city, seat (1804) of Greene county, southwestern Ohio, U.S., near the Little Miami River, about 15 miles (25 km) east-southeast of Dayton. It was founded in 1803 by Joseph C. Vance, who gave it a Greek name meaning “hospitality.” The arrival of the railroads in the 1840s provided impetus for its growth as a trading centre for farmers and stock raisers. Small manufactures (furniture, cordage, plastics, castings, and aircraft components) supplement its agricultural base. The log cabin (1799) of James Galloway, frontier scout and American Revolutionary War soldier, is preserved as a historic monument. Parts of Xenia were rebuilt after tornadoes in 1974 destroyed nearly half of the city. Nearby educational institutions include two historically important black universities at Wilberforce: Central State University (1887) and Wilberforce University (1856, African Methodist Episcopal). Inc. town, 1817; city, 1834. Pop. (2000) 24,164; (2005 est.) 23,600.