Mansfield, Ohio
—  City  —
City of Mansfield
Skyline of downtown Mansfield
Seal
Nickname(s): The Fun Center of Ohio Little Detroit (local nickname)
Motto: "The Heart of Ohio"
Location within the state of Ohio
Coordinates: 40°45′N 82°31′W / 40.750°N 82.517°W / 40.750; -82.517Coordinates: 40°45′N 82°31′W / 40.750°N 82.517°W / 40.750; -82.517
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Richland
Founded	1808
Incorporated	1828 (village)
-	1857 (city)
Government
• Mayor	Timothy Theaker (R)
Area[1]
• City	30.92 sq mi (80.08 km2)
• Land	30.87 sq mi (79.95 km2)
• Water	0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2)
Elevation	1,242.66 ft (378.76 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• City	47,821
• Estimate (2011[3])	47,483
• Density	1,549.1/sq mi (598.1/km2)
• Metro	124,475
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	44900-44999
Area code(s)	419/567
FIPS code	39-47138[4]
GNIS feature ID	1056410[5]
Website	www.ci.mansfield.oh.us

Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County.^[6] The municipality is located in north-east/north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately 66 miles (106 km) southwest of Cleveland and 66 miles (106 km) 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 2010 Census showed that the city had a total population of 47,821,^[7] making it Ohio's nineteenth largest city.

According to the 2010 Census, the Mansfield, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a population of 124,475 residents,^[8] while the Mansfield-Bucyrus, OH Combined Statistical Area (CSA) has 168,259 residents.^[9]

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," the "Leather Bar Capital of Ohio," and "Racing Capital of Ohio".^[10]

History [edit]

Mansfield was first settled in 1808 and was named for Jared Mansfield, the U.S. Surveyor General who directed its planning.^[11] 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 1872 Mansfield became known for the historic Penny Guinness murder, in which an eight year old child was killed and left dead in her bed for several days. The case was never solved but remains to be a popular topic of folklore in Mansfield. ^[12] By 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.^[12] 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.

This section requires expansion. (April 2011)

Geography [edit]

Topography [edit]

Aerial photo with points of interest

Mansfield is located at 40°45′17″N 82°31′22″W / 40.75472°N 82.52278°W / 40.75472; -82.52278 (40.754856, -82.522855),^[13] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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 30.92 square miles (80.08 km²), of which, 30.87 square miles (79.95 km²) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²) is water.^[1]

Climate [edit]

Mansfield has a humid continental climate (Köppen 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 an average mean temperature of 26.0 °F (−3 °C).^[14] Temperatures occasionally drop below 0 °F (−18 °C) around 7 days per year.^[14] 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. Snowfall averages 48.8 inches (124 cm) per season.^[14] The greatest 24-hour snowfall was 23 inches (58 cm) on December 22–23, 2004 when the city was impacted by a major ice storm following the Pre-Christmas 2004 snowstorm, bringing with it a band of freezing rain and sleet led by ice and snow accumulations.^[15] Another notable snowstorm to impact the region was the Great Blizzard of 1978. The snowiest winter of record was 1995-96 when 91 inches (230 cm) of snow fell.^[16] 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 (32 °C) around 6 days per year.^[14] July is the warmest month with an average mean temperature of 71.8 °F (22 °C).^[14] Fall usually is the dryest season with many clear warm days and cool nights. Severe Thunderstorms are 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 inches (158 mm) of rain in 24 hours.^[17]

The all-time record high temperature in Mansfield of 105 °F (41 °C) 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 (−32 °C) was set on January 15, 1929.^[14][18] The mean annual temperature is 49.8 °F (9.9 °C).^[14] Normal yearly precipitation based on the 30-year average from 1981-2010 is 44.19 inches (1,122 mm).^[14]

Cityscape [edit]

Welcome sign

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. The area known as "The Flats" was derived from being the lowest area of the city which consists of peaks and valleys. It formerly was the hub of nightlife activity with many taverns, restaurants and hotels. The area has since gone through an urban renewal and most of the area referred to as "The Flats" have been revitalized with the main attraction being the large Post Office complex.

Demographics [edit]

2010 census [edit]

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 47,821 people, 18,696 households, and 10,655 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.1 inhabitants per square mile (598.1 /km²). There were 22,022 housing units at an average density of 713.4 per square mile (275.4 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 22.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 18,696 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the city was 38.5 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 15.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.0% male and 47.0% female.

