Sandusky, Ohio

Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east.

According to 2010 census, the city had a population of 25,793, and the Sandusky, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area had 77,079 residents.

In 2011, Sandusky was ranked No. 1 by Forbes.com as the "Best Place to Live Cheaply" in the United States. The city has a median family income of $64,000.

Sandusky is home to the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a leader in amusement parks and entertainment, as well as its flagship amusement park, Cedar Point. Cedar Point features one of the largest collections of roller coasters in the world.

The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Sandusky as a Tree City USA.

Etymology
The accepted etymology is that the name Sandusky is derived from the Wyandot word saandusti, 'water in water-pools' or andusti, 'cold water'. But in 1734, Charlevoix, in his history of New France, interpreted the phrase as "Chinouski". The name "L.(Lac) Sandoski" appears on a 1733 map, while Sandusky Bay is identified as Lac (Lake) Sandouské on a 1718 map by Guillaume DeLisle. A disproved theory was that the city was named after a Polish fur trader by the name of Anthony Sadowski or Jacob Sodowsky.

County

 * Sandusky County, Ohio - just west of Erie County

Townships

 * Sandusky Township, Crawford County, Ohio
 * Sandusky Township, Richland County, Ohio
 * Sandusky Township, Sandusky County, Ohio

History

 * The City of Sandusky, Ohio, was established in 1818. Part of the city quickly enveloped the site of another prior small village named "Portland" (established about 1816), and eventually the City of Sandusky also encompassed most of the entire township that had also been called Portland. Some of the City was built on land formerly occupied by a Native-American man named 'Ogontz', and therefore the City is said to have been built upon "Ogontz' place".


 * Prior to the abolition of slavery in the United States, Sandusky was a major stop on the Underground Railroad. As depicted in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, many slaves seeking to reach freedom in Canada made their way to Sandusky, where they boarded boats crossing Lake Erie to the port of Amherstburg in Ontario.


 * Downtown Sandusky was designed according to a modified grid plan, known as the Kilbourne Plat after its designer. The original street pattern featured a grid overlaid with streets resembling the symbols of Freemasonry. Hector Kilbourne was a surveyor who laid out this grid in downtown Sandusky. He was the first Worshipful Master of the first Sandusky Masonic Lodge known as Science Lodge #50. It is still in operation on Wayne St.


 * Sandusky was the site of groundbreaking for the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad on September 17, 1835. Currently, Battery Park Marina is located on original site of the MR&LE Railroad. The tracks that ran through downtown Sandusky have since been removed. Most of the downtown industrial area is being re-used for other purposes, including mainly marina dockage. The coal docks located west of downtown still use a portion of the original MR&LE lines.


 * The city was a center of paper-making. The Hinde & Dauch Paper Company was the largest employer in the city in the early 1900s.

Local Areas

 * Sandusky—disambiguation of historical locations in Ohio:

Historically, 'Sandusky' is a name that can refer to multiple locations in northern Ohio, USA; often in historical documents, the word "Sandusky" was not clarified as to which specific location was meant, and any historical references to "Sandusky" might mean any one of the following locations, depending also on the date of the reference. List of locations, with approximate dates of usage:
 * Sandusky/Sandusky City - about 1817* to present, village/city on southeast side of Sandusky Bay (*-any "Sandusky" reference dated prior to 1817 would not refer to this village, officially established by this name in 1818).
 * Sandusky Bay - 1700 to present; early variants were "(Lac d')Otsanderket", "(Lac d')Otsandoske", "Lake Sanduske".
 * Sandusky River - 1740s to present.
 * Fort Sandusky - various locations: from c. 1749 to c. 1754, a French fort ("Fort Sandoské") on the northwest side of Sandusky Bay; or from 1761 until 1763, a British fort on the southeastern side of Sandusky Bay; or from about 1812/1813 a fort (later called "Fort Stephenson") on the Sandusky River, near (now) Fremont, Ohio
 * Lower Sandusky - 1760s to ?, area or village at the (now) city of Fremont, Ohio.
 * Upper Sandusky - 1760s? to present, area or village at the (now) city of Upper Sandusky.
 * Upper Sandusky Old Town - 1760s? to ?, a Wyandot/Huron tribe village, about twelve miles northerly of the (now) city of Upper Sandusky.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 25,793 people, 11,082 households, and 6,415 families residing in the city. The population density was 2650.9 PD/sqmi. There were 13,386 housing units at an average density of 1375.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 70.4% White, 22.0% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 5.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population.

