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Toledo, Ohio

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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 the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Lucas County. Named after Toledo, Spain, it is located on the western end of Lake Erie, on the Michigan border. It is the principal city in the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the 2000 census, the city proper had a population of 313,619. As of July 1, 2006, however, the U.S. Census Bureau listed the city with a reduced population of 298,446, allowing Toledo to maintain its place as the fourth-largest city in the state. According to the US Census, the metropolitan area had a population of 653,695, while the Combined Statistical Area had a population of 715,320. Residents of Toledo are usually referred to as Toledoans. Toledo is known as the Glass City because of its long history of innovation in all aspects of the glass industry: windows, bottles, windshields, construction materials, and glass art, of which the Toledo Museum of Art has a large collection. Several large glass companies have their origins here. Owens-Illinois, Owens Corning, Libbey Glass, Pilkington North America (formerly Libbey Owens Ford), and Therma-Tru have long been a staple of Toledo's economy. Other off-shoots and spinoffs of these companies also continue to play important roles in Toledo's economy. Fiberglass giant Johns Manville's two plants in the metro area were originally built by a subsidiary of Libbey Owens Ford. Many other companies that service the glass industry also began in Toledo, such as Toledo Engineering and Glasstech.

Toledo had also been known as "The Auto Parts Capital of the World". Several large, Fortune 500 automotive related companies had their headquarters in Toledo. Electric AutoLite, Sheller-Globe Corporation, Champion Spark Plug, Questor, and Dana Corporation are examples of large auto parts companies that began in Toledo. Only Dana Corporation is still in existence as an independent entity. The Jeep vehicle has been manufactured in Toledo since 1941 as well. Willys-Overland was a major automaker headquartered in Toledo until 1953.

History

The area was first settled by European Americans in 1794, after the Battle of Fallen Timbers, with the founding of Fort Industry. However, with the War of 1812, many settlers fled the area. Resettling around 1817 a Cincinnati syndicate purchased a 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 United States 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 representative of the International style of architecture, which was at that time becoming increasingly popular in the US.

Toledo War

An almost bloodless conflict between Ohio and the Michigan Territory, called the Toledo War (1835-1836), was "fought" over a narrow strip of land from the Indiana border to Lake Erie, now containing the city and the suburbs of Sylvania and Oregon. The strip—which varied between five and eight miles (13 km) in width—was claimed by the state of Ohio and the Michigan Territory 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—stabbed in the leg by Two Stickney during the arrest of his elder brother, One Stickney—and the loss of two horses, two pigs and a few chickens stolen from an Ohio farm by lost members of the Michigan militia.

In the end, the state of Ohio was awarded the land after the state of Michigan was given the Upper Peninsula in exchange. Stickney Avenue in Toledo is named for One and Two Stickney.

Geography

Toledo is located at (41.665682, -83.575337). 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 84.1 square miles (217.8 km²), of which, 80.6 square miles (208.8 km²) of it is land and 3.5 square miles (8.9 km²) of it (4.10%) is water.

Climate

Toledo, like several other cities in the Great Lakes region, experiences a lake-moderated continental climate, characterized by four distinct seasons varying significantly in temperature and precipitation. Lake Erie moderates its climate somewhat, especially in late spring and fall, when air and water temperature differences are maximal. However, this effect is tempered in the winter by the fact that Lake Erie freezes over much more readily than the other Great Lakes, coupled with prevailing winds that are often westerly. The city also shares climatic characteristics with the Ohio 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 (97.5 mm) of precipitation falls. The driest month is January, when 2.00 inches (50.8 mm) of precipitation falls. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Toledo was 105 °F (41 °C) on July 14, 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -20 °F (-29 °C), on January 21, 1984. The record high in the month of January by Toledo was set January 7, 2008 with the high temperature at 68 °F which was broken at Toledo Express Airport.(Source:http://www.erh.noaa.gov/cle/climate/tol/normals/tolnrtjan.html)

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 68 71 81 88 95 104 105 99 98 91 80 70
Norm High °F 31.4 35.1 46.5 58.9 70.7 79.5 83.4 81 74 62.1 48.3 36
Norm Low °F 16.4 18.9 27.9 37.7 48.6 58.2 62.6 60.7 52.9 41.6 32.6 22.3
Rec Low °F -20 -14 -6 8 25 32 40 34 26 15 2 -19
Precip (in) 1.93 1.88 2.62 3.24 3.14 3.8 2.8 3.19 2.84 2.35 2.78 2.64
''Source:The Weather Channel. "
Source: USTravelWeather.com

Demographics

City of Toledo Population
Year Population U.S.
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 census of 2000, there were 313,619 people, 128,925 households, and 77,355 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,890.2 people per square mile (1,502.0/km²). There were 139,871 housing units at an average density of 1,734.9/sq mi (669.9/km²). 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. The top 5 largest ancestries include German (23.4%), Irish (10.8%), Polish (10.1%), English (6.0%), and French (4.6%).

