Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1972)

Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 1)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 1)

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[page 1]

[corresponds to front cover of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

[photo of Little Brown Jug winner]

WELCOME TO

DELAWARE, OHIO
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 2)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 2)

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[page 2]

[corresponds to inside of front cover of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

INTRODUCTION

[photo of farmland and downtown area]

The small-town flavor remains

but the pace is quickening as

Delaware, Ohio, meets the chal-

lenges of the fastest growth in its

165-year history.

At 17,500, its population has

already passed what only a few

years ago was projected for 1980. A

current study anticipates at least

26,000 residents within the next

eight to ten years. The Ohio

Department of Economic and Com-

munity Development has predicted

a population boom of 63.2 percent

for the county by the year 2000,

one of the fastest projected growth

rates in the state.

Right now, Delaware still

offers the "best of both worlds" --

the quiet of tree-lined streets and

familiar faces in business establish-

ments plus the services of a modern

small city enhanced by convenience

of a major city -- Columbus -- thirty

minutes away. Its hundred-year-old

brick homes find appreciative

owners and diligent restorers, but

new homes and apartment com-

plexes are also springing up in many

sections of town.
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 3)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 3)

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[page 3]

[corresponds to page 1 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

Citizens and public officials

are working to keep the features

that have always made Delaware

attractive to its long-time residents

and, more recently, to the indus-

tries which have joined its ranks

since the opening of an industrial

park in 1963. Expert planning

consultants have been retained to

guide the city in development of

new areas and expanding services.

Several features make Dela-

ware special: its central location

with accessibility to major high-

ways, the cultural enrichment

afforded by the presence of Ohio

Wesleyan University, and the an-

nual excitement of Grand Circuit

Harness Racing with the running of

the Little Brown Jug, one of the

sport's biggest races.

It is also in a growing recrea-

tion area, with water sports avail-

able on nearby rivers and at the

three reservoir watershed lakes in

the county. (A fourth is under

construction.)

There's a strong sense of

history in Delaware, which traces

its beginnings to the opening of the

Northwest Territory and claims

among its native sons the United

States' nineteenth president,

Rutherford B. Hayes. But there is

also a new feeling of greater days

ahead. As a recent city publication

stated it,

"The past is only a beginning."

[photos of OWU Commencement and a bicyclist]

1
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 4)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 4)

Description

[page 4]

[corresponds to page 2 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

THE CITY...

The first pioneer settlement in what is now

Delaware County was in 1801, when the area

was still occupied by the Delaware Indians from

whom it drew its name. An Indian village in this

area is shown on a 1755 map, and Mingoes and

other tribal groups had pre-Revolutionary

settlements along the trail from the lower Scioto

valley northward to the Sandusky Bay area.

Hundreds of years earlier, the Mound Builders

inhabited the area, leaving behind several

mounds in the county.

Originally a part of Virginia's claim,

Delaware County was formed in a division of

Ohio's Franklin County in 1808, the same year

the city was founded. It immediately became

the county seat and was seriously considered for

the state capital before Columbus was selected.

During the War of 1812, Delaware served as

headquarters for General Harrison, and some of

that war's soldiers are buried in area cemeteries.

But with the Treaty of Greenville in 1814, the

Indians left the area and the settlers poured in.

Among them were the parents of Ruther-

ford B. Hayes. Born in Delaware in 1822, he

later served as general in the Civil War, governor

of Ohio, and nineteenth president of the United

States. His wife, Lucy Webb Hayes, had come to

Delaware as a special student at Ohio Wesleyan

University in the days before it was officially

co-educational.

Ohio Wesleyan University was founded in

1842, taking for its first building the Mansion

House, built near a medicinal spring as a health

resort in 1833. It had been popular and

successful at first as the "Saratoga of the West,"

but failed after the Panic of 1837 and was

offered to the Methodists seeking to establish a

liberal arts college. The original building, now

called Elliott Hall, is still in use on the Wesleyan

campus and is one of three OWU buildings listed

in the National Registry.

The rivers flowing through the county and

the predominantly northern sympathies of its

settlers brought the pre-Civil War "underground

railway" through the area. Africa Road in

eastern Delaware County owes its name to a

long ago farmer's critical reference to neighbors'

assistance to fleeing slaves.

Street names in central Delaware read like a

roster of early settlers, and the Delaware County

Historical Society Museum at 157 East William

Street houses many relics from the earliest days.

Delaware's present challenges are less

dramatic than Indian raids and abolitionists'

efforts, but no less important to its citizens.

Coping with them, with the support of

interested citizens, is its city government, a

council-manager system with seven members

[photo]

DELAWARE COUNTY COURT HOUSE

[photo]

UNIVERSITY HALL, OHIO WESLEYAN

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 5)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 5)

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[page 5]

[corresponds to page 3 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

PAST AND PRESENT

serving four-year overlapping terms. They work

with an annual budget now at approximately $3

million, drawn mostly from the city's .0075

income tax and a 3 mill portion of the overal 45

mills per dollar valuation real estate tax.

