Perrysburg, Ohio

Perrysburg, Ohio
City
Downtown Perrysburg
Motto:  "Embracing Our Past. Poised For The Future."
Location of Perrysburg in Ohio
Location of Perrysburg in Wood County
Coordinates: 41°33′1″N 83°37′48″W
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Wood
Government
• Mayor	Tom Mackin
Area
• Total	11.93 sq mi (30.91 km2)
• Land	11.89 sq mi (30.80 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation	630 ft (192 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	25,041
• Density	1,818.53/sq mi (702.15/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	43551–43552
Area code	419
FIPS code	39-62148
GNIS feature ID	1066139
Website	ci.perrysburg.oh.us

Perrysburg is a city located in Wood County, Ohio, United States, along the south side of the Maumee River. The population was 25,041 at the 2020 census. It was founded before and is part of the Toledo Metropolitan area, a large port city located about 12 miles (19 km) further down the Maumee River. It is the second largest city in Wood County, after the county seat of Bowling Green. It is the most rapidly growing community in Northwest Ohio.

History

Perrysburg is home to Fort Meigs, the largest wooden walled fortification in North America.

Early History

Perrysburg lies near the center of the Twelve Mile Square Reservation, a tract of land ceded by the Odawa people to the United States of America by the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, following the end of the Northwest Indian Wars. They had occupied this territory since the turn of the 18th century, after having settled in the region of the French trading post at Fort Detroit. The Odawa had controlled much of the territory along the Maumee River in present-day northwestern Ohio.

In 1810, early European-American settlers here were Major Amos Spafford (1753-1818), his wife Olive (1756-1823), and their four children. In 1796, Spafford, a native of Connecticut, was a surveyor for the Connecticut Land Company. He drew the first map laying out Cleveland and named the city. He left there in 1810 following appointment as custom's collector and postmaster for the new port at the foot of the rapids of the Maumee River, Port Miami of Lake Erie. Spafford was granted a 160-acre land patent on River Tract #64 in Waynesfield township, signed by President James Monroe. Two years later, 67 families lived in the area, but most fled at the outbreak of the War of 1812. After the war and the 1817 Treaty of Fort Meigs, which extinguished the Odawa claim to this area, Spafford purchased the land.

War of 1812

When the war clouds of 1812 began to edge toward Northwest Ohio, General William Henry Harrison ordered the construction of the fort, beginning in February 1813. Harrison was General Anthony Wayne's former aide-de-camp. Later he was elected as the country's ninth president. The installation was named Fort Meigs in honor of Ohio's fourth governor, Return Jonathan Meigs. Fort Meigs was constructed on a bluff above the Maumee River, and built from a design by the army engineer Captain Eleazer D. Wood, for whom the county would be named. Two critical battles with the British were fought at the fort during the War of 1812.

Early settlers in the area fled to Huron during the War of 1812. They returned to settle in the floodplain below Fort Meigs, calling the settlement Orleans. They moved to higher ground after being flooded out. Perrysburg was located by a surveying team led by Alexander Bourne, appointed to that position by Edward Tiffin, Surveyor General of the United States. Contrary to numerous Internet postings, Charles Pierre L'Enfant did not survey and plat Perrysburg, Ohio on April 27, 1816; this survey was performed in late June and early July 1816, by surveyors Joseph Wampler and William Brookfield under the auspices of Alexander Bourne and Josiah Meigs, Surveyor General of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri.

Growth of Perrysburg

Map of Perrysburg, Ohio

The town soon became a center for shipbuilding and commerce on Lake Erie. It was named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, naval commander during the War of 1812 and hero of the Battle of Lake Erie.

In 1833, Perrysburg contained a courthouse, jail, schoolhouse, two stores, two taverns, two physicians, two lawyers, about 60 houses, and 250 inhabitants.

In 1854, an epidemic of cholera decimated the population. The town closed down for two months in that summer, trying to contain the epidemic at a time when people did not understand how it was transmitted. More than 100 people died. Other towns along the Maumee also suffered high losses from the epidemic, and Providence, Ohio was abandoned. It had suffered a disastrous fire less than a decade before.

