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Wooster, Ohio

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City of Wooster
City
East Liberty Street in downtown Wooster
East Liberty Street in downtown Wooster
Location of Wooster, Ohio
Location of Wooster, Ohio
CountryUnited States
StateOhio
CountyWayne
Founded1808
Government
 • MayorBob Breneman (R)
Area
 • Total14.4 sq mi (37.3 km2)
 • Land14.4 sq mi (37.2 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
Template:GR
997 ft (304 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total26,119
 • Density1,813.9/sq mi (702.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
44691
Area code330
FIPS code39-86548Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1049345Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.woosteroh.com/

Wooster (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈwʊstər/) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio approximately 50 mi (80 km) SSW of Cleveland and 35 mi (56 km) SW of Akron. Wooster is noted as the location of The College of Wooster. Wooster was established in 1808 by John Bever, William Henry, and Joseph Larwill, and named after David Wooster, a general in the American Revolutionary War.[1] The population was 24,811 at the 2000 census and 26,119 at the 2010 Census.[2] The city is the largest in Wayne County, and the center of the Wooster Micropolitan Statistical Area (as defined by the United States Census Bureau). Wooster has the main branch and administrative offices of the Wayne County Public Library.

Wooster is the birthplace of the Compton brothers: Arthur Compton, physics Nobel Prize winner and chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, Karl Taylor Compton, physicist and president of MIT, and Wilson Martindale Compton, diplomat and president of Washington State University.

Geography and geology

Wooster is located at 40°48′33″N 81°56′14″W / 40.80917°N 81.93722°W / 40.80917; -81.93722 (40.809301, -81.937258).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km2), of which, 14.4 square miles (37 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.14%) is water. The city rests at 997 feet above sea level.

The local bedrock consists of the Cuyahoga Formation (shale) and the overlying Logan Formation (sandstone and conglomerate), both Lower Carboniferous and rich in fossils.[3]

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 24,811 people, 10,040 households, and 6,174 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,726.1 people per square mile (666.6/km²). There were 10,674 housing units at an average density of 742.6 per square mile (286.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.59% White, 3.82% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.

There were 10,040 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,400, and the median income for a family was $47,118. Males had a median income of $34,021 versus $23,608 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,505. About 7.8% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Wayne County courthouse in downtown Wooster

Mayor and council

The city is governed by an elected mayor. On January 17, 2008, former Councilman Bob Breneman (R) was sworn in as Mayor.[4]

There is a seven-member City Council: Mark Cavin (D-1st Ward), Barbara Knapic (R-2nd Ward), David Silvestri (R-3rd Ward), Jeff Steiner (R-4th Ward), and at-large members Jon Ulbright (D), Jon Ansel (R) and Mike Buytendyk (R). Meetings are presided over by the City Council president who is elected at-large and only votes to break a tie. Silvestri, the council president pro tempore, is acting president after incumbent Jeff Griffin, a former councilman, took a job as president of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce.

Elected representatives

As of 2009, the city is represented in the Ohio House of Representatives by Ron Amstutz (R); in the Ohio Senate by Larry Obhof (R); and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Jim Renacci (R).

Newspapers

Wooster Daily Record headquarters in downtown Wooster

The city has a daily newspaper, The Daily Record, published by Dix Communications/Wooster Republican Printing Co., and a weekly paper, The Wooster Weekly News, published by Graphic Publications Inc. In addition, the Akron Beacon Journal occasionally covers the city and Wayne County.

Magazines

The city has an interactive city magazine, WoosterGrapevine.com that is a locally owned member of the national Grapevine Communities. It includes local news, events, classifieds, arcades, photos, videos, and so much more.

Major industries

Wooster is the Headquarters of several industrial entities. Buehler Food Markets Inc., Wooster Brush, Tricor Industrial, and Wooster Motor Ways have corporate headquarters located in Wooster. Rubbermaid made its corporate headquarters in Wooster until the end of 2003. LuK, the German maker of dual clutch transmissions has its North America headquarters in Wooster. Other large commercial operations in Wooster are Frito-Lay, Akron Brass, CACI and BorgWarner.

Wooster is also the world headquarters of the Prentke Romich Company (PRC) which is a member of a consortium of companies that produce assistive technology and augmentative communication devices[5].

For its size, Wooster is also dedicated to the "industry of education." It has The College of Wooster, and two subsidiaries of The Ohio State University: the Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI); and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), a teaching and research facility dedicated to agricultural science.

In addition to these industries, Wooster remains an agricultural center for Ohio. The OARDC enriches the local farms with knowledge and expertise, which is proudly displayed at the annual Wayne County Fair, held each September (see also Fair). Students in Wooster and surrounding rural communities continue to enroll in youth farming programs such as 4-H and National FFA Organization. Many traditional Amish farmers come to Wooster by horse-and-buggy for commerce as well.