This, too, reflects recent rapid growth.

With the income tax rate constant, income tax

revenue has increased from $375,000 in 1968 to

$541,000 in 1972, and the real estate base has

grown an average $2.7 million a year for the last

decade to a 1973 total of $67.6 million.

Agriculture, though a smaller portion of

Delaware's economic base than in earlier years,

still yields more than $13 million in farm

receipts annually. Diversified industry and

numerous retail and service establishments

provide a wide range of job opportunities

locally, and the level of unemployment is

consistently low.

Earlier planning for present growth is

bringing expansion of the city's water and

sewage systems. A major water treatment plant

expansion to double the present capacity should

be completed by late 1974. A new sewage

treatment plant with a projected capacity to

serve 25,000 people was recently completed.

The Delaware Reservoir provides the city with

an adequate water supply well into the future. A

county water system is also under development.

The added traffic of a larger population

requires an improved street network in and out

of town. Four-lane Route US 23 South makes

possible half-hour commuting for the many

Delaware residents who work in Worthington

and northern Columbus, and state highways US

37 and US 36 will soon provide four-lane

divided access to Interstate 71. Delaware's

location midway between Cleveland and Cin-

cinnati and its proximity to Columbus have

made it a convenient choice as home for

numerous sales representatives.

A federal grant is making possible the

upgrading of city intersections not already

improved, and other capital improvements are in

the plans. Federal funds were used in extensive

remodeling of the city's offices and are also

underwriting a new program for increased public

understanding of law enforcement methods and

procedures.

The city of Delaware has a Class 5 fire rate

by the Ohio Rating Bureau, recognizing the

protection of all areas of the city by

well-trained, well-equipped fire departments. Its

members also carry on an extensive fire training

program in all industrial plants in the city as well

as a safety program in the schools.

Delaware County is rated territory 39,

which allows residents the most reasonable

automobile insurance rate available in Ohio.

[photo]

MUNICIPAL BUILDING

[photo of President Hayes Memorial]

3
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 6)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 6)

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[page 6]

[corresponds to page 4 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

EDUCATION

Educational opportunities in the Delaware

area run the full range from pre-kindergarten

through graduate school, with city and county

public schools, a parochial school, a vocational

school and a school for retarded children under

construction, a sheltered workshop for adult

retarded in the county, Ohio Wesleyan Univer-

sity and The Methodist Theological School in

Ohio.

The Delaware city schools, serving about

3700 pupils, rank in the top 25 percent in Ohio

in enrollment and per pupil wealth. Its 33.9 mill

school tax comes just above the state median

and includes a building levy which has permitted

the system to make additions to buildings and

improve older facilities without additional

indebtedness. Last bond issue was in 1960 for

the Rutherford B. Hayes High School, and,

pending additional bonding for needed high

school improvements, that debt will be paid by

1980.

A four-quarter curriculum at the high

school level, initiated in 1972 as the "Delaware

Plan", is drawing national attention and

inquiries. It allows for four 45-day terms and an

optional summer term, giving students and their

families the choice of year-round school or

mid-year breaks if scheduled ahead. At the

middle school level (grades 6 to 8) team

teaching, with "executive teachers" assisted by

teacher interns, has been in effect for several

years. A high percentage of entering children

take advantage of the six-week pre-kindergarten

summer program, operated without tuition and

fully funded locally.

Delaware was among the first school

systems in the state to offer a full program for

the mentally impaired and also provides special

classes for the neurologically handicapped. Deaf,

blind, and crippled children attend special

classes in Columbus as tuition students.

The seven buildings in the system are

staffed by 198 professional persons, more than

[photo]

HAYES HIGH SCHOOL

[photo]

BEEGHLY LIBRARY, O.W.U.

[photo]

METHODIST THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL

[photo]

JOINT VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

(under construction)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 7)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 7)

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[page 7]

[corresponds to page 7 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

half with ten years or more experience, and

more than 25 percent with master's degrees.

About half of Delaware's high school graduates

go on to college.

St. Mary's School, adjoining the Catholic

Church in downtown Delaware, serves an

additional 300 pupils from city and county. It

offers grades one through eight, with a faculty

of twelve, including a full-time reading specialist.

Surrounding the Delaware School District

and dwarfing it in size is the three-district area

served by the county schools: Buckeye Valley

north and west, Big Walnut southeast, and

Olentangy south. Included in these districts,

each administered by its own Board of

Education, are three high, two middle and eight

elementary schools with a combined faculty of

365. They currently serve almost 8,000

students, but development of housing in the area

between Delaware and Columbus is rapidly

increasing that number, in some districts by

200-250 a year.

Services of educational specialists -- in

speech-hearing, reading disabilities, psychologi-

cal testing, etc. -- are coordinated through the

County Office of Education in Delaware, which

is also a film satellite center for the State Board

of Education, channeling available visual aids to

35,000 students in a four-county area.

City and County Boards are cooperating in

establishment of a Joint Vocational School,

voted in 1972 to be financed initially by a 3.7

mill levy on the real estate tax county-wide.

