44-948: The Oberlin College Libraries (OCL) is a system of libraries located in Oberlin, Ohio comprising the Mary Church Terrell Main Library, Clarence Ward Art Library, Conservatory Library, and Science Library. The recipient of the ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in 2002, the Oberlin College Libraries are recognized for superior collections and services. The library system has more than 2.4 million items of print and media materials, as well as extensive online journals and research databases. OCL
88-497: A city manager and a seven-member council which is elected to two-year terms in a non-partisan election. The city of Oberlin runs an online dashboard that displays the city's use of resources in real time. Effective from July 2013, the dashboard shows outputs of infrastructure, such as Oberlin's power plant and water treatment plant. Oberlin lies at the intersection of state routes 58 and 511. Its municipal limits extend south to include parts of U.S. Highway 20 . Oberlin also lies on
132-683: A Lane trustee, come as president, and that Oberlin treat Black and white students equally, something no college in the United States did at the time. The trustees, although reluctantly, agreed to these conditions. The first Black enrolees, James Bradley and the brothers Gideon Quarles and Charles Henry Langston , did not enroll in Oberlin but in an affiliated school, the Sheffield Manual Labor Institute. (Their younger brother John Mercer Langston , who in 1888 became
176-665: A college degree Under the leadership of college librarian Azariah Smith Root (1887–1927), the Oberlin College Library grew by the end of his tenure to the sixteenth largest academic library in the nation. The former central library, which was funded by Andrew Carnegie , opened in 1908 and served both the college and the town of Oberlin for almost seven decades. The current main library in Mudd Center opened in 1974. The Oberlin College Library, under
220-413: A fugitive named John Price was captured by federal officials and held in neighboring Wellington, Ohio . A large group of Oberlin residents, consisting of both white and black townspeople, students, and faculty, set out for Wellington to release Price from captivity. The men took Price back from the arresting US Marshal , and eventually smuggled him to Canada, but the authorities were not content to let
264-751: A newly elected Democratic state legislature repealed this law, making fugitives around Oberlin vulnerable to enforcement of the Federal Fugitive Slave Law , which allowed Southern slave-catchers to target and extradite them back to the South. This situation came to a head with the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue , a pivotal event described in Nat Brandt's book The Town That Started the Civil War . On September 13, 1858,
308-540: A paved bicycle and pedestrian path, the North Coast Inland Trail, which travels southwest to Kipton and northeast to Elyria . The path is built on the former railroad right-of-way of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Southern Branch. Like many smaller municipalities across Ohio, Oberlin was once served by railroads but currently has no railroad service. An old station is visible along
352-462: A poor and remote area had greatly impressed and inspired them. Shipherd and Stewart rode south from Elyria into the forests that then covered the northern part of Ohio in search of a suitable location for their community. After a journey of approximately eight miles, they stopped to rest and pray in the shade of an elm tree along the forest, and agreed that this would be a good place to start their community. Shipherd traveled back east and convinced
396-574: A way-station to recover on their way to Lake Erie, where they found transportation across the lake to the safety of Canada West ( Ontario ). The town of Oberlin, then, was an active "station" on the Underground Railroad . Fugitive enslaved people were assisted by a new Ohio law that allowed them to apply for a writ of habeas corpus , which protected them from extradition back to the Southern states from which they had escaped. In 1858,
440-721: Is a city in Lorain County, Ohio , United States. It is located about 31 miles (50 km) southwest of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area . The population was 8,555 at the 2020 census . Oberlin is the home of Oberlin College , a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students. The town is the birthplace of the Anti-Saloon League and the Hall-Héroult process ,
484-588: Is a hub of social and academic activity, with spaces for collaborative work and tutoring, in-depth research appointments, learning support services, and technology support in partnership with the Center for Information Technology . The Academic Commons features an electronic classroom, Azariah's Café, computer workstations, six group study rooms, circulation and reference services, and the Writing Center. Oberlin, Ohio Oberlin / oʊ b ər l ɪ n /
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#1732782778458528-515: Is a member of the OhioLINK consortium which provides rapid access to an additional 50 million volumes from colleges and universities across Ohio. On October 6, 2018, the Main Library located in the Mudd Center, was renamed for Oberlin graduate Mary Church Terrell (class of 1884, 1888, and Hon. 1948), who is held in high esteem because she was one of the first African-American women to earn
572-468: Is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km ) is water. Oberlin experiences a humid continental (Köppen D fa ) climate. Winters are cold, dry and often snowy. Summers are warm to very warm and sometimes hot. The city rests within the northern snowbelt of Ohio and is tempered by the Great Lakes . As of the census of 2010, there were 8,286 people, 2,730 households, and 1,381 families residing in
616-633: The parish . In the work of education he received great assistance from his housekeeper, Louisa Scheppler (1763–1837). He practiced medicine among them, founded a savings and loan bank and introduced cotton manufacturing. Beside all this Oberlin was a man of rare spirituality, being frequently styled "a saint of the Protestant church," and an excellent pastor, who preached each month three sermons in French and one in German. In 1812 Daniel Legrand visited
