Hamilton, Ohio
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Hamilton is a city in
Butler County, Ohio Butler County is a County (United States), county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 390,357. Its county seat and largest city is Hamilton, Ohio, Ham ...
, United States, and its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
. Located north of
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
along the Great Miami River, Hamilton is the second-most populous city in the Cincinnati metropolitan area and the tenth-most populous city in
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
. The population was 63,399 at the 2020 census. Most of the city is served by the Hamilton City School District.


History


Fort Hamilton

Hamilton originated as Fort Hamilton, named to honor
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...
, first
Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
. The fort was constructed in September through October 1791 by General Arthur St. Clair, governor of the
Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...
. It was the first of several built north from Fort Washington into Indian territory. The fort was built to serve as a supply station for the troops of St. Clair during his campaign in the
Northwest Indian War The Northwest Indian War (1785–1795), also known by other names, was an armed conflict for control of the Northwest Territory fought between the United States and a united group of Native Americans in the United States, Native American na ...
. Later, it was used by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. It was located upstream from the mouth of the Great Miami River, where the river is shallow during normal flow and easily forded on its gravelly bottom by men, animals, and wagons. In 1792, the fort was enlarged with a stable area by General Wayne. The fort was abandoned in 1796 after the signing of the Treaty of Greenville.


Settlement and growth

A settlement grew up around Fort Hamilton and was platted as Fairfield in 1794. By 1800, Hamilton was becoming an agricultural and regional trading town. The town was platted, government was seated, and the town named by 1803. Hamilton was first incorporated by act of the Ohio General Assembly in 1810, but lost its status in 1815 for failure to hold elections. It was reincorporated in 1827 with Rossville, the community across the Great Miami River in St. Clair Township. The two places severed their connection in 1831 only to be rejoined in 1854. Designated the county seat, this became a city in 1857. On March 14, 1867, Hamilton withdrew from the townships of Fairfield and St. Clair to form a "
paper township The term paper township refers to a civil township under Law of Ohio, Ohio law that nominally exists for certain purposes but does not act as a functioning unit of civil government. Such townships usually exist on paper as a legal fiction due to ...
", but the city government is dominant. On the afternoon of September 17, 1859,
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
arrived at the Hamilton Station (the station is on the city's Historic Preservation list). He gave a campaign speech in support of his fellow Republican, William Dennison, who was running for Ohio governor. Lincoln's speech concentrated on popular sovereignty. He began: "This beautiful and far-famed Miami Valley is the garden spot of the world". It was during this campaign that the relatively unknown Lincoln was first mentioned as a possible presidential contender.


Hamilton Hydraulic

The Hamilton Hydraulic, also called the Hamilton & Rossville Hydraulic, was a system devised to supply water power to shops and mills; it spurred one of Hamilton's greatest periods of industrial and population growth from 1840 to 1860. Specially built canals and natural reservoirs brought water from the Great Miami River north of Hamilton into the town as a source of power for future industries. The hydraulic began about north of Hamilton on the river, where a dam was built to divert water into the system. Nearby, two reservoirs stored water for the hydraulic, whose main canal continued south along North Fifth Street to present Market Street. There it took a sharp west turn to the river at the present intersection of Market Street and North Monument Avenue, between the former Hamilton Municipal Building and the present Courtyard by Marriott. The first water passed through the system in January 1845. As the water flowed through the canal, it turned millstones in the hydraulic. The project had been a risky one because there were no shops along its course to use the power when the company was organized in 1842, but the gamble paid off. Several small industries were built on the hydraulic in the 1840s. One was the Beckett Paper Company, established in 1848, the oldest paper mill west of the Allegheny Mountains. The hydraulic remained a principal source of power for Hamilton industries through the 1870s when stationary steam engines became practical and affordable. Later, most of the hydraulic canal was covered and/or filled. The hydraulic attracted auto manufacturer Henry Ford to Hamilton after
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, when he sought a site for a tractor factory. Ford built a plant—which soon converted to producing auto parts—at the north end of North Fifth Street so it could take advantage of power provided by a branch of the hydraulic.


