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City of Toledo
City
FIPS code		39-77000[1]
GNIS feature ID	1067015[2]
Website	http://www.toledo.oh.gov/

Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County.^[3] The municipality is in northwest Ohio on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan. The city was founded in 1833 on the west bank of the Maumee River, originally incorporated as part of Monroe County, Michigan Territory; then re-founded in 1837, after conclusion of the Toledo War, when it was incorporated in Ohio. Toledo grew quickly as a result of the Miami and Erie Canal and its position on the railway line between New York and Chicago. It has since become a city well known for its industry, particularly in glass and auto assembly (Jeep headquarters and related auto parts production), as well as for its art community, education, and local sports teams.

Population by city, county, multi-county MSA, region

In the

In 1825, the Ohio state legislature authorized the construction of the Miami and Erie Canal and later its Wabash and Erie Canal extension in 1833. The canal was to connect the city of Cincinnati to Lake Erie, as there were no highways in the state to transport goods produced locally to large markets east of the Appalachian Mountains. During the canal’s planning phase, many small towns along the northern shores of the Maumee competed heavily to be the terminus of the canal, with the hopes of extreme growth and profitability from the corresponding port.^[7] The towns of Port Lawrence and Vistula merged in 1833 to better compete against the towns of Waterville, Maumee, Ohio, and Manhattan.

The inhabitants of the joined settlements 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 reportedly 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."^[6] Despite Toledo’s efforts, the final terminus was planned for Manhattan, a half mile to the north of Toledo, because it was closer to the lake. As a compromise, the state placed two sidecuts before the terminus, one in Toledo at Swan Creek and another in Maumee.

An almost bloodless conflict between Ohio and the

Most of Manhattan's residents moved out by 1844, with just 541 residents at the 1850 census, with Toledo at 3,829. The 1860 census shows Toledo with a population of 13,768 and Manhattan with 788. While the towns were only a mile apart, Toledo grew by 359% in ten years while Manhattan only grew by 148% because of the change in the canal outlet. By the 1880s, Toledo expanded over the vacant streets of Manhattan and Tremainsville, a small town to the west.^[7][9]

Burgeoning Industry and the Manufacturing Roller-coaster

In the last half of the 19th century, railroads slowly began to replace canals as the major form of transport. Toledo soon became a hub for several railroad companies and a hotspot for industries like furniture producers, carriage makers, breweries, and glass manufacturers. Large immigrant populations came to the area, attracted by the many factory jobs available and the city's easy accessibility. By 1880, Toledo was one of the largest cities in Ohio.

Toledo continued to expand in population and industry into the early 20th century, fueled by factories like Willys-Overland and Libbey Glass. But the city was hit hard by the

The city rebounded with the help of manufacturing during World War II, but the slump of American manufacturing in the second half of the 20th century, along with the nationwide epidemic of white flight from cities to suburbs, led to a depressed city before the national recession of the 1980s. The destruction of many buildings downtown, along with several failed business ventures in housing in the core, led to a reverse city-suburb wealth problem common in small cities with land to spare.

In recent years, downtown Toledo has undergone significant redevelopment to draw residents back to the city. Fifth Third Field opened in 2002, and the Huntington Center (originally Lucas County Arena) opened in 2009. The riverfront area adjacent to International Park has been upgraded with walking trails, landscaping and several restaurants have opened nearby.

Geography

Toledo is located at 41°39′56″N 83°34′31″W / 41.66556°N 83.57528°W / 41.66556; -83.57528 (41.665682, −83.575337).^[10] 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) is land and 3.5 square miles (8.9 km²) (4.10%) is water. The city straddles the Maumee River at the southern end of Maumee Bay, the westernmost inlet of Lake Erie. Toledo sits north of what had been the Great Black Swamp, giving rise to another nickname, Frog Town. An important ecological site, Toledo sits within the borders of a sandy oak savanna called the Oak Openings Region that once took up over 300 square miles (780 km²).^[11]

Toledo is located within approximately four hours or less of seven major US cities: Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

Climate

Toledo, like several other cities in the Great Lakes region, experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), characterized by four distinct seasons. Both temperature and precipitation vary widely seasonally. Lake Erie moderates the 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 in most winters (unlike the other Great Lakes), coupled with prevailing winds that are often westerly. Southerly and westerly prevailing winds combined with warm surface waters of Lake Erie in summer also negate the lake's cooling ability on the city; furthermore, the lake's presence increases humidity.

