Mansfield, Ohio

Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately 80 mi southwest of Cleveland and 66 mi northeast of Columbus.

It was founded in 1808 on a fork of the Mohican River in a hilly region surrounded by fertile farmlands, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location with numerous railroad lines. After the decline of heavy manufacturing, the city's industry has since diversified into a service economy, including retailing, education, and healthcare sectors.

The population of the city was 49,346 at the 2000 census. According to the 2010 Census, which was released on March 9, 2011, Mansfield's population declined 3.1%, down to 47,821 residents. The US Census 2009 estimates indicate that the Mansfield, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 124,490 residents, while the Mansfield-Bucyrus, OH Combined Statistical Area has 167,893 residents.

Mansfield's official nickname is "The Fun Center of Ohio". It is the largest city in the "Mid-Ohio" region of the state, the north-central region which is generally considered to extend from Marion, Delaware, Knox, Morrow, Crawford, Ashland and Richland counties in the south, to the Firelands area south of Sandusky in the north. Mansfield is also known as the "Carousel Capital of Ohio," "Danger City," and "Racing Capital of Ohio".

History
Mansfield was first settled in 1808 and was named for Jared Mansfield, the U.S. Surveyor General who directed its planning. The village of Mansfield was incorporated in 1828, and in 1857 Mansfield was chartered as a city. During the War of 1812, the first courthouse, jail, and church of Richland County was served in one of two blockhouses that were located on the public square until 1816. In 1908, the blockhouse became a symbol of Mansfield's heritage during its 100th birthday celebration, and in 1929, the blockhouse was relocated to its present location at South Park. The railroads came to the city in 1846, followed by the first road across America, the Lincoln Highway in 1913, smoothing the path for economic growth.

Topography
Mansfield is located at °N, °W (40.754856, -82.522855), directly between Columbus and Cleveland, however, the city lies in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, and its elevation is among the highest of Ohio cities. The highest point in the city (1,492.66 feet or 454.96 meters above sea level) is at the Woodland reservoir in southwest Mansfield. The elevation of Central Park in downtown Mansfield is 1,242.66 feet (378.76 m) above sea level.

Mansfield is bordered by Madison Township to the east, northwest and southwest, Franklin Township to the north, Weller Township to the northeast, Washington Township to the south, Troy Township to the southwest, Springfield Township and the suburban city of Ontario to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.9 square miles (77.5 km²). All of it is land and, aside from the small lake in North Lake Park, none of the area is covered with water.

Climate
Mansfield has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa), typical of the Midwestern United States, with very warm, humid summers and cold winters. Winters are usually cold and dry but typically bring a mix of rain, sleet, and snow with occasional heavy snowfall and icing. January is the coldest month with a average mean temperature of 24.3 F. Temperatures occasionally drop below 0 F around 7 days per year. Snowfall is lighter than in the snowbelt areas to the northeast, but is still somewhat influenced by Lake Erie, located 38 miles (61 km) north of the city. Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport generally averages 43.8 in of snow per winter. The greatest 24-hour snowfall was 23 in on December 22–23, 2004 when the city was impacted by a major ice storm following the Pre-Christmas 2004 snowstorm bring with it a band of freezing rain and sleet led by ice and snow accumulations. Another notable snowstorm to impact the region was the Great Blizzard of 1978. The snowiest winter of record was 1995-96 when 91 in of snow fell. Springs are short with rapid transition from hard winter to warm, sometimes humid and muggy summers. Summer is typically warm, sometimes hot, and humid with temperatures exceeding 90 F around 6 days per year. July is the warmest month with a average mean temperature of 71.0 F. Fall usually is the dryest season with many clear warm days and cool nights. Severe Thunderstorms is not uncommon during the spring, summer, and fall bring with them the threat of large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. Flooding can also occur from time to time such as the 2007 Midwest flooding that took place in the region on August 20–21, 2007 when Mansfield received 6.24 in of rain in 24 hours.

The all-time record high temperature in Mansfield of 105 F was established on July 21, 1934, which occurred during the Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s, and the all-time record low temperature of -26 F was set on January 15, 1929. The mean annual temperature is 48.7 F. Normal yearly precipitation based on the 30-year average from 1971-2000 is 43.23 in.

Cityscape
Mansfield has several distinct neighborhoods. The Boulevards is an early 20th century residential neighborhood (now a historical preservation district). It has about 130 homes (some on double lots) located just south of Park Avenue West about a mile west of the city center. Glenwood and Parkwood Boulevards are main streets. Until 1937, the Boulevards was served by the Park Avenue West electric street car line.

