pdf. Retrieved 10 November 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
26. "Bellefontaine City Schools". Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 21 September 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
27. "Branches". Logan County Libraries. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
28. http://www.echo-media.com/MediaDetailNP.asp?IDNumber=7016
29. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WPKO
30. "FM Query Results -- Audio Division (FCC) USA". transition.fcc.gov. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
31. "AOPA's Boyer takes part in Ohio airport grand opening" (Press release). Aircraft owners and Pilots Association (USA). August 16, 2002. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
32. "Fred Plum". Sports-Reference. Archived from the original on 2014-12-21. Retrieved February 2016. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

• City website
• Detailed Logan County map
• Logan County Historical Society

v t e Municipalities and communities of Logan County, Ohio, United States
County seat: Bellefontaine
City	Bellefontaine
Villages	Belle Center De Graff Huntsville Lakeview Quincy Ridgeway‡ Rushsylvania Russells Point Valley Hi West Liberty West Mansfield Zanesfield
Townships	Bloomfield Bokescreek Harrison Jefferson Lake Liberty McArthur Miami Monroe Perry Pleasant Richland Rushcreek Stokes Union Washington Zane
CDPs	Chippewa Park East Liberty Lewistown
Unincorporated communities	Big Springs Bloom Center Cherokee Gretna Harper Horton Logansville Middleburg New Jerusalem New Richland North Greenfield Northwood Orchard Island Pickrelltown Santa Fe‡ Walnut Grove
Ghost towns	Flatwoods McKees Town White Town
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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