Summers are very warm and humid, with July averaging 73.0 °F (22.8 °C) and temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C) or more seen on 15 days.

Cityscape

Neighborhoods and suburbs

Toledo is divided into the following neighborhoods:

According to the

The eleven county Northwest Ohio/Toledo/Fremont media market includes over 1 million residents.[14]

Culture

Museums and Art

Greek Revival building. Its Center for Visual Arts addition was designed by Frank Gehry, and the Museum's new Glass Pavilion across Monroe Street opened in August 2006. Toledo was the first city in Ohio to adopt a one percent for arts program and, as such, boasts many examples of public, outdoor art.^[15] The works, which include large sculptures, environmental structures, and murals by more than 40 artists, such as Alice Adams (artist), Pierre Clerk, Dale Eldred, Penelope Jencks, Hans Van De Bovenkamp, Jerry Peart, and Athena Tacha, are organized into a number of walking tours.^[16]

Performance and Exhibition

The Peristyle is the concert hall in Greek Revival style in the East Wing of the Toledo Museum of Art; it is the home of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and hosts many international orchestras as well. The Stranahan Theater is a major concert hall located on the city's south side. The Toledo Opera has been presenting grand opera in the city since 1959. It's current home is the historic Valentine Theatre in Downtown. The Toledo Repertoire Theatre was created in 1933 and performs both Broadway hits and lesser-known original works. The Collingwood Arts Center is housed in a 1905 building designed by architect E. O. Fallis in the "Flemish Gothic" style. The parlor is used to showcase art exhibitions while the second and third floor rooms are rented to local artists. The Ballet Theatre of Toledo provides an opportunity for area students to study ballet and perform their art.[17]

Tourist Attractions

• The
  hippoquarium
  -style exhibit.
• 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 (190,000 m²) arboretum maintained by the University of Toledo.
• The Old West End is a historic neighborhood of Victorian, Arts & Crafts, and other Edwardian style houses recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.
• Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral
• The Mansion View Inn, also known as the Reynolds-Secor home, built in 1887, was home to several prominent and wealthy Toledo families. It is listed on the Department of Interior’s National Historic Register.
• Tony Packo's Cafe is located in the Hungarian neighborhood on the east side of Toledo known as Birmingham, and features hundreds of hot dog buns signed by celebrities.^[18]
• The Veterans' Glass City Skyway over the Maumee River on Interstate 280, just north-east of downtown Toledo. This 400-foot (120 m) tall bridge includes a glass covered pylon, which lights up at night, adding a distinctive feature to Toledo's skyline.^[19]

• The Anthony Wayne Bridge, a 3,215-foot (980 m) suspension bridge crossing the Maumee River, has been a staple of Toledo's skyline for more than 70 years. It is locally known as the "High-Level Bridge."
• 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.
• On January 15, 1936, the first building to be completely covered in glass was constructed in Toledo. It was a building for the
  International style
  of architecture, which was at that time becoming increasingly popular in the US.
• The Imagination Station hands-on science museum (formerly COSI Toledo), located in downtown, is currently open to the public as of October 2009.
• The
  Huntington Center replaced the aging Toledo Sports Arena and opened in October 2009 with a performance by Jeff Dunham. It is the new home of both the Toledo Walleye (ECHL Hockey) and Toledo Bullfrogs
  (Arena Football 2).
• The Toledo Lucas County Public Library was 4-star rated for 2009 by the Library Journal, sixth among the biggest spending libraries in the United States.^[20]

Sports

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

• Baseball- The
  AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers
  .

• Collegiate- The
  Savage Hall
  .

• Golf-
  Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic
  .

• Hockey- The
  NHL
  .

• Racing- Toledo Speedway is a local auto racetrack that features, among other events, stock car racing and concerts. Raceway Park hosts harness racing and features an enclosed grandstand.

• Roller Derby- The
  Seagate Convention Centre
  in 2009.

• Rugby Union- The Toledo Celtics are a division II men's rugby football club that began in 1974. The team has enjoyed much success including a DIII Midwest Championship and 3rd place finish in the national standings in 2006. The team website is http://toledorugby.com/ .

