The American Ship Building Company was the dominant shipbuilder on the Great Lakes before the Second World War . It started as Cleveland Shipbuilding in Cleveland, Ohio in 1888 and opened the yard in Lorain, Ohio in 1898. It changed its name to the American Ship Building Company in 1900, when it acquired Superior Shipbuilding , in Superior, Wisconsin ; Toledo Shipbuilding, in Toledo, Ohio ; and West Bay Shipbuilding, in West Bay City, Michigan . With the coming of World War I , the company also acquired Buffalo Dry Dock, in Buffalo, New York ; Chicago Shipbuilding, in Chicago, Illinois ; and Detroit Shipbuilding, in Wyandotte, Michigan . American Shipbuilding ranked 81st among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.
35-708: The Lorain, Ohio Yard served as the main facility of the company after World War II and to this day five of the 13 separate 1,000 ft (300 m) ore carriers on the Great Lakes were built in Lorain, including the M/V Paul R. Tregurtha which is the largest vessel on the Great Lakes (1,013'06" long). Built in 1898, the Lorain Yard quickly grew in size and importance. The facilities eventually included two dry docks over 1,000 feet (300 m) long built to handle
70-536: A ward -based system. Elected positions include the mayor, eleven City Council members, the Council President, Auditor, Treasurer, Law Director, Clerk of Courts, and two judges. The mayor functions as the chief of the executive branch, with job duties including: determining city laws, spurring economic development, planning and administering city projects, delivering city services, negotiating city contracts, and budgeting. As of January 1, 2020, Jack Bradley
105-675: A controlling interest in American Ship Building. Frustrated after years of fighting with unions over cost-saving work changes, the Steinbrenners closed the Lorain shipyard in December 1983 and moved all operations to Tampa, Florida. The principal member of the Steinbrenner family who was involved in the operation of the company at this time was George Steinbrenner , who by then already was becoming better known as
140-428: A female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age in the city was 36.8 years. 26.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between
175-737: A local street network with four state highways maintained by the Ohio Department of Transportation and one U.S. route . There are no interstate highways that pass through the city limits. Public transit is provided by Lorain County Transit , which operates two fixed-route bus lines. Norfolk Southern Railway operates a freight railroad running parallel to the Lake Erie shoreline. Lorain County Transit operates two fixed-route bus lines in Lorain: Route 1 and Route 2. Route 1
210-509: A population of 65,211. Of which, 49.4% were non-hispanic White, 29.2% were Hispanic/Latino, 15.2% non-hispanic Black, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% Native American or Pacific Islander, and 5.6% mixed or other. As of the census of 2010, there were 64,097 people, 25,529 households, and 16,368 families living in the city. The population density was 2,707.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,045.5/km ). There were 29,144 housing units at an average density of 1,231.3 per square mile (475.4/km ). The racial makeup of
245-405: A registered 40,885 voters, a voter turnout rate of 59.19%. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton captured 15,192 votes, or 62.78%; Republican candidate Donald Trump captured 7,584 votes, or 31.34%; Independent candidate Gary Johnson captured 613 votes, or 2.53%; Green candidate Jill Stein captured 222 votes, or 0.92%. Other candidates had marginal amounts of write-in votes; additionally, it
280-589: A single building in Ohio. Eight people were also killed inside the Bath House near the location where the tornado came onshore. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 24.14 square miles (62.52 km ), of which 23.67 square miles (61.31 km ) is land and 0.47 square miles (1.22 km ) is water. As of the 2020 United States census , Lorain had
315-648: Is a 34-stop bus route connecting Meridian Plaza in downtown Lorain to the LifeSkills Center in Elyria, operating one bus in each direction every two hours. Similarly, Route 2 operates every two hours and serves 36 stops, connecting the same points as Route 1. There are three bridges that cross the Black River in the Lorain Harbor; two of these bridges are for motor vehicles and pedestrians and one
350-700: Is for rail transport only. The two motor vehicle/pedestrian bridges are the Charles Berry Bridge and the Lofton Henderson Memorial Bridge .These two bridges, formerly known as the Erie Avenue Bridge and 21st Street Bridge, respectively, opened on October 12, 1940. At the time of opening, they were coined the "Twin Bridges." The Charles Berry Bridge is a double-leaf 1,052-foot (321-meter) bascule bridge ; of
385-639: Is mayor. The City Council consists of 11 members; eight members are elected by ward and three members are elected at-large, with one council member presiding as the President of Council. The Lorain City Council responsibilities include: determining the salary of city officials and employees, enacting ordinances and resolutions of city services, enacts tax levies, appropriating and borrowing money, licensing, regulating business, commerce, and other municipal duties. Council members serve two-year terms. Through
