Bellaire, Ohio

Bellaire, Ohio
—  Village  —
Ohio side of the Bellaire Bridge
Nickname(s): The All-American Town
Location of Bellaire, Ohio
Coordinates: 40°0′59″N 80°44′44″W
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Belmont
Government
• Mayor	Vince DiFabrizio
Area
• Total	1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2)
• Land	1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	666 ft (203 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	4,278
• Density	2,064.6/sq mi (797.1/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	43906
Area code(s)	740
FIPS code	39-05074
GNIS feature ID	1060860
Website	bellaireohio.net

Bellaire is a village in Belmont County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,278 at the 2010 census. The village is located along the Ohio River. The Bellaire toll bridge (now abandoned and closed) was filmed in the 1991 motion picture The Silence of the Lambs; its curved railroad viaduct and bridge over the Ohio were featured in the 2010 film Unstoppable.

History

Native Americans

Mound builders occupied the area though it is believed that no permanent settlement was ever within the present-day city limits. The Mingoes, Shawnees and Delawares (to a lesser extent) were know to have frequented the area.

Europeans

The first documented European visitors to the Ohio River Valley and the Bellaire were French trappers and priests in the early and mid 1700s. They were impressed with the river's heavily wooded and hilly shores, and with the abundance of fish and wildlife.

Beginnings of Bellaire

George Washington had notably explored the Ohio River Valley and, after the Revolutionary War, had passed out land parcels to his soldiers. The ownership of the land changed hands sporadically until both John Rodefer and Jacob Davis purchased a shared majority. In 1834 they realized that they had a desirable location for a village. Six acres of building lot sites were surveyed above what is today Twenty-Seventh Street West toward Belmont Street. It was named Bell Air after Jacob Davis's former home in Maryland. Soon after, many lots were purchased and the town began to grow. The first big boost for growth came with the building of the Central Ohio Railway (now Baltimore and Ohio) and the Stone Viaduct Bridge that carried it, thanks to Col. John Sullivan campaigning for the location to be in the area (renamed Bellaire by the railroad company to make it a stand-out location.)

Glass City era

Bellaire gained the title of "Glass City" for the period of 1870 to 1885. The area was blessed by great transportation, an energy source, and a skilled workforce. The transportation infrastructure included the Ohio River, the National Road, and railroads including the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Central Ohio Railroad. Coal was the local energy source, as Belmont County was part of the eastern Ohio coal region. Coal had been mined in Bellaire and floated down the Ohio River since the 1850s. Glassmaking had already begun across the river in Wheeling, West Virginia by the 1820s. Some of the glass making facilities of the time were Belmont Glass Works, Bellaire Window Glass Company, Star Glass Works, National Glass Manufacturing Company, Bellaire Goblet Works, Union Window Glass Company, and Enterprise Window Glass Company. In the next decade, the list also included the Bellaire Bottle Company, the Century Glass Company, and the Imperial Glass Company. The discovery of natural gas in the Fostoria, Ohio area meant that many in the Bellaire glassmaking industry moved west, and Fostoria became the new heart of the glassmaking industry.

Among dozens of local manufacturers, the Imperial Glass Company, founded in 1901 by riverman and financier Edward Muhleman, first made glass in 1904 and distinguished itself for mass production of attractive and affordable pressed glass tableware using continuous-feed melting tanks. One of the largest American handmade glass manufacturers during the 20th century, Imperial also produced blown glass, several lines of art glass, and its trademark "Candlewick" pattern. Bellaire's glassmaking era ended when the "Big I" closed its door in 1984, and the building was razed in 1995. Its diverse products remain highly prized by glass collectors.

Imperial Glass Museum

The museum contains displays of Imperial Glassware, as well as other Bellaire glassware, from the Ohio Valley Glass and Artifacts Museum.

The museum is dedicated to the glassware and people who worked at Imperial. The National Imperial Glass (NIG) Collectors Society hopes that by creating the museum they can keep alive the story of Imperial. Imperial was one of the largest and most diverse of the companies that made up the American handmade glass industry.

Economic boom and bust

The town grew, with many industries including glass, coal, steel, and enamel finding success in the immediate area. The population exploded to a modest 15,000, but the town has since been experiencing a 90-year decline.

Today

Bellaire is now mobilizing on creating new industries to bring the village back to its former grandeur.

Geography

Bellaire is located at 40°0′59″N 80°44′44″W (40.016257, -80.745627).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²). 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 0.56% is water.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	1,466		—
1870	4,033		175.1%
1880	8,025		99.0%
1890	9,934		23.8%
1900	9,912		−0.2%
1910	12,946		30.6%
1920	15,061		16.3%
1930	13,327		−11.5%
1940	13,799		3.5%
1950	12,573		−8.9%
1960	11,502		−8.5%
1970	9,655		−16.1%
1980	8,231		−14.7%
1990	6,028		−26.8%
2000	4,892		−18.8%
2010	4,278		−12.6%

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,278 people, 2,187 households, and 1,299 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,064.6 people per square mile (1,073.2/km²). There were 2,507 housing units at an average density of 1,425.4 per square mile (550.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 92.07% White, 5.70% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.31% of the population.

There were 2,110 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the village the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $19,480, and the median income for a family was $25,185. Males had a median income of $26,639 versus $16,101 for females. The per capita income for the village was $13,912. About 21.1% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.0% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.

During the Bituminous Coal Miners' Strike of 1894, the National Guard was called up to protect the region's coal mines, and on June 13, there was a violent clash between strikers and national guard troops just west of town.

Education

Bellaire is home to Bellaire High School, St. John Central Grade School, and St. John Central High School. Bellaire Public Library is housed in the Mellott Memorial Building.

Notable natives and residents

• Henry Crimmel, American Civil War veteran and co-founder of Sneath Glass Company^{[citation needed]}
• Jose Davis, former professional football quarterback in the Canadian Football League and Arena Football League
• Nate Davis, professional football quarterback in the National Football League
• Andy Dorris - former professional football defensive lineman in the NFL
• Joey Galloway, professional football wide receiver in the NFL
• Brickyard Kennedy ("Roaring Bill"), professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates
• Ted Levine, actor^{[citation needed]}
• Lance Mehl, former professional football linebacker for the New York Jets of the NFL
• Ben Taylor, former professional football linebacker in the NFL

External links

• Village website
• Neffs Fire Department
• http://www.ushistoricalarchive.com/mapimages/ohio/7.jpg