Media

Main article: Media in Toledo, Ohio

125px|thumb|The front page of Toledo Blade The Blade, a daily newspaper, is the primary newspaper in Toledo and was founded in 1835. 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, Toledo Journal, and now Midwesturban Newspaper. Toledo Tales provides satire and parody of life in the Glass City. The Old West End Magazine is published monthly and highlights "The Best in Urban Historic Living". The Midwest Urban Newspaper and Toledo Journal are African-American owned newspapers. It is published weekly, and normally focuses on African-American issues. Monthly issues are also published on the Old West End Association web site. http://www.toledooldwestend.com/main.aspx

The eight Toledo television stations are: 5 (Cable Only)

Trinity Broadcast Network

Fourteen radio stations are licensed in Toledo.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	1,222		—
1850	3,829		213.3%
1860	13,768		259.6%
1870	31,584		129.4%
1880	50,137		58.7%
1890	81,434		62.4%
1900	131,822		61.9%
1910	168,497		27.8%
1920	243,164		44.3%
1930	290,718		19.6%
1940	282,349		−2.9%
1950	303,616		7.5%
1960	318,003		4.7%
1970	383,818		20.7%
1980	354,635		−7.6%
1990	332,943		−6.1%
2000	313,619		−5.8%
2009 (est.)	316,179
U.S. Census Bureau[21]

As of the census

French (4.6%).^[22]

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.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Toledo's population as 297,806 in 2006 and 295,029 in 2007. In response to an appeal by the City of Toledo, the Census Bureau's July 2007 estimate was revised to 316,851, slightly more than in 2000.[23] This was the city's first population gain in 40 years.

Economy

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Before the

U.S. Supreme Court in DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno

, 547 U.S. ___ (2006).

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.

Toledo is known as the Glass City because of its long history of innovation in all aspects of the glass industry:

Libbey Owens Ford. Many other companies that service the glass industry also began in Toledo, such as Toledo Engineering and Glasstech.^[25][26]

Several large, Fortune 500 automotive related companies had their headquarters in Toledo. Electric AutoLite, Sheller-Globe Corporation, Champion Spark Plug, Questor, and Dana Holding Corporation are examples of large auto parts companies that began in Toledo. Faurecia Exhaust Systems, which is a $2 billion subsidiary to France's Faurecia SA, is located in Toledo. Only Dana Corporation is still in existence as an independent entity.

Toledo is home of Jeep headquarters and has 2 production facilities, one in the city and one in suburban Perrysburg. The manufacturing dependency continued into World War II when Toledo became involved in wartime production of several products, particularly the

Willys-Overland

was a major automaker headquartered in Toledo until 1953.

While Toledo has a "

rust belt" reputation due to its manufacturing history, in the 2000s, the city received a lot of interest and growth in "green jobs" due to economic development around solar energy. For example, the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University received Ohio grants for solar energy research.^[28] Also, companies like Xunlight opened plants in Toledo and the surrounding area.^[29] Additionally, SSOE Group, one of the nation's largest engineering, architectural and construction firms headquartered in Toledo in 1948, is 2nd nationally in solar generation design, and 2nd in green industrial and manufacturing design ENR Construction Sourcebooks 2010, as well as being named one of the fastest growing private companies in Inc. Magazine

.

The

Tree City USA.^[30]

Education

Colleges and universities

These higher education institutions operate campuses in Metro Toledo:

• The University of Toledo
• Bowling Green State University (BGSU)
• Davis College
• Lourdes College (Sylvania
  )
• Mercy College
• Monroe County Community College (Monroe)
• Owens Community College (Perrysburg/Oregon)
• Southwestern College
• Stautzenberger College (Maumee)
• Toledo Academy of Beauty
• Toledo Professional Skills Institute
• Herzing University
• ITT Tech (Springfield Twp.)

Primary and secondary schools

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

in northern Toledo. Toledo is also home to several public charter schools including two Imagine 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

Cardinal Stritch High School (Oregon), the Toledo Islamic Academy, Freedom Christian Academy, Toledo Christian Schools

, Emmanuel Christian, the David S. Stone Hebrew Academy (Sylvania), and Apostolic Christian Academy.

Charter Schools Include : Horizon Science Academy, Toledo School for the Arts (TSA), and Star Academy of Toledo.