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#1732779562381420-722: Is possible that some voters did not select a presidential candidate when casting their ballot. Lorain City School District operates ten elementary schools, three middle schools, and Lorain High School . Lorain is served by the Lorain Public Library System. Lorain is the city of license for CW station WUAB , channel 43, which has its studios and offices in Cleveland along with Shaker Heights -licensed WOIO . Lorain primarily has
455-529: The 2020 census , the city had a population of 65,211, making it Ohio's ninth-largest city , the third-largest in Greater Cleveland , and the largest in Lorain County by population. According to local government records, the city began as an unincorporated village established before 1834 as “Black River Village”, and was renamed in 1837 as "Charleston." According to 19th-century historians,
490-534: The "floral basket". Traditionally, families in Lorain, in celebration of Easter , take an annual photo at the basket. The rose garden was dedicated in 1932, and has 2,500 roses in 48 beds. The shape of the garden, a wheel with eight spokes, is the Rotary International emblem in honor of the 17 community organizations that funded the garden initially, including the Lorain Rotary. The garden
525-705: The American Shipbuilding Company by consolidation in 1945, was itself the builder of several of the most well-known coal-fired steamships of the Great Lakes, such as the SS ; Chief Wawatam (built in 1911). In the early 1960s, the American Ship Building Company acquired Kinsman Marine Transit Company, which was owned by the Steinbrenner family . As a result of the transaction, the Steinbrenner family acquired
560-644: The City Budget, the City Council directly controls the operation of the planning, zoning, street construction, maintenance and repair, water and sewer services, municipal court services, and general administrative services. Politics in the city have traditionally been closely tied to the local Democratic Party . On the State level, Lorain is represented by State Senator Nathan Manning (R- North Ridgeville ) of Ohio Senate District 13, and by State Representative Joe Miller (D-Amherst) of Ohio House District 53. On
595-595: The Federal level, all of Lorain is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Republican U.S. Representative Bob Latta of Ohio's 5th congressional district . Lorain is represented in the United States Senate by Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican U.S. Senator JD Vance . Voter turnout for the 2016 presidential election in Lorain was 24,198 out of
630-593: The Norfolk-Southern Railway and constructed in 1974. The Lorain Police Department was established in 1853 and has 113 police officers and 34 civilian employees. Lorain is the setting for Lorain-born Toni Morrison 's first novel, The Bluest Eye , where she writes: In that young and growing Ohio town whose side streets, even, were paved with concrete, which sat on the edge of a calm blue lake, which boasted an affinity with Oberlin,
665-665: The Second World War, the company managed Delta Shipbuilding Company for the United States Maritime Commission . Delta had a yard at New Orleans and built a total of 188 ships. Delta Shipbuilding Company built 187 Liberty ships , the first completed was SS William C.C. Claiborne, named after the first governor of Louisiana, William C. C. Claiborne . The United States Maritime Commission had Delta and eight other emergency shipyards start building Liberty ships in 1941, 2,710 were produced during
700-694: The ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 13.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. Lorain has a deindustrialized economy and was home to the American Ship Building Company Lorain Yard, Ford Motor Company Lorain Assembly Plant, and United States Steel Corporation 's steel mill on the city's south side. The city faces many similar issues to other Rust Belt cities, including population decline and urban decay . Poverty in
735-533: The city is above the national average at 26.2%, lower than Cleveland's 36%. but higher than neighboring Elyria 's 22.2% CenturyTel of Ohio is based in Lorain. According to the city's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: The Lorain International Festival is an annual summer festival featuring a pageant. The Fire Fish Festival is an annual event every September 21st in downtown Lorain. To support
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#1732779562381770-477: The city on Saturday, June 28, 1924. The tornado formed over the Sandusky Bay during the late afternoon hours and hit Sandusky , where it killed eight people and destroyed 100 homes and 25 businesses. After moving east over Lake Erie for several miles, the tornado then struck Lorain, killing 72. Among the dead were 15 people inside a collapsed theater, which makes it the worst tornado-related death toll from
805-405: The city was 67.9% White , 17.6% African American , 0.5% Native American , 0.4% Asian , 8.3% from other races , and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.2% of the population, over 19% is made up of Puerto Ricans. There were 25,529 households, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 21.0% had