In 2000 there were 128,925 households in Toledo, 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.

Neighborhoods

Toledo consists of the following neighborhoods:

  • North Toledo (North End)
  • North Towne
  • Old Orchard
  • Old West End
  • Ottawa (includes Westmoreland)
  • Point Place
  • Polish Village
  • Reynolds Corners

  • Scott Park
  • South Toledo
  • Southwyck
  • West Toledo
  • Trilby
  • University Hills
  • Warehouse District
  • Westgate

Suburbs

According to the US Census Bureau, the Toledo Metropolitan Area covers 4 Ohio counties and combines with other micropolitan areas and counties for a combined statistical area. Some of the suburbs include:

Ohio

Michigan

Economy

Historically, Toledo is best known for industrial manufacturing, although these industries have declined considerably in past decades. The Big Three automobile manufacturers all have factories in metropolitan Toledo. The city is home to two Fortune 500 companies: Dana Corporation and Owens Corning. Another Fortune 500 company, formerly located at One SeaGate, is Owens-Illinois. O-I has recently relocated 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 home to several other large companies. Faurecia Exhaust Systems, which is a $2 billion subsidiary to France's Faurecia SA, and Pilkington North America, which is a $900 million subsidiary to Britain's Pilkington Ltd., are located in Toledo.

Toledo is the primary market city for northwest Ohio, a region of nine counties with a population in excess of one million. As such there is a high concentration of retail establishments and medical facilities in Toledo. The city's location near 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, 15th-busiest air cargo hub, and one of the busiest ports on the Great Lakes.

To promote economic development, the City of Toledo has announced that it will cover the of the city of Toledo with Wi-Fi internet access for government, business, and personal use. This will create the nation's sixth largest Wi-Fi network, and will be funded with private dollars.

Education

Colleges and universities

These higher education institutions operate campuses in Metro Toledo:

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Toledo Public Schools operates public schools within much of the city limits, along with the Washington Local School District in northern Toledo.

Private schools

Additionally, several private and parochial primary and secondary schools are present within the Toledo area. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo operates Roman Catholic primary and secondary schools.

Private high schools in Toledo include Maumee Valley Country Day School, Central Catholic High School, St. Francis de Sales High School, St. John's Jesuit High School, Notre Dame Academy, St. Ursula Academy (Ottawa Hills), Cardinal Stritch High School (Oregon), the Toledo Islamic Academy, Freedom Christian Academy, Toledo Christian Schools, Emmanuel Christian,and the Apostolic Christian Academy.

Media

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 occurring outside of 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 weeklies include the "West Toledo Herald," "El Tiempo", La Prensa, Sojourner's Truth, and the Toledo Journal, as well as type A magazine, a quarterly publication focused on Toledo's anarchist community. Toledo Tales provides satire and parody of life in the Glass City.

Magazines

The Old West End Magazine is published monthly and highlites "The Best in Urban Historic Living". Monthly issues are also published on the Old West End Association web site. http://www.toledooldwestend.com/main.aspx

The Toledo Journal is an African-American owned newspaper. It is published weekly, and normally focuses on African-American issues.

Television stations

'** Low Power stations (containing "LP" or numbers in their calls) had to move, due to digital station conversions on a specific station number, or the channel they are broadcasting on is being withdrawn from television broadcasting. Therefore, the station on that channel had to move to another channel number.

Radio stations

AM

FM

Sites of interest

  • The Toledo Museum of Art is an internationally-acclaimed museum located in a Greek Revival building. The Center for Visual Arts addition by Frank Gehry was added in the recent past and the Museum's new Glass Pavilion across Monroe Street opened in August 2006.

  • The Toledo Zoo - consistently rated as one of the nation's ten best - was the first zoo to feature a hippoquarium-style exhibit. The Toledo Zoo was also one of three finalists to be in the computer game Zoo Tycoon.
  • The Willis B Boyer is a former Cleveland-Cliffs lake freighter open to the public as a museum, located at International Park, across from downtown Toledo along the Maumee River.
  • The R. A. Stranahan Arboretum is a 47 acre arboretum maintained by the University of Toledo.
  • The Old West End is an historic neighborhood of Victorian, Arts & Crafts, and other Edwardian style houses recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.
  • The Mansion View Inn, also known as the Reynolds-Secor home, built in 1887, was home to several prominent and wealthy Toledo families. It boasts some of the finest architecture found anywhere and is listed on the Department of Interior’s National Historic Register.
  • The world famous Tony Packo's Cafe is located in the Hungarian neighborhood on the east side of Toledo known as Birmingham, and features hot dog buns signed by celebrities.
  • Loma Linda reataurant another world famous food stop is in the Toledo Airport area as well.

