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Toledo, Ohio

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Toledo, Ohio
Flag of Toledo, Ohio
Flag
Official seal of Toledo, Ohio
Seal
Nickname: 
The Glass City
Location in the state of Ohio
Location in the state of Ohio
Country
State
County		United States
Ohio
Lucas
Government
 • MayorSteve Leggett (D)
Population
 (2004)
 • City
304,973
 • Metro
659,188
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Websitehttp://www.ci.toledo.oh.us/
This article is about the city in Ohio. For Toledo, Spain, see that article. For other uses, see Toledo (disambiguation).

Toledo is a city in Lucas County on the northern border of Ohio and the western end of Lake Erie. It is the county seatTemplate:GR of Lucas County, and the principal city in the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the 2000 census, the city proper had a population of 313,619. An estimate in 2004 gives the city a reduced population of 304,973, allowing Toledo to maintain its place as the fourth-largest city in the state. Toledo is known as the Glass City because of its long history of innovation in all aspects of the glass industry: windows, bottles, windshields, and construction materials. The Jeep vehicle has been manufactured in Toledo since 1941.

History

The area was first settled by European Americans in 1794, ten years after the Battle of Fallen Timbers, with the founding of Fort Industry. However, with the War of 1812, everybody fled the area. Resettling around 1817 a Cincinnati syndicate purchased a 974 acre tract at the mouth of Swan Creek and named it Port Lawrence. The syndicate failed 3 years later, and the settlement joined with a river settlement to the north called Vistula. The inhabitants of this joined settlement chose the name Toledo, "but the reason for this choice is buried in a welter of legends. One recounts that Washington Irving, who was traveling in Spain at the time, suggested the name to his brother, a local resident; this explanation ignores the fact that Irving returned to the US in 1832. Others award the honor to Two Stickney, son of the major who quaintly numbered his sons and named his daughters after States. The most popular version attributes the naming to Willard J. Daniels, a merchant, who reputedly suggested Toledo because it 'is easy to pronounce, is pleasant in sound, and there is no other city of that name on the American continent'."

From the Federal Writers' Project - The Ohio Guide - 1940

On January 15, 1936, the first building to be completely covered in glass was constructed in Toledo. It was a building for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company and marked a milestone in architectural design that eventually led to the International style of architecture.

Toledo War

Main article: Toledo War

A bloodless conflict between Ohio and Michigan, called the Toledo War (1835-1836), was "fought" over a five to eight mile wide strip of land from the Indiana border to Lake Erie, now containing the city and the suburbs of Sylvania and Oregon. The strip was claimed by both states due to old conflicting legislation about where the Ohio-Michigan state line should be. Militias from both states were sent but never engaged. The only casualty of the conflict was a Michigan deputy sheriff and the loss of two horses, two pigs and a handful of chickens stolen from an Ohio farm by lost members of the Michigan Militia. [1]

In the end, the state of Ohio was awarded the land. As a compromise, the state of Michigan was given the Upper Peninsula in exchange for accepting the terms of the agreement.

Recent Events

October 15th Riot

On October 15, 2005, visiting members of the National Socialist Movement, a Neo-Nazi group, planned to rally and march in Toledo to protest what the group claimed was the mistreatment of whites by black gangs. Meanwhile a coalition consisting of local anarchists, members of the community and regional Anti-Racist Action groups began to organize a counter-demonstration with people in the affected neighborhood, many of whom had already made plans to oppose the Nazi rally, including calling a gang truce.

As approximately two dozen neo-Nazis taunted protesters with racial epithets in a North Toledo neighborhood, a racially diverse poverty-stricken area, protesters began launching rocks at police and the neo-Nazis. The neo-Nazis were escorted out of the area by police just as the protesters began to riot. The resulting mob overturned a car, threw rocks at police vehicles and an ambulance, looted storefronts in the area and also looted and set ablaze an historic local bar. Counter-demonstrators contended that the bar had a long history of playing host to wide variety of national and local political figures, as well as racist police officers. It existed at the same location for over 53 years and was seen by some as an asset to the neighborhood and the local Polish community, while others viewed it as a gathering spot for racist police. The owner, 87 year-old Lou Ratajski, lived in the apartment above. All of his personal possessions, as well as his business, were lost in this fire. He survived the blaze, although he barely escaped in time, and now resides with his nephew. Jim and Lou's Bar has since been deemed a total loss and razed by the city.

