Round 2: Athens, OH vs. Hamilton, MO
Welcome to the second round of the fifth annual Strongest Town Competition! This contest is our annual celebration of the towns and cities across North America (and even the world) who are building stronger communities, even in times of uncertainty and change.
We’re down to our top eight contestants, and for this round, we asked them to cut back on the text and instead send us five photos, with a caption for each explaining how it illustrates the strength of their city.
Check out the photo submissions from two of our elite eight contenders below, and cast your vote at the bottom of the page!
Voting closes at 12pm CDT on Thursday, March 19th.
ATHENS, OH
Entry submitted by: Robert Delach
Keeping Athens Funky
With our unofficial slogan of “Keep Athens Funky,” the city is a major cultural focal point for the region. Our homegrown Passion Works Studio seeks to inspire and liberate the human spirit by inviting people of all abilities to create public artworks, install exhibitions, and create parade costumes and floats that are showcased at festival events like the Athens “Honey for the Heart” Halloween parade.
We have a vibrant music scene, with venues ranging from coffeehouse open mic nights to auditoriums, nightclubs to street festivals. Film lovers flock to The Athena Cinema, Southeast Ohio’s premier art house theater, for Oscar-nominated, independent, and documentary showings and special engagements. Art, craft and photo exhibits abound at the Kennedy Museum of Art, the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center, Southeast Ohio Historical Center, and ARTS/West Community Art Center. City and local partners also sponsor adult classes, youth art programs, Southeast Ohio Musical Lending Library, and Athens Girls Rock Camp, to name a few.
Photograph by Joel Prince | Courtesy of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Sustainable Recreation and Tourism
Athens has been a destination for bicycling adventures for years, boasting beautiful rural roads, an extensive network of gravel roads, 23 miles of the paved Hockhocking Adena Bikeway (pictured below), the Athens-Belpre Rail Trail, and 40 miles of off-road mountain biking trails at two local State Parks. A world-class mountain bike and hiking trail system is currently under construction in the Wayne National Forest just northwest of the city. The first 14 miles of the Baileys Trail System will open this Spring with a total of over 80 miles to be built in the next couple of years. The Hocking River that flows around Athens and Dow Lake in Strouds Run State Park just outside Athens offer opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, and float trips. The Community Center boasts outstanding fitness facilities and a new outdoor pool. For those interested in birding, the Athens Area Birders group coordinates bird counts, bird walks, and presentations for the public around all things birds and the environment.
Photograph by Joel Prince | Courtesy of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau
A Thriving Local Food Culture
Athens is known for its thriving local food culture and is the regional hub for “foodies.” Rooted in a strong tradition of local and organic agriculture, the scene is most evident at the Athens Farmers Market, one of the largest and oldest farmers markets in the State of Ohio. Held weekly year-round and twice weekly April-October, the market features produce, meats, cheeses, grains, baked goods and other products grown, sourced and produced locally. Independently owned restaurants and coffee shops provide a wide array of dining options, with offerings for every budget and dietary need. When schools closed in response to the coronavirus outbreak, several local restaurants stepped up to provide lunches to students facing food insecurity.
Athens is also home to The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet), a community-based business incubator specializing in the food sector. Its licensed commercial kitchen facility has helped launch numerous local food processing businesses, and provides food preparation classes to the community. The local Community Food Initiatives organization runs several community gardens and cares for publicly accessible fruit and nut trees.
Photograph by Joel Prince | Courtesy of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Brewing a Strong Local Economy
Local food businesses are just the tip of the economic iceberg. While our largest employer is Ohio University, Athens has a strong local entrepreneurial ecosystem as well. We have an array of incredible local craft brewing and distilling establishments—including three award-winning breweries, a cider house, distillery, and craft beer hall—all of which are easily accessible by bicycle via the 23-mile bikeway. One of these, Jackie O’s Brewery, is consistently rated as the best craft brewery in Ohio, and among the top 50 craft breweries in the United States. Two wineries and a meadery are also within close reach. Independent groceries, gift shops, hardware, pet and garden stores mean that enterprising Athenians can meet most of their needs without relying on big box stores. Local economic development in Southeast Ohio is supported by several university and nonprofit business and technology incubators that have programs and organizations focused on providing resources and guidance to fuel economic development in Southeast Ohio.
Photograph by Joel Prince | Courtesy of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Growing Strong, Sustainably
The City of Athens continues to build on its strengths, including a vibrant “Uptown” central business district, an engaged community, and a commitment to sustainability. The city recently rezoned a large portion of its central business district to eliminate minimum parking requirements and enable more infill development. The city has in place several innovative mechanisms for financing improvements, including a business-led Special Improvement District, as well as Tax Increment Financing (TIF), an economic development mechanism to help fund infrastructure improvements. A 2019 “placemaking” partnership mobilized residents to convert a vacant lot into a public park. Our 2040 Comprehensive Plan draws on many Strong Towns principles.