  • The The Veterans' Glass City Skyway over the Maumee River on Interstate 280, just north-east of downtown Toledo. This tall bridge includes a glass covered pylon, which lights up at night, adding a distinctive feature to Toledo's skyline.
  • The Anthony Wayne Bridge, a 3215 foot suspension bridge crossing the Maumee River, has been a staple of Toledo's skyline for more than 70 years.
  • The Toledo Metroparks which includes the University/Parks Trail and the Toledo Botanical Garden.
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza was built as Central Union Terminal by the New York Central Railroad in 1950 and currently serves as the city's Amtrak station.
  • Fifth Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club, was selected as one of the best Minor League ballparks in the USA by Newsweek magazine in 2002.
  • Stranahan Theater is a major concert hall located on the city's west side.

Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships
Toledo Mud Hens IL, Baseball Fifth Third Field 1897 3
Toledo Walleye ECHL, Ice hockey Toledo Downtown Arena 2009 0

Walleye

The Toledo Walleye is an ECHL hockey team scheduled to play in a new arena is built in downtown Toledo in 2009. The Walleye is a farm team for American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins and Rockford Icehogs. They are also affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL.

Mud Hens

The Toledo 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 and again in 2006 by defeating the Rochester Red Wings. Fifth Third Field also made record-breaking attendance in 2007 with over 590,000 fans, the most in franchise history. The Mud Hens are the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Rockets

The University of Toledo fields teams in many intercollegiate sports, quite a number 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.

Golf

Inverness Club is a golf club in Toledo. It is known for hosting six major USGA events, including the 2003 U.S. Senior Open. Highland Meadows Golf Club is home to LPGA's Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic presented by Kroger

Motorsports

Toledo Speedway is a local auto racetrack that features, among other events, stock car racing and concerts.

Glass City Rollers

The Glass City Rollers is a Female Roller Derby league. They are currently recruiting derby girls, referees, volunteers and sponsors.

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 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 Bridge), Clayton Street (Woodville Road to Summit Street), Summit Street (Clayton Street to Craig Memorial Bridge), Craig Memorial Bridge (Summit Street to Front Street/I-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

Transportation

Air

Toledo Express Airport serves the city.

Rail transportation

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Toledo under the Capitol Limited and the Lake Shore Limited. Both lines stop at Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza (Toledo) which is the train station in Toledo.

Freight rail service in Toledo is operated by the Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, Canadian National, Ann Arbor, and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway. All except the Wheeling have local terminals; The Wheeling operates into Toledo from the east through trackage rights on Norfolk Southern to connect with the Ann Arbor and the CN.

References to Toledo in popular culture

  • The character Maxwell Klinger from the M*A*S*H television series made frequent references to Toledo.
  • John Denver sang a song entitled "Saturday Night In Toledo, Ohio" which was composed by Randy Sparks.
  • Toledo is the subject of a song by Danny Michel that shares the city's name.
  • The 1942 film The Man Who Came to Dinner involves a runaway son who gets no farther than Toledo.
  • The 1954 film Johnny Dark, which starred Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie, featured shots of the former Willys-Overland factory that made Jeeps.
  • Brewster’s Millions, a 1985 comedy starring Richard Pryor, centers on a minor league baseball pitcher who played for the Toledo Mud Hens.
  • In the 1987 film Good Morning Vietnam, Robin Williams asks a woman that he is trying to pick up if she is from Toledo.
  • Longtime Oakland Athletics announcer Bill King (1927-2005) is well-known for his catch-phrase "Holy Toledo!"
  • Kenny Rogers recorded a song entitled "Lucille" in 1977 that included the lines: "In a bar in Toledo, across from the depot, on a barstool she took off her ring."
  • Elvis Costello composed and recorded a song entitled "Toledo" in 1998 that features the following disparaging commentary about the city's reputation: "But do people living in Toledo know that their name hasn't travelled very well?"

Notable residents

Among famous residents of Toledo and its suburbs are:

Arts and entertainment

Theater and film

Music

Modelling

Journalism

Literature and poetry

Politics and government

Science and technology

Sports

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Ice hockey

Golf

Wrestling

Other sports

Other notoriety

Sister cities

Toledo linked with Toledo, Spain as Sister Cities in 1931, creating the first Sister Cities relationship in the world. In total Toledo has eight Sister Cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

According to Toledo Sister Cities International, Toledo also has four "friendship cities":

See also

References

External links



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Last updated on Thursday March 13, 2008 at 19:36:54 PDT (GMT -0700)
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