There were 11,082 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.9% were married couples living together, 19.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.1% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the city was 38.5 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,844 people, 11,851 households, and 7,039 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,770.5 people per square mile (1,069.7/km²). There were 13,323 housing units at an average density of 1,325.7 per square mile (511.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.50% White, 21.08% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.97% from other races, and 2.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.09% of the population.

There were 11,851 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,133, and the median income for a family was $37,749. Males had a median income of $31,269 versus $21,926 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,111. About 12.2% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Tourism
Sandusky has a very prominent tourism industry fueled by the world-renowned attraction of Cedar Point, the neighboring islands, boating, and more recently by its many indoor and outdoor water parks.

Cedar Point
In 1870, Louis Zistel, a local businessman, opened a beer garden, bathhouse, and dance floor on the Cedar Point Peninsula. Over the years, the area became a more and more popular destination for relaxation and leisure. In 1892, the park's first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway, was built. A hotel called the Bay Shore Hotel was opened in 1899. Cedar Point's second roller coaster, the Figure-Eight Roller Toboggan, opened in 1902. As the years went on, more and more rides and attractions were added to the park including midway games.

Before 1914, the park could only be reached by steamboat, but in that year a roadway was opened connecting the park to the mainland and Sandusky's major roadways. The Cedar Point Marina, one of the largest on the Great Lakes, was completed in 1959.

In 1964, Blue Streak, a wooden roller coaster, was built and named for the local high school's mascot. It is currently the park's oldest operating roller coaster. In the latter half of the twentieth century, Cedar Point shattered countless roller coaster records with rides like Corkscrew (first coaster with three or more inversions), Gemini (tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world when constructed in 1978), Magnum XL-200 (tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world when constructed in 1989), Mean Streak (tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world when constructed in 1991), Raptor (tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster in the world when constructed in 1994), and Mantis (tallest and fastest stand-up roller coaster in the world when constructed in 1996).

In 2000, Millennium Force was built, at 310 feet tall, and 93 miles per hour top speed. In 2003, Cedar Point debuted Top Thrill Dragster. When it was built it was the tallest (420 ft) and the fastest (120 mph) roller coaster in the world. Cedar Point brought its roller coaster total to 17 in 2007 with the construction of Maverick. The park has been known for several years for having the most roller coasters and amusement rides in the world. It has long been nicknamed "America's Roller Coast". It has also been ranked the best amusement park in the world by the Golden Ticket Awards for 15 consecutive years.

Islands/boating
May thru August every year, Sandusky residents and incoming tourists flock to the neighboring islands north of the city, with many transportation options leaving right from downtown. The islands include Kelley's Island, South Bass Island (host of the popular village known as Put-in-Bay), Middle Bass Island and North Bass Island.

Themed parties are of a common occurrence in the summer season throughout Sandusky and on the neighboring islands, such as "Island Fest," "Rock on the Dock," and "Christmas in July;" thousands and thousands of residents and tourists join in the festivities annually. In 2008, the residents of Sandusky hosted their first annual "Barge Party," where boats from Toledo, OH all the way to Cleveland, OH came to dock up their boats together at a location just inside Sandusky's Bay. The barge party (video) ensues twice every year, typically in late June and late July.

Waterparks
The tourist draw produced by Cedar Point has drawn resort businesses and waterparks to the area. A list of the major waterparks in and near Sandusky are as follows:

Outdoor
 * Soak City, owned by Cedar Fair
 * Monsoon Lagoon (Danbury Twp.)

Indoor
 * Castaway Bay, owned by Cedar Fair
 * Great Wolf Lodge (Perkins Twp.)
 * Kalahari (Perkins Twp.)
 * Rain Indoor Waterpark Located in Quality Inn & Suites

Topography
Sandusky is located at 41.44667°N, -82.70917°W (41.446741, -82.709092).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.91 sqmi, of which, 9.73 sqmi is land and 12.18 sqmi is water.

Climate
Sandusky has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa), typical of much of the central United States, with very warm, humid summers and cold winters. Winters tend to be cold, with an average January high temperature of 32°F (0°C), and an average January low temperature of 19°F (&minus;7°C), with considerable variation in temperatures. Sandusky averages 28.4 inches (721.4 mm) of snow per winter. Summers tend to be warm, sometimes hot, with an average July high temperature of 82°F (28°C), and an average July low temperature of 66° (19°C). Summer weather is more stable, generally humid with thunderstorms fairly common. Fall usually is the driest season with many clear warm days and cool nights.

