Tiffin, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Tiffin is a city in and the county seat
of Seneca County
, Ohio
, United States
. The population was 18,135 at the 2000 census. The National Arbor Day Foundation
has designated Tiffin as a Tree City USA
.
It is the home of Heidelberg University and Tiffin University
. At one time it was noted as a glass and porcelain manufacturing center.
Early homesteaders followed soon after Bowe, and the settlement of Oakley sprang up around the Pan Yan. The main traveled road of the area followed the path of the stagecoaches through Oakley, which was called Fort Ball after 1824.
In 1820, Josiah Hedges purchased a piece of land on the south bank of the river opposite Oakley and founded another settlement. He named this village "Tiffin" in honor of Edward Tiffin
, first governor of Ohio and later member of the United States Senate
, and a man who had fought to finally win statehood for the Ohio Territory in 1803. Tiffin was incorporated by an act of the Ohio Legislature on March 7, 1835. These two communities, split by the Sandusky River, were rivals; however, in 1850, seeing that later their interests lay together, the villages merged to form Tiffin, with Fort Ball becoming a part of Tiffin in March of that year.
In 1824, with the establishment of Seneca County by the Ohio Legislature, Tiffin became a county seat. The county took its name from the Seneca Indians, who originally were native to the territory. The discovery of natural gas in the vicinity in 1888 gave new momentum to the city's industries; new enterprises located in Tiffin, making it a prosperous industrial city:
. and Clifford O. Hanson founded The Hanson bClutch and Machinery Company in Tiffin. It was acquired by Pettibone in 1966. Pettibone LLC, which today is an affiliate of The Heico Companies, renamed the business unit Tiffin Parts in 1997. Operating at the same site since the 1920s, the building on Miami Street is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Since the late 1970s, the city has lost industry.
In the spring of 1913, the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys were ravaged by one of the most devastating floods in the region's history. Among those communities which suffered the consequences of that flood was Tiffin, located on the Sandusky River in northwest Ohio. During that three-day period, Tiffin sustained more than $1,000,000 in property loss, 46 houses and 2 factories swept away, 10 factories damaged, 69 places of business heavily damaged, 6 bridges within the corporate limits destroyed, and—worst of all—19 lives lost.
Tiffin has been the home of Ballreich's Bros., a potato chip company, since 1920. While the company's retail market is Northern Ohio, its products have acquired a reputation that extends far beyond its local retail market and are available for shipping anywhere via the company's website.
Tiffin St. Paul's United Methodist Church was the first church in the world to be lit by Edison
's light bulb, and the first public building in the United States to be wired for electricity. Tiffin is home to a large population of German-Americans and a smaller but significant population of Italian-Americans. In 1970 Tiffin's highest population was 21,896.
Tiffin is the home of the historic Ritz Theatre, built in 1928 as a vaudeville
house with an Italian Renaissance design. The Ritz Theatre underwent extensive renovation and restoration in 1998.
In 2002, a F3 tornado hit southeast Tiffin, destroying several homes outside city limits.
A new Mercy Hospital of Tiffin was built and opened in July 2008.
As of October 2011, Tiffin continues to strive to be the first Ohio community to demolish their courthouse since 1970; and the first Ohio community to ever demolish a courthouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Republican Aaron Montz was elected Mayor of Tiffin on November 8, 2011. He defeated his Democratic opponent Kenneth Gaietto.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17.1 km²), of which 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (2.11%) is water, primarily the Sandusky River
which flows through the center of the city. It is located on U.S. Route 224
.
of 2000, there were 18,135 people, 7,330 households, and 4,471 families residing in the city. The population density
was (2,792.4/mi²) people per square mile (1,078.9/km²). There were 7,862 housing units at an average density of 1,210.6 per square mile (467.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.26% White, 1.46% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races
, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.10% of the population.
There were 7,330 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 15.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,261, and the median income for a family was $41,329. Males had a median income of $31,207 versus $22,259 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,580. About 5.7% of families and about 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
: Columbian High School
, Tiffin Middle School, and Clinton, C.A. Krout, Lincoln, Noble, and Washington Elementary Schools.
Weekday Religious Education
has been offered to the city's elementary and middle schools since 1940.
Tiffin is also served by the Calvert Catholic Schools: Calvert High School
for grades 7-12, and one campus school, Calvert Elementary, for preschool through grade 6.
Other schools in Tiffin include the Sentinel Career Center, one of two charters schools, Bridges Community Academy, and North Central Academy.