With construction under way at the site just east

of Delaware off Bowtown Road and Ohio 521,

it is hoped classes will begin in the 1974-75

school year. Present plans call for offerings in

agriculture, business office education, distribu-

tive education, home economics and trade and

industrial education including auto mechanics

and cosmetology now being taught at Hayes

High School.

Ohio Wesleyan University has been a part

of the Delaware educational atmosphere since its

founding in 1842 by pioneer Methodists. Its

women's college, founded in 1853, was merged

with the original school in 1877, connecting the

two campus areas to stretch for blocks through

the central area of town.

Considered one of the country's outstand-

ing liberal arts colleges, Ohio Wesleyan has an

enrollment of 2500 and an annual operating

budget of about $8.1 million, of which $5.5

million re-enters the Delaware economy in

salaries and wages for its 500 employees. Many

of its facilities are open to use by townspeople,

including the 340,000-volume Beeghly Library,

one of the finest liberal arts college collections

in the country. Its faculty and students are

active participants in community programs from

special studies of ecology problems and market

analysis to charity and blood donation drives.

Hundreds of its alumni return to the campus

each year for reunions and special events, and

many have chosen Delaware for their retirement

homes.

In 1973 OWU entered a ten-year $27

million development program seeking additional

funds to improve campus facilities, currently

valued at $25 million, and to add to its $15

million endowment.

A comparative newcomer to Delaware is

The Methodist Theological School which opened

classes in 1960. Its beautiful 69-acre campus is

just south of town in rolling, wooded country-

side. There is a student body of 255, drawn

largely from the midwest but including some

foreign students preparing for careers in

full-time Christian service. A faculty of 26

directs the studies leading to Master of Divinity,

M.A. in religious education, and (in cooperation

with other seminaries and universities), the

Doctor of Ministry degrees.

Other universities and colleges within a

30-mile radius of Delaware are:

Ohio State University -- Second largest

university in the country has its main campus in

north central Columbus, with more than 45,000

enrolled in its sixteen colleges and graduate

school.

Ohio Wesleyan University, Marion campus --

About 450 students attend classes day and

evening in the two-year college program located

about seventeen miles north of Delaware.

Otterbein College -- This established liberal

arts college, Methodist-related, has 1400 stu-

dents and is located in Westerville, southeast of

Delaware.

Capital University -- A private, Lutheran-

related liberal arts college, Capital is in the east

Columbus suburb of Bexley. Its 2,000 students

include those enrolled in Franklin Law School.

Ohio Dominican College -- Formerly St.

Mary of the Springs College and for women

only, this Catholic liberal arts college on

Columbus' east side now has a co-ed enrollment

of about 1,000.

Pontifical College Josephinum -- About 220

students are preparing for the Catholic priest-

hood at the Josephinum campus between

Delaware and Worthington.

Business and technical colleges in Colum-

bus include Bliss College, Columbus Business

University, Columbus College of Art and Design,

Columbus Drafting College and Columbus

Technical Institute.

5
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 8)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 8)

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[page 8]

[corresponds to unlabeled page 6 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

RELIGIOUS LIFE

The Delaware area's more than seventy

churches offer opporunities for worship and

service to members of almost all Protestant

denominations, and at St. Mary's Catholic

Church, elementary school classes as well. There

are Jewish synagogues in Columbus and, 20

miles north, in Marion, and a Unitarian church

in north Columbus.

Many Delaware churches trace their organi-

zations back to the town's earliest years. First

Presbyterian Church, organized in 1810, and St.

Peter's Episcopal, 1817, the city's two oldest,

continue to meet in buildings that date from the

mid-1800s and share a block on West Winter

Street. Just a block away, William Street

Methodist Church, which began in 1818,

occupies a new sanctuary dedicated in 1973

which replaces an historic building destroyed by

fire in 1971.

An active county ministerial alliance and

Church Women United carry out community

programs that extend across denominational

lines.

[photos of William Street Methodist Church and First Baptist Church]
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 9)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 9)

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[page 9]

[corresponds to page 7 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

MEDICAL

Delaware citizens have medical services and

facilities unusually good for a community of this

size, and soon to be improved with a $4.5

million addition to Grady Memorial Hospital.

The hospital, which now has 130 beds and

provides full maternity and coronary care,

physiotherapy and emergency service, will add

22 beds, enlarge ancillary facilities and increase

available outpatient care. The addition, to be

completed in 1975, is being made possible by a

bequest from the late Mary Grady, for whom

the hospital was recently renamed. Under the

name Jane M. Case Hospital, it dates back to

1904.

More than twenty physicians, both general

and specialists, are in practice in the area, as are

nine dentists. Others, such as orthodontists,

maintain special weekly office hours in Dela-

ware. "Way House", a tri-county mental health

center, offers out-patient psychological and

psychiatric care. Ten additional health facilities,

including the hospitals associated with the Ohio

State Schools of Medicine, are located within a

twenty- to thirty-mile radius.

