Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
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Cuyahoga Falls is a city located in Summit County, Ohio. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 49,374. It is currently the second largest city in Summit County, Ohio. Founded in 1812 by William Wetmore, the city was originally named Manchester. Cuyahoga Falls is named after the Cuyahoga River (which flows into Lake Erie) and the series of falls that run through the middle of the city.
Cuyahoga Falls borders Akron to the south and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to the northwest.
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History
Cuyahoga Falls was formed in 1812Template:Ref near the junction of what was then Northampton, Stow, Tallmadge, and Portage townships. The focus was the series of Cuyahoga River waterfalls that provided power for manufacturing.
In 1812 Kelsey and Wilcox built a dam on the Cuyahoga River at a place where a railroad bridge crossed it in 1876. They then built a flour mill, an oil mill, and a saw mill. This led to the construction of a number of houses. This area was known as the old village. Development moved downstream, though, when it was discovered that the power was better there. The old village was eventually destroyed in 1826 when a dam built by William Wetmore flooded the dam at the old village and its mills were torn down Template:Ref.
The earliest settler of Cuyahoga Falls included Joshua Stow and William Wetmore. In 1815 a saw-mill was operating near Gaylord's Grove, using power generated by a dam on the Cuyahoga River thereTemplate:Ref.
The town was initially called Manchester but was renamed Cuyahoga Falls at the request of the Post Office since there were already several other Manchesters in OhioTemplate:Ref.
The village proper was first laid out in 1826 by Judge RichardsonTemplate:Ref.
The town was incorporated in 1836, occupying 240 rods out of Stow and Tallmadge townships. In 1853, seeing that the village and township of Cuyahoga Falls occupied the same territory, the village council disbanded and the community was only a township until 1868Template:Ref.
In 1841 the Summit County Board of Commissioners named Cuyahoga Falls county seat. The state legislature then intervened and put the location of the county seat up to a popular vote. Akron won and has been the county seat ever since. In spite of being named the county seat Cuyahoga Falls never really functioned as suchTemplate:Ref.
In March of 1851 the township of Cuyahoga Falls was created out of the village limits. They covered the same territory so the village council voted to adjourn sine die, letting the village be run under township jusidiction until June 3, 1868 when the municipal government returnedTemplate:Ref.
In 1985 Cuyahoga Falls merged with Northampton Township, the first merger of a city and township in Ohio.
Cuyahoga Falls had been founded as an industrial city, taking advantage of the river power. By the 1970s, though, it had become a residential community. This changed, though, when Don Robart became mayor. He had been in favor of the merger with Northampton Township because of the additional land that could be used for development. Parts of that area have since been used for industrial development. Commercial development has also picked up, especially on the Howe Avenue area at the southern border of the city.
Popular Culture
Cuyahoga Falls has a mention in a popular song, "My City Was Gone", by the rock band The Pretenders (lead singer and songwriter Chrissie Hynde is an Akron, Ohio native). The verse's lyrics are:
- I went back to Ohio
- But my pretty countryside
- Had been paved down the middle
- By a government that had no pride
- The farms of Ohio
- Had been replaced by shopping malls
- And muzak filled the air
- From Seneca to Cuyahoga Falls
- Said, a, o, oh way to go, Ohio
Geography
Cuyahoga Falls is located at 41°8'44" North, 81°29'48" West (41.145556, -81.496685)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 66.4 km² (25.6 mi²). 66.1 km² (25.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.35% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 49,374 people, 21,655 households, and 13,317 families residing in the city. The population density is 746.4/km² (1,932.9/mi²). There are 22,727 housing units at an average density of 343.6/km² (889.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.80% White, 1.87% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 21,655 households out of which 27.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% are married couples living together, 10.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.26 and the average family size is 2.90.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $42,263, and the median income for a family is $52,372. Males have a median income of $40,301 versus $28,459 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,550. 6.1% of the population and 4.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.0% of those under the age of 18 and 4.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The July 1, 2003 Census Bureau estimate for Cuyahoga Falls puts the population at 50,375.
Sites of Interest
- Blossom Music Center
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Gorge Metro Park
City Mayors
During Incorporation
Henry Newberry 1837
Charles W. Wetmore 1838
Hosea Paul 1839
Charles W. Wetmore 1840 to 1843
Birdseye Booth 1844 to 1845
Hosea Paul 1846
Oliver B. Beebe 1847 to 1848
Charles W. Wetmore 1849 to 1852
Municipal Government resumed (Village of Cuyahoga Falls)
William A. Hanford 1868
Richard Blood 1869
C. P. Humphrey 1870 to 1871
Joshua L'Hommidieu 1872 to 1873
Horace B. Camp 1874 to 1875
George W. Rice 1876 to 1877
John I Jones 1878 to 1879
W. A. Hanford 1880 to 1881
J. C. Castle 1882 to 1883
A. B. Curtis 1884
Samuel Higgs 1885
Thomas H. Walsh 1886
John I. Jones 1887 to 1889
Samuel Higgs 1890 to 1893
D. F. Felmly 1894 to 1899
C. N. Russel 1900 to 1902
E. M. Young 1903 to 1904
Charles A. Davis 1905 to 1908
C. N. Russel 1909 to 1911
W. H. Taylor 1912 to 1921
(City of Cuyahoga Falls)
George Herdman 1922 to 1923
Charles Gray 1924 to 1927
George Porter 1928 to 1933
J. W. Haines 1934 to 1943
Joseph W. Harding 1944 to 1949
George A. Anderson 1950 to 1951
Harding A. Wichert 1952 to 1953
Elmer Wolf 1954 to 1955
Emmet R. Wolfe 1956 to 1961
David Sanders 1962 to 1965
Delbert Ackerman 1966 to 1968
Bruce Thomas 1968 to 1969
William Coleman 1970 to 1973
Robert J. Quirk 1974 to 1985
Don L. Robart 1986 to Present
Famous natives
External links
- The City of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Official Website (http://cityofcf.com)
- Cuyahoga Falls City Schools Website (http://www.cfalls.summit.k12.oh.us/)
- Cuyahoga Falls History (http://www.cuyahogafallshistory.com/index.htm)
References
- Template:Note Akron Map and Atlas Co. Illustrated Summit County, Ohio. Akron: Akron Map and Atlas Co. 1891
- Template:Note*Information Services Department, City of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (2005). History (http://www.cityofcf.com/web2/index.asp?dir=about&page=history). Retrieved May 7, 2005.
- Template:Note Template:Book reference
- Template:Note Template:Book reference