660-589: The "true precursor of social Christianity in France." Daniel Legrand's grandson was Tommy Fallot , founder of "Christianisme social." Legrand and Robert Owen (1771–1853) of Wales, another industrialist, advocated creation of an international organization dedicated to reform of labor laws. Oberlin's orphan asylums were the beginning of the many "Oberlinvereine" for the protection of children, such as in Leonberg , Potsdam and Worms . Oberlin, Ohio , founded as
704-679: The 1860 state elections. The governor of Ohio wrote to the new Republican President Abraham Lincoln urging him to repeal the Fugitive Slave Law. Though in point of fact Lincoln declined this request, this decision did not prevent Southern states from seceding, and America was soon embroiled in the Civil War . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 4.96 square miles (12.85 km ), of which, 4.92 square miles (12.74 km )
748-604: The German-speaking city of Strasbourg , where he studied theology. In 1766 he became Protestant pastor of Waldbach (now Waldersbach ), a remote and barren region in the Steinthal ( Ban de la Roche /Steintal), a valley in the Vosges on the borders of Alsace and Lorraine. Oberlin set out to improve both the material and the spiritual condition of the inhabitants. He began by encouraging the construction of roads through
792-591: The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway opened a new rail station along this line; no longer used for rail transportation, the depot has been converted for community use and sits at the center of a park. On June 28, 1924, the worst flood in Oberlin history occurred on the same day that a tornado killed 62 people in Lorain . Afterward, the water was so deep that children swam in Tappan Square . Damage
836-498: The Steinthal ( Ban de la Roche ), where he met Oberlin, who lived in Waldersbach. Legrand came under the spell of the pastor, and moved with his ribbon factory to the village of Urbach in the vicinity of Waldersbach, where he lived for the rest of his life. Oberlin died at Waldersbach on 1 June 1826 and was interred with great manifestations of honor and affection at Urbach (now Fouday , Bas Rhin). Oberlin has been called
880-428: The age of 18 living with them, 35.9% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.4% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in
924-506: The area. In Oberlin's earliest years, transportation (especially for students) depended heavily on weather-dependent Lake Erie transportation routes; the nearest railroad passed through Wellington , and travellers were forced to rely on stagecoaches between that village and Oberlin. This situation changed in 1852 when the Toledo, Norwalk, and Cleveland Railroad opened a stop in Oberlin along its Grafton line. Fifteen years later,
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#1732782778458968-405: The average family size was 2.89. In the city the population was spread out, with 14.7% under the age of 18, 36.9% from 18 to 24, 16.4% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.2 males. The median income for a household in the city
1012-478: The bike path. The Cleveland & Southwestern interurban line from Elyria served Oberlin from approximately 1903 to its demise in 1928. Its rails basically followed Oberlin/Elyria Rd / Rt 231 from the east, entering town on E. College St, then turned South and followed Rt 58 to Wellington. There was a wye at S. Main and the line continued west to Norwalk , competing with the Lake Shore Electric into
1056-660: The city on a loop. Oberlin's sister cities are: Johann Friedrich Oberlin J. F. Oberlin (31 August 1740 – 1 June 1826) was an Alsatian pastor and a philanthropist . He has been known as John Frederic(k) Oberlin in English , Jean-Frédéric Oberlin in French , and Johann Friedrich Oberlin in German . Oberlin was born the son of Johann Georg Oberlin (1701–1770), a teacher, and Maria Magdalena (1718–1787), daughter of lawyer Johann Heinrich Feltz, on 31 August 1740 in
1100-462: The city was 23.3 years. 14.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 37.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.5% were from 25 to 44; 18.5% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female. Of the city's population over the age of 25, 41.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. As of the census of 2000, there were 8,195 people, 2,678 households, and 1,395 families residing in
1144-652: The city. Lorain County Transit (LCT) formerly offered two bus routes in Oberlin on the 33 and 21 routes. The routes were shut down due to funding shortfalls. LCT currently operates a door-to-door "Oberlin Connector" bus service, with trips required to begin or end in within Oberlin. Since 2024, Oberlin is served by the EBus, a fare-free public transit bus route operating under contract by Slidr and support from LCT using electric vehicles making several stops across
1188-431: The city. The population density was 1,871.5 inhabitants per square mile (722.6/km ). There were 2,836 housing units at an average density of 647.7 per square mile (250.1/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 71.92% White , 18.55% African American , 0.49% Native American , 3.40% Asian , 0.17% Pacific Islander , 1.21% from other races , and 4.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.04% of
1232-466: The city. The population density was 1,684.1 inhabitants per square mile (650.2/km ). There were 2,984 housing units at an average density of 606.5 per square mile (234.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 73.0% White, 14.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 4.0% Asian, 1.4% from other races, and 6.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1% of the population. There were 2,730 households, of which 24.0% had children under
1276-485: The direction of Library Director Eileen Thornton, was a founding member of OCLC and under the direction of Ray English was the first independent college library to join the OhioLINK consortium. The library directors of the Oberlin Group , a national consortium of selective liberal arts college libraries, first met at Oberlin College in 1986. The Mary Church Terrell Main library, located in Mudd Center, houses
