Defiance, Ohio
Encyclopedia
As of the census
of 2000, there were 16,465 people, 6,572 households, and 4,422 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,562.4 people per square mile (603.1/km²). There were 7,061 housing units at an average density of 670.0 per square mile (258.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.15% White, 3.44% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.50% from other races
, and 2.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.75% of the population.
There were 6,572 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was composed of 25.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for households was $41,670, and the median income for a family was $49,599. Males had a median income of $37,322, compared to $23,938 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,790. About 7.4% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Other manufactures include fiberglass (Johns Manville), auto parts, and farming food products.
There are three high schools in the Defiance area: Defiance High School(Located in Defiance)and Tinora(Northeastern)and Ayersville High Schools which are located a few miles from the main city and serve the more rural areas of Defiance. Tinora and Ayersville are both smaller school districts.
Defiance College
is a small liberal arts college affiliated with the United Church of Christ
and has an enrollment of about 1,000 students. The presence of the college provides the community with many sports, cultural, and entertainment events that other similar-sized towns lack.
Independence Dam State Park
, 4 miles east of the city on State Highway 424 along the Maumee River
, is also a popular recreational site for area residents. The park provides picnic facilities, nature trails, and fishing.
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,465 people, 6,572 households, and 4,422 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,562.4 people per square mile (603.1/km²). There were 7,061 housing units at an average density of 670.0 per square mile (258.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.15% White, 3.44% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.50% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.75% of the population.
There were 6,572 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was composed of 25.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for households was $41,670, and the median income for a family was $49,599. Males had a median income of $37,322, compared to $23,938 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,790. About 7.4% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Defiance's economy is based on manufacturing a variety of products. The largest employer is the General Motors Powertrain division, which is the largest automotive iron foundry in North America. In the wake of General Motors filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 1, 2009, GM announced that it will continue operating the Defiance facility, thus sparing Defiance the hardship that closing the facility would bring.Other manufactures include fiberglass (Johns Manville), auto parts, and farming food products.
Education
Defiance City Schools provide public K-12 education. Schools maintained by local Lutheran and Catholic churches also provide K-8 education. Northeastern Local Schools (Tinora) and Ayersville Local Schools also serve rural Defiance, but is a smaller school district.There are three high schools in the Defiance area: Defiance High School(Located in Defiance)and Tinora(Northeastern)and Ayersville High Schools which are located a few miles from the main city and serve the more rural areas of Defiance. Tinora and Ayersville are both smaller school districts.
Defiance College
Defiance College
Defiance College, located in Defiance, Ohio, USA, is an independent, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The campus includes eighteen buildings and access to the Thoreau Wildlife Sanctuary....
is a small liberal arts college affiliated with the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
and has an enrollment of about 1,000 students. The presence of the college provides the community with many sports, cultural, and entertainment events that other similar-sized towns lack.
Parks and recreation
Defiance has several city parks that offer a variety of recreational activities, including baseball and softball diamonds and playground equipment. Kingsbury and Bronson Parks have public swimming pools.Independence Dam State Park
Independence Dam State Park
Independence Dam State Park is a in Defiance County, Ohio in the United States. This Ohio state park lies on the banks of the Maumee River and features ruins of the Miami and Erie Canal. The park was established in 1949 and is open for year round recreation including, boating, fishing, hiking and...
, 4 miles east of the city on State Highway 424 along the Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
, is also a popular recreational site for area residents. The park provides picnic facilities, nature trails, and fishing.
Notable natives
- Lee Eureste, 28 year veteran of the US Navy, held the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3
- Alene Duerk, first woman to be selected for flag rank in the U. S. Navy
- Chad BillingsleyChad BillingsleyChad Ryan Billingsley is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Biography:...
, pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... - Sam Hornish Jr., driver for the NascarNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Penske RacingPenske RacingPenske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
team - Michelle BurkeMichelle BurkeMichelle Burke is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Jodi Kramer in the 1993 Richard Linklater film Dazed and Confused and as Connie Conehead in the movie Coneheads...
, television and film actress - Jason Berry, television meteorologist and avid storm chaser
- Wild Bill DavisonWild Bill DavisonWild' Bill Davison was a fiery jazz cornet player who emerged in the 1920s, but did not achieve recognition until the 1940s...
, jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
cornetCornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
player - Greg KampeGreg KampeGreg Kampe is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Oakland University. He guided the Golden Grizzlies to their first NCAA Division I tournament and tournament win in 2005...
, men's head basketball coach at Oakland University - Don Miller, one of the Four HorsemenFour Horsemen (football)The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of American football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. They were the backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team...
of Notre DameNotre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an... - Jon NieseJon NieseJonathon Joseph "Jon" Niese is an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he currently plays for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
, pitcher for the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League... - Chad ReinekeChad ReinekeChad Karl Reineke is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball.-Personal life:...
, pitcher for the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890.... - Terry "Tuff" RyanTerry Ryan (writer)Terry "Tuff" Ryan was an American writer, originally from Defiance, Ohio, who had resided in San Francisco for most of her adult life...
, author - Bruce ShingledeckerBruce ShingledeckerBruce Shingledecker was a noted Alaskan wildlife painter. He was best known for his acrylic paintings of Alaskan wildlife, some of which included glacial silt for texture. In addition to painting, he was also a composer and musician.Shingledecker was born in Defiance, Ohio, where he grew up...
, Alaskan wildlife painter - H. Allen SmithH. Allen SmithFor the congressman see H. Allen SmithHarry Allen Wolfgang Smith was an American journalist and humorist whose books were popular in the 1940s and 1950s, selling millions of copies....
, humorist - Alan FrancisAlan Francis (horseshoes)Alan Francis is a horseshoes pitcher from Defiance, Ohio. Altogether, he has won the world horseshoe championship 16 times, in 1989, 1993, 1995-1999, 2001, and 2003-2010. He is also the only player to consistently pitch over 90%, and is regarded by many as the greatest horseshoe pitcher ever...
, 16 time Horseshoe World Champion - Max Peter, four time first team all-state linebacker