Nelsonville, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nelsonville, Ohio
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Nelsonville Historic District in 2019
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Location of Nelsonville in Athens County
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 Nelsonville, Ohio
Location in Ohio
Nelsonville, Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Athens |
| Township | York |
| Established | 1814 (settled) 1838 (incorporated) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.78 sq mi (12.39 km2) |
| • Land | 4.68 sq mi (12.12 km2) |
| • Water | 0.11 sq mi (0.27 km2) |
| Elevation | 702 ft (214 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,612 |
| • Density | 985.89/sq mi (380.62/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
45764
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| Area code(s) | 740 |
| FIPS code | 39-53886 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395168 |
| Website | https://cityofnelsonville.org/ |
Nelsonville is a city in Athens County, Ohio, in the United States. It is located about 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Columbus. In 2020, about 5,373 people lived there.
Nelsonville is home to Hocking College and the company Rocky Brands. The city is also surrounded by Ohio's only national forest, the Wayne National Forest.
Contents
History of Nelsonville
Nelsonville was first settled in 1814 by Daniel Nelson. It officially became a city in 1838. Charles Cable was the first mayor.
In the mid-1800s, Nelsonville grew into a busy town. It was known for its coal, clay, and salt industries. The city had a large hotel called The Dew House and a popular theater, Stuart's Opera House. Both are on the Public Square.
During the American Civil War in July 1863, Confederate soldiers led by John Hunt Morgan stopped in Nelsonville. They burned ten wooden canal boats. They tried to burn a covered bridge, but citizens quickly put out the fire. This helped Union soldiers who arrived later to continue chasing the Confederates. The townspeople even prepared a feast for the Union soldiers!
In 1888, Nelsonville was the first city west of the Allegheny Mountains to have electric street lights all over town.
Nelsonville is recognized as a "Preserve America Community." Its main business area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Dew House and Stuart's Opera House are also listed separately.
The city was famous for making bricks from its rich clay. Many of these bricks were glazed paving bricks, some with a unique star pattern. You can still see these "Star Bricks" on sidewalks in the historic district.
For many years, the main factory in Nelsonville was Rocky Shoes & Boots. While the factory moved overseas, the company still has its corporate offices and a new Rocky Gear Store in the original factory building.
Geography of Nelsonville
Nelsonville is located along the Hocking River. Monday Creek flows through the eastern part of the city. One of its main streets, Canal Street, is built over where the old Hocking Canal used to be.
The city covers about 5 square miles (13 km²). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Nelsonville is on U.S. Route 33. A new bypass road around the city was finished in December 2013.
People of Nelsonville
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1830 | 73 | — | |
| 1860 | 741 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,080 | 45.7% | |
| 1880 | 3,095 | 186.6% | |
| 1890 | 4,558 | 47.3% | |
| 1900 | 5,421 | 18.9% | |
| 1910 | 6,082 | 12.2% | |
| 1920 | 6,440 | 5.9% | |
| 1930 | 5,322 | −17.4% | |
| 1940 | 5,368 | 0.9% | |
| 1950 | 4,845 | −9.7% | |
| 1960 | 4,834 | −0.2% | |
| 1970 | 4,812 | −0.5% | |
| 1980 | 4,567 | −5.1% | |
| 1990 | 4,563 | −0.1% | |
| 2000 | 5,230 | 14.6% | |
| 2010 | 5,392 | 3.1% | |
| 2020 | 5,373 | −0.4% | |
| Sources: | |||
In 2020, the population of Nelsonville was 5,373 people.
According to the 2010 census, there were 5,392 people living in the city.
- About 94.2% of the people were White.
- 2.8% were African American.
- 0.5% were Native American.
- 0.3% were Asian.
- 1.7% were from two or more races.
- About 1.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average age in Nelsonville was about 25.1 years old.
- 17.4% of residents were under 18.
- 32.4% were between 18 and 24.
- 24.4% were between 25 and 44.
- 16.7% were between 45 and 64.
- 9% were 65 or older.
Things to Do in Nelsonville (Tourism)
Nelsonville's Public Square is a fun place to visit. It has shops, restaurants, and banks. The square is decorated with the special local Star Bricks.
Stuart's Opera House
Stuart's Opera House, built in 1879, is Ohio's last fully working opera house on a second floor. It hosts over 75 events each year. These include the Annual Nelsonville Music Festival, concerts, plays, and films. Local theater groups, like the ABC Players, perform here.