Squads operated by the City Fire Depart-

ment and County Sheriff's Department provide

emergency treatment and ambulance service.

[photo of Grady Hospital]

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 10)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 10)

Description

[page 10]

[corresponds to page 8 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

SPECIAL EVENTS

The excitement of a horse race and that

of a stimulating lecturer or gifted artist's

performance may be very different, but both

are part of the Delaware scene.

Racing fever takes over each September

with the opening of the Delaware County

Fair, only county fair in the world to offer

Grand Circuit Harness Racing. The one-half

mile dirt track on the fairgrounds was

designed by a local long-time resident, R. K.

McNamara, and is among the fastest in the

country. Each year sees new records set.

Highlight of the four days of racing is the

running of the Little Brown Jug, one of the

nation's top three harness races. Named for an

outstanding pacer of an earlier day, the "Jug"

regularly draws crowds of more than 40,000

fans for a purse that exceeds $100,000. In

recent years "Jug Day" has been an official

school holiday in Delaware.

The Delaware County Fair follows by

only weeks the Ohio State Fair, one of the

nation's biggest. Each year outstanding

performers and exhibitors take part in the

shows that bring thousands of visitors to the

Fairgrounds just off Interstate 71 in northern

Columbus. Throughout the year its buildings

are the scene of antique shows, flower shows,

automobile displays, etc. to satisfy a variety

of interests.

Fans of music and the arts get frequent

local opportunities through presentations of

area schools and Ohio Wesleyan University.

Ohio Wesleyan's Lecture-Artist Series features

noted concert artists and a major symphony

orchestra appearing in Gray Chapel each year.

Outstanding public figures also appear in

Delaware as a part of the many special events

and seminars.

[photos of musical instruments and racing horses]

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 11)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 11)

Description

[page 11]

[corresponds to page 9 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

In addition, there are numerous recitals

and concerts by area and university music

organizations, many with no admission fee.

Nearby Columbus also offers musical

events including symphony concerts, appear-

ances by Broadway touring companies and

the appearances of virtually all contemporary

musical performers on national tour. Cin-

cinnati, Cleveland, and the Blossom Center

Summer Festival (for music and ballet) are

also less than three hours away.

Drama buffs have the opportunity to see

"live theater" from Shakespeare through the

avant garde at the high schools and in OWU's

$1.5 million new Chappelear Drama Center,

dedicated in 1972. Its two theaters provide

for staging in both conventional and arena

settings, and extensive storage areas hold the

many props and costumes. In recent summers,

a "Town and Gown" season of light plays for

family entertainment has been offered, with

townspeople and area youth joining college

students in the casts. Children's plays are also

presented during the school year. Hayes High

School annually presents musical productions

which draw capacity crowds.

Each summer the Kenley Players present

nationally-known artists in professional

musical productions at Columbus' Veterans

Memorial Auditorium, and other college

productions are within easy driving time at

Ohio State, Otterbein and Denison Univer-

sities.

[photo from play]

[photo]

CHAPPELEAR DRAMA CENTER

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 12)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 12)

Description

[page 12]

[corresponds to page 10 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

COMMUNITY LIFE

AND HOUSING

[photo of musician playing the saxophone]

Recent studies have shown people consider small

cities -- 15,000 to 40,000 -- the best places to rear

families: big enough for adequate city services but

without metropolitan headaches.

Delaware fits the picture. Distances aren't far;

bicycles are a popular form of transportation for

adults as well as children and college students.

Parking even downtown is no big problem, and the

faces are generally friendly.

But the services any community needs most are

available. Thirty-four voluntary and governmental

agencies offer a variety of health and welfare services

to all citizens of the county. The United Way

provides funding for 12 of these agencies and

planning for all services for people with problems.

Included in the helping services is the Red Cross,

which annually touches more than 8,000 county

residents in everything from free blood,

available to all Delaware County residents any

place in the U.S. or Canada, to one of the

country's better boat safety instruction

programs. The troubled can get help through

the Mental Health Clinic, the Alcohol

Council, AA, and Help Anonymous, the

handicapped through the Speech and Hearing

Center and the Council for the Mentally

Retarded; and the underprivileged through

the Dental Fund. The Salvation Army offers a

summer camping program reaching more than

900 low-income mid-Ohio children. The

Cancer Society and Heart Fund have local

offices. Interests of special groups -- senior

citizens, neighborhood center, scouting -- are

available in the county.

Outlets for developing skills or pursuing

hobbies are also provided. The musically

inclined have a choice between vocal and

instrumental. For several years the

professionally-directed Community Chorus,

with weekly rehearsals open to the public

without audition, has prepared and presented

demanding concert works at Christmas and

Easter. More recently, even rusty former band

members have been encouraged to join the

summer Recreation Band to play bi-weekly

open-air concerts on the Courthouse lawn.

The Recreation Department also offers a

wide variety of summer athletic and play-

ground programs, and during the rest of the

year uses public school classrooms for evening

courses from bridge and exercise to furniture

refinishing at nominal fees.