Roadside signs entering Tiffin claim it as the "Education Community".
Tiffin is the home of Tiffin University
, Heidelberg University (Ohio), the Tiffin Academy of Hair Design, and formerly of the American Institute of Massotherapy.
Tiffin also has two Catholic churches. One is St. Mary's Catholic Church which has a Cathedral appearance and beautiful stained glass windows. This Church also had a school, and hosts the annual St. Mary's Catholic Church Fair. The other is St. Joseph's Catholic Church which happens to be the tallest and one of the oldest churches in Tiffin. St. Joe's was originally started with primarily German immigrants. St. Mary's originally started with primarily Irish and Italian immigrants.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Seneca County
Seneca County, Ohio
Seneca County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 56,745. Its county seat is Tiffin and it is named for the Seneca Indians.The Tiffin Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Seneca County....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 18,135 at the 2000 census. The National Arbor Day Foundation
National Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world's oldest and largest tree-planting organization. The foundation began September 3, 1971 with a mission "to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees". The Foundation is supported by donations, selling trees and merchandise, and by corporate sponsors...
has designated Tiffin as a Tree City USA
Tree City USA
Tree City USA is a tree planting and tree care program sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation for cities and towns in the United States.- Requirements :...
.
It is the home of Heidelberg University and Tiffin University
Tiffin University
Tiffin University is a university in Tiffin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1888, Tiffin University enrolls over 4,900 students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered at the Tiffin campus in Tiffin, Ohio, at the University of Bucharest in Romania, and at several locations in Ohio,...
. At one time it was noted as a glass and porcelain manufacturing center.
History
The history of Tiffin dates back to 1812. The familiar bronze statue of "The Indian Maiden" on Frost Parkway, near Miami Street, marks the site of Fort Ball, which was a military depot of the war of 1812. Fighting an engagement of that war, Eratus Bowe first sighted the location upon which Tiffin now stands. In 1817, he returned to the site and built his Pan Yan Tavern, which later became a stagecoach stop, on the north sandusky river.Early homesteaders followed soon after Bowe, and the settlement of Oakley sprang up around the Pan Yan. The main traveled road of the area followed the path of the stagecoaches through Oakley, which was called Fort Ball after 1824.
In 1820, Josiah Hedges purchased a piece of land on the south bank of the river opposite Oakley and founded another settlement. He named this village "Tiffin" in honor of Edward Tiffin
Edward Tiffin
Edward Tiffin was a Democratic-Republican politician from Ohio, and first Governor of the state.-Biography:Sources indicate that he was born in Carlisle; however he may have been born in or near Workington — also in the then county of Cumberland, England...
, first governor of Ohio and later member of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and a man who had fought to finally win statehood for the Ohio Territory in 1803. Tiffin was incorporated by an act of the Ohio Legislature on March 7, 1835. These two communities, split by the Sandusky River, were rivals; however, in 1850, seeing that later their interests lay together, the villages merged to form Tiffin, with Fort Ball becoming a part of Tiffin in March of that year.
In 1824, with the establishment of Seneca County by the Ohio Legislature, Tiffin became a county seat. The county took its name from the Seneca Indians, who originally were native to the territory. The discovery of natural gas in the vicinity in 1888 gave new momentum to the city's industries; new enterprises located in Tiffin, making it a prosperous industrial city:
- The National Machinery Company moved from Cleveland to Tiffin in 1882.
- Webster Industries, Inc. moved from Chicago to Tiffin in 1906.
. and Clifford O. Hanson founded The Hanson bClutch and Machinery Company in Tiffin. It was acquired by Pettibone in 1966. Pettibone LLC, which today is an affiliate of The Heico Companies, renamed the business unit Tiffin Parts in 1997. Operating at the same site since the 1920s, the building on Miami Street is on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Tiffin was the home of Tiffin Glass Works from 1889 to 1980.
- Tiffin was the home of American Standard Company (formerly Great Western Pottery), maker of ceramic kitchen and bath products, from 1899 to 2007. It was the largest employer in the city.
Since the late 1970s, the city has lost industry.
In the spring of 1913, the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys were ravaged by one of the most devastating floods in the region's history. Among those communities which suffered the consequences of that flood was Tiffin, located on the Sandusky River in northwest Ohio. During that three-day period, Tiffin sustained more than $1,000,000 in property loss, 46 houses and 2 factories swept away, 10 factories damaged, 69 places of business heavily damaged, 6 bridges within the corporate limits destroyed, and—worst of all—19 lives lost.
