Stryker, Ohio

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Stryker, Ohio
settlement_type = Village
nickname =
motto =

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image_

mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Stryker, Ohio


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

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

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
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established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 2.1
area_land_km2 = 2.1
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 0.8
area_land_sq_mi = 0.8
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 1406
population_density_km2 = 670.3
population_density_sq_mi = 1736.2

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes = GR|3
elevation_m = 217
elevation_ft = 712
latd = 41 |latm = 30 |lats = 10 |latNS = N
longd = 84 |longm = 25 |longs = 2 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 43557
area_code = 419
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 39-75140GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1058054GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Stryker is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,406 at the 2000 census.

History

Stryker is the oldest settlement in Williams County. It was organized on March 30, 1835 by James Guthrie, the first settler in the township and in the county. James settled there along the Tiffin River in 1827. The community continued to grow and by 1840 it was ranked as one of the leading agricultural areas in the United States.

The village of Stryker was surveyed on September 19, 1853 beside the proposed Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad (now known as Conrail) by John H. Sargent, Epaphras L. Barber and Jesse McCart. The village was officially recorded in Bryan on January 15, 1854 with a legal description for 97 lots. The original streets were named Defiance, South, Church and Depot. The village was named for John Stryker, a lawyer and politician from the state of New York.

According to the village's website, the first store was opened in the fall of 1853, followed quickly by a hotel and then a sawmill. The first post office was established in 1855. In 1856 Stryker also became home to a hardware and gristmill. The first timetable for the railroad took effect on Monday June 8, 1857. The route ran from Toledo to Elkhart, stopping at 17 villages along the way. Stryker's first railroad depot was a freight depot on the south side of the tracks. In 1876, a large wooden depot was built on the north side, but in 1900 the roof caught fire and it burned. A new one was built to replace it that same year. Passenger service ceased to Stryker in 1956 and freight service was discontinued soon after. In 1985, the village obtained the depot, which now houses the police department.

In 1857 a two-story frame schoolhouse was built for $1,600. In 1869, a four-room brick schoolhouse was constructed at a cost of $11,500. That building burnt down on December 9, 1902, and a new building was erected in 1904 as an elementary school. The former high school, scheduled for demolition in late 2008, was built in 1918 and an addition was added in 1955. In 1979, the old elementary building was razed and a new building was erected on the site. A new high school and gymnasium were constructed and completed in 2008, set to open with the inception of the 2008-2009 school year.

Geography

Stryker is located at coor dms|41|30|10|N|84|25|2|W|city (41.502688, -84.417223)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,406 people, 542 households, and 391 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,736.2 people per square mile (670.2/km²). There were 577 housing units at an average density of 712.5/sq mi (275.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 94.74% White, 0.14% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 3.56% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.82% of the population.

There were 542 households out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the village the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $39,946, and the median income for a family was $44,453. Males had a median income of $30,643 versus $21,743 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,371. About 4.0% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Stryker Local Schools provides K-12 education for the village and surrounding areas. Stryker High School is a public high school in Stryker, and the only school in the Stryker Local Schools district. The east schoolyard has now been mostly replaced by a new parking lot, and one of the new outer faces of the school can be clearly seen in what used to be the elementary playground; the high school wing is scheduled to be demolished for the construction of the new building sometime during 2008. Their various teams, all called the Stryker Panthers, are participants in the Buckeye Border Conference.

The final basketball game was held on "The Stage" on February 15, 2008. Most of the coaches that coached the boys and girls teams on that floor were in attendance, including Bill Follis, who had also coached the first game held on the Stage in 1957.

References

External links

* [http://www.nwoca.org/~stryker_www/ School District Website]