Woodland, in the southwestern part of the city, is the largest residential neighborhood. Laid out as Woodland Farms in 1920 by its developer, James M. Dickson, it began to develop just before the Great Depression. Westinghouse opened its appliance demonstration model, the Home of Tomorrow, on Andover Road in February 1934. Dickson Park, adjacent to Woodland Elementary School on Davis Road, honors the developer. The Woodland reservoir (1928), at the southwestern edge of the neighborhood, is on Mansfield's highest elevation. The Mansfield Art Center, founded in 1945, is at the northwest edge of the neighborhood. Woodland is home to Woodland Elementary School which is part of the Mansfield City School District and serves students from both the woodland area and students all across the city of Mansfield, Ohio.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,346 people, 20,182 households, and 12,028 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,649.8 people per square mile (637.0/km²). There were 22,267 housing units at an average density of 744.6 per square mile (287.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.77% White, 19.65% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.23% of the population.

There were 20,182 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,176, and the median income for a family was $37,541. Males had a median income of $30,861 versus $21,951 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,726. About 13.2% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government
Mansfield has a mayor-council government. The mayor who is elected every four years, always in November, one year before United States presidential elections and limited to a maximum of three terms. Mayors are traditionally inaugurated on or around the first of December. The current mayor is Donald Culliver, a Democrat who is currently in his first term. Culliver is the city's first African-American mayor to be elected.

Mansfield city council is an eight-member legislative group that serve four-year terms. Six of the members represent specific wards; two are elected city-wide as at-large council members. Democrat Phillip Scott has been Mansfield's council president since November 2007.

While Mansfield and Richland County have historically supported the Republican Party for decades, other parts of Ohio like Cleveland and parts of Northeast Ohio have historically supported the Democratic Party. During the 2008 Presidential election, although Barack Obama carried Ohio, John McCain carried Richland County.

Regional Representatives
Mansfield is currently represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Jim Jordan (R) and in the U.S. Senate by Rob Portman (R) and Sherrod Brown (D), in the state senate by Kris Jordan (R), and in the state house by Jay Goyal (D). As of January 2011, Mansfield and the rest of the State of Ohio, are served by John Kasich (R) as governor, who replaced one term Governor Ted Strickland (D).

Crime
The City of Mansfield is policed by a Municipal Police Department, the Mansfield Division of Police. According to the statistics in 2003, Mansfield murder rate was 1.80 times the national average. Overall, the "violent crime" rate for the city was about 0.53 times the national average, while the "property" or non-violent crime rate was about 1.55 times the national average. Neighborhoodscout.com reported a crime rate of 69.27 per 1000 residents for property crimes, and 2.91 per 1000 for violent crimes (compared to national figures of 32 per 1000 for property crimes and 5 per 1000 for violent crime in 2008).

Economy
Mansfield's greatest period of industrial development led by the city's stove manufacturing industries, including Westinghouse Electric Corporation and the Tappan Stove Company. By the late 1920s, Westinghouse had become the city's largest employer, specializing in electric lighting, industrial heating and engineering, and home appliances.

However, like many cities in the rust belt region of the Midwest, Mansfield saw a large decline in its manufacturing and retail sectors. Beginning with the steel Recession of the 1970s, the loss of jobs to overseas manufacturing, prolonged labor disputes, and deteriorating factory facilities all contributed to heavy industry leaving the area. Mansfield Tire & Rubber Company, Ohio Brass Company, Westinghouse, Tappan and many other manufacturing plants were either bought-out, relocated or closed, leaving only the AK Steel Plant in Mansfield and the General Motors Fisher Body Stamping Plant (Mansfield-Ontario Metal Center) in neighboring Ontario as the last two remaining heavy industry employers. The AK Steel Mansfield Works production facility, formerly Armco Steel, was the location of a violent 3-year United Steelworkers Union lock-out and strike from 1999 to 2002. On June 1, 2009, General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced that its Ontario stamping plant (Mansfield-Ontario Metal Center) will close in June 2010.

With the loss of the jobs, locally owned businesses in downtown Mansfield closed, as did much of the retail built in the 1960s along Park Avenue West (formerly known as "The Miracle Mile") and Lexington Avenue. New big-box retail, shopping strips and franchise restaurants have been built in the adjacent suburban city of Ontario, which has replaced Mansfield as the retail hub for Richland County and north-central Ohio.