Services of the Delaware County District

Library extend far beyond its downtown

brick building housing 61,000 volumes. The

community's youngest learn the joys of

reading through weekly story hours, and the

Bookmobile covers almost 4,000 county miles

a year serving outlying areas. Its collections

include more than 100 magazine subscrip-

tions, records, films and items of local history

and genealogy.

Providing newspaper coverage of Dela-

ware and the surrounding area is the daily

Delaware Gazette, founded in 1818 and

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 13)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 13)

Description

[page 13]

[corresponds to page 11 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

published daily since 1884, and the Sunbury

News. Citizens also can receive home delivery

of the Columbus and Cleveland papers, and

other major city papers are available through

newsstands. Local radio stations are WDLR,

WRFD, and WBBY. During the school year,

Ohio Wesleyan station WSLN-FM also broad-

casts. All Columbus metropolitan radio, three

network television stations and one UHF

station, WOSU, operated by Ohio State, offer

excellent reception. A cable television fran-

chise has been granted and, when operational,

will bring in other TV stations and provide

local educational programming.

Many international and national service,

community and patriotic organizations are

active in Delaware, including Kiwanis, Rotary,

Lions, Jaycees, Sertoma, Altrusa, National

Association of Secretaries, AAUW, League of

Women Voters, and Business and Professional

Women. Veterans' groups include the Ameri-

can Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars,

Amvets, Veterans of WWI and their auxil-

iaries. The DAR, Colonial Dames and the

Daughters of Union Veterans also have local

clubs. A file of all civic, social and service

clubs in the county is available in the United

Way office.

[photos of children canoeing, a shady street, and a May Day celebration]

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 14)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 14)

Description

[page 14]

[corresponds to page 12 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

Many families are living "local history"

as they restore some of the fine century-old

homes for modern convenience. Many such

homes house second- and third-generation

Delaware families, but new residents who

prefer older homes can often buy them.

Escalation of real estate costs hasn't passed

Delaware by, and both old and new

construction has been affected. Most homes

are now $25,000 up, with many in the

$35-60,000 range. There are also many homes

with acreage in the suburban-rural area. A

large development of 2,000 units in underway

in southern Delaware county.

Some of the big old homes have been

turned into apartments, with rentals $100 a

months and up. There are many new

apartment complexes in all areas of the city,

renting for $150-$250 monthly. Single family

houses for rent are few but can be found. A

small number of condominiums are also

newly constructed.

Newer developments are being con-

structed with tennis courts and swimming

pools for area owners.

[photos of homes and construction sites]

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 15)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 15)

Description

[page 15]

[corresponds to page 13 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

SHOPS

Delaware has numerous excellent shops to

satisfy most needs. Its stores and specialty shops

offer merchandise in a wide range of prices,

from household furnishings through youth-

oriented fashions. Most are found in central

downtown and in an attractive shopping center

in the western area of town.

[photos of shopping areas]

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 16)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 16)

Description

[page 16]

[corresponds to page 14 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

RECREATION

AND SPORTS

Recreation areas make up a significant

portion of Delaware County area, with three

huge reservoir lakes (and a fourth almost

completed), a wild life preserve and hunting

area, extensive camping facilities and outlets

for almost all sports.

Within the city, development is under

way for the Mingo Park recreation area, now

only outdoor facilities including a winter

ice-skating rink, but eventually to house a city

pool and activity center. At present, public

swimming is at the county fairgrounds pool,

where a full schedule of Red Cross swimming

courses is available each summer.

There is also a nine-hole par 3 golf

course within in the city limits and six

additional golf courses, including one private

country club, in the area.

Most convenient to area residents is the

7,000-acre Delaware State Park six miles

north. Its 214 Class A campsites (164 with

electricity) drew almost 70,000 campers in

1973, and any pretty summer weekend will

bring 30,000 to the swimming beach and

boating area. Launch ramps are located on

three sides of the lake for boating and water

ski enthusiasts, with marina space for 220

boats available April to November.

The 5,000-acre wild life area east of the

lake provides a rifle range, fifty stocked ponds

and hunting areas.

Picnicking, fishing and primitive camping

are possible just two miles north of town at

the City Waterworks Park in an area adjacent

to the Olentangy River.

Biggest of the Delaware County lakes is

the Hoover Reservoir, nearly eight miles long,

but Alum Creek Reservoir, now almost

complete, will be approximately ten miles

long and stretch through the center of the

county southeast of Delaware. It will afford

boating and water recreation as does

O'Shaughnessy Reservoir, southwest of Dela-

ware on the Scioto River. The Columbus

Municipal Zoo, owned and operated by the

city of Columbus but located in Delaware

County, adjoins O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on

Ohio Route 257. Nearby is another tourist

attraction, the Olentangy Indian Caverns, a

[photos of swimming beach, man fishing, Delaware Dam, and Delaware State Park]

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 17)

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Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 17)

Description

[page 17]

[corresponds to page 15 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

series of inter-connected limestone caves 55

to 105 feet below ground, once used by the

Wyandot Indians. Regular guided cave tours

are operated daily during the summer, and an

Indian town and frontier village have been

reconstructed.