Tiffin has been the home of Ballreich's Bros., a potato chip company, since 1920. While the company's retail market is Northern Ohio, its products have acquired a reputation that extends far beyond its local retail market and are available for shipping anywhere via the company's website.
Tiffin St. Paul's United Methodist Church was the first church in the world to be lit by Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
's light bulb, and the first public building in the United States to be wired for electricity. Tiffin is home to a large population of German-Americans and a smaller but significant population of Italian-Americans. In 1970 Tiffin's highest population was 21,896.
Tiffin is the home of the historic Ritz Theatre, built in 1928 as a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
house with an Italian Renaissance design. The Ritz Theatre underwent extensive renovation and restoration in 1998.
In 2002, a F3 tornado hit southeast Tiffin, destroying several homes outside city limits.
A new Mercy Hospital of Tiffin was built and opened in July 2008.
As of October 2011, Tiffin continues to strive to be the first Ohio community to demolish their courthouse since 1970; and the first Ohio community to ever demolish a courthouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Republican Aaron Montz was elected Mayor of Tiffin on November 8, 2011. He defeated his Democratic opponent Kenneth Gaietto.
Geography
Tiffin is located at 41°7′1"N 83°10′44"W (41.116834, -83.179003).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17.1 km²), of which 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (2.11%) is water, primarily the Sandusky River
Sandusky River
The Sandusky River is a tributary to Lake Erie in north-central Ohio in the United States. It is about long and flows into Lake Erie at Sandusky Bay.-Course:...
which flows through the center of the city. It is located on U.S. Route 224
U.S. Route 224
U.S. Route 224 is a spur of U.S. Route 24. It currently runs for 289 miles from New Castle, Pennsylvania at Pennsylvania Route 18 to Huntington, Indiana at U.S. Route 24. It passes through the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 18,135 people, 7,330 households, and 4,471 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 (2,792.4/mi²) people per square mile (1,078.9/km²). There were 7,862 housing units at an average density of 1,210.6 per square mile (467.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.26% White, 1.46% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.59% 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 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.10% of the population.
There were 7,330 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 15.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,261, and the median income for a family was $41,329. Males had a median income of $31,207 versus $22,259 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 $16,580. About 5.7% of families and about 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Tiffin is served by Tiffin City SchoolsTiffin City School District
Tiffin City School District is a public school district in the city of Tiffin, Ohio, United States. Currently, there are approximately 2,850 students that attend Tiffin City Schools. This school district consists of five elementary K-5 buildings; one middle school which has grades 6-8 and one high...
: Columbian High School
Columbian High School (Tiffin, Ohio)
Columbian High School is a public high school in Tiffin, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Tiffin City School District. Their nickname is the Tornadoes.They are members of the N.O.L...
, Tiffin Middle School, and Clinton, C.A. Krout, Lincoln, Noble, and Washington Elementary Schools.
Weekday Religious Education
Weekday Religious Education
Weekday Religious Education is a released-time Christian education program for public school students in the United States. The program is administered during school hours, but by law must be conducted outside school property...
has been offered to the city's elementary and middle schools since 1940.
Tiffin is also served by the Calvert Catholic Schools: Calvert High School
Calvert High School (Tiffin, Ohio)
Calvert High School is a private, Catholic high school in Tiffin, Ohio. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo. Commonly referred to as the High School Campus...
for grades 7-12, and one campus school, Calvert Elementary, for preschool through grade 6.
Other schools in Tiffin include the Sentinel Career Center, one of two charters schools, Bridges Community Academy, and North Central Academy.
Roadside signs entering Tiffin claim it as the "Education Community".
Tiffin is the home of Tiffin University
Tiffin University
Tiffin University is a university in Tiffin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1888, Tiffin University enrolls over 4,900 students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered at the Tiffin campus in Tiffin, Ohio, at the University of Bucharest in Romania, and at several locations in Ohio,...
, Heidelberg University (Ohio), the Tiffin Academy of Hair Design, and formerly of the American Institute of Massotherapy.
Tiffin also has two Catholic churches. One is St. Mary's Catholic Church which has a Cathedral appearance and beautiful stained glass windows. This Church also had a school, and hosts the annual St. Mary's Catholic Church Fair. The other is St. Joseph's Catholic Church which happens to be the tallest and one of the oldest churches in Tiffin. St. Joe's was originally started with primarily German immigrants. St. Mary's originally started with primarily Irish and Italian immigrants.