The Dew Hotel is also on the Public Square. Famous presidents like William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt campaigned from its balcony.
Rocky Brands Store
Rocky Brands started in Nelsonville in 1932 as the Wm. Brooks Co. Its main office is still in the city. The old shoe factory is now the Rocky Outdoor Gear Store. It has three floors of outdoor clothing, home goods, and boots.
Nelsonville Cross
The Nelsonville Cross was put up on Kontner's Hill in 1973. It is a memorial from Mr. Walter L. Schwartz to his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Smith Schwartz. The cross is 65 feet (20 meters) tall and 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) wide. It is made of metal and is porcelain white. At night, it lights up and has been called the "World's Largest Metal Cross."
Brick Kiln Park
Brick Kiln Park is where the Nelsonville Brick Company used to be. In the 1800s, the Hocking Valley area had lots of natural clay. Many brick companies started here. The Nelsonville Brick Company began in 1877. They made many types of bricks, including the famous Nelsonville Block and Star Brick.
By 1880, they expanded and built more kilns. They made about 25 million blocks and bricks every year! Their products were shipped all over the Midwest by train. The Nelsonville Block was very popular. It even won first prize at the World's Fair in St. Louis in 1904.
The company closed in 1937 because of the Great Depression and the new use of concrete. Some of the old kilns and stacks from 1880 still stand today. Efforts are being made to save them.
Hocking College Attractions
Hocking College offers several fun places to visit:
- Robins Crossing: This is a restored pioneer village. It has old log cabins, a general store, a schoolhouse, and a blacksmith's shop. You can see demonstrations of pioneer life on weekends during warmer months. It's on the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway route and the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway.
- Hocking Woods Nature Center: Here, visitors can learn about animals that live in the region.
Hockhocking Adena Bikeway
The Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is an 18-mile (29 km) long bicycle path. It connects Nelsonville to Athens. The part of the bikeway in Nelsonville runs from Hocking Technical College to the Public Square. It's great for walking, running, biking, and even cross-country skiing.
Hocking Valley Scenic Railway
The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway started in the 1870s. Today, it offers fun train rides from Nelsonville to Logan, going through the Hocking Hills. They have special train rides throughout the year, like:
- Easter Train
- North Pole Express
- Fall Foliage Trips
- Haunted Hills Train
- Santa Train
The Nelsonville Yards were once the busiest railroad yards in Ohio. Now, these trains offer relaxing trips to see the beautiful scenery of Southeastern Ohio.
Adventure Pro Outdoors
Adventure Pro Outdoors opened in 2020. It offers many outdoor activities in Nelsonville, including:
- Canoeing, kayaking, and tubing on the Hocking River.
- Guided UTV tours and Polaris Slingshot rentals.
- A primitive camp and a retail gear shop.
These activities offer great views because they are in the Wayne National Forest and along the Hocking River. Most activities run from April to October.
Wayne National Forest
The Wayne National Forest is Ohio's only national forest. It surrounds Nelsonville. This forest covers over a quarter million acres of hills in southeastern Ohio. It has Ohio's largest collection of ATV trails. You can enjoy hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, ATV riding, and bird watching here. The forest headquarters are just outside Nelsonville, overlooking the Hocking River.
Education in Nelsonville
Students in Nelsonville attend schools in the Nelsonville-York City School District. This includes Nelsonville-York High School.
The Tri-County Career Center is a vocational school that works with several local school districts.
Nelsonville also has a public library. It is the main branch of the Athens County Public Libraries system. This library system has locations in Athens, Chauncey, Glouster, and other nearby towns.
Notable people
- Estel Crabtree – A professional baseball player.
- Robert T. Oestreicher – The 45th mayor of Columbus, Ohio.
- Sarah Jessica Parker – An award-winning actress.
- James B. Preston – A professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University.
- Eugenia Sheppard – An American fashion writer.
- Phebe Sudlow – A professor at the University of Iowa.
- Erica Terwillegar – An American Olympic luger.
- Lloyd Thomas – A naval aviator.
- Jacqueline Woodson – An award-winning children's author.
- Catherine Woolley – A neuroendocrinologist (a scientist who studies the brain and hormones).
- Dave Wyatt – A baseball infielder and manager in the Negro leagues.
See also
In Spanish: Nelsonville (Ohio) para niños