Members and supporters of the National Socialist Movement were forced to flee the city as the riot began. Mayor Jack Ford, who had tried to neutralize the Nazi rally by calling the date a "Day of Peace," condemned the riot as "just what the Nazis wanted", set an 8 p.m. curfew and declared a state of emergency. Many in the community, however, saw the explosion of violence as simply being the culmination of a long pervasive restiveness and tension between police and the neighborhood, and saw it as, if not acceptable, at least inevitable. Thirteen police vehicles were severely damaged, and several officers and civilians were injured, by the time the riot had ended. By December 1, 2005, 120-160 protesters had been arrested .[2]

The National Socialist Movement returned to Toledo on December 10, 2005. They rallied at the Government Center in downtown Toledo, where 26 protesters were arrested, though there was little violence from the protesters during the rally.[3] Most of the arrested were people who had gathered at area libraries, or who were assumed by police to be violating the city's restraining order against protest. After this visit a local tattoo parlor which had acted as a staging ground for the NSM was vandalized by an anarchist group that the shop's owner referred to as "The A Project".

Geography

Toledo is located at 41°39′56″N 83°34′31″W / 41.66556°N 83.57528°W / 41.66556; -83.57528Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (41.665682, -83.575337)Template:GR. The city sits astride the Maumee River at the southern end of Maumee Bay, which is the westernmost inlet of Lake Erie. Toledo is north of what was formerly the Great Black Swamp, giving rise to another nickname, Frog Town. An important ecological site, a sandy oak savanna called the Oak Openings region, lies just west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 217.8 km² (84.1 mi²). 208.8 km² (80.6 mi²) of it is land and 8.9 km² (3.5 mi²) of it (4.10%) is water.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Toledo, Ohio

Toledo, like many other cities in the Great Lakes region, experiences a continental climate, characterized by four distinct seasons, with large variations in temperature and precipitation between them. The city's location directly on Lake Erie moderates its climate somewhat, so that it is less extreme than if the city were further from the lake. The city also shares many climactic characteristics with the Ohio River Valley, such as slightly warmer winters and increased precipitation that is more evenly spread throughout the year.

The warmest month of the year is July, when high temperatures average 87°F (30°C), and overnight low temperatures average 68°F (20°C). January is the coldest month, when high temperatures average 33°F (1°C), and low temperatures average 22°F (-5°C). The wettest month of the year is June, when 3.84 inches (97.5mm) of precipitation falls. The driest month is January, when 2.00 inches (50.8mm) of precipitation falls. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Toledo was 105°F (41°C) on July 31, 1999. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -16°F (-27°C), on January 21, 1985.

Demographics

City of Toledo
Population by year [4]
Year Population U.S. Pop.
Ranking
1860 13,768 68th
1870 31,584 40th
1880 50,137 35th
1890 81,434 34th
1900 131,822 26th
1910 168,497 30th
1920 243,164 26th
1930 290,718 27th
1940 282,349 34th
1950 303,616 36th
1960 318,003 39th
1970 383,818 34th
1980 354,635 40th
1990 332,943 49th
2000 313,619 57th

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 313,619 people, 128,925 households, and 77,355 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,502.0/km² (3,890.0/mi²). There were 139,871 housing units at an average density of 669.9/km² (1,734.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.23% White, 23.55% African American, 0.31% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.28% from other races, and 2.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.47% of the population.

There were 128,925 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. There was a total of 139,871 housing units in the city, of which 10,946 (7.8%) were vacant.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,546, and the median income for a family was $41,175. Males had a median income of $35,407 versus $25,023 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,388. About 14.2% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Toledo is best known for manufacturing, although this industry has declined considerably in past decades. The Big Three automakers all have factories in metro Toledo. The city is home to three Fortune 500 companies: Dana Corporation, Owens Corning, and Owens-Illinois. Owens-Illinois has recently announced plans to relocate to suburban Perrysburg. HCR Manor Care is an up and coming Fortune 1000 company headquartered in Toledo. Though the largest employer in Toledo was Jeep for much of the 20th century, this honor has recently gone to the University of Toledo. Manufacturing as a whole now employs fewer Toledoans than does the healthcare industry, now the city's biggest employer. In 2001, a taxpayer lawsuit was filed against Toledo that challenged the constitutionality of tax incentives it extended to DaimlerChrysler for the expansion of its Jeep plant. The case was won by the city on a technical issue after it reached the U.S. Supreme Court in DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno, 547 U.S. ___ (2006).

Toledo is the market city for the northwest Ohio, a region of nine counties and a population in excess of 1 million. As such there is a high concentration of retail establishments and medical facilities in Toledo. The city's location at the intersection of I-80/I-90 and I-75 (i.e. "The Crossroads of America") has made it a popular hub location for transportation companies such as UPS and BAX Global. Toledo is also the nation's third busiest rail hub, and one of the busiest ports on the Great Lakes.