The highest recorded temperature in Sandusky of 105°F (41°C) was set on July 14, 1936, and the lowest recorded temperature of &minus;20°F (&minus;29°C) was set on January 19, 1994.

Transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Sandusky. There are four trains daily, all arriving in the late night/early morning hours: the Capitol Limited between Chicago and Washington, DC via Pittsburgh; and the Lake Shore Limited between Chicago and NewYork/Boston via Buffalo. There is also an ongoing (as of January 2011 ) study into the possibility of commuter rail to Cleveland.

A Greyhound Lines bus station is located on Route 101 at Route 2 south of Sandusky in Margaretta Township.

Ferry Boats: (All except Jet Express departing from the Jackson Street Pier)

M/V Goodtime I - Seasonal daily service to Kelleys Island and South Bass Island. Also provides special party cruises and charters.

M/V Pelee Islander - Seasonal scheduled service to Pelee Island connecting to Leamington, Ontario and Kingsville, Ontario.

M/V Jet Express III - Seasonal daily service to Kelleys Island and South Bass Island connecting to Port Clinton, OH. Departs from former Cedar Point pier downtown.

Education
Sandusky Public Schools enroll 3,775 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 10 public schools including six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. Other than public schools, the city is home to one private catholic school, St. Mary Central Catholic High School. Both Sandusky High School and St. Mary Central Catholic High School participate in varsity and junior varsity sports; their teams are called the Blue Streaks and Panthers respectively. Sandusky High's colors are navy and white; SMCC's are blue and gold.

Media
Sandusky (and essentially the Lake Erie Islands region as a whole) is served by a daily newspaper, The Sandusky Register, and ten local radio stations. BAS Broadcasting (based in nearby Fremont) owns and operates WCPZ FM 102.7 (hot AC), WMJK FM 100.9 (country), WOHF FM 92.1 (classic hits), WFRO FM 99.1 (AC), and WLEC AM 1450 (oldies/standards).

Religious stations include WVMS FM 89.5 (run by the Moody Bible Institute as a relay of WCRF FM in Cleveland) and WGGN FM 97.7 which plays contemporary Christian music, in addition to WHRQ 88.1 FM (as a repeater of WNOC "Annunciation Radio" based in Toledo) airing programming from EWTN Global Catholic Radio.

Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. operates three stations serving the Sandusky/LEI region, including WKFM FM 96.1 (country), WLKR-FM 95.3 (adult hits/sports) and WLKR AM 1510 (classic hits).

Sandusky has one local television station, religiously oriented WGGN-TV channel 52 (DTV 42). Sandusky's location between Toledo and Cleveland means that the city is also served by stations (albeit at a fringe level) in both of those markets as well.

Perkins Township
Perkins Township is a township that lies south of Perkins Avenue, which bisects what is informally considered the Sandusky Metropolitan Area. The Sandusky Mall and the Sandusky Speedway are located south of Perkins Avenue, and therefore lie in Perkins Township. Perkins Township does not have its own main post office, so the township uses Sandusky city's ZIP code of 44870.

Notable residents

 * Andrew Biemiller – U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.
 * Brian Bixler – Professional Baseball Player for the Washington Nationals.
 * Brandy Burre – best known for her portrayal of Theresa D'Agostino on the HBO series The Wire, was born in Sandusky.
 * Dick Kinzel – Former CEO of Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.
 * Roger Carter – professional darts player who was born in Sandusky.
 * Chris Castle – folk/Americana singer-songwriter.
 * Jay Cooke (1821–1905) – Civil War Financier, Railroad Magnate, and Philanthropist.
 * Jay Crawford – sports broadcaster, co-host of ESPN First Take on ESPN2.
 * Thom Darden – defensive back for the Cleveland Browns, 1972-1981.
 * Chad Fairchild – MLB Umpire
 * Andy Gerold – professional guitarist; currently touring with Marilyn Manson
 * Jon Gruden – former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
 * Rodney Jackson – radio personality and music producer.
 * Jeff Linkenbach NFL offensive tackle
 * Scott May – NCAA national champion basketball player and 1976 Olympic gold medalist.
 * Jackie Mayer – Miss America 1963 and currently a motivational speaker; the section of Route 2 that runs through Erie County is named "Jackie Mayer Miss America Highway".
 * Thomas J. Moyer (1939–2010) – chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 1987 to 2010.
 * George Nichols – light heavyweight boxing champion
 * Catherine Opie – photographer
 * Orlando Pace – offensive lineman for the St. Louis Rams of the NFL and a seven-time Pro Bowler, played for the Blue Streaks of Sandusky High School, who retired his jersey number in a special half-time ceremony on October 20, 2006.
 * Kevin Randleman – 2-time Div I NCAA wrestling champion for The Ohio State University and professional mixed martial arts fighter.
 * Eddie Reyes – guitarist for Taking Back Sunday
 * Edmund Ross – the Senator whose vote prevented the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson in 1868.* Brad Snyder – MLB player in the Chicago Cub organization