Fans of collegiate sports get ample

opportunity to see teams in action. Ohio

Wesleyan's "Battling Bishops" play at least

four home football games each year at Selby

Stadium, meeting fellow members of the Ohio

Athletic Conference. Hayes High School, a

member of the Capital Conference, plays at

Gauthier Field adjoining the high school.

Buckeye Valley, Olentangy and Big Walnut all

play attractive schedules. The Ohio State

University "Buckeyes", always at or near the

top of the ratings, play home games nearby in

the massive 80,000-seat Ohio Stadium. In

recent years exhibition pro football games

have also been scheduled for Ohio Stadium in

addition to the regular season play in

Cleveland and Cincinnati, easily accessible via

Interstate 71.

Ohio Wesleyan plays all its home

basketball games in Edwards Gymnasium, to

be improved and remodeled as part of the

college's proposed Branch Rickey Physical

Education Center, to be named for the

famous OWU alumnus. St. John Arena, home

of the Ohio State basketball team, offers

university division basketball and serves as the

site for State High School Championships in

March each year.

Both Ohio Wesleyan and Hayes High

School also have varsity swimming teams

which use Pfeiffer Natatorium on the OWU

campus. Each has home meets open to those

interested in watching competitive swimming.

Hayes and OWU baseball teams partici-

pate with teams in their respective leagues,

and summer softball competition is available

for juvenile and adult players. Tennis also is

drawing more and more players to city,

university and subdivision courts.

Even fans of soccer and lacrosse get a

chance to see intercollegiate games, as those

are two of the twelve sports in which OWU

competes. Snow skiing (weather permitting) is

less than two hours away with trails at

Bellefontaine and near Mansfield which

attract many Delaware residents. Some

Delaware families belong to the Columbus

chapter of the AYH (American Youth

Hostel), which has a complete schedule of

year-round athletic activities including hiking,

cross-country skiing, and canoeing on the

Olentangy River.

[photos of basketball, soccer, football, golf, and tennis]

15
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 18)

Title

Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 18)

Description

[page 18]

[corresponds to page 16 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

MOTELS AND

RESTAURANTS

The opening of a 106-unit Holiday Inn

in 1972, joining the lodging facilities already

provided by the LK Motel chain at two

locations, the Delaware Inn, and the El Siesta

Motel, provides excellent facilities for visitors

to Delaware.

Meeting rooms are available for groups

of up to 300.

Bun's Restaurant, a five-generation Dela-

ware landmark, is but one of numerous

excellent eating places. Prime steaks, chops,

seafood and Italian cuisine are a few of the

many items available. The diner can choose a

satisfying evening of gracious dining or quick

service from a national fast food outlet,

depending on his tastes and pocketbook.

[photo of Bun's Restaurant]

[photo of motel]

16
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 19)

Title

Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 19)

Description

[page 19]

[corresponds to page 17 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

INDUSTRY

Industry in Delaware has a long and

diversified history from the grist and sawmills

along the rivers in the city's earliest years to

the newest occupant of the modern Industrial

Park. Its present 46 manufacturers and

processors range from meticulous crafters of

fine wooden games to the heavy industry of

making pumps and motors.

Industrial development took on new

impetus with the 1963 opening of an

Industrial Park on the city's western edge.

Convenience of the Delaware Municipal

Airport, with runways capable of handling

company jets and a taxi strip leading to the

park, was one attraction. For others, the

half-hour driving time to the major Port

Columbus International Airport fulfilled

broader company transportation needs.

By 1973, the Industrial Park had as

occupants PPG Industries, with a computer-

ized paint-producing plant; American Can,

turning out beverage and oil containers;

Nippert Electric, copper components; and

Trus Joist, roof and floor supports. About

175 acres remain for development.

Nearby are Ranco, the city's largest

employer with a work-force of more than

1400 producing automatic controls; J. G.

Castings, a subdivision of Jeffrey Galion, Inc.,

makers of foundry equipment; Delo Screw

Products, and Sunray Stove, gas and electric

ranges.

Other companies have chosen to locate

on the highways with lead into Delaware.

Comparative newcomers are the North Elec-

tric Research and Engineering Center, work-

ing primarily on the complex problems of

electronic switching for the independent

telephone industry at its new facility south of

town, and Western Auto, which opened a

regional distribution center on US 42 in 1973.

Swan Rubber, a division of Amerace-Esna

Corp, has announced planned expansion of its

Route 23 offices.

A unique industry in this country is

World Wide Games, manufacturer of superior

quality table games and brain-teasing puzzles.

Equally important to Delaware's

economy are the many locally-based indus-

tries, from Greif Bros., with corporation

headquarters here and container manufactur-

ing plants across the country, to the small

plants which supply a wide variety of

products.