840-432: The city. The park was established in 1917 under Mayor Leonard M. Moore as a way of providing more publicly-accessible space on the lakefront. The park features a beach, rose garden, various recreational facilities, bathhouse, concession stand, several gazebos and picnic shelters, and lawn bowling. There is a sculpture shaped as an Easter basket built in 1935 with local Amherst sandstone, and dedicated on April 3, 1941, as
875-548: The independent artists and celebrating Lorain’s heritage while giving hope for the future. The Lorain Palace Theatre opened in 1928 and continues operating. There are 51 parks managed by the city parks and recreation department, a total of 583 acres. Lakeview Park is bisected by West Erie Avenue, with the northern section being managed by the Lorain County Metro Parks and the southern by
910-455: The largest of the Great Lakes ore carriers. The Lorain Yard closed in 1984 after a series of labor disputes. Most of the buildings associated with shipyard were demolished with only the water tower and Ship Building Pattern Warehouse remaining. The pattern warehouse is now The Shipyards dining and events venue. The remaining lands are now being redeveloped as an upscale housing development. During
945-456: The name, "Black River" township in '1817' ( although at that time also judicially included other areas of the county, until the year 1830). By the mid-20th-century, almost all of this township was encompassed by the City of Lorain . However, much of Black River Township's earliest pioneer history is more-closely associated with the nearby village of Amherst (which was also judicially included within
980-547: The new name was rejected by its own citizens, who continued to use Black River Village. The village was incorporated as Lorain in 1874 and became a city in 1896. The first mayor was Conrad Reid , who took office on April 6, 1874. The municipal boundaries incorporated most of the former Black River Township judicial boundaries, and portions of the Sheffield Township , Amherst Township , and Brownhelm Township judicial borders. The 1924 Lorain–Sandusky tornado hit
1015-437: The original "Black River township" judicial-district from 1817 until 1830.) The pioneer-settlement of this township technically began by about the year 1808, but the continual efforts of pioneer John S. Reid (beginning about 1809) became the main impetus for the establishment of the later City of Lorain (which had begun as the village named Mouth-of-Black-River, officially established by 1823). The "Beaver Creek Settlement" in
1050-675: The principal owner of the New York Yankees . The company began having difficulties in the 1980s, going through a bankruptcy in 1993. The company was sold in 1995. Lorain, Ohio Lorain ( / l ɔː ˈ r eɪ n / ) is a city in Lorain County, Ohio , United States. It is located in Northeast Ohio on Lake Erie at the mouth of the Black River , about 25 miles (40 km) west of Cleveland . As of
1085-474: The total length, 333 feet (101 meters) are the bascule span. At the time of construction, the bridge was the largest bascule bridge in the world and is now often credited as the second-largest in the world. Annually, the Charles Berry Bridge has an average of 700 openings. The rail bridge, historically known as the 11th Street Bridge, is a single-track vertical-lift truss bridge operated by
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1120-592: The underground railroad station, just thirteen miles away, this melting pot on the lip of America facing the cold but receptive Canada—What could go wrong? Black River Township, Lorain County, Ohio Black River Township , Lorain County , Ohio , was originally established officially as Town(ship) "Number 7 in Range 18", of the Connecticut Western Reserve about '1807', but was later assigned
1155-543: The war. Many were built in less than two months. The Delta shipyard was started specifically for the war effort, at a site on the Industrial Canal near the Almonaster Avenue Bridge , immediately south of the present-day I-10 high-rise bridge . The yard was shut down after the end of World War II. Sample of ships built: The Toledo Shipbuilding Company , which became an operating unit of
1190-494: The western portion of this township, beginning about 1810, was also another important factor towards the growth of this area. But most of the township remained rural farmland, until the early-1900s. However, by the mid-1900s, the City of Lorain had annexed almost the entire township into the Lorain city-limits ( excepting two small portions which were annexed to the village of Amherst and to Sheffield Township/Clearview School). This Lorain County , Ohio state location article
1225-470: Was restored in 2005 and roses are planted to honor and commemorate those that had ties to the community or garden itself in city history. The Lorain municipal government is a Mayor-Council structure, and operates as a statutory city under the laws and regulations set by the Ohio Constitution , making it one of the largest Ohio cities to operate without a charter. The City of Lorain operates on
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