2000 census [edit]

As of the census^[4] 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.^[19]

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.^[19]

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.^[19]

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.^[19]

Law and government [edit]

Mansfield Municipal Building

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 Timothy Theaker, a Republican who is currently in his first term.^[20]

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.^[21] Democrat Phillip Scott has been Mansfield's council president since November 2007.^[22]

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.^[23] During the 2008 Presidential election, although Barack Obama carried Ohio, John McCain carried Richland County.^[24]

Regional representatives [edit]

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 [edit]

The City of Mansfield is policed by a Municipal Police Department, the Mansfield Division of Police.^[25] 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.^[26] 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).^[27]

Economy [edit]

Mansfield's greatest period of industrial development led by the city's stove manufacturing industries, including Westinghouse Electric Corporation and the Tappan Stove Company.^[28] By the late 1920s, Westinghouse had become the city's largest employer, specializing in electric lighting, industrial heating and engineering, and home appliances.^[29]

AK Steel Mansfield Works production facility

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,^[30] 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.^[31] On June 1, 2009, General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced that its Ontario stamping plant (Mansfield-Ontario Metal Center) would close in June 2010.^[32]

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 machine shop of The Gorman-Rupp Company

The city has a sought to diversify its economy to become less dependent on its struggling manufacturing sector. Remaining manufacturers in Mansfield include steel manufacturer AK Steel, Honda Supplier Newman Technology Incorporated, generator manufacturer Hyundai Ideal Electric Company,^[33] thermostats manufacturer Therm-O-Disc,^[34] pumps manufacturer The Gorman-Rupp Company,^[35] plumbing manufacturer Crane Plumbing,^[36] carousel manufacturer The Carousel Works,^[37] and Mansfield Engineered Components,^[38] a designer and manufacturer of motion control components for the appliance, transportation, medical casegoods and general industrial markets. Mansfield's healthcare industry includes MedCentral Health System, the city's largest employer and the largest in Richland County.^[39] The hospital is the city's primary provider of health care and serves as the major regional trauma center for north-central Ohio.^[40]

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.^[41]

Film industry [edit]

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.^[42] 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,^[43] 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.

Culture [edit]

Annual events and fairs [edit]

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.^[44]

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 [edit]

Oak Hill Cottage, Mansfield, Ohio: Carpenter Gothic trim on a brick house in the manner of A.J. Davis's Rural Residences

Mansfield is home to the old Ohio State Reformatory, constructed between 1886 and 1910 to resemble a German castle. The supervising architect was F. F. Schnitzer, who was responsible for construction and was presented with a silver double inkwell by the governor of the state in a lavish ceremony to thank him for his services. The reformatory is located north of downtown Mansfield on Ohio 545, and has been the location for many major films,^[45] 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.^[46][47]

Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, founded in 1889 houses the Mansfield Memorial Museum.

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.^[48] 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.^[49] Located in the Woodland neighborhood, the Mansfield Art Center, opened in 1945, is a visual arts organization.^[50] The Living Bible Museum (aka "BibleWalk") opened in 1987, is Ohio's only life-size wax museum.^[51] Architect F.B. Hursh designed several large residences and some of the area's churches in the early 20th century.^[52] 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 [edit]

Mansfield has 33 parks ranging in size from the 1/2 acre Betzstone Park to the 35-acre (140,000 m²) South Park.^[53] 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.^[54]

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.^[55][56] Kingwood Center, a 47-acre (190,000 m²) 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.^[57][58] Snow Trails Ski Resort is Ohio's oldest ski resort, opened in 1961, and highest at 1,475 feet (450 m). With 16 runs, it is one of the few skiing locations in Ohio.^[59]

The Richland B & O Bike Trail, opened in 1995 and operated by the Richland County Park District, is a paved 18.3-mile (29.5 km) 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 [edit]

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.^[60] The downtown area is the home of the Mansfield Playhouse, Ohio's second oldest, and one of its most successful, community theatres.^[61]

Safety Town [edit]

In 2012 Mansfield celebrated the 75th anniversary of Safety Town, a free program developed in Mansfield for pre-kindergarten children about pedestrian safety. Over the years the program, through the efforts of the National Safety Town Center, has been improved to include all aspects of child safety. Programs operate in over 4000 communities in the US and 38 other countries.

Media [edit]

The Mansfield News Journal's editorial headquarters in downtown Mansfield.

