Toledo, Ohio

One of the several cities in the Lake Region, Toledo is located on the western end of Lake Erie. It borders the state of Michigan. The history of Toledo is extremely interesting with the Toledo War being one of the main historical events of the place.

Learn here how the Great Lakes impact the climate of Toledo giving it 4 distinct seasons and the various things that you can do. We also discuss the various nicknames of the city and the manner in which commerce has grown in the area.

The county seat for Lucas County, the Toledo Metropolitan Area covers 4 counties. The other counties and metropolitan area combine to form a combined statistical area for the census and other government related measurements.

Explore the culture of the city and check out the various theatre groups that operate here in addition to the art centers that you can explore on your own. The city has been known to produce various notable artists as well. And if you are talking about Toledo, it is necessary that we also speak about the Toledo Zoo and the University of Toledo too.

Toledo has a lot to offer those who enjoy city life as well as the outdoors. It has something to appeal to everyone's senses. The city is known for its ambient social atmosphere and its lively residents.

Toledo History

The city of Toledo was founded in 1833 and then re-founded in 1837 after the Toledo war. It is estimated that the French trading posts operated in the area that we know as Toledo in the 1680's. Americans first came into this part of the country in 1794. This happened after the Battle of Fallen Timbers. But the War of 1812 made sure that most of the residents of the place fled the area and resettlement started only after 1817 when a Cincinnati Syndicate bought a large piece of tract at the mouth of Swan Creek and named it Port Lawrence. The town of Vistula was created towards the north soon after that.

In 1825 when there was a huge competition between various towns to become the ending terminus for the Miami and Erie Canal, the towns of Port Lawrence and Vistula merged to compete against Waterville, Maumee and Manhattan. Since there were no state highways at that point, this would become a main source of ensuring that goods reached the larger markets of the Appalachian Mountains.

The name of this new settlement was decided as Toledo by the inhabitants. The reason why this name was chosen is not too clear. One legend suggests that this name was suggested by Washington Irving to his brother who was a local resident. Another story gives the honor of choosing this name to Two Stickney, a Major who named his sons after numbers and daughters after States. But most people believe that the name Toledo was chosen by Willard J. Daniels who was a merchant. He chose this name because he thought that it was easy to pronounce, pleasant and no other city in the United States had this name.

The Toledo War between Ohio and Michigan territory was fought between 1835 and 1836. The war was fought over a narrow strip of land from the Indiana border to Lake Erie. The city grew rapidly after this setback but it was hit immensely by the Great Depression since it relied heavily on the manufacturing sector. However, it has undergone redevelopment after that and entered into various other arenas.

About Toledo, Ohio

Located in northwest Ohio, Toledo is the county seat for Lucas County in Ohio. It is situated on the western end of Lake Erie and borders the state of Michigan as well. The city has also been nicknamed The Glass City, T-Town and Frogtown. It was founded in 1833 and currently has an area of about 84 square miles, most of which is land.

Toledo received its nickname 'The Glass City' due to the various innovations that it is responsible for in the area of glass. This has been in the area of bottles, windows, construction material, glass art and more. The nickname Frogtown was given to it based on the fact that the area that the city is built on was the Great Black Swamp before it was created.

The population of the city is estimated to be around 2.87 million and the city is considered to have the 66th rank in terms of city populations in the United States. Towards the end of the 1900's the population of Toledo has been showing a downward trend with growth rates being negative. The racial makeup of the city is primarily White with more than 70 percent of the population. Most of the remaining people in Toledo are African American and comprise of about 24 percent. Other races present in some numbers include Native American, Asian and Pacific Islanders.

The city was a port city and derived most of its commerce from the Great Lakes before the days of industrialization. With the start of industrialization, it became known for manufacturing. General Motors and Chrysler have their manufacturing units in the metropolitan area and this has remained an important industry since the beginning of the 20th century. The University of Toledo, however, has the honor of hiring the largest number of employees in the region. Other industries that flourish in the region include the glass industry and the green industry as well.

About Lucas County, Ohio

The Lucan County is part of the metropolitan area that includes Lucas, Fulton, Ottawa and Wood. This is an area that covers about a million residents. It is also a part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis that is estimated to house 54 million people.

The county seat for the Lucas County is Toledo. It has a total area of 596 square miles out of with about 43 percent is water. The county is drained by the Maumee River. The counties that are adjacent to the Lucas County include Monroe County in Michigan to the north, Essex County across Lake Erie, Ottawa County towards the southeast, Wood County to the south, Fulton County to the west and Lenawee County in Michigan to the northwest.

There are more than 77 percent Whites in the county and about 17 percent African Americans. The remaining percentage is made up of Asians, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and other races. About 5 percent of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

Some of the great protected areas of country that can be seen in this county include the Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge, the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in part and the West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge was donated to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1964. The place contains more than 2445 acres of marsh and the fishing area is opened in season. The West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge is on an island in Lake Erie. It is home to many birds and public access is allowed only once a year to protect nesting areas.

Some of the other cities in the county include Maumee, Sylvania, Toledo and Oregon. Some townships include Berkey, Holland, Whitehouse, Ottawa Hills, Harbor View and Waterville. The ghost town of Providence is also very popular in the place.