Industrialization

By the mid-19th century, Hamilton had developed as a significant manufacturing city. Its early products were often machines and equipment used to process the region's farm produce, such as
steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs Work (physics), mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a Cylinder (locomotive), cyl ...
s, hay cutters, reapers, and threshers. Other production included machine tools, house hardware, saws for mills, paper, paper making machinery, carriages, guns, whiskey, beer, woolen goods, and myriad and diverse output made from metal, grain, and cloth. By the early 20th century, the town was a heavy-manufacturing center for vaults and safes, machine tools, cans for vegetables, paper, paper-making machinery, locomotives, frogs and switches for railroads, steam engines, diesel engines, foundry products, printing presses, and automobile parts. During the two World Wars, its factories manufactured war materiel,
Liberty ship Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...
engines, and gun lathes. Manufacturers used coke to feed furnaces. Its by-product, gas, fueled street lights. The Great Miami River valley, in which Hamilton was located, had become an industrial giant. The Butler County Courthouse, constructed between 1885 and 1889, was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
because of its monumental architecture. The city has three historic districts: Dayton Lane, German Village, and Rossville. Like Cincinnati, Hamilton attracted many German and Italian immigrants from the mid-19th century on, whose influence was expressed in culture, food, and architecture. Hamilton also had a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
community; with increased immigration by Eastern European Jews, they founded Beth Israel Synagogue in 1901 as an Orthodox alternative to Hamilton's
Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...
synagogue, which had been founded by German Jews in the 1880s, when nearby Cincinnati was a center of Reform Judaism in the United States. At the time around 250 Jewish families lived in Hamilton.Jones, Richard O
"Beth Israel celebrates 100 years"
, '' JournalNews'', October 24, 2011.
Beth Israel History
, Synagogue website, retrieved November 4, 2008.


Great Miami River Flood 1913

Geographic and geological evidence shows that floods have occurred throughout the valley since prehistoric times. Since European-American settlement, diaries, anecdotes, folk tales, letters, and official records have provided documentation of relatively common severe floods in 1814, 1828, 1832, 1847, 1866, 1883, 1897, 1898, and 1907. In March 1913, the greatest flood occurred in Hamilton. Heavy rain fell over the entire watershed, and the ground was frozen as well as saturated from previous lighter rains. This resulted in a high rate of run-off from the rain: an estimated 90% flowed directly into the streams, creeks, and rivers. Between 9 and 11 inches (23 to 28 cm) of rain fell over five days, March 25 to 29, 1913. An amount equivalent to about 30 days' discharge of water over
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...
flowed through the Miami Valley during the ensuing flood. In the Great Miami River Valley, 360 persons died, about 200 of whom were from Hamilton. Some drowned, some were washed away and never found, others died from various diseases and complications, and some committed
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
because of severe losses. Damage in the valley was calculated at $100 million, the equivalent of $2 billion in 21st-century value. The flood waters were so powerful that within two hours they destroyed all four of Hamilton's bridges: Black Street, High-Main Street, Columbia, and the CH&D railroad. In Hamilton, the flood waters rose with unexpected and frightening suddenness, reaching over 3 to 8 feet in depth in downtown, and up to 18 feet in the North End, along Fifth Street and through South Hamilton Crossing. The waters spread from D Street on the west to what is now Erie Highway on the east. The waters' rise was so swift that many people were trapped in the upper floors of businesses and houses. In some cases, people had to escape to their attics, and then break through the roof as the waters rose even higher. Temperatures hovered near freezing. The water current varied, but in constricted locations it raced at more than 20 miles per hour. Dead people, more than 1,000 drowned horses, other drowned livestock and pets, and sewage tainted the water. Nearly one-third of Hamilton's population (10,000 of 35,000) was left homeless and displaced. Thousands of houses were destroyed by the flood; afterward, many were too damaged to repair had to be demolished by city workers. Following the 1913 flood, residents realized that the only way to prevent future flooding was to deal with protection on a watershed basis. Citizens from all the major cities in the Miami Valley— Piqua,
Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...
,
Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
,
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
, Franklin, Miamisburg, Middletown, and Hamilton—gathered together to find a solution and worked with legislative representatives to draft enabling legislation to create the Miami Conservancy District. The legislation was passed by the state and signed into law by Governor James Cox. The Miami Conservancy District withstood several legal challenges, and by 1915 it hired an engineering staff to develop plans for valley-long channel improvements, levees, and storage basins to temporarily retain excessive rains. The system was designed to withstand rains and flows that would be up to 40% greater than those of the 1913 flood. It was completed in 1923. Since then, the system has retained excess water more than 1,000 times, thereby preventing flooding. The Miami Conservancy District was the first of its kind in the nation and has been an example of flood control protection. It is unique for having been developed, built, and supported financially just by those who benefit. The Miami Conservancy District is financially supported by an assessment on each property that was affected by the 1913 flood, related to the present value of the property because it is not at risk of flooding. All the other areas within the District are assessed because they benefit by reducing or eliminating danger to infrastructure, commerce, and transportation.


