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Barberton, Ohio
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Barberton is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 27,899 at the 2000 census. It is a suburb of Akron and is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area. The ZIP code for Barberton is 44203.
rding to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.9 kmē), of which, 9.0 square miles (23.3 kmē) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 kmē) of it (2.38%) is water.
Lake Anna, a glacial kettle lake, is a natural spring lake, which lies in the center of the original village of Barberton and is the center of a park which is named after it.
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Encyclopedia
Barberton is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 27,899 at the 2000 census. It is a suburb of Akron and is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area. The ZIP code for Barberton is 44203.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.9 kmē), of which, 9.0 square miles (23.3 kmē) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 kmē) of it (2.38%) is water.
Lake Anna, a glacial kettle lake, is a natural spring lake, which lies in the center of the original village of Barberton and is the center of a park which is named after it. Lake Anna is named for O. C. Barber's daughter Anna Laura Barber.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,899 people, 11,523 households, and 7,443 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,095.2 people per square mile (1,195.5/kmē). There were 12,163 housing units at an average density of 1,349.4/sq mi (521.2/kmē). The racial makeup of the city was 92.43% White, 5.33% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.
There were 11,523 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.1% 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 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,178, and the median income for a family was $39,387. Males had a median income of $32,294 versus $21,778 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,764. About 11.5% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
History and Points of Interest
Barberton was founded in 1891 by Ohio Columbus Barber, who planned the town as a means for asserting his vision of industry, progress and community. The manufacturing operations of the Diamond Match Company, also founded by O.C. Barber, is located in Barberton. In the valley running parallel to the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canal, he oversaw the construction of factories, residential neighborhoods and a compact commercial downtown. In the center of the new city is Lake Anna, named after Barber's daughter, Anna.
On a high hill on the east side of town, Barber built a magnificent industrial farm and estate comprised of dozens of barns, greenhouses, a stately mansion and lush gardens. Most of the Barber estate was lost to fire or development during the last half of the 20th Century, but his imprint remains evident throughout the city. The Barber house itself is