Sandusky in popular culture

 * Charles Dickens passed through Sandusky in 1842. He describes it in American Notes as "sluggish and uninteresting enough,... something like the back of an English watering-place, out of the season."
 * In 1961, Twilight Zone's episode, "A Game of Pool" Actor Jack Klugman plays the part of Jesse Cardiff, pool hustler and reigning world-champion who is called to play a game in the Mason Pool Hall in Sandusky, Ohio.
 * Sandusky was the setting for the film Tommy Boy, but was only seen in one brief scene in the beginning of the movie (most scenes were shot in Ontario). The Sandusky Register, the city's newspaper, was also asked to provide newspaper boxes to be used as props for the movie.
 * Sandusky (specifically, 1984 Sandusky) was also the setting for the 1998 film Edge of Seventeen which featured several recognizable location shots. Footage from Cedar Point is used (some of which is 1984 vintage) though no scenes with the film's cast were shot in the park, which is called "Crystal Shores" in the film.
 * The character of Sugar, played by Marilyn Monroe in the film Some Like It Hot, hailed from Sandusky.
 * In The Monkees episode, "Alias Micky Dolenz", Micky says he is from Sandusky.
 * Local legend holds that a now-defunct Sandusky restaurant, the Porterhouse (that once stood on the corner of Wayne and Water Streets), was the originator of the Porterhouse steak. The authenticity of this story is questionable.
 * Dudley (Booger) Dawson's supposed illegitimate child was from Sandusky in Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love
 * In Paul Gallico's book The Poseidon Adventure, New York cop Mike Rogo's wife Linda was from Sandusky, though she didn't care to talk about it.
 * In the movie, Network, Robert Duvall's character says the following referring to response from a show on the network, "Herb's phone hasn't stopped ringing! Every god damn affiliate from Albuquerque to Sandusky! The response is sensational!" Sandusky does not have a broadcast TV affiliate, nor did it during the time of the film.
 * The 1985 movie Fast Forward is about a fictional group of dancers from Sandusky who travel to New York to compete in a talent competition.
 * The 1990 movie Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, which is set in the nearby town of Clyde, Ohio, includes scenes shot in Sandusky.
 * In the 2004 movie 50 First Dates, Dr. Keats (played by Dan Aykroyd) says his brain injury clinic is funded by Callahan Auto, in Sandusky. (An allusion to the movie "Tommy Boy," which Aykroyd was also in).
 * In the 2001 movie Gypsy 83 the protagonists hail from Sandusky.
 * In an episode (Season 7, Episode 1) of Family Ties, the Keatons attempt to go on a camping trip to Sandusky.
 * Sandusky also features in Paul Auster's book, The Book of Illusions, where the book's protagonist meets his eventual wife, having saved her from a bullet during an attempted bank robbery.
 * In an episode ("Seadog" Season 1, Episode 3 - 2003) of NCIS the NCIS director tells the lead agent that if he messes up, the only orders he will give will be to the Fire Department of Sandusky, Ohio
 * In an episode of Metalocalypse ("Mordland"), the Jomfru brothers and Charles Foster Ofdensen are making small talk in an elevator, where Ofdenson asked the brothers were they are from and they reply with, "Sandusky, Ohio", to which Ofdenson says "Oh, there's an amusement park there, right?". The brothers say, "Yes, there is an amusement park.". Finally, Ofdenson replies, "Well that's always fun."
 * In Bob Greene's reconstructed journal Be True to Your School: A Diary of 1964, Greene and his friends spend a week in Sandusky's Cedar Point in late August of that year.
 * Sandusky is mentioned in a 2011 episode ("3...2...1" Season 3, Episode 5) of Warehouse 13.
 * In Homeland, a member of a Saudi prince's harem, who is actually a CIA asset, is from Sandusky.
 * Parts of the 2012 movie "The Avengers" was filmed at Sandusky's NASA Plum Brook station.
 * In Persons Unknown Moira Doherty (played by Tina Holmes) claims to be a mental patient from St. Mary's Hospital in Sandusky.