The city has a sought to diversify its economy to become less dependent on its struggling manufacturing sector. Remaining manufactures in Mansfield include steel manufacturer AK Steel, Honda Supplier Newman Technology Incorporated, generator manufacturer Hyundai Ideal Electric Company, thermostats manufacturer Therm-O-Disc, pumps manufacturer The Gorman-Rupp Company, plumbing manufacturer Crane Plumbing. and carousel manufacturer The Carousel Works. Mansfield's healthcare industry includes MedCentral Health System, the city's largest employer and the largest in Richland County. The hospital is the city's primary provider of health care and serves as the major regional trauma center for north-central Ohio.

Mansfield is also home of three well-known food companies. Isaly Dairy Company (AKA Isaly's) was a chain of family-owned dairies and restaurants started by William Isaly in the early 1900s until the 1970s, famous for creating the Klondike Bar ice cream treat, popularized by the slogan "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?". Stewart's Restaurants is a chain of root beer stands started by Frank Stewart in 1924, famous for their Stewart's Fountain Classics line of premium beverages now sold worldwide. The Jones Potato Chip Company, started by Frederick W. Jones in 1945 and famous for their Jones Marcelled Potato Chips, is headquartered in Mansfield.

Film industry
From the 1950s through the 1970s, Mansfield was the home of the infamous Highway Safety Foundation, the organization that created the controversial driver's education scare films that featured gruesome film photography taken at fatal automobile accidents in the Mansfield area. The films include Signal 30 (1959), Mechanized Death (1961), Wheels of Tragedy (1963), and Highways of Agony (1969). In addition, the Highway Safety Foundation produced other controversial education films including The Child Molester and Camera Surveillance (both 1964). In 1962, The Highway Safety Foundation loaned camera equipment to the Mansfield Police Department to film the escapades of some of the city's homosexual men, who met for sexual relations in an underground public restroom deep in the bowels of Central Park. An ugly chapter in the city's history, the men filmed were charged under Ohio's sodomy law, and all served a minimum of one year in the state penitentiary. The resulting footage, combined with overdubbed audio commentary by officials of the Mansfield Police Department, was eventually compiled by HSF as the film Camera Surveillance. Video artist William E. Jones of Massillon, Ohio, obtained copies of the original footage shot by the Mansfield Police Department. Jones transferred the grainy color footage of the original police surveillance films to video and removed the police commentary, presenting it as a silent piece entitled Tearoom (2007). Jones' film was featured in an exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York in 2008. Ironically, there exists today an eatery called The Twisted Fig Tea Room on Main St. in Mansfield, located just a few blocks from Central Park.

Mansfield has also been used as a location for several big-budget Hollywood movies; among the most notable of these were The Shawshank Redemption, 'Air Force One', and Tango & Cash, all of which featured the Ohio State Reformatory as a backdrop in pivotal scenes.

Robert F. Simon (1908–1992), an American character actor who appeared in film and on television from 1950–1985, was born in Mansfield.

Annual events and fairs
The Mansfield/Mehock Relays, an annual two-day invitational track and field meet for high school boys and girls, held in April since 1927 (except for Second World War years), began on the initiative of Harry Mehock, track coach at host Mansfield Senior High School.

The Miss Ohio Pageant (Miss America preliminary), hosted by Mansfield since 1975, is staged annually at The Renaissance.

The Richland County Fair is also held in Mansfield, at the Richland County Fairgrounds. The fair is held in the beginning of August. The fair started on October 26, 1889. In 1872 & 1873, Mansfield also hosted the Ohio State Fair. At the fair there are several rides, livestock judging.

Historical structures and museums
Mansfield is home to the old Ohio State Reformatory, constructed between 1886 and 1910 and designed by Levi T. Scofield of Cleveland to resemble a German castle. The architect was F. F. Schnitzer. It is located north of downtown Mansfield on Ohio 545, and has been the location for many major films, including The Shawshank Redemption, Harry and Walter Go to New York, Air Force One and Tango & Cash. Most of the prison yard has now been demolished to make room for expansion of the adjacent Mansfield Correctional Institution and Richland Correctional Institution, but the Reformatory's Gothic-style Administration Building remains standing and due to its prominent use in films, has become a tourist attraction. The building is used during the Halloween season each year as a haunted attraction known as the "Haunted Reformatory." Many people visit Mansfield to take part in the haunted tour, some from as far as Michigan and Indiana.