[photos of scenes from Delaware Industrial Park and Greif Bros. Corp.]
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 20)

Title

Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 20)

Description

[page 20]

[corresponds to page 18 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

RESEARCH

Research operations in the Delaware area

literally reach from the earth to the stars.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of

Agriculture Laboratories north of town seek new

knowledge in tree and plant development, insect

and disease research, and pest control, while south

of town, astronomers at Perkins Observatory scan

the skies.

In industrial labs, scientists are working in a

variety of areas from telecommunications advances

to medical and diagnostic agents. At the Paul H.

Henson Research Center, more than 400 scientists

and technicians are involved in research and

development in telecommunications for govern-

ment and industrial use. It is one of two main

centers of such research for North Electric; a

smaller one is in Columbus.

The USDA installation near the Delaware

Reservoir almost tripled in size with a 1970

expansion and now totals 39,000 square feet with

thirty labs plus greenhouses. There, forest service

specialists work with insect and disease prevention

and as northeastern field office for State and

Private Forestry, offer guidance to land managers

in Ohio and surrounding states. Agricultural

research scientists are particularly pursuing genetic

improvement of trees and plants for urban growing

conditions.

Perkins Observatory long has been an

important astronomical research center with its

32-inch reflector and radiotelescope. It is operated

cooperatively by Ohio Wesleyan and Ohio State

Universities.

Other OWU research projects, from the social

science area of market analysis to biological studies

for environmental protection, provide plus factors

in Delaware city planning.

[photos of Perkins Observatory, women working in a laboratory, and men working with soil]

18
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 21)

Title

Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 21)

Description

[page 21]

[corresponds to page 19 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture continues to be important to

the economy of Delaware, with 1,389 farms

listed in a recent census. About half have

product sales in excess of $2500 a year, with

total cash farm receipts running more than

$13 million annually.

The biggest cash crop locally is soybeans,

which make up about one-fourth the dollar

total. Dairy products and cattle together

account for about another one-third. Corn

and hogs are also significant parts of county

agricultural sales.

Research is being carried out at the

246-acre U.S. Department of Agriculture

Laboratories near the Delaware Reservoir.

Agriculture education and information is

made available to all interested residents of

the county by extension workers and

vocational teachers in city and county

schools, and will be an important part of the

new Joint Vocational School curriculum. The

county had a co-operative Extension Service,

including a county-wide 4-H program. The

FFA (Future Farmers) and FHA (Future

Homemakers) are active in all four county

school systems and annually win national

recognition.

[photos of farm and cows]

19
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 22)

Title

Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 22)

Description

[page 22]

[corresponds to page 20 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

CLIMATE

Delaware enjoys the full range of seasons, with moderately hot

summers and cold though usually not severe winters. The moisture is well

distributed throughout the year, with average precipitation of about 37

inches, of which about half comes between May and September. A typical

winter will see 24 inches total snowfall. Past weather records indicate an

average year will have 101 clear, 118 party cloudy and 146 cloudy days,

with average mean temperatures of 28 degrees in January and 73 in July.

The city has an elevation of 860 feet above sea level.

[photos depicting snowy, rainy, and sunny weather]

20
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 23)

Title

Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 23)

Description

[page 23]

[corresponds to page 21 of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

SPONSORS

These members of the Delaware Area Chamber of Commerce, who have more than a passing interest in the growth and development of

Delaware and Delaware County, have made this publication possible. By their financial participation as sponsors, this brochure was

produced and made available to you.

ADDCO CORPORATION INDEPENDENT PRINT SHOP CO., INC.

Land Development & Planning Complete Printing Service

5 W. Winter St. 363-1313 9 E. William St. 363-4941

BENNETT-BROWN FUNERAL HOMES KEEFER CHEVROLET, INC.

Glenn I. Bennett-James M. Brown-John M. Brown Chevrolet-Cadillac Sales & Service

BUN'S RESTAURANT AND BAKERY METZGER BROS. REALTY

Restaurant-Cocktails-Bakery-Banquets Real Estate

6 W. Winter St. 363-3731 3 W. Winter St. 369-4478

BURRELL INSURANCE, INC. NEW METHOD

Insurance Service Since 1885 Cleaners & Launderers

67 N. Sandusky St. 363-1321 190 S. Sandusky St. 363-1917

CEDO CORPORTAION THE NIPPERT COMPANY

Developers of Georgetowne Centre Commutators, Cold Drawn & Extruded Copper Products

5 W. Winter St. 363-1313 801 Pittsburgh Dr. 363-1981

CITIZENS FEDERAL SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCATION NORTH ELECTRIC COMPANY

61 N. Sandusky Street - Delaware Telecommunications Systems & Products

Home Office - Marysville, Ohio Galion, O. 44833 (419) 468-8100

COLUMBUS & SOUTHERN OHIO ELECTRIC CO. O'BRIEN OLDS-GMC CO.