1320-525: The federal officials agreed to free all but two of those indicted. Simeon M. Bushnell, a white man, and Charles H. Langston were both tried and convicted by an all-Democrat jury. Langston's eloquent speech against slavery and injustice persuaded the judge to give them light sentences, with Langston receiving 20 days in jail and a fine of $ 100. They appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus , but on May 30, 1859, their petition
1364-541: The first black elected to the United States Congress from Virginia , also studied at Oberlin.) By the middle of the 19th century, Oberlin had become a major focus of the abolitionist movement in the United States. Escaped enslaved people were relatively safe there. Thousands of escaped enslaved people crossing the Ohio River from Kentucky came through Oberlin—some to stay in the area, but most as
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1408-519: The matter rest. United States President James Buchanan personally requested prosecution of the group (now referred to by sympathetic parties as "the Rescuers"), and 37 of them were indicted. Twelve of those were formerly enslaved people, including Charles H. Langston. State authorities arrested the US Marshal who had captured Price. In negotiation, the state agreed to free the arresters, and
1452-529: The new Lane Theological Seminary of Cincinnati because of its treatment of the Black community and opposition to abolition of slavery. Cincinnati, on the Ohio River, was not a city where free blacks were safe, nor did Cincinnati welcome fugitives . By chance, this group encountered Shipherd, who was travelling around Ohio looking for students for his new Collegiate Institute. The group agreed to come to Oberlin, but on condition that Asa Mahan , who had resigned as
1496-501: The owner of the land to donate 500 acres (2.0 km ) of land for the school, and he purchased an additional 5,000 acres (20 km ) for the town, at the cost of $ 1.50 per acre ($ 371/km ). In 1834 a charter for the new Oberlin Collegiate Institute was obtained from the legislature of Ohio, and the institute adopted as its motto "Learning and Labor." The same year saw a freshman class of four students. In those days
1540-410: The population. There were 2,678 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.9% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and
1584-431: The process of reducing aluminum from its fluoride salts by electrolysis, which made industrial production of aluminum possible. Oberlin was founded in 1833 by two Presbyterian ministers, John Jay Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart . The pair had become friends while spending the summer of 1832 together in nearby Elyria and discovered a shared dissatisfaction with what they saw as the lack of strong Christian morals among
1628-533: The settlers of the American West. Their proposed solution was to create a religious community that would more closely adhere to Biblical commandments, along with a school for training Christian missionaries who would eventually spread throughout the American frontier. The two decided to name their community after Johann Friedrich Oberlin (1740–1826), an Alsatian minister whose pedagogical achievements in
1672-769: The social sciences and humanities collections, special collections, and the Oberlin College Archives. The library system also encompasses the Conservatory Library , the Clarence Ward Art Library , the Science Library , and a central storage facility. The Academic Commons on the main level of Mudd Center opened in 2007 and was dedicated as the Robert S. Lemle ‘75 and Roni Kohen-Lemle ‘76 Academic Commons in 2011. It
1716-415: The valley and the erection of bridges, rallying the peasantry to the enterprise by his personal example. He introduced an improved system of agriculture. Substantial cottages were erected, and various industrial arts were introduced. He founded an itinerant library, originated infant schools (precursors of the modern nursery schools of France ) and established an ordinary school at each of the five villages in
1760-399: The words were taken quite literally: tuition at Oberlin was free, but students were expected to contribute by helping to build and sustain the community. This attracted a number of bright young people who would otherwise not have been able to afford tuition. The motto remains to this day. During the mid-1800s African Americans, predominantly free people of color and runaway slaves, settled in
1804-403: Was $ 41,094, and the median income for a family was $ 59,358. Males had a median income of $ 42,170 versus $ 27,308 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20,704. About 6.7% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over. The City of Oberlin's motto is "live, learn, lead." It is governed by
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1848-736: Was caused to all of downtown Oberlin. One of Oberlin's largest employers was the Federal Aviation Administration , which houses the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center overseeing the airspace of six states and a small part of Canada . Oberlin was not founded as an abolitionist town. Its status changed with the enrollment in 1835 of the Lane Rebels , a loose group of several dozen students coordinated by abolitionist Theodore Weld . They had withdrawn en masse from
1892-573: Was denied. Three formerly enslaved people— Lewis Sheridan Leary , Shields Green , and John Anthony Copeland, Jr. —participated in John Brown 's famous 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry . Leary died during the raid, and Green and Copeland were hanged after arrest and conviction. The bodies of Green and Copeland were used for dissection and anatomical study at the Winchester Medical College ; the remains were discarded. Leary's body
1936-571: Was first thrown in an unmarked pit, along with the 7 of the 9 others killed during the raid; much later the bodies were disinterred and reburied at the John Brown Farm , next to his grave. (See John Brown's raiders .) The political ferment resulting from the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue led to a number of major protests throughout the northern part of Ohio, and an unprecedented boost to the anti-slavery Republican party in
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