Located in the heart of downtown, the Mansfield Memorial Museum, built in 1887, and opened to the public in 1889 as the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall, is a museum of many different exhibits. Oak Hill Cottage, located amongst the ruins of Mansfield's once mighty industrial district, is a Gothic Revival brick house, built in 1847. One of the most perfect Carpenter Gothic houses in the United States, it is operated by the Richland County Historical Society. Located in the Woodland neighborhood, the Mansfield Art Center, opened in 1945, is a visual arts organization. The Living Bible Museum (aka "BibleWalk") opened in 1987, is Ohio's only life-size wax museum. Architect F.B. Hursh designed several large residences and some of the area's churches in the early 20th century. The Bissman Building, built in 1886 is now open for tours from March to November. The location was also featured in Shawshank Redemption as "the brewer hotel" and "The portland daily bugle". More recently used by the Sy Fy channel's "ghost hunters" and recent music videos.

Parks and outdoor attractions
Mansfield has 33 parks ranging in size from the 1/2 acre Betzstone Park to the 35 acre South Park. There are also several public golf courses in and around the city. These include Coolridge Golf Course, Forest Hills, Oaktree, Twin Lakes and Wooldridge Woods Golf & Swim Club.

Located in downtown Mansfield's Historic Carrousel District is the Richland Carrousel Park, opened in 1991. It is the first hand-carved indoor wooden carousel to be built and operated in the United States since the early 1930s. It was built by Carrousel Works Inc. Kingwood Center, a 47 acre estate and gardens, is the former home of Ohio Brass industrialist Charles Kelly King. The Mansfield Motorsports Park (formerly Mansfield Motorsports Speedway), a half-mile automobile race track, hosts the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series once a year and features a regular weekly series of modified and stock car racing. Southwest of Mansfield near Lexington is the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, a road course auto racing facility which hosts AMA Motorcycle Racing and Indy Car racing. Malabar Farm State Park, located southeast of the city, is the former home and farm of Mansfield native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield. It served as the location of Humphrey Bogart's wedding to Lauren Bacall. Snow Trails Ski Resort is Ohio's oldest ski resort, opened in 1961, and highest at 1475 ft. With 16 runs, it is one of the few skiing locations in Ohio.

The Richland B & O Bike Trail, opened in 1995 and operated by the Richland County Park District, is a paved 18.3 mi hiking and bicycle trail laid out on the abandoned Baltimore & Ohio rail branch line from Butler via Bellville and Lexington to North Lake Park in Mansfield.

Performing arts
The Renaissance, built in 1927 and opened in 1928 as the Ohio Theatre, is a historic 1,600 seat movie palace theatre located in downtown Mansfield which hosts a range of performances. The downtown area is the home of the Mansfield Playhouse, Ohio's second oldest, and one of its most successful, community theatres.

Media
Mansfield is served in print by the Mansfield News Journal, the city's only daily newspaper.

Mansfield's first AM-radio station (1926) was WLGV (later WJW Mansfield). The Mansfield studio and transmitter were on the ninth floor of the Richland Trust Building. (WJW moved to Akron in 1932 and the WJW call letters were later reassigned WJW, now in Cleveland). Among Mansfield's current radio stations are WOSV (91.7FM) NPR News and classical music station, WVMC (90.7FM) Mansfield Christian music station, WYHT (105.3FM) pop/rock (clear channel), WVNO(106.1FM) adult contemporary, and Mansfield's leading radio station, News Radio 1400 (AM) WMAN (clear channel), a news/talk radio station that features local personalities Tommy Barnes, Aaron Hines, Gary Brown, Josh Bowman, Rick Durkin, Barry Howell, and reigning "News Journal's Best Local Personality," Rusty Cates.

Mansfield's local television station is WMFD-TV. Among the station's more popular programs is "Bon Appetit", co-hosted by Mansfield's own Aaron "Chief" Wiegand and Chelley Kemper.

Education
Mansfield Public Schools enroll 4,707 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 9 public schools including five elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative school. Other than public schools, the city is home to two private Catholic schools, St. Mary's Catholic School and St. Peter's High School and two Christian schools, Mansfield Christian School and Temple Christian School. The Madison Local School District serves eastern parts of Mansfield, neighboring Madison, and Mifflin townships.

Mansfield is home to two institutions of higher learning. The Ohio State University has a regional campus at Mansfield and North Central State College, a community college that shares the Mansfield Campus with OSU.

Libraries
The Mansfield/Richland County Public Library (M/RCPL) has been serving residents of north-central Ohio since 1887. The system has nine branches throughout Richland County including the main library in downtown Mansfield and locations in Bellville, Butler, Crestview, Lexington, Lucas, Madison Township, Ontario, and Plymouth.

Rail
Three railroads previously served Mansfield, but currently only two, the Norfolk Southern and the Ashland Railway, provide service in the area.

