Hype for the Future 96D: Concord University — Athens, West Virginia

Introduction

The Town of Athens, West Virginia, is located in the northeastern portion of Mercer County, home to the notable, historically-black Concord University. The HBCU was established circa 1873 to serve the African-American community, as with the 1895 establishment of Bluefield State University to the southwest.

Transportation

While the Town of Athens, and much of West Virginia in general, lacks significant transportation infrastructure, the university campus is internally walkable with a greater potential for cycling and more traditional active transportation infrastructure possible compared to nearby universities such as Bluefield State.

Hype for the Future 78P: Mercer and Auglaize Counties, Ohio

Overview — Mercer County

Mercer County is directly in the middle of the westernmost section of the State of Ohio, using the City of Celina as the county seat and home to Wright State University’s Lake Campus as well as the majority, though not the entirety, of Grand Lake, which also extends eastward into Auglaize County.

Overview — Auglaize County

Immediately to the east of the communities largely associated with Mercer County are the communities largely associated with Auglaize County, including, but not limited to, Saint Marys and Wapakoneta. The former is most notable as a gateway to Grand Lake—St. Marys State Park, while the latter is most notable for Neil Armstrong, the First Man on the Moon; as well as his childhood home, a historical marker in his honor, the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, the Wapakoneta Water Tower, and the sculpture museum at the Temple of Tolerance.