Равенна, Огайо: История и современность города

Ravenna is a city in and the county seat of Portage County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,323 in the 2020 census. It is located 15 mile (24 km) east of Akron. Formed from portions of Ravenna Township in the Connecticut Western Reserve, Ravenna was founded in 1799 and is named after the city of Ravenna, Italy. It is part of the Akron metropolitan area.

Ravenna was founded by Benjamin Tappan, who arrived there on June 11, 1799, to lay claim in his father's name to land purchased in the Connecticut Western Reserve. Tappan did not stay in the area for long, however, but built a settlement of log cabins before returning to Connecticut during the summer of 1800. Later in 1800, Tappan, newly married, returned to the area where the couple built a log cabin of their own. It was his new wife, Nancy Wright, who suggested that the settlement be named after the city of Ravenna, Italy. Nancy became a driving force for the new town. When plans were announced in 1806 for the formation of Portage County, she lobbied for Ravenna to be made the county seat, and it was selected in 1808. She also convinced other Connecticut families to move to the area. In 1831, the Clark Carriage Company, founded by W. D. Clark, first began to produce high end hearses known for their elaborate workmanship and quality. Thirty years later, the company was purchased by Henry W. Riddle and Charles Merts in 1861, with Riddle being the salesman for the company and Merts running the factory. In 1891, Merts retired and sold his share of the company to Riddle, who, in turn, changed the name of the company to the Riddle Coach and Hearse. After the company began manufacturing motorized hearses, the name changed once again—this time to the Riddle Manufacturing Company. With the highly acclaimed reputation of the Riddle Hearse, two U. S. Presidents from Ohio, William McKinley and Warren G. Harding, would later make them their coach of choice for carrying their remains after their deaths. On February 15, 1861, en route to his inauguration in Washington, DC, President elect Abraham Lincoln traveled by train through Ravenna. He didn’t plan on speaking but, due to the enthusiastic supporters of the community and a stunning cannon salute, he stepped out of the train and addressed the crowd. A small plaque was placed at the site in 1985 to commemorate the event. Telephones were first introduced in Ravenna in 1882. In 1898, Ravenna began paving its streets when East and West Main streets received new, paved surfaces. By 1909, nearly 50 passenger trains arrived in the town each day. In 1917, Portage County purchased White Hospital, which eventually became the present day University Hospitals Portage Medical Center. Since the 1970s, the city has held the Ravenna Balloon A Fair. Usually held around mid September, the event attracts hot air balloonists and enthusiasts to Sunbeau Valley Farm in Ravenna Township, just west of the city limits. Besides the hot air balloons, there are also parades, cruise ins, and live entertainment.

As of the census of 2010, there were 11,724 people, 5,055 households, and 2,860 families living in the city. The population density was There were 5,566 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the city was 91.1% White, 5.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 5,055 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.4% were non families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% 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 2.96. The median age in the city was 37.9 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

Elementary and secondary education for students in Ravenna and Ravenna Township is provided by the Ravenna School District, which includes Ravenna High School for grades 9–12 and Brown Middle School for grades 5–8. The district reorganized its elementary buildings for the 2020–21 school year, closing Carlin Elementary and grouping grade levels together. Previously, the district had operated four neighborhood elementary schools each with grades 1–5. Kindergarten students attend West Park Elementary, Willyard Elementary houses the district's 1st and 2nd graders, and West Main Elementary houses grades 3 and 4. The district's preschool program and child care center are located in the former Carlin Elementary School building. Ravenna is also home to the Maplewood Career Center, a vocational school which serves high school aged students from ten high schools in Portage and Summit counties and offers adult education programs. The Bio Med Science Academy, a public STEM school for grades 2–12, has a campus in Ravenna at the former Fortis College location that houses the program's 5th and 6th graders. Grades 2–4 are housed at Bio Med's Shalersville campus and grades 7–12 are located at the Rootstown campus. A campus of Fortis College, a small, private for profit school, was located in northern Ravenna near State Route 14. It closed at the end of 2018 due to declining enrollment.