Electric Utility Company Oldsmobile & GMC Trucks

61 W. William St. 363-1935 17 W. William St. 363-1288

THE DELAWARE COUNTY BANK OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Five Convenient Offices Education and Lecture, Artist, and Sports Events

41 N. Sandusky St. 363-1133 South Sandusky St. 369-4431

THE DELAWARE FARMERS EXCHANGE ASSN. PEOPLE'S STORE, INC.

Builders Supplies & Hardware "Growing With Delaware County"

141 S. Sandusky St. 363-1301 18-20 N. Sandusky St. 363-1925

THE DELAWARE GAZETTE PPG INDUSTRIES

Delaware's Oldest Business - Since 1818 Coatings & Resins Division

18 E. William St. 363-1161 760 Pittsburgh Dr. 363-9610

DELAWARE HARDWARE RANCO CONTROLS DIVISION

Retail Hardware Automatic Controls

58-60 N. Sandusky St. 362-4871 555 London Rd. 363-1225

DEL RX PHARMACY, INC. SMITHCREST REAL ESTATE

Prescription Specialists Apartments-Homes-Lots

1 N. Sandusky St. 363-5861 345 W. Central 369-4465

DISBENNETT REAL ESTATE COMPANY STILWELL & ROSS, INC.

Complete Real Estate Services General Contractors & Developers

59 N. Sandusky St. 363-1311 4424 S. Section Line Rd. 881-4459

ELEPHANT LUMBER SULLIVAN'S WESTERN AUTO SERVICE

Lumber & Building Supplies The Family Store

132 E. Winter St. 363-1207 81 N. Sandusky St. 363-3041

FIDELITY FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSN. OF DELAWARE U.S. STORE - CARDINAL SUPERMARKET

Where Things Grow Better - Since 1887 Discount Foods - Open 24 Hours - 7 Days

446 N. Sandusky St. 363-1284 19 N. Sandusky St. 362-3931

THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK WAYNE HILBORN INSURANCE

Full Service Banking - Since 1857 Insurance - All Lines

34-38 N. Sandusky St. 363-1245 30 E. Winter St. 363-2961

GRAY'S SHOES WESTERN AUTO SUPPLY CO.

Family Shoe Store Delaware Distribution Center

33 N. Sandusky St. 363-1616 1675 U.S. Rt. 42 369-4491

GREIF BROS. CORPORATION WHITESIDE INC. HOME IMPROVEMENT

Fibre and Steel Drums, Corrugated Cartons & Multiwall Bags Alumnium Siding, Storm Windows & Doors - Roofing

621 Pennsylvania Ave. 363-1271 309 Hayes St. 363-1179

HOLIDAY INN - OLIVER'S RESTAURANT WILSON'S, C.J. OF COURSE

Lodging-Banquets-Dining Room-Lounge Men's & Women's Clothing

351 S. Sandusky St. 363-1262 26 N. Sandusky St. 363-9322, 363-3801

HOMEOWNERS' SUPPLY MART WORLY PLUMBING SUPPLY, INC.

Masonry Supplies Wholesale Plumbing, Heating, Industrial Supplies

186 E. William St. 363-1196 54 E. Harrison St. 363-1151

HUMPHRIES MOTOR CITY, INC. ZACK DAVIS COMPANY

Ford-Dodge-Cars & Trucks Garden Lawn Supplier

1559 U.S. 23 South 363-1995 U.S. 36 & St. Rt. 521 363-5081

21
Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 24)

Title

Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1973) (p. 24)

Description

[page 24]

[corresponds to back cover of Welcome to Delaware 1972]

WELCOME

to Delaware, Ohio. The Delaware Area Chamber of

Commerce invites you to visit or write our office at 27 West

Winter Street, or call (614) 363-1171, if you have any questions or

need for additional information. The Chamber of Commerce is

here to serve the community and its residents and to make visitors

welcome.

INDEX

Introduction .........................1

The City - Past and Present ..........2

Education ............................4

Religious Life .......................6

Medical Services .....................7

Special Events .......................8

Community Life and Housing ..........10

Shops ...............................13

Recreation and Sports ...............14

Motels and Restaurants ..............16

Industry ............................17

Research ............................18

Agriculture .........................19

Climate .............................20

Sponsors ............................21

Dublin Core

Title

Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1972)

Subject

Delaware--Delaware County--Ohio--Agriculture--1972
Delaware--Delaware County--Ohio--Business--1972
Delaware--Delaware County--Ohio--Education--1972
Delaware--Delaware County--Ohio--History
Delaware--Delaware County--Ohio--History--Native Americans
Delaware--Delaware County--Ohio--Housing--1972
Delaware--Delaware County--Ohio--Recreation--1972

Description

This promotional book offers information about the City of Delaware and Delaware County in 1972.

Creator

Delaware Chamber of Commerce; Delaware County, Ohio

Date

1973

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Format

Book

Language

English

Type

Still Image
Text

Identifier

22221030

Collection

Citation

Delaware Chamber of Commerce; Delaware County, Ohio, “Welcome to Delaware, Ohio (1972),” Delaware County Memory, accessed April 19, 2024, http://delawarecountymemory.org/items/show/196.

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