Elyria, Ohio

Infobox Settlement
official_name = City of Elyria
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Elyria, Ohio


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Ohio
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Lorain

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = William M. Grace (D)
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title = Founded
established_date = 1817

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 51.6
area_land_km2 = 51.5
area_water_km2 = 0.1
area_total_sq_mi = 19.9
area_land_sq_mi = 19.9
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 55953
population_density_km2 = 1086.4
population_density_sq_mi = 2813.7

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes = GR|3
elevation_m = 218
elevation_ft = 715
latd = 41 |latm = 22 |lats = 24 |latNS = N
longd = 82 |longm = 6 |longs = 6 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 44035, 44036, 44039, 44074
area_code = 440
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 39-25256GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1040177GR|3
website = http://www.cityofelyria.org/
footnotes =

Elyria is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Lorain CountyGR|6. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio at the forks of the Black River founded in 1817. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 55,953. Elyria was founded by Herman Ely. [http://www.cityofelyria.org/ElyriaHistory.html] . The current mayor of Elyria is William M. Grace. The city is home to Lorain County Community College.

History

Elyria was founded in 1817 by Heman Ely, who built a log house, dam, gristmill, and sawmill on the site. Ely began to build more houses to accommodate immigrating settlers. By the time Ely died in 1852, Elyria had 5 churches, 3 grocery stores, 3 flour mills, a newspaper, and a population of more than 1,500. As the 1900s arrived, Elyria was a small town of about 8,000. In 1908, Elyria Memorial Hospital was built and has since evolved into an award-winning regional healthcare system. In August 1967, Midway Mall was opened and changed the face of the local economy as local businesses either moved into the mall or closed down. [http://elyriapride.elyria.com/ehistory.htm]

Geography

Elyria, part of the Cleveland–Elyria–Mentor metropolitan area, is located at coor dms|41|22|24|N|82|6|6|W|city (41.373396, -82.101692).GR|1Elyria's primary zip code is 44035 with post office boxes being assigned the zip code 44036.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.9 square miles (51.6 km²), of which, 19.9 square miles (51.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.15%) is water.

Also, the Black River flows through Elyria.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 55,953 people, 22,409 households, and 14,834 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,813.7 people per square mile (1,086.2/km²). There were 23,841 housing units at an average density of 1,198.9/sq mi (462.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.15% White, 14.17% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 2.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.78% of the population.

There were 22,409 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,156, and the median income for a family was $45,846. Males had a median income of $34,898 versus $24,027 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,344. About 9.5% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Community

Elyria has an extensive, although financially burdened, community food pantry and "Hot Meals" program administered through several churches and the Second Harvest Food Bank. Hot Meals feeds an average of more than 125 people a night, a portion of which are homeless. [http://secondharvestfoodbank.org/member-agencies/agency-information/current-agencies/] The Elyria High School Pioneer Marching Band is also a source of pride for the community.Elyria is served by Elyria Memorial Hospital as a main hospital.

Recreation and parks

Elyria has a large number of parks and recreational centers that include a variety of activities such as baseball, playground equipment. The 4 recreational centers are named after their location on the map - North, East, South, and West. They each include one or more baseball fields and at least 2 tennis courts. There are two main parks, Cascade and Elywood, which are connected by a drive-on ford in the center.

Cascade Park

Cascade Park is the largest and most popular park in Elyria. The park is located in a ravine carved by the same glaciers that created the Great Lakes. Cascade park has a large playground and a large hill used for seating at the 4th of July fireworks show, and is a popular spot for sledding during winter months. The Black River winds through the center of the park and can be viewed throughout the park at various locations.There is also a short hiking trail that winds through a portion of the park bringing you past one of two waterfalls and many large rock formations. In many cases there are carved foot holes, hand holes and steps in the rock formations allowing further exploration of the environment by the young at heart. The most popular rock to climb is the first rock at the entrance of the trails. It has footholes and handholes up the side and steps in order to get to the flat side where people love to climb up and relax, enjoying the scenery. The most famous rock is the infamous Pink Floyd rock which has Pink Floyd spray painted on it.