The Mansfield and Sandusky Railroad opened in 1846 and became part of the Washington-Chicago main line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B & O) and then later part of a B & O branch line from Newark to Sandusky. In 1849 the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway (later Pennsylvania Railroad mainline) reached Mansfield, and in 1863 the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad (later Erie Railroad mainline) reached Mansfield. After the B & O branch line was abandoned, the 18.3 mi section from Butler to North Lake Park in Mansfield was opened in 1995 as the recreational Richland B & O Bike Trail. The former B & O track from Mansfield to Willard combined with a piece of the abandoned Erie Railroad east of Mansfield to West Salem to form the L-shaped 56.5 mi Ashland Railway (1986). A spur of the abandoned Erie Railroad leads west five miles (8 km) to Ontario to serve the General Motors metal stamping plant there.

Highways
Mansfield is located on a major east-west highway corridor that was originally known in the early 1900s as "Ohio Market Route 3". This route was chosen in 1913 to become part of the historic Lincoln Highway which was the first road across America, connecting New York City to San Francisco. The arrival of the Lincoln Highway to Mansfield was a major influence on the development of the city. Upon the advent of the federal numbered highway system in 1928, the Lincoln Highway through Mansfield on Park Avenue East and Park Avenue West became U.S. Route 30.

On September 1, 1928, the Lincoln Highway was marked coast-to-coast with approximately 3000 concrete posts set by the Boy Scouts of America. Each post featured a medallion of Abraham Lincoln's profile. One of these concrete markers was erected at curbside in front of Central Methodist Episcopal Church, 378 Park Avenue West. Today, a replica marker stands in downtown's Central Park, on Park Avenue's center divider.

Mansfield is well connected to the Interstate Highway System. Three highway exits from Interstate 71 connect travelers to Mansfield from Louisville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio and points southwest, and from Cleveland, Ohio and points northeast.

One limited-access highway serves Mansfield. U.S. Route 30, which carries the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway along its length through the city has several local highway exits from U.S. Route 30 that connect travelers to Mansfield from Portland, Oregon, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Fort Wayne, Indiana and points west, and from Atlantic City, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Canton, Ohio and points east.

Two divided highways serve Mansfield. Ohio 309, which connects travelers from the major shopping area of the suburban city of Ontario and points west, and continues east into Mansfield before it merges into U.S. Route 30. Ohio 13 turns into a four-lane divided highway at South Main Street and Chilton Avenue and runs 3.5 mi to Interstate 71 (full-access interchange) and runs another 3.7 mi and turns back into a two-lane highway just 2 mi north of Bellville.

The city has several arterial roads. U.S. Route 42 (Ashland Road and Lexington Avenue), North U.S. Route 42 downtown (South Main Street, East 2nd Street, Hedges Street and Park Avenue East), South U.S. Route 42 downtown (Park Avenue East, Hedges Street, East 1st Street and South Main Street), Ohio 13 (North Main Street and South Main Street), North Ohio 13 downtown (East 2nd Street, South Diamond Street and North Diamond Street), South Ohio 13 downtown (West 5th Street, North Mulberry Street, South Mulberry Street and West 1st Street), Ohio 39 (Springmill Street, North Mulberry Street, West 5th Street, East 5th Street, Park Avenue East and Lucas Road), Ohio 430 (Park Avenue East and Park Avenue West), and Ohio 545 (Wayne Street and Olivesburg Road).

Public Transportation
The Richland County Transit (RCT) operates local bus service five days a week, except for Saturdays and Sundays. The RCT bus line operates 12 fixed routes within the cities of Mansfield and Ontario. Mansfield Checker Cab operates local and regional taxi service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. C & D Taxi also operates local and regional taxi service (Richland and Ashland Counties) seven days a week.

Air
Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (IATA: MFD, IACO: KMFD, FAA LID: MFD), a city-owned and operated, joint usage facility with global ties, located 3 mi north of downtown Mansfield. The Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base and the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard is located at the airport. It uses huge C-130 aircraft, and sponsors an annual air show in July.

Special interest
From the Native American uprising during the war of 1812.
 * Johnny Appleseed, American pioneer & conservationist
 * The Shawshank Redemption, which was filmed in and around Mansfield
 * Elektro, eight robots built by the Westinghouse Corporation in Mansfield.
 * Copus Massacre and Zimmer Massacre
 * The Ohio State Reformatory is also where rapper Lil Wayne shot the video to his song "Go DJ"

Sister cities
Mansfield has two sister cities:
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 - Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England
 * 🇯🇵 - Tamura, Fukushima, Japan

Public Safety
Law Enforcement - Mansfield Police Department

Fire & EMS - Mansfield Fire Department