Modern Perrysburg

On October 12, 1984 President Ronald Reagan made a whistle stop in Perrysburg in the Ferdinand Magellan drawing a crowd of over 20,000.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.51 square miles (29.81 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	182		—
1840	1,041		472.0%
1850	1,199		15.2%
1860	1,494		24.6%
1870	1,835		22.8%
1880	1,909		4.0%
1890	1,747		−8.5%
1900	1,766		1.1%
1910	1,913		8.3%
1920	2,429		27.0%
1930	3,182		31.0%
1940	3,457		8.6%
1950	4,006		15.9%
1960	5,519		37.8%
1970	7,693		39.4%
1980	10,196		32.5%
1990	12,551		23.1%
2000	16,945		35.0%
2010	20,623		21.7%
2020	25,041		21.4%
Sources:

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 20,623 people, 8,246 households, and 5,504 families living in the city. The population density was 1,791.7 inhabitants per square mile (691.8/km²). There were 8,845 housing units at an average density of 768.5 per square mile (296.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.9% White, 1.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.

There were 8,246 households, of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% 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 3.10.

The median age in the city was 38.4 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 12.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

Levis Commons in Perrysburg

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,945 people, 6,592 households, and 4,561 families living in the city. The population density was 1,899.2 people per square mile (733.5/km²). There were 6,964 housing units at an average density of 780.5 per square mile (301.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.34% White, 1.03% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.05% of the population.

There were 6,390 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $62,237 and the median income for a family was $75,651. Males had a median income of $56,496 versus $31,401 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,652. About 1.5% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

See also: Perrysburg Exempted Village School District

Perrysburg is home to The Islamic School of Greater Toledo, Saint Rose School and Perrysburg Schools, which includes a preschool, four elementary schools, one intermediate school, one junior high school and Perrysburg High School.

Perrysburg Schools are widely recognized for our excellent academic, fine and performing arts and athletic programs. Our schools are considered to be among the finest in the state. Perrysburg was graded A+ and ranked #24 in Ohio in Niche’s 2021 Suburbs with the Best Public Schools in Ohio, based on state test scores, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality and student and parent reviews.

Perrysburg Schools has been named among the “Best Communities for Music Education” every year since 2007. Perrysburg High School and Perrysburg Junior High School have earned the Ohio Department of Education’s Purple Star designation, recognizing the schools’ commitment to serving military-connected students and families. The Class of 2021 was offered $21.8 Million in scholarship awards. Our average teacher experience is 12 years and 72% of our teachers have at least a Master’s Degree.

Students, teachers, staff members, parents and guardians work together to ensure all students possess the necessary academic and social-emotional skills to be successful in college and their careers. The school district offers a range of rigorous, innovative coursework and extracurricular activities to develop well-rounded, lifelong learners who are also active citizens in their communities. School district team members continue to look towards the future and vigilantly adapt to ensure Perrysburg remains a destination district for future generations.

In the year 2016, 51% of Perrysburg residents over the age of 25 had a bachelor's degree or a higher level of education, compared to 31.7% of Wood County residents, 23% of residents in the Toledo MSA, 26.7% of Ohioans, and 30.3% in the U.S.

Library

The Way Public Library serves Perrysburg area. In 2016, the library loaned 639,113 items and provided 726 programs to its 34,336 registered borrowers. Total holdings in 2016 were 93,416 print materials and 182 print subscriptions.

Notable people

Statue of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, after whom Perrysburg is named.

• Burke Badenhop, professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball
• Clara Blinn, pioneer who died in the aftermath of the Battle of Washita River
• Douglas Brinkley, award-winning historian, lived in Perrysburg from 1968 to 1982
• Bil Dwyer, cartoonist (Dumb Dora) and humorist
• T. J. Fatinikun, professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) and Arena Football League
• Jerry Glanville, college football head coach
• Jim Harbaugh, professional football player in the NFL and head coach in the NFL and college football
• John Harbaugh, head coach in the National Football League (NFL)
• Sam Jaeger, actor and screenwriter
• Ralph Wesley Judd, (1901–1957), professional baseball player in Major League Baseball
• Jim Leyland, professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball
• Anna Tunnicliffe, 2008 US Olympic Sailing Team gold medalist

Notable companies

Owens-Illinois building in Perrysburg.

• Owens-Illinois Inc., global glass container manufacturer
• Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment, metalworking machinery dealer, specializing in tube mills, roll forming and coil processing equipment.
• Fox Software, creator of FoxPro (Defunct after being acquired by Microsoft in 1992)

External links

• Official website