The overlap of strong education and advanced manufacturing has led to number of small innovative firms being founded in Wooster in recent years including Quasar Energy Group,[6] ExpenseWire,[7] ABSMaterials[8] and 3i-ingredients.[9]

Wooster also has a local food community including Local Roots, a collective year round farmer's market for locally produced goods. At present, there are over 150 local farmers and producers. Local Roots has garnered national attention for its innovative efforts.[10]

The Wayne County Airport (BJJ) also serves as an air access point for many of the businesses throughout the city, as well.

Culture/entertainment

Architectural telamon (or atlas) on the courthouse entrance.

The arts

Wooster, and the greater Wayne County community, is served by the Wayne Center for the Arts, which displays artwork by local artists, offers instructional courses, and stages performances.[11]

The College of Wooster is home to the Ohio Light Opera, a professional opera company that performs the light opera repertory, including Gilbert and Sullivan, and American, British, and continental operettas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[12]

Music

The Wooster Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1915, is a joint venture between the Wooster community and the College of Wooster. The Symphony is the second oldest continually performing in the state.[13]

Sports

For the 2007-2008 season, Wooster was granted a team in the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League called the Wooster Warriors. The MAHL suspended operations of February 2008,[14] and the Warriors subsequently relocated to Trenton, Michigan.

Wooster was the home to the Wooster Korn Kings, which was a minor league professional ice hockey team that was a member of the All American Hockey League.[15] The team's home arena was Alice Noble Ice Arena.

Club Sport Began play League Venue League championships Championship years
Wooster Oilers ice hockey 2006 Great Lakes Junior Hockey League Alice Noble Ice Arena 1 2009–2010

Parks

Wooster has several parks in town and nearby with hiking trails, playgrounds, and picnic areas. Wooster Memorial Park, locally known as Spangler Park, offers 7 miles of hiking trails through woods, ravines, and open fields along the Rathburn Run. Christmas Run Park has playgrounds and pavilions, as well as a picnic area. Schellin Park offers a skate park as well as playground and picnic facilities.[16]

Sister cities

The town of Collepietro in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzi region of Italy, is officially recognized as a Sister City of Wooster.

Points of interest

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1820467—
1830977109.2%
18401,91395.8%
18502,79746.2%
18603,36120.2%
18705,41961.2%
18805,8407.8%
18905,9011.0%
19006,0632.7%
19106,1361.2%
19208,20433.7%
193010,74230.9%
194011,5437.5%
195014,00521.3%
196017,04621.7%
197018,7039.7%
198019,2733.0%
199022,19115.1%
200024,81111.8%
201026,1195.3%

Notable natives

The following individuals were born in, raised in, lived in, or currently live in Wooster, Ohio.

References

  1. ^ "Wooster." Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 14 Mar 2008 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/647867/Wooster>
  2. ^ "American Fact Finder 2". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  3. ^ Bork, K.B.; Malcuit, R.J. (1979). "Paleoenvironments of the Cuyahoga and Logan Formations (Mississippian) of central Ohio". Geological Society of America Bulletin. 90: 89–113.
  4. ^ http://www.woosteroh.com/Mayor/Mayorsofficehome.htm
  5. ^ [http://www.prentrom.com/
  6. ^ http://www.quasarenergygroup.com/pages/worldwide.html
  7. ^ http://www.expensewire.com/
  8. ^ http://www.absmaterials.com/
  9. ^ http://www.expensewire.com/
  10. ^ http://www.localrootswooster.com/
  11. ^ http://www.wayneartscenter.org/
  12. ^ http://olo.wooster.edu/
  13. ^ "Wooster Symphony Orchestra". Retrieved 2010-11-03. Founded in 1915 by Daniel Parmelee, then Professor of Violin at Wooster College, the Wooster Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in continuous performance in the state of Ohio.
  14. ^ Mid-Atlantic Hockey League put on ice." Wooster Daily Record 15 Feb. 2008
  15. ^ Dorksen, Aaron (2010-11-17). "Korn Kings abruptly cease operations". The Daily Record. Retrieved 2010-11-20. That's the short-lived story of the Wooster Korn Kings Single-A pro hockey team, which moved their franchise to Wooster at the end of October and abruptly pulled out Tuesday.
  16. ^ City of Wooster - Parks division http://www.woosteroh.com/parks.php
  17. ^ http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=clarkgi01
  18. ^ http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=heckegu01
  19. ^ http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/site/inductees.aspx?cid=146
  20. ^ http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=peckiro01
  21. ^ http://www.wooster.edu/ohiolightopera/history.php
  22. ^ http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=wilheka01
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