Web Design in Elyria, OH

Elyria, Ohio

Elyria is in Lorain County.

Well-Known Places in Elyria

The Hickories Museum, Cascade Park.

About Elyria, Ohio

Elyria is the county seat of Lorain County in northeast Ohio, founded in 1817 by Massachusetts industrialist Heman Ely at the spot where the east and west branches of the Black River split around twin waterfalls. A Rust Belt manufacturing town, it is home to well-known industrial names like RIDGID tools, Bendix and Invacare. Every September its downtown fills for the Elyria Apple Festival, one of the region's signature small-city celebrations.

History of Elyria

• Founded in March 1817 by Heman Ely, who traveled from West Springfield, Massachusetts and built a log house, dam, gristmill and sawmill.
• The name blends Ely's surname with 'Illyria,' the classical name for the western Balkans that Ely encountered on a European tour.
• Lorain County was formed in 1822 at Ely's urging, and Elyria was chosen as the county seat.

Landmarks and Places in Elyria

• Cascade Park, a large park set in a river ravine carved by the same glaciers that formed the Great Lakes; it historically kept captive black bears from about 1920 to 1980.
• Ely Square, the central downtown park dating to the town's founding.
• The twin waterfalls of the Black River, where the east and west branches drop near the city center.

The Elyria Economy

• Part of Ohio's Rust Belt, hit by the industrial decline of the 1970s and 1980s.
• Ridge Tool Company, maker of RIDGID tools, has been headquartered in Elyria since relocating there in 1943 (400 Clark St).
• Invacare Corporation, a major home medical equipment manufacturer, is headquartered in the city (1200 Taylor St).

Community Life in Elyria

• The Elyria Apple Festival, held the third week of September in and around Ely Square, draws over 100,000 people to roughly 100 booths, with an apple-baking contest, princess pageant, car show and more.
• Downtown life centers on Ely Square, the historic public green at the heart of the original town plan.
• Cascade Park is a longtime hub for community recreation, from summer outings to winter sledding.

Local reference: en.wikipedia.org, www.cityofelyria.org, elyriaapplefestival.com