20th century to present

In the 1920s, many
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
gangster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''Organized crime, mob'' and the suffix ''wikt:-ster, -st ...
s established second homes in Hamilton. This gave Hamilton the nickname "Little Chicago". Some of these men appeared to have invested in what became an active district of gambling and prostitution. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the military declared the entire city off-limits to its enlisted personnel because of its numerous gambling and prostitution establishments. Madame Freeze's and the long row of prostitution houses along Wood Street (now called Pershing Avenue) were notorious among soldiers. Factories in Hamilton converted their operations to support the war effort, manufacturing military supplies, such as tank turrets,
Liberty ship Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...
and submarine engines, and machined and stamped metal parts. With the 1950s came the construction of the new interstate highway,
I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end ...
, part of the nationwide system. It bypassed Hamilton after a decision made to reduce traffic through the city. As a result, businesses were drawn to areas outside Hamilton with easier access to I-75. Until 1999, when the Butler County Veterans Highway was built, Hamilton was the second-largest city in the United States without direct interstate access. In the late 20th century, industrial restructuring in heavy manufacturing resulted in widespread loss of jobs in older industrial cities, as operations were merged, relocated, and finally moved offshore. Like other
Rust Belt The Rust Belt, formerly the Steel Belt or Factory Belt, is an area of the United States that underwent substantial Deindustrialization, industrial decline in the late 20th century. The region is centered in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (Uni ...
cities in the northern tier, Hamilton has struggled to develop a new economy after such wide-scale changes, but it has retained more of its population than many such cities. In addition, since the late 20th century it has attracted new immigrants, primarily from
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
. On March 30, 1975, Easter Sunday, James Ruppert murdered 11 family members in his mother's house at 635 Minor Avenue in Hamilton, in what is referred to as the " Easter Sunday Massacre". The murders shocked the town of Hamilton and the entire country. This was the deadliest shooting inside a private residence in American history. On May 28, 1986, as part of a plan to increase publicity about Hamilton and boost its revitalization, the City Council voted 5 to 1 in favor of adding an exclamation point to the city's name, similar to the popular musical ''
Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...
''. Thus, Hamilton officially became Hamilton!. While at the time used extensively in the city's documents, letterheads, business cards and on local signage, the
United States Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a Federal government of the United States, federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geogr ...
did not include the exclamation point; nor did
Rand McNally Rand McNally is an American technology and publishing company that provides mapping software and hardware for consumer electronics, commercial transportation, and education markets. The company is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois with a di ...
maps. The exclamation point is generally no longer used. It is not in use on the Hamilton municipal website. In 2009 and 2015, the city won the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Awards for best-tasting municipal water for the United States; and in 2010, the gold medal for the best tasting water in the world. They also placed 3rd (2nd best in America) in 2014, 2017, and 2018; and 5th in 2022.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 63,399 people living in the city, for a population density of 2,955.66 people per square mile (1,141.18/km2). There were 27,392 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 74.6%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 9.9%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.4%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 6.1% from some other race, and 7.5% from two or more races. 10.0% of the population were
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race. There were 24,700 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 20.7% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 32.8% had a female householder with no spouse present. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 3.14. 23.4% of the city's population were under the age of 18, 61.4% were 18 to 64, and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.1. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. According to the U.S. Census
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
, for the period 2016-2020 the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $52,995, and the median income for a family was $62,579. About 19.6% of the population were living below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over. About 56.3% of the population were employed, and 14.9% had a bachelor's degree or higher.


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 62,477 people, 24,658 households, and 15,489 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 27,878 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.0%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 8.5%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 3.6% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 6.4% of the population. There were 24,658 households, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age in the city was 35.3 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 60,690 people, 24,188 households, and 15,867 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 25,913 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.94%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7.55%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.29% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.46% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.58% of the population. There were 24,188 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,365, and the median income for a family was $41,936. Males had a median income of $32,646 versus $23,850 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $17,493. About 10.6% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture

Hamilton has three designated Historic Districts: Dayton Lane, German Village, and Rossville. The industrial city is seeking to revitalize through the arts; it declared itself the "City of Sculpture" in 2000. That initiative has since attracted many sculpture installations to the city, which founded the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park.


