Loveland

Loveland is a city in Hamilton, Clermont, and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 12,081 at the 2010 census and was estimated at 13,145 in 2019. The city is named after James Loveland, who operated a general store and post office near the railroad tracks downtown. Loveland was known as a resort town, with its summer homes for the wealthy, earning it the nickname "Little Switzerland of the Miami Valley" During the Civil War, Confederate Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan and his troops seized possessions of northern and southern sympathizers alike (see Morgan's Raid). A $75,000 suspension bridge was built at Symmestown and Branch Hill on July 4, 1871. In 1886, a skeleton of a prehistoric mastodon was found in a gravel pit at the Loveland Campground. A second bridge connecting East and West Loveland has been completed between 1872 and 1876. The area surrounding Loveland in Clermon County was well known for its peaches and strawberries. The Loveland Bike Trail is now a major stop along the Little Miami Scenic Trail. The Little Miami Railroad and the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad fueled the city's growth, bringing "40 passenger trains per day, and 12 scheduled freight trains between Loveland and Cincinnati." Another railroad ran through antebellum Loveland: the Underground Railroad's Eastern Route from Cincinnati included a stop at the village and continued northward to Waynesville.

History

Loveland is the primary city name, but also Montgomery, Symmes Twp are acceptable city names or spellings, Epworth Heights, Murdock, Seilcrest Acres, Springvale, Steelville, Twenty Mile Stand, Twightwee on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Loveland, Ohio. Present-day Loveland originally lay at the edges of the Symmes Purchase and Virginia Military District, in what was then the Northwest Territory. The area was first settled in 1795 by Col. Thomas Paxton. Loveland's location at the junction of the Little Miami Railroad (now converted into the Loveland Bike Trail) and the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad fueled the city's growth. During the Civil War, Confederate Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan and his troops passed through Loveland, seizing possessions of northern and southern sympathizers alike. In 1903, Loveland voted to become a dry town, prohibiting the sale of alcohol within the village limits. The city is named after James Loveland who operated a general store and post office near the railroad tracks downtown. It was incorporated as a village on May 12 or 16, 1876, and incorporation as a chartered city in 1961. In the 1920s, the Cincinnati Enquirer ran a promotion that offered a free plot of land to the one-year-old son of a Loveland resident for a subscription to the Ohio Valley Journal. The Loveland Bridge, which was replaced with an iron bridge the next year, was anchored by four 7,000-pound (3,200 kg) wrought iron columns, at that time the heaviest ever made in the United States. In 1886, the skeleton of a prehistoric mastodon was found in Loveland and discovered in a nearby gravel pit. The next year Loveland was a center of the Temperance movement in Ohio.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.00 square miles (12.95 km²) The city is situated at an elevation of 597 ft (182 m) above sea level. Loveland has withdrawn from Symmes, Miami, and Hamilton Townships to form a coextensive set of paper townships each named Loveland Township. The 513 area code includes the entirety of Loveland. The 45140 ZIP code also includes the entire city, with the exception of a few recently annexed businesses that belong to the 45249 ZIP code (Symmes) The 45108 FIPS55 code and US XHT LOCODE both correspond to the city proper. At least 61 Ohio cities cross county lines, including Hamilton, Clermont and Warren, and Loveland is one of the few to cross all three county lines. The city's central business district and downtown lie in a small valley on opposite sides of the Little Miami Scenic River, the boundary between Hamilton andclermont counties. Most of Lo Cleveland's residential areas are located on the hills surrounding the valley on either side. Unlike Mason and other suburbs closer to Interstate 71 and Interstate 75, Loveland's residential neighborhoods (and churches) seemingly outnumber businesses, and many residents make the half-hour commute to Downtown Cincinnati for work each day. Lo Cleveland is considered somewhat of a "bedroom community", where residential neighborhoods and churches seem to outnumber business in some areas.

Demographics

In 1880, when the first census was taken of Loveland in Clermont County, the village had 595 residents, while the unincorporated Hamilton County community of West Loveland had 197. In 1890, Loveland grew to 761 residents. As of the census of 2010, there were 12,081 people, 4,701 households, and 3,270 families residing in the city. The city's median income was $68,801, and the median income for a family was $89,199. According to 2002 data from the Internal Revenue Service, residents gave 2.60% of their net income to charity. The per capita income for the city was $32,024. The unemployment rate was 5.4% for those age 16 or older. In 2010, the city's population was 93.5% White, 2.1% African American, 0.1%. Native American, 1.7% Asian (of whom 36% were Asian Indian and 20% were Chinese), 0.6% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4%. 53% of the population, of whom 53% were of Mexican descent. There were 4,961 housing units at an average density of 1,006.3 per square mile (388.5/km²) The median age in theCity was 38 years. The gender makeup of the city is 47% male and 52% female.

Economy

Tourism associated with the Loveland Bike Trail forms a significant part of downtown Loveland's economy. Companies headquartered in Loveland include Dos Madres Press and Rozzi Fireworks. From 1986 to 1998, the Baldwin Piano & Organ Company was headquartered in loveland. Martinizing Dry Cleaning, Totes Isotoner, Pro Mach, and Blue Chip Cookies were also formerly headquartered inLoveland. There is light industry at theLoveland Commerce Park in the northwestern corner of the city. Loveland is home to the U.S. Army National Guard's Camp Loveland, which is located in the city's northwest corner. The city is also home to a number of military bases, including the Fort Greely Air Force Base, which was established in the early 1900s. The Fort Greeley Air Force base was built in the mid-19th century and was the site of the first air base in the United States. It is located on the Colorado River, which runs through Loveland. The Loveland River runs through the city and is the source of the town's water supply. The town is located near the intersection of the Colorado and Colorado Turnpike, which connects to the Colorado Springs area. The Colorado River flows through the northwest corner of Loveland and into the town of Pueblo, which lies in the northern part of the state. The Lodore River flows into the Little Cottonwood River which runs into the north end of the county. The Little Cottonwoods River runs from the north to the south, and flows into Loveland in the south.