City Council
| Office | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| President of Council | Paul Elchert, Jr. | Democratic |
| Councilman-at-Large | Mark Hayes | Democratic |
| Councilman-at-Large | Tyler Shuff | Republican |
| Councilman-at-Large | Peter Galipeau | Republican |
| 1st Ward Councilman | Steve Lepard | Democratic |
| 2nd Ward Councilman | Aaron Montz | Republican |
| 3rd Ward Councilwomen | Lori Ritzler | Democrat |
| 4th Ward Councilman | Rich Cline | Republican |
| Council Clerk | Ruth Kin | Democrat |
Transportation
Tiffin has only one airport, Tiffin Metro Airport (K16G). Tiffin also has 1 reliable taxi services. Tiffin is currently on 11 state routes, as well as U.S. Route 224, which skirts the city's southern edge. Tiffin is located on the southern terminus of Northern Ohio and Western Railway. CSX operates a busy line that travels east and west through the city. The city is still a very busy railhub for CSX because of its closeness to CSX's Willard Yard and the "Iron Triangle" in Fostoria.Media
Tiffin is served by The Advertiser Tribune, and it has 2 radio stations, 1600 WTTF AM, and 103.7 WCKY FM. It is also served by its local news/sport/entertainment channel, WTIF (Channel 21 on Cable, and is currently not carried by DirecTV or Dish Network).Notable natives
- Oliver Edwin BakerOliver Edwin BakerOliver Edwin Baker was an American economic geographer.-Education and early career:Baker was born in Tiffin, Ohio. His father, Edwin Baker, was a merchant, and his mother, Martha Ranney Thomas, had been a schoolteacher...
, president of the Association of American Geographers, author of Geography of the World's Agriculture, and editor of the Atlas of American Agriculture - Oliver CowderyOliver CowderyOliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
One of the founders, with Joseph Smith, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the MormonsMormonsThe Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
). Practiced law and politics in Tiffin 1842-1847. - George Babcock Cressey, Geographer
- Paul GillmorPaul GillmorPaul Eugene Gillmor was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the U.S. Representative from the 5th congressional district of Ohio from 1989 until his death....
, RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. representativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
representing the Ohio 5th District from 1988 to 2007. - John R. GoodinJohn R. GoodinJohn Randolph Goodin was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer, judge and editor from Ohio and Kansas....
, U.S. Representative from Kansas - Sue Wilkins MyrickSue Wilkins MyrickSue Wilkins Myrick is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. She is a member of the Republican Party. She is the first Republican woman to represent North Carolina in Congress.-Early political career:...
, U.S. Representative from North Carolina and former mayor of Charlotte, NC. Myrick is a Tiffin native and Heidelberg College alumnus. - John QuinnJohn Quinn (collector)John Quinn was a second generation Irish-American corporate lawyer in New York, who for a time was an important patron of major figures of post-impressionism and literary modernism, and collector in particular of original manuscripts.- Life :...
, Tiffin native, New York lawyer, art patron, collector of historical manuscripts, and major supporter of William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
. - George E. SeneyGeorge E. SeneyGeorge Ebbert Seney was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer and judge from Ohio.-Biography:Born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, he was grandson of Joshua Seney, and was also descended from colonial Governor of Maryland Francis Nicholson. Seney moved to Tiffin, Ohio with his parents in 1832...
, U.S. Representative from Ohio - Nate WashingtonNate WashingtonNate Washington is an American football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
, wide receiver with the Tennessee TitansTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, signed as an undrafted free with the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as a free agent out of Tiffin UniversityTiffin UniversityTiffin University is a university in Tiffin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1888, Tiffin University enrolls over 4,900 students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered at the Tiffin campus in Tiffin, Ohio, at the University of Bucharest in Romania, and at several locations in Ohio,...
, with his first pro career reception in the 2005 AFC Championship GameAFC Championship GameThe American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
. - Rodger Young, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient, World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... - Michael R. Flechtner, Tiffin native, created the first neon Celebrate Forever postage stamp for the United States Postal Service in 2010.
- Dylan PoeDylan PoeDylan Joshua Poe is a American television personality and political analyst. He also hosts his own liberal political show on Ustream.-Early life:Dylan Poe was born on May 12, 1998...
, Tiffin native, first child to lead a community organization in Ohio.