Business

Elyria is home to many businesses and several worldwide headquarters. Invacare, a world leader of mobility care, is headquartered in Elyria along with RIDGID Tool, Diamond Products, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, and Elyria Manufacturing Corp. Elyria's Midway Mall is a local hub for shopping. Major stores include Sears, Best Buy, Macy's, and JCPenney. A Wal-Mart Supercenter, currently one of the largest in the nation at convert|207000|sqft|m2|abbr=on. [http://www.chroniclet.com/2007/04/17/wal-mart-of-a-different-stripe/] [http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/4957.aspx] , opened as a hub of the Chestnut Commons retail complex in 2007. In addition, the smaller, traditional-style Wal-Mart near Midway Mall will be replaced with a nearby convert|187000|sqft|m2|abbr=on. Supercenter, scheduled to open in the Spring of 2008 [http://www.chroniclet.com/2007/04/13/wal-mart-unveils-mall-area-store-plans/] . Other large commercial establishments include Target, Giant Eagle, and Home Depot. Also there are many small businesses that are located in the Midway Mall and also in Downtown Elyria.

chools

Elyria has a large number of public and private schools including Elyria High School. The percent of students at or above proficient in grades of 3 to 8 for OAT Reading and Math tests are 75% and 64% respectively. The percent of students at or above proficient in grades 10-11 for OGT Reading, Science, Writing, and Math are 91%, 77%, 89%, and 85.5% respectively. The Elyria City Schools district consists of one high school, three junior high schools, nine elementary schools, and one kindergarten school. In addition, Elyria is home to Elyria Catholic High School and the Open Door Christian School, among other private religious and secular schools.

Transportation

Lorain County Transit is based in Elyria. Elyria is served by many highways, including U.S. Route 20, the Ohio Turnpike, and State Routes 2 and 57. The general aviation airport for Elyria and Lorain is the Lorain County Regional Airport (located in New Russia Township), and Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport is the nearest major airport. The Elyria Amtrak Station provides train transportation.

Early Transportation

In the early 1900s, Elyria had a trolley system that helped bring residents to and from work and shopping centers in downtown. Horse-drawn carriages were a popular form of transportation, since cars were available but scarce. In 1907, the number 123 trolley car collided with the number 129 car killing 6 people. Elyria Memorial Hospital was built in response to the crash. Elyria also built the New York Central Depot hub to connect Elyria to other cities, but this was soon abandoned and is now in the process of being renovated for use again by Lorain County.

Notable natives

* Judge John A. Howard, first black president of the Ohio State Bar Association and any state bar assoc., first black judge in Lorain County
* Jedediah Morency, founder of Morency Enterprise
* D. C. Anderson, stage actor
* Sherwood Anderson, writer
* Thelma Drake, politician
* Jackson C. Frank, folk singer/songwriter
* Arthur L. Garford, padded bicycle seat inventor and automobile manufacturer
* Doug Gillard, musician and songwriter, lead guitarist for the band Guided by Voices
* Vic Janowicz, former baseball and football player, 1950 Heisman Trophy winner
* Anodea Judith, author, therapist, public speaker and expert on the Chakra system
* James A. King, Jr., first attorney Citizen Airman Award recipient, Liberty USO Chairman & CEO
* Tianna Madison, long jump athlete for University of Tennessee
* Robert Edwin Lee, playwright and lyricist
* Les Miles, LSU Tigers head football coach
* Tim Rattay, professional football player
* Clayton Rawson, mystery writer, editor, and amateur magician
* Chad Szeliga, the drummer for the band Breaking Benjamin.
* Steve Tovar, professional football player
* Victoria Wells Wulsin, medical doctor and politician
* Matt Wilhelm, professional football player
* Tarrence J. Staton, Professional Baseball Player
* Norma Jean Wright, R&B Singer, Lead singer for the band CHIC
* Keefe Brazelle, actor, title role of the 1953 movie "The Eddie Cantor Story"

References

External links

Government

* [http://www.cityofelyria.org City of Elyria website]
* [http://www.elyriamunicourt.org Elyria Municipal Court website]

Education

* [http://www.elyriaschools.org Elyria City Schools]
* [http://elyriaschools.org/elyria/ Elyria High School]
* [http://www.elyriabandboosters.org/ Elyria High Pioneer Marching Band]
* [http://www.elyriacatholic.com Elyria Catholic High School]
* [http://www.fbcs-elyria.org First Baptist Christian School]
* [http://www.stjudejaguars.org St Jude school]
* [http://www.smselyria.parishesonline.com/scripts/HostedSites/Org.asp?ID=22353 St. Mary School]
* [http://www.lorainccc.edu Lorain County Community College]

Community

* [http://www.chroniclet.com The Chronicle Telegram] - Local newspaper
* [http://www.LorainCounty.com LorainCounty.com] - Locally run community website

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