With a just population of less than 20,000, the city’s 25 murals give the Steubenville one of the highest per capita rates of about any place in the world. Most of the paintings honor the town’s past as a center of the coal and steel industries. But they saved room to celebrate a hometown member of “The Rat-Pack” and the mysterious “Sloopy’ described in the McCoys rock classic “Hang on, Sloopy” Come join us as we explore Steubenville, Ohio “The city of Murals”
The downtown district is where almost all of the 25+ murals are located.
This mural is called “The Pioneer” and shows the bend in the Ohio River where the modern city now stands. The town was established in 1797 making it one of the oldest cities in the US not located within the original 13 colonies.
Do you remember the 1965 classic song “Hang on Snoopy”? It was written about Dorothy Sloop. She was a jazz pianist and was popular throughout Ohio. The band The McCoys who was from Dayton, Ohio made her even more famous as the subject of their somewhat cryptic song. When I was a child, I always thought the song was “Hang on Snoopy.”
A mural honoring the old downtown area.
The area is staunchly Catholic. This mural honors the Franciscan University in town.
Another Mural honoring the cities Catholic heritage.
A mural depicting the old downtown area
The old phone company building
The city is a center in both the coal and steel industries.
Honoring the townspeople who served in the armed forces.
Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s secretary of War, was a Steubenville native
Steubenville’s most famous citizen was Dean Martin. When he grew up here though he was known as Dino Crocetti. Even after he became famous, he still visited his hometown. Route 7 which runs through Steubenville has been changed to Dean Martin Boulevard.
There are still quite a few murals left unseen, so if you get a chance to pass through Southeastern Ohio come on down the Dean Martin Boulevard and check out the city of murals. **Update** Thank you to hanspostcard for passing on some advice. Apparently, The city can be a bit dodgy after dark. So make sure you plan your visit during the day.