Transportation

Major roads

• Interstate 75 from Northwood, Ohio to Michigan state line
• Interstate 280 from Oregon, Ohio to Interstate 75
• Interstate 475 from Michigan state line to Interstate 75
• U.S. Route 20 Reynolds Road (Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Maumee, Ohio
  )
• U.S. Route 24 S Detroit Avenue (Maumee, Ohio to Fearing Boulevard), Fearing Boulevard (S Detroit Avenue to N Detroit Avenue), N Detroit Avenue (Fearing Boulevard to Telegraph Road), Telegraph Road (N Detroit Highway to Bedford Township, Monroe County, Michigan
  )
• SR 2 Airport Highway (Springfield Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Western Avenue), Western Avenue (Airport Highway to Broadway Street), Broadway Street (Western Avenue to Clayton Avenue), Clayton Avenue (turns into Woodville Road on the Anthony Wayne Bridge, Woodville Road (Clayton Street to Navarre Ave), Navarre Ave (Woodville Road to Oregon, Ohio)

  

• 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

Air

Rail transportation

Freight rail service in Toledo is operated by the

Local bus service is provided by the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority. Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound Lines who's station is located at 811 Jefferson Ave. in Downtown Toledo which provides daily stops seven days a week. Megabus (North America) also provides daily trips to Chicago, IL (main hub) and Cleveland, OH.

Toledo in Popular Culture

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• John Denver sang a disparaging song about visiting Toledo entitled "Saturday Night In Toledo, Ohio" which was composed by Randy Sparks. It was written in 1967 when Sparks and his group arrived in Toledo at 10pm on a Saturday night, and found everything closed. The song was written as they drove down to Kansas City and their next gig.^[31]

• Jamie Farr, as M*A*S*H character Maxwell Q. Klinger, often talked of Toledo, his real hometown

• Toledo is referenced in Supernatural as where Bloody Mary made her first victim.

• Toledo is mentioned in the song "Our Song" by Yes from their 1983 album 90125. According to Yes drummer Alan White, Toledo was especially memorable for a sweltering hot 1977 Yes gig at the Toledo Sports Arena.^[32]

• The Kenny Rogers 1977 hit song Lucille was written by Hal Bynum, inspired by his trip to Toledo in 1975.^[33]

Notable residents

Toledo has produced a number of famous artists, including actors Jamie Farr (as well as his character from M*A*S*H, Maxwell Q. Klinger), Alyson Stoner, Katie Holmes and Danny Thomas, musicians Tom Scholz, Crystal Bowersox, Lyfe Jennings, and Scott Shriner, painter Israel Abramofsky, jazz pianist Art Tatum. Famous writers and journalists from the city include P. J. O'Rourke, Christine Brennan, Philana Marie Boles and Gloria Steinem. Famous athletes include Baseball Hall of Fame members Roger Bresnahan and Addie Joss, U.S. boxing Olympian Devin Vargas, and professional basketball player John Amaechi and retired NBA player Jim Jackson.

Sister cities

Toledo linked with

• Delmenhorst, Germany
• Londrina, Brazil
• Poznań, Poland
• Szeged, Hungary
• Tanga, Tanzania
• Toledo, Spain
• Toyohashi, Japan
• China
• Hyderabad, Pakistan
• Coimbatore, India

As of March 2007^[update], Toledo also had five "friendship cities":^[34]

• Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Nikopol, Ukraine
• Pohang, South Korea
• Tomsk, Russia
• London, Canada

See also

• Greater Toledo
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo
• Auto-Lite strike
• Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, local bus transportation
• Toledo City League, high school sports league
• Baseball parks of Toledo, Ohio
• Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps, Drum Corps International
  World Class Drum and Bugle Corps

Further reading

• Bloom, Matthew. "Symbiotic Growth in the Swamp: Toledo and Northwest Ohio, 1860–1900," Northwest Ohio History, 77 (Spring 2010), 85–104.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toledo, Ohio.

• The Official City of Toledo
• Greater Toledo Convention and Visitors Bureau

[[Category:Populated places established in 1794]] [[Category:Cities in Ohio]] [[Category:Populated places on the Great Lakes]] [[Category:Lucas County, Ohio]] [[Category:Port settlements in the United States]] [[Category:Toledo, Ohio| ]] [[Category:Toledo metropolitan area]]