Athens also has committed to growing sustainably. We were the first city in the country to pass a ballot initiative implementing a carbon fee, which will fund municipal solar projects, and the first city in the state to declare a climate emergency. Sustainable transportation options abound, including both local and inter-city bus service. Athens recently added e-scooters, providing a sustainable last mile option within the city of Athens. Finally, our abundance of bicycling options was recognized in 2019 when People For Bikes named Athens one of the Nation’s Top 20 Places For Bikes.
Photograph by Joel Prince | Courtesy of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau
HAMILTON, MO
Entry submitted by: Bob Hughes, Christa Horne, Traci Flynn, Jacob Farnsworth, Jenn Klein, Dakota Redford, Stephanie Williams, Jean VanIperen, Ryan Redford, Bud Motsinger, Keith Gilbert
In the Beginning…
Two and a half years ago, a group of Hamiltonians got together and asked themselves six questions: (1) What are our assets? (2) What are our liabilities? (3) What new businesses would we like to see? (4) What other amenities would we like to have? (5) Who are the federal, state, regional, and local partners we can include? And (6) what paths can we follow to make things happen? Since then, entrepreneurs have opened 30 new businesses with 93% being home grown. A new quilt museum and a 10-acre butterfly park have opened; a comprehensive, pay as you go, street improvement plan has been adopted; a workforce development partnership has been created; new parks and trails are being designed and constructed, and so much more! More than twenty ribbon cutting ceremonies have taken place in the past two years, and in the image below, you will see a compilation of some of the recent ribbon cuttings conducted by the Chamber of Commerce.
Preserving Our Greatest Asset
Like many small, rural communities, one of Hamilton’s greatest assets is our young people. Hamilton provides strong support for our kids and our schools by supporting the school district and many extracurricular activities. Businesses and organizations provide many scholarships to graduates. We conduct focus groups to ask kids to give us feedback about our community. We listen. We support our kids, whether it is the whimsical Drive Your Tractor to School Day, or helping young students start their own business (Main Street Nutrition opened by two HS students, pictured below). Students are starting to serve on various city boards and commissions. Chamber of Commerce members provide shadowing and mentoring opportunities and internships that offer college credit. Our focus groups tell us that family and community are the two biggest reasons that they stay or return to live in Hamilton. Retaining our young people is key to our continued successes. They speak. We Listen.
Downtown Is Thriving
Less than 15 years ago, downtown Hamilton was dying. Many of the 100-plus-year-old buildings were vacant and decaying. Empty lots dotted main street. Spurred by the arrival of Missouri Star Quilt Company in 2009, almost all of the historic buildings have been saved and are now occupied. The empty lots have been filled with new businesses and maintained parks. With this combination of historic preservation and infill development, Hamilton now has a vibrant and booming downtown. With over 100,000 visitors annually, downtown is thriving.
But we are not done. This summer Hamilton plans to add a new visitors center, an outdoor stage, public restrooms, more benches and flowerbeds, outdoor music and an expanded farmers market, all being done with private funding and donations. The Hamilton Butterfly Park will be the Northern anchor of a 214-mile corridor of wildflowers and pollinators that will bring thousands of new visitors to Hamilton and Western Missouri.
Another Unique Hamilton Experience
The 100-year-old Hamilton High School building (shown in the background) is now the home of the Missouri Quilt Museum. Created as a not-for-profit entity by local community members, the museum will become the largest quilt museum in the United States. The museum is currently home of the World’s Largest Spool of Thread, the World’s Largest Toy Sewing Machine Collection and the camping and quilting group, RV Quilters, is working to make the museum the home of the World’s Largest Thimble Collection. At full build-out, the museum will feature four different quilt galleries, with over 25 exhibits that tell the history of quilting and sewing from the time of the Pilgrims through today’s computerized sewing processes. Upon completion, the museum is projected to draw over 100,000 visitors annually, much like to tour group below.
Hamilton Is the Place to Be
Events such as Missouri Star’s Birthday Bash, J.C. Penney Days, The NW Missouri Steam & Gas Engine Show and the Christmas Expo, bring thousands of visitors to Hamilton. New events such as the Missouri Crafters Days, the Pot Hole Festival, and the Butterfly Festival bring us closer to our goal of having monthly events and activities.
Just this past week, Hamilton (Population 1,809) celebrated our community. Over 70 individuals, businesses and organizations were nominated for seven different awards. Membership in the Chamber of Commerce has doubled in the past year. Inspired by the “YOU GOTTA BELIEVE” theme of this year’s dinner, over 50 new people signed up that night to become part of the teams working to make Hamilton a great(er) community! We will continue to build public and private sector partnerships as we continue to grow. We invite everyone to visit Hamilton, Missouri, where fun happens!!
Round 2 Match-Ups
Beloit, WI vs. Highland Park, IL | Sylvania, OH vs. Winona, MN | Athens, OH vs. Hamilton, MO | Pittsburg, KS vs. Watertown, SD