Library system

The Lane Public Library is located in an architecturally significant building in the heart of German Village. Built in 1866 by local philanthropist Robert Clark Lane, the library building has since been improved by six separate renovations and expansion projects. Lane donated the first collection of materials to the library, approximately 3,000 books. Today, the collection numbers over 123,000. It has a local history room, which also has materials related to genealogy. The library also features the Lane Libraries Community Technology Center, located on the ground floor of the historic Robinson-Schwenn Building in downtown Hamilton.


Sports

Hamilton was home to
minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
in 1884, 1889, 1911 and 1913, as the Hamilton Mechanics played as members of the Ohio State League. The Hamilton Joes are a
collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
team that competes in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, which is one of eight leagues formed under the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball. The club was named after Cincinnati Reds baseball player and broadcaster Joe Nuxhall. The Joes inaugural season was in 2009. They won the GLSCL championship in 2010 and 2016. There have been 40 former Joes drafted or signed into professional baseball. West Side Little League of Hamilton has been to the
Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children (primarily boys) aged 10 to 12 years old, held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for th ...
contested in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in , , , , and . In 2021, they won the Tom Seaver bracket and advanced to the championship game, where they lost to a team from Taylor, Michigan. West Side Little League has also won the state championship 19 times since 1988 in the majors division.


Government

Hamilton City Council consists of seven members who are elected in non-partisan elections at staggered intervals and serve four-year terms. They elect a mayor within the council, and together select and appoint a professional city manager to operate the city. Operating as the legislative branch of the city, the Council provides policy direction to the City Manager. The judge of the municipal court is also an elected official. The City Manager operates as chief executive officer, directing a workforce of more than 675 permanent employees and a $400+ million budget. The city also maintains a Public Safety Director for the city, responsible for police protection, staffed by more than 110 full-time professionals, and fire protection, staffed by more than 110 full-time fire fighters."City Manager's Office"
Hamilton City website, accessed March 30, 2015
The current mayor of Hamilton is Patrick Moeller and the city manager is Craig R. Bucheit. The city's council-manager government was established in 1926, based then on election by
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (Political party, political parties) amon ...
with a single transferable vote. Kathleen L. Barber
''PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION AND ELECTION REFORM IN OHIO'' (excerpt)
, Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1995, pp. Introduction
This system was developed to try to meet the rapidly changing needs of cities with their growing immigrant populations. "The PR STV ballot allows voters to rank order their choices in either at-large or multimember district elections. With each ballot ultimately counting toward the election of one candidate, voters' preferences can be transferred to second or subsequent choices if their most preferred candidate is already elected or has no chance of election, thus maximizing the proportion of effective votes and permitting minorities to win their share of seats." Hamilton was one of several major Ohio cities that adopted the single transferable vote form of elections in the early 20th century; Ashtabula was the first in 1915. This system was considered more progressive than plurality voting, with winner take all, and the
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
election system found in some cities, which also benefited the majority and generally succeeded in preventing minorities from gaining office. Use of single transferable vote resulted in more minorities, including women, being able to enter politics and attain positions on city councils which they likely otherwise would not have gained in at-large voting. Under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a significant minority is that representing 5% or more of the population. The success of single transferable vote nationally led to a political backlash from bosses and parties that lost power. In Hamilton, opponents mounted numerous campaigns to repeal the charter, finally succeeding after four failed referendums in 12 years. Since the city of Hamilton returned to plurality voting, the African-American minority has less frequently been able to win seats on the council.Douglas J. Amy, "A Brief History of Proportional Representation in the United States"
, revised version of "The Forgotten History of the Single Transferable Vote in the United States," in ''Representation'' 34, number 1 (Winter 1996/7), accessed March 30, 2015
In 2015, however, city council members include two women (white) and an African-American man; other members are white males.


Education

Hamilton is served by the Hamilton City School District, which operates Hamilton High School. The district has underway a major $200 million capital program including the construction of eight elementary schools, a freshman school, two completely renovated middle schools, and an upgraded high school with two new gyms, a new media center, six new classrooms and a new cafeteria. In 2002, President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
visited Hamilton and signed the
No Child Left Behind Act The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was a 2002 United States Act of Congress promoted by the presidential administration of George W. Bush. It reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and included Title I provisio ...
into law at Hamilton High School. The Talawanda City School District and Talawanda High School in
Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion ...
serves a small portion of the city. The Ross Local School District and Ross High School operate outside the city proper, serving a small portion of the city and surrounding rural area. Father Stephen T. Badin High School, a private Catholic high school of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and several Catholic elementary schools (St. Ann Catholic School, St. Peter in Chains School, St. Joseph Consolidated School, Sacred Heart of Jesus School and Queen of Peace School), serve the city and surrounding area. Richard Allen Schools, a
charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
system, has a campus in Hamilton: Richard Allen Academy.
Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...
, based in
Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion ...
, has a regional campus in Hamilton. Miami University Hamilton opened in 1968 and now has more than 5,000 students.


