Xenia
Xenia is located along the Caesar Creek section of the Buckeye Trail in the Miami Rivers Chapter area. Enia became the 3rd Trail Town September 5, 2014.
Xenia is located in southwestern Ohio and is the county seat of Greene County. It is 15 miles east of Dayton and part of the Dayton Metropolitan Area, as well as the Miami Valley region.
History
The name Xenia comes from the Greek word Xenia, which means “hospitality.”
Joseph C. Vance surveyed the town in 1803, and John Marshall built the first cabin in the town’s borders the following year. Xenia grew quickly. In 1840, 1,414 people resided in the town. That number nearly doubled by 1847. The principal cause of this growth was the completion of the Little Miami Railroad.
The Little Miami Railroad began grading north from Cincinnati in 1841 and reached Xenia in 1845. It ran from the eastern side of Cincinnati to Springfield. It merged with the Columbus and Xenia Railroad in 1853, creating the first through-rail route from Cincinnati to Columbus. Xenia became a hub for railroads to transfer people and goods at Xenia Junction.
All of the railroads saw diminished usage by the late 1970s or early 1980s and each was eventually taken out of service, abandoned and removed. The Junction is now a cycling center. Xenia Station, a replica of the railroad station, is the hub for 5 regional rail trails.
Over the next several decades, Xenia’s population increased to 7,026 by 1880. Five newspaper offices, sixteen churches, and three banks existed in the community. Numerous businesses employed Xenia residents. The town had three twine factories, and locals commonly referred to Xenia as “Twine City
On April 3, 1974, an F5 category tornado struck Xenia, Ohio. The tornado that struck Xenia was just one of at least 148 tornados in a twenty-four period. This was the worst outbreak of tornados recorded in the twentieth century. The tornado that struck Xenia had maximum winds of three hundred miles per hour. It destroyed more than one thousand homes and businesses. Hardly any buildings remained standing in Xenia’s downtown. Thirty-three people died in the storm, with approximately another 1,150 people injured. Amazingly, Xenia rebuilt quickly. By April 3, 1975, eighty percent of the destroyed homes and forty percent of the businesses had been rebuilt.
Plan your Visit
Xenia Station
This county seat was once a railroad hub, and it has become a trail hub with the opening of Xenia Station.
The Station is positioned in a 9-acre park that is unique because it anchors paved multi-use trails heading in five directions. From it, trails lead to Dayton (West), Springfield (North), Jamestown (Southeast), London (Northeast), and Cincinnati (South).
Accommodations
Lodging
Many listings on AirBnB.com for lodging, from rooms to complete homes.
Deerfield Inn 600 Little Main Street
Hampton Inn & Suites Xenia Dayton 194 S. Progress Drive
County Inn 38 S. Allison Avenue
Camping
For the two sites below, permission is needed from Greene County Parks
Contact: gcparkstrails.com or 937-562-6440 To obtain a permit, visit gcparkstrails.com or call
Greene County Parks & Trails, Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. After hours call Central Dispatch at 937-376-5111 and ask for Ranger on duty.
Jacoby Road Canoe Launch 669 Jacoby Road: Primitive tent camping, four tent maximum. Cost: $5 per site.
Old Town Reserve 1460 Springfield Pike: Located adjacent to Little Miami Scenic Trail, Drinking water, handicap access, picnic area with shelter and grill, portable restroom facility. Primitive tent camping, four tent maximum Cost: $5
Camping is also available at the Greene County Fairgrounds 120 Fairground Road. There are restrooms, showers, and electricity available. For rates and availability, call 937-372-8621