Van Wert, Ohio
| Van Wert, Ohio | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Downtown Van Wert
|
|
 Location of Van Wert, Ohio |
|
 Location of Van Wert in Van Wert County |
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| Coordinates: 40°52′4″N 84°35′0″W / 40.86778°N 84.58333°WCoordinates: 40°52′4″N 84°35′0″W / 40.86778°N 84.58333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Van Wert |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jerry Mazur |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.61 sq mi (19.71 km2) |
| • Land | 7.33 sq mi (18.98 km2) |
| • Water | 0.28 sq mi (0.73 km2) |
| Elevation | 778 ft (237 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 10,846 |
| • Estimate (2015) | 10,798 |
| • Density | 1,479.7/sq mi (571.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 45891 |
| Area code(s) | 419 |
| FIPS code | 39-79562 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1058096 |
| Website | www.vanwert.org |
Van Wert is a city in and the county seat of Van Wert County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio. The population was 10,846 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Van Wert Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Lima-Van Wert-Wapakoneta, Ohio Combined Statistical Area. Van Wert is named for Isaac Van Wart, one of the captors of Major John André in the American Revolutionary War. A center of peony cultivation, Van Wert has hosted the annual Van Wert Peony Festival on and off since 1902. Van Wert is home to the first county library in the United States, the Brumback Library. It also has a thriving community art center the Wassenburg Art Center and the award-winning Van Wert Civic Theatre.
Van Wert was surveyed in 1824 by Captain James Riley, who was contracted by the government to survey lands purchased from Native Americans under a treaty in 1818.
The town is located in an area originally known as the Black Swamp. Early pioneers had to deal with swampy ground, mud, and malaria. They persevered, draining the swamp for agriculture and eventually reclaiming enough dry land to establish the town. Van Wert was the birthplace of aviation pioneer Walter Hinton and the famous baritone Charles W. Clark.
At one point, Van Wert was the only place in the world producing Liederkranz cheese. This pungent dairy product was made at the now-closed Borden plant.
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Wikipedia