Онтарио, Огайо: История и современность города

Ontario is a city in Richland County in the U. S. state of Ohio. It was founded in 1834 on the western edge of the Allegheny Plateau, just west of the city of Mansfield. After being incorporated in 1958, Ontario became a heavy manufacturing center because of the Erie Railroad line, and its proximity to Mansfield. However, its status in that regard began to decline in the late 20th century, when much of the Erie Railroad that once ran through the city was abandoned; and shifts in the manufacturing industry led to the relocation or repositioning of many factories. The city's industry has since diversified into the service economy, including education, finance and healthcare. The city is also a major regional retail hub serving the entire North Central Ohio area, with a shopping population of over 150,000. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 6,656. It is part of the Mansfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Ontario was founded by Hiram Cook, and was platted in December 1834 as a settlement in Springfield Township near Mansfield. During that same month thereafter, the original settlement of Ontario merged with New Castle, another small settlement that was originally located just to the west of the Ontario settlement along the Mansfield and Bucyrus route (known today as State Route 309) that had just been laid out and platted. Upon the advent of the federal numbered highway system in 1928, the Lincoln Highway through Ontario became U. S. Route 30. In 1960, the new Ontario High School was built, complete with an indoor swimming pool, a theatre, 3 shops, and numerous high tech classrooms and labs for college preparatory studies. New school construction and renovation has continued over the years, and today the Ontario School District is the main district. The arrival of both General Motors and the Richland Mall to Ontario was the beginning of the eventual shift of commerce and industry from the adjacent rust belt city of Mansfield to the new suburb satellite town of Ontario. Several annexations have been made to Ontario since its incorporation and millions of dollars have been spent on public infrastructure including streets, water and sewer facilities, parks, schools, and new civic buildings for Administrative offices, Public Safety Departments and the Water Department.

As of the census The district administers 3 public schools including one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school.

The Mansfield/Richland County Public Library operates a library branch in Ontario.

In 1863, the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad (later Erie Railroad mainline) reaches Ontario, but was abandoned in the late 20th century. Today, only a 5 mile (8 km) spur of the abandoned Erie Railroad remains. It leads west from the Norfolk Southern Railway in Mansfield to what used to be the General Motors metal stamping plant in Ontario.

Ontario is located on a major east west transportation corridor that was originally known in the early 1900s as "Ohio Market Route 3." This route was chosen in 1913 to become part of the historic Lincoln Highway which was the first road across America, connecting New York City to San Francisco. In 2005, the newly upgraded section of U. S. Route 30, a four lane limited access highway between Bucyrus and Ontario open to traffic. Ontario is connected by four major highways, U. S. Route 30, which connects Mansfield and Interstate 71 to the east with Bucyrus to the west, State Route 309, which connects Mansfield to the east with Galion to the west, State Route 314, which connects Shelby to the north with Chesterville to the south, and State Route 430 (Park Avenue West) connecting Ontario to downtown Mansfield. Busy thoroughfares in Ontario are; Park Avenue West (State Route 430), West Fourth Street, Walker Lake Road, Home Road (along the eastern city limits at Mansfield), and Lexington Springmill Road, which connects Springmill and State Route 39 to the north with Lexington to the south.