Transportation

Hamilton station is currently unused. It previously serviced passenger trains to Detroit (until 1971), Chicago, Washington, and New York City (until 2005). The Butler County Regional Transit Authority provides bus service in the city with connections to Middletown,
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, as well as Springdale, where riders can transfer to the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, which serves greater Cincinnati.


Notable people

* Denicos Allen, linebacker for
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
* William Allen (1827–1881), United States Congressman * Jim Blount, newspaper editor * Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner, guitarist (
Ohio Players Ohio Players are an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire" and " Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of the women were models f ...
) * Frank Clair, former
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
coach * Ray Combs (1956–1996), comedian and second host of '' Family Feud'' * Aaron Cook, professional baseball player * Thomas Eugene Creech, serial killer on death row in
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
* Sheehan Donoghue, Wisconsin assemblyman * Robert Dove, Parliamentarian of the U.S. Senate * Greg Dulli, musician * Byron Elliott, Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court * Warren Gard (1873–1929), United States congressman, lawyer * Kevin Grevey, professional basketball player * Ronald Hamilton, opera singer * Jon Hoke, secondary coach for the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
* William Dean Howells, author * Fannie Hurst, author * Steven Ittel, organometallic chemist * David Klarich, politician from Missouri * Eric Lange, actor ('' Lost'', ''Victorious'') * Mark Lewis, professional baseball player * Joshua L. Liebman, rabbi * John Martinkovic, NFL player * Robert McCloskey (1914–2003), author and illustrator of children's books * Patrick McCollum, nationally recognized naturalist, conservationist * Kevin McGuff, women's college basketball coach at
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
* Steve Morse, guitarist * William Pitt Murray, Minnesota politician and lawyer * Pamela Myers, actress * Jane Nelson, Texas Secretary of State * Joe Nuxhall, professional baseball player * Adam Pankey, NFL Offensive Tackle * Patricia Parris, voice actress * Mark Peck, New Zealand member of Parliament * Nan Phelps, artist * Katherine K. Preston, musicologist * Floyd "Breezy" Reid, American football running back *
Frederick Rentschler Frederick Brant Rentschler (November 8, 1887 – April 25, 1956) was an American aircraft engine designer, aviation engineer, industrialist, and the founder of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. Rentschler created and manufactured many revolutiona ...
, aircraft engine designer, aviation engineer, and industrialist * Charles Richter, seismologist and creator of Richter scale * Glen Edward Rogers (1962-2025), American serial killer * Bonnie Rotten, pornographic actress * James Ruppert (1934-2022), murderer * George A. Sanderson, 13th Secretary of the United States Senate * Paul Sarringhaus, NFL player * David Shaw, musician * Fannie Douglass Smith, journalist * Simon Stepaniak, NFL player * Van Stephenson, musician * John Cleves Symmes Jr., soldier, philosopher * Pat Tabler, professional baseball player and broadcaster * Jim Tracy, professional baseball player and manager * Roger Troutman, singer, songwriter * Scott Walker, musician, singer, member of the Walker Brothers *
Brad Warner Brad Warner (born March 5, 1964) is an American Sōtō, Sōtō Zen teacher, author, blogger, documentarian and punk rock bass guitarist. Biography Brad Warner was born in Hamilton, Ohio, in 1964. His family traveled for his father's job and Warn ...
, zen priest and author * Andrew R. Wheeler, lawyer and Acting Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) * Jane Delaplaine Wilson, author, daughter of Joshua Deleplane, one of the pioneer settlers of Ohio * Jimmy Wynn, MLB player


References


Sources

* Jim Blount. ''The 1900s: 100 Years In the History of Butler County, Ohio.'' Hamilton, Ohio: Past Present Press, 2000. * Butler County Engineer's Office. ''Butler County Official Transportation Map, 2003''. Fairfield Township, Butler County, Ohio: The Office, 2003.
"Butler County Transit"
Cincinnati-Transit website


External links


City website
* {{Authority control Cities in Ohio Cities in Butler County, Ohio 1791 establishments in the United States Populated places established in 1791