Bowling Green, Ohio

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Bowling Green is the county seat of Wood County^GR6, Ohio. At the time of the United States Census, 2000, the population of Bowling Green was 29,636. Bowling Green is the home of the Black Swamp Arts Festival.

South Main Street, as seen from the intersection of Main and Wooster in Bowling Green

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 Alternative BG
5 Events
- 5.1 Black Swamp Arts Festival
- 5.2 National Tractor Pulling Championships
6 Colleges
7 Radio Stations
8 Famous past and present residents
9 External links

[edit] Geography

Bowling Green is located at 41°22′26″N, 83°39′3″W (41.373942, -83.650873)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.4 km² (10.2 mi²). 26.3 km² (10.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.29%) is water.

[edit] History

Bowling Green was first settled in 1832, was incorporated as a town in 1855, and became a city in 1904.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 29,636 people, 10,266 households, and 4,434 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,127.3/km² (2,919.0/mi²). There were 10,667 housing units at an average density of 405.8/km² (1,050.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.84% White, 2.82% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.83% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.81% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.48% of the population.

There were 10,266 households out of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.2% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 56.8% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% 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 2.84.

In the city the population was spread out with 13.1% under the age of 18, 46.6% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,599, and the median income for a family was $51,804. Males had a median income of $33,619 versus $25,364 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,032. About 8.0% of families and 25.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Bowling Green is a college town, with 46.6% of the population being between the age of 18 to 24.

[edit] Alternative BG

Despite Wood County's social conservatism, Bowling Green is home to a small but thriving counterculture. A chapter of Students for a Democratic Society was active in the years 1967-69, and the town hosted the Poe Ditch Music Festival in 1975. More than 33,000 people attended the event and the Poe Ditch Music Festival was never held again. Since the 1980s, Bowling Green's tiny local music scene (centered on Howard's Club H) has been unusually vibrant for a town of its size, and has produced regionally well known acts such as Big Hunk O'Cheese, Crucial DBC, Polyvinyl Record Co. artists Aloha, Stylex, and Red Wanting Blue. Noise music and punk music both have close-knit communities in Bowling Green.

[edit] Events

[edit] Black Swamp Arts Festival

Every September the Black Swamp Arts Festival takes place in Bowling Green. Started in 1993, it is ranked 78th out of 100 in contemporary craft festivals by Sunshine Artists Magazine. According to the first director of the Black Swamp Arts Festival (BSAF), Jim Tinker, the Downtown Business Association (DBA) created the BSAF in 1993. The DBA felt the city of Bowling Green needed to have a large, regional event that would draw people to the downtown area in an attempt enhance the image of Bowling Green as a cultural haven in Northwest Ohio.

According to Tinker, “The festival was designed to showcase high-quality art work in a variety of different mediums as well as a number of vocal and theatrical performances. Artists who exhibit and sell their creations must exhibit and sell original artwork and not anything made from a kit.”

Kelli Kling, marketing and public relations chair for the Festival since 1999, said that the name Black Swamp was chosen for the festival because it is a common regional term for this area of the state. The Great Black Swamp, which was drained near the end of the 1800s to make farming possible, extended from Lake Erie to Indiana. It was the last area of Ohio to be settled. Bowling Green is the largest city to exist in the remnants of this vast wetland.

In the last few years, the festival itself has grown to include 100 juried artists, 42 local/invitational artists, 4 musical stages, youth arts, acts of art, and concessions. All types of music, including blues, jazz, and rock, could be heard from the main stage, which featured 18 different musical acts. Howard’s Club H assists the planning committee in attracting many of the local and national musicians. The historic Cla-Zel Theatre also participates in the Festival by showing independent and art-related films throughout the weekend.

Main street is closed to traffic, and artists from around the country display and sell a variety of artwork. There are also musical performances, children's activities, and food.

[edit] National Tractor Pulling Championships

Bowling Green has hosted the National Tractor Pulling Championships since 1967. This annual event, one of the largest in the nation, is held at the Wood County Fairgrounds and draws an estimated 60,000 people. The Fairgrounds is located on along Poe Road between Haskins Road (State Route 64) and Brim Road.