Mansfield is part of the greater Cleveland and Akron markets. Mansfield is served in print by the Mansfield News Journal, the city's only daily newspaper.^[62]

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 locally owned Mid-State MultiMedia properties of WVNO-FM (106.1) and ESPN Radio WRGM 97.3FM / AM1440, also heard in the market WOSV (91.7FM) NPR News and classical music station, WVMC (90.7FM) Mansfield Christian music station, WYHT (105.3FM) pop/rock, WVNO-FM(106.1) adult contemporary, and WMAN, a news/talk radio station.

Mid-State Multimedia Group, Mansfield's only locally owned media outlet. WMFD-TV, WOHZ-CA, WRGM FM-AM, WVNO FM, WMFD.com

Mansfield's local television station is WMFD-TV(WMFD-DT 68.1) (part of Mid-State Mulitmedia Group) - The First Independent Digital station in America. Among the station's more popular programs is four hours of NewsWatch HD Now in High-definition television at 5,6,10 and 11pm, local High School football and basketball and extensive local programming. WOHZ-CA(WMFD-DT 68.2) offers local weather information, local advertising and an audio simulcast of co-owned WVNO-FM 106.1, along with various local sports events, public affairs and educational/informational programs.

Education [edit]

Mansfield Public Schools enroll 4,707 students in public primary and secondary schools.^[63] 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 along with St. Peter's Junior High and St. Peter's Elementary School and two Christian schools, Mansfield Christian School and Temple Christian School. The Madison Local School District serves eastern parts of Mansfield, neighboring Madison, Mifflin, and Washington townships.

Mansfield is home to three institutions of higher learning. The Ohio State University has a regional campus at Mansfield,^[64] North Central State College, a community college that shares the Mansfield Campus with OSU.^[65] and Ashland University's Dwight Schar College of Nursing, a private institution that has a new facility in Mansfield getting ready to open in the fall of 2012 offers programs of study in nursing.^[66]

Libraries [edit]

Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, the main branch in downtown Mansfield.

The Mansfield/Richland County Public Library (M/RCPL) has been serving residents of north-central Ohio since 1887.^[67] 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.

Transportation [edit]

Rail [edit]

Three railroads previously served Mansfield, but currently only two, the Norfolk Southern and the Ashland Railway,^[68] 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-mile (29.5 km) section from Butler to North Lake Park in Mansfield was opened in 1995 as the recreational Richland B & O Bike Trail.^[69][70] 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-mile (90.9 km) 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 [edit]

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. The Lincoln Highway Association is observing the centennial in June 2013. The eastern transcontinental tour group visits Mansfield for an overnight stay June 25, staying at the Holiday Inn on Park Avenue West, the highway's route through the city.

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.

U.S. Route 30 (Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway) near the Ohio 13 (Main Street) exit in Mansfield.

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 miles (5.6 km) to Interstate 71 (full-access interchange) and runs another 3.7 miles (6.0 km) and turns back into a two-lane highway just 2 miles (3.2 km) 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).^[54]

Public transportation [edit]

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.^[71] Mansfield Checker Cab operates local and regional taxi service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.^[72] C & D Taxi also operates local and regional taxi service (Richland and Ashland Counties) seven days a week.

Air [edit]

Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (IATA: MFD, IACO: KMFD, FAA LID: MFD), a city-owned and operated, joint usage facility with global ties, located 3 miles (4.8 km) north of downtown Mansfield.^[73] 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.^[74] Mansfield is located 57 miles from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and 60 miles from Port Columbus International Airport (CMH).

Special interest [edit]

• Johnny Appleseed, American pioneer & conservationist^[75]
• The Shawshank Redemption, which was filmed in and around Mansfield
• Elektro, eight robots built by the Westinghouse Corporation in Mansfield.

From the Native American uprising during the war of 1812.

• 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 [edit]

Mansfield has two sister cities:^[76]

• - Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England^[77][78]
• - Tamura, Fukushima, Japan^[78]

See also [edit]

Ohio portal

• List of people from Mansfield, Ohio

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mansfield, Ohio

• Mansfield's official website
• Mansfield/Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Main Street Mansfield
• Mansfield travel guide from Wikivoyage
• The Great Fire of 1871
• The St. James Hotel fire in 1890
• "American Idle" from The Nation (January 21, 2010)

v t e Municipalities and communities of Richland County, Ohio, United States County seat: Mansfield Cities Galion‡ Mansfield Ontario Shelby Villages Bellville Butler Crestline‡ Lexington Lucas Plymouth‡ Shiloh Townships Blooming Grove Butler Cass Franklin Jackson Jefferson Madison Mifflin Monroe Perry Plymouth Sandusky Sharon Springfield Troy Washington Weller Worthington Unincorporated communities Olivesburg Ghost towns Newville Winchester Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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