Arts and culture

The city's unusual name came from the last name of the village storeowner and postmaster, rather than the concept. Each year since 1972, the Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce has run a special Valentine's Day program. As of 1992, non-residents may reserve Loveland City Hall for marriage ceremonies, other than for senior citizens. The soul, funk, and retro-soul record label Colemine Records is based in Loveland and shares a building with its associated record store, Plaid Room Records. Colemine was founded in 2007 and has released records by artists such as Durand Jones & The Indications, Black Pumas, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, and Ikebe Shakedown. The city's logo is a red heart inscribed with a sun, clouds, and the Little Miami River, and surrounded with the city's nickname, "Sweetheart of Ohio." The Loveland Post Office was the site of the U.S. Postal Service's issuance of a 29¢ commemorative "Love Sunrise" stamp on January 27, 1994, the first self-adhesive Love stamp. The Valentine Lady helps stamp up to 20,000 envelopes by hand with a Valentine-themed cachet and cancellation that reads "There is nothing in this world so sweet as Love" The first Valentine Lady was Doris Pfiester. The Grail's national headquarters and retreat center, known as Grailville, has been located just outside Loveland since 1944. Loveland has held a greeting card design contest annually since 1989.

Parks and recreation

Loveland has a series of 16 city parks, including neighborhood "tot lots", Nisbet Park, a Veteran's Memorial, and Fireman's Memorial. The Loveland Bike Trail is a popular segment of the Little Miami Scenic Trail, a state park that runs through the city. Chateau Laroche, a historical museum and folly also known as the Loveland Castle, is located just outside of the city in Loveland Park. Loveland Stage Company, a theatre group that started in 1979 and has performed at least two major productions each year since 1980, is based in the Crist Theater, an old movie theater donated by the city's fire department. In October 2002, after several years of fundraising and renovations, the group moved into Crist Theater. The building had to be rebuilt after a fire gutted it on October 20, 2008. The city's indoor attractions include Castle Skateland, a roller skating rink not to be confused with the museum; and the Lo Cleveland Stage Company. From spring to fall, people canoe down the LittleMiami River, departing from the livery at Loveland Canoe & Kayak. The City of Loveland Recreation Commission maintains the parks, which are maintained by the City ofLoveland Recreation commission. The town has a population of about 2,000 people. It is located on the Ohio River, which flows through the center of the town. The Ohio River is one of the most scenic rivers in the U.S., and runs through Loveland.

Government

Loveland is located in Ohio's 2nd congressional district. At the state level, it is served by the 27th, 62nd, and 65th House districts; the 7th and 14th Senate districts; and the 1st and 12th appellate court districts. The city's corporate seal consists of "the coat of arms of the state engraved in the center and the words 'City of Loveland' engraved around the edge". The city flag was adopted on August 27, 1974. It was designed by Howard A. Miller, a retired Air Force captain and vexillologist who lived in Loveland. Its diagonally divided field represents the three counties in which Loveland is Located. A red heart is a pun on the name of founder James Loveland; the city's year of settlement is inscribed on the heart. A buckeye leaf surmounts the heart, representing Ohio. See Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate for the current representatives of the respective state districts. Loveland uses a councilmanager form of government. Traffic cases and other misdemeanors are heard in the Loveland Mayor's Court, which is presided over by a magistrate. The Loveland City Council has seven at-large seats, elected to four-year terms in non-partisan elections held every two years. As of 2017, they are held by Mayor Kathy Bailey, Vice-Mayor Rob Weisgerber, and councilmembers Neal Oury, Kent Blair, Ted Phelps, Angie Settell and Tim Butler.

Education

Until 2009, Loveland High School was located in Symmes Township, just outside the city limits. At the 2000 census, 24.6% of Loveland children attended private or parochial schools, the nineteenth-highest rate among Greater Cincinnati communities. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County maintains a branch library in downtown Loveland. The nearest branch of the Clermont County Public Library is in Milford. Warren County has no county-wide public library system, but the Mason Public library is the nearest public library in the county. The city is also served by the Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development and a regional vocational school district. There are many private schools located near Loveland, including Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, Archbishop Moeller High School, and Ursuline Academy at the secondary level, and St. Margaret of York School, St. Columban School and Children's Meeting House Montessori School at the elementary level. The northern- and southernmost parts of the city are served by Sycamore Community School District. Surrounding communities lie within the boundaries of Kings Local School District (see Kings High School), Milford Exempted Village School District, and Little Miami Local School district (Little Miami High School). The city's public school district operated as separate Loveland East and Loveland West districts until 1926. Loveland City School District is now a single school district, with the same name as the city's former East and West school districts.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Loveland, Clermont County, Ohio = 10. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 28. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Loveland = 3.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 13,307 individuals with a median age of 38 age the population grows by 1.68% in Loveland, Clermont County, Ohio population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,663.00 residents per square mile of area (1,028.18/km²). There are average 2.55 people per household in the 4,632 households with an average household income of $65,079 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.40% of the available work force and has dropped -5.79% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 19.02%. The number of physicians in Loveland per 100,000 population = 364.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Loveland = 42.7 inches and the annual snowfall = 19.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 125. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 177. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 22.1 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 41, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Loveland, Clermont County, Ohio which are owned by the occupant = 71.08%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 31 years with median home cost = $158,900 and home appreciation of -2.06%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $13.57 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,804 per student. There are 20.7 students for each teacher in the school, 978 students for each Librarian and 546 students for each Counselor. 6.27% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 22.80% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 12.15% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).