Education

Colleges and universities

These higher education institutions operate campuses within the city of Toledo:

Nearby are the following other higher education institutions:

Schools

Toledo Public Schools operates public schools within much of the city limits, along with the Washington Local School District in northern Toledo. Additionally, several private and parochial schools are present within Toledo

Media

Main article: List of Toledo, Ohio media outlets

The following are media outlets located in the city of Toledo. Also serving the city are a number of other radio and television stations, and newspapers located outside the city limits, including many such media outlets in the Detroit, Michigan, area. Some of these newspapers and broadcasting stations are listed below, with the city of publication or license noted when outside Toledo.

Newspapers

The Blade, a daily newspaper, is the primary newspaper in Toledo and was founded in 1835. It considers itself to be one of the best local newspapers in the United States. Page one of each issue asserts "One of America's Great Newspapers". The city's arts and entertainment weekly is the Toledo City Paper. In March 2005, the weekly newspaper Toledo Free Press began publication, and it has a focus on news and sports. Other alternative weeklies include "El Tiempo", La Prensa, Sojourner's Truth, and the Toledo Journal, as well as type A, a quarterly publication focused on Toledo's anarchist community. Toledo Tales provides satire and parody of life in the Glass City.


Magazines

Clamor is a bi-monthly magazine published in Toledo, Ohio. The focus of the magazine is alternative culture (covering art, commentary, cultural criticism, photography, interviews, politics, and music), often from a politically left-wing perspective.


Television stations

'** Low Power stations (containing "LP" or numbers in their calls) had to move, due to HDTV station conversions on a specific station number. Therefore, the station on that channel had to move to another channel number.

Radio stations

AM

FM

Sites of interest

Sports

The University of Toledo fields teams in several intercollegiate sports, many of which enjoy loyal followings by Toledo sports fans. The Toledo Rockets football team plays at the Glass Bowl, while the basketball teams compete at Savage Hall.

Club Sport Founded League Venue
Toledo Mud Hens Baseball 1896 International League Fifth Third Field
Toledo Ice Basketball 2005 ABA: White Conference SeaGate Convention Centre
Toledo Storm Hockey 1990 ECHL Toledo Sports Arena

The Mud Hens are one of minor league baseball's oldest teams, having first played in 1896. Fifth Third Field, however, is a new stadium, having been completed in 2002. In 2005, the Mud Hens won the International League Governor's Cup Championship by beating the Indianapolis Indians. Fifth Third Field also made record-breaking attendance with over 590,000 fans, the most in Mud Hen's history. The Mudhens are the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

The Toledo Sports Arena is home to the Toledo Storm of the ECHL (formerly East Coast Hockey League), and has also hosted many other sporting events. Inverness Club is a famous golf club and course frequently featured on the tours of the Professional Golfers' Association of America (as well as the PGA Tour and LPGA).

The SeaGate Convention Centre is home to the Toledo Ice of the ABA Basketball League, who began their first season in Toledo in November, 2005.

Fifth Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club, was selected by Newsweek magazine as the best ballpark in Minor League Baseball in 2002.

Toledo Speedway is the local auto racetrack.

Major Routes

  • (northbound) - Erie Street (Anthony Wayne Trail to Cherry Street), Cherry Street (Erie Street to Greenbelt Parkway)
  • (southbound) - Michigan Avenue (Spielbusch Avenue to Anthony Wayne Trail), Spielbusch Avenue (Greenbelt Parkway to Michigan Avenue)
  • SR 51 Monroe Street (Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Summit Street), Summit Street (Monroe Street to Clayton Street), Clayton Street (turns into Woodville Road on the Anthony Wayne Suspension Bridge), Woodville Road (Clayton Street to Oregon, Ohio)
  • SR 65 Miami Street (Rossford, Ohio to Fassett Street), Fassett Street (Miami Street to Oak Street), Oak Street (Fassett Street to Woodville Road), Woodville Road (turns into Clayton Street on the Anthony Wayne Suspension Bridge), Clayton Street (Woodville Road to Summit Street), Summit Street (Clayton Street to Interstate 280), ends at Interstate 280
  • SR 120 Central Avenue (Ottawa Hills, Ohio and Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Cherry Street), Cherry Street (Central Avenue to Maumee River), ends at Maumee River
  • SR 184 Alexis Road (Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Interstate 75), ends at Interstate 75
  • SR 246 Dorr Street (Reynolds Road/US 20 to 17th Street), 17th Street (to Monroe Street), ends at Monroe Street

Famous residents

Famous Toledoans include:

See also: List of mayors of Toledo, Ohio

Sister cities

Toledo has eight sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

Trivia

Toledo's location at the intersection of US Highways 23 and 24 and State Route 25 make Toledo one of the few cities located at the intersection of 3 consecutively numbered highways.

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