Strongsville, Ohio

Strongsville, Ohio
City
North side of Strongsville's Town Square
Seal
Nickname(s): Crossroads of the Nation
Location of Strongsville in Ohio
Location of Strongsville in Cuyahoga County
Coordinates: 41°18′46″N 81°49′55″W / 41.31278°N 81.83194°W / 41.31278; -81.83194Coordinates: 41°18′46″N 81°49′55″W / 41.31278°N 81.83194°W / 41.31278; -81.83194
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Cuyahoga
Township created	1818
Village created	1923
Incorporated	1961
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
• Mayor	Thomas Perciak
Area[1]
• Total	24.64 sq mi (63.82 km2)
• Land	24.63 sq mi (63.79 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)  0.04%
Elevation	932 ft (284.07 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	44,750
• Estimate (2012[3])	44,620
• Density	1,816.9/sq mi (701.5/km2)
	census
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Zip code	44136, 44149
Area code(s)	440
FIPS code	39-75098 [4]
GNIS feature ID	1065396 [5]
Website	strongsville.org

Strongsville is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb of Cleveland. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 44,750. The city's nickname is 'Crossroads of the Nation,' because it is where the Ohio Turnpike and Interstate 71 intersect.^{[citation needed]}

History

Strongsville officially became a township on February 25, 1818, a village in 1923, and was ultimately designated a city in 1961. Founded by settlers arriving in the newly purchased Connecticut Western Reserve, the city was named after John Stoughton Strong, the group's leader. Many of the main streets in the city are named after other principle figures and landowners from the city's history, e.g. Howe, Drake, Shurmer, Whitney.^[6]

In the mid-19th century, the Pomeroy House, then called The Homestead, was a stop on the underground railroad. Alanson Pomeroy, the home owner and a prominent Strongsville resident, concealed runaway slaves on his property. From this residence in Strongsville, the runaway slaves were taken to boats on Rocky River for passage to Canada.^[7]

On April 11, 1965, an F4 tornado hit Strongsville; see Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965.

In 1853, John D. Rockefeller's family moved to Strongsville. At the time, Rockfeller was only child.^[8]

Geography

Strongsville is located at 41°18′46″N 81°49′55″W / 41.31278°N 81.83194°W / 41.31278; -81.83194 (41.312752, -81.831976).^[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.64 square miles (63.82 km²), of which, 24.63 square miles (63.79 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water.^[1] The east branch of the Rocky River enters Strongsville from North Royalton and exits into Berea. Valley Parkway parallels the river's northwesterly course. This portion of the Cleveland Metroparks, named Mill Stream Run, includes Bonnie Park. Abutting the Rocky River, the recreation area offers visitors a pavilion, picnicking facilities, two small ponds, and several sport fields. Bonnie Park serves as a hub for hiking, bridle, and paved multi-purpose trails.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

The median income for a household in the city was $68,660, and the median income for a family was $76,964 (these figures had risen to $79,715 and $90,870 respectively as of a 2007 estimate^[14]). Males had a median income of $54,988 versus $33,129 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,722. About 1.3% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Of the city's population over the age of 25, 41.6% held a bachelor's degree or higher.^[15]

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 44,750 people, 17,659 households, and 12,563 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,816.9 inhabitants per square mile (701.5 /km²). There were 18,476 housing units at an average density of 750.1 per square mile (289.6 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.0% White, 1.9% African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.

There were 17,659 households of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.9% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the city was 44.2 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 32.5% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 43,858 people, 16,209 households, and 12,383 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,779.6 people per square mile (687.2/km²). There were 16,863 housing units at an average density of 684.2 per square mile (264.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.18% White, 1.26% African American, 0.05% Native American, 3.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.27% of the population.

There were 16,209 households out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

Government

The current mayor, Thomas Perciak, was elected in November 2003 following the death of longtime mayor Walter F. Ehrnfelt on May 25, 2003.^{[citation needed]}

Education

A staff of over 250 teachers at Strongsville High School serves well over 2,750 students in grades 9 through 12. Center and Albion middle schools (serving 7th and 8th graders) are about 75 and 40 years old, respectively. The city's seven elementary schools serve pre-kindergarten through 6th grade: Chapman, Drake, Kinsner, Muraski, Surrarrer, Whitney, and Zellers. With Strongsville's younger student population on the decline, an eighth elementary school, Allen, recently closed its doors. A private Catholic school, St. Joseph and John's, serves children through the 8th grade. A branch of ITT Technical Institute is located on Sprague Road.^{[citation needed]}

2013 Strongsville City Teachers' Strike

The Strongsville City Teachers' Strike was a labor strike organized by the Strongsville Education Association that lasted for eight weeks.^[16]

The strike commenced at 12:01 a.m. on March 4, 2013. The dispute is over a number of issues, notably teacher contracts, pay step increases, health insurance premium costs, and general working conditions. The Strongsville Education Association claims the Board does have the money to meet the teachers' salary requirements, but that "the 'projection' figures released by the Board on its website are no more than arbitrary, meaningless figures."^[17] The Strongsville Board of Education attests that the district is currently "operating in the red", meaning the district budget deficit will increase drastically if the status quo remains. Several rounds of negotiations over said issues between the S.E.A. and the B.O.E. have taken place since March 2010. The strike ended after eight weeks.^[16]

Points of interest

• Strongsville Commons and Clocktower
• Walter F. Ehrnfelt Covered Bridge^[18]
• Strongsville Historical Society
• Gardenview Horticultural Park
• Southpark Mall
• The Pomeroy House- A former stop on the Underground Railroad
• Strongsville Water Tower - Painted by Ziggy creator Tom Wilson ^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Strongsville, Ohio.

• City of Strongsville
• Strongsville Chamber of Commerce
• Strongsville Cemetery Records

		Berea, Middleburg Heights
	Columbia Township		North Royalton
	Strongsville
		Brunswick, Brunswick Hills Township	Hinckley

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