Elyria, Ohio

Elyria is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Lorain County. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio at the forks of the Black River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 54,533. The city is named for its founder, Heman Ely. 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. Early postal service from Cleveland was provided by rider Artemis Beebe, who held the first contract to deliver mail across the Black River. 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, at the peak of Elyria's population, Midway Mall was opened and changed the face of the local economy as local businesses either moved into the mall or closed down. In the August of 1975, interracial tensions between blacks and whites erupted in a riot that resulted in broad vandalism and burnt buildings and shops particularly in the southern and western portions of the town, finally brought under control by State Guard troops. Meanwhile, 3 major car plant closings in the area lead to economic stagnation and joblessness in the 1970s and 80s that affected communities throughout the region, later referred to as "the rustbelt." A minor and only temporary revival of Elyria in the 1990s saw the addition of some new roads and housing in Elyria, now serving more as a residential "bedroom community" for Cleveland as new industries are being attracted in.

Geography
Elyria, part of the Cleveland–Elyria–Mentor metropolitan area, is located at °N, °W (41.373396, -82.101692). Elyria'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.

The Black River flows through Elyria.

Demographics
As of the census 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 per square mile (462.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.3% White, 14.2% 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 the Second Harvest Food Bank and several churches Elyria is served by Elyria Memorial 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 four 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 two 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.

Business
Elyria is home to many businesses and several worldwide headquarters. Invacare, RIDGID Tool, Diamond Products, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, BASF Catalysts LLC, Elyria Manufacturing Corp. are all headquartered in Elyria.

Schools
Elyria has a large number of public and private schools including Elyria High School. The Elyria City Schools district consists of one high school, three junior high schools, nine elementary schools, and one kindergarten school. Elyria is home to Elyria Catholic High School.

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, 113, 301 and 57. The general 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 in popular culture
In the movie Blue Thunder, Roy Schieder's partner's character, Officer Richard Lymangood, played by Daniel Stern, accesses the helicopter computer, searches his name and a birthplace of Elyria, Ohio, briefly shows up on the screen.

Notable natives

 * D. C. Anderson, stage actor
 * Sherwood Anderson, writer
 * Wayne Barlow, composer (1912–1996)
 * Keefe Brasselle, actor, title role of the 1953 movie The Eddie Cantor Story
 * Thelma Drake, politician
 * Jackson C. Frank, folk singer/songwriter
 * Arthur Lovett Garford, padded bicycle seat inventor and automobile manufacturer
 * Doug Gillard, musician and songwriter, lead guitarist for Guided by Voices
 * Vic Janowicz, former baseball and football player, 1950 Heisman Trophy winner
 * Art Plas, NOSCRA race car driver
 * Anodea Judith, author, therapist, public speaker and expert on the Chakra system
 * Sean Lawson, weapons specialist
 * Robert Edwin Lee, playwright and lyricist
 * Shawna Leneé, Penthouse Magazine's Pet of the Year runner-up, 2009
 * Tianna Madison, long jump athlete for University of Tennessee
 * Aaron W. Lindsey, gospel music producer, composer, songwriter, pianist, musical director
 * Brianne McLaughlin, Olympic Ice Hockey Goaltender
 * Les Miles, LSU Tigers head football coach
 * Haruki Nakamura, Professional football player
 * Tim Rattay, professional football player
 * Clayton Rawson, mystery writer, editor, and amateur magician
 * Chad Szeliga, drummer for Breaking Benjamin.
 * Steve Tovar, professional football player
 * Victoria Wells Wulsin, medical doctor and politician
 * Matt Wilhelm, professional football player
 * Norma Jean Wright, former lead singer for the band CHIC
 * Andrew Pietch, writer and filmmaker

Government

 * City of Elyria website
 * Elyria Municipal Court website

Education

 * Elyria City Schools
 * Elyria High School
 * Elyria Catholic High School
 * First Baptist Christian School
 * St Jude School
 * St. Mary School
 * Lorain County Community College
 * Ohio Business College

Community

 * The Chronicle Telegram - Local newspaper
 * Elyria, Ohio Business & Living - In-depth information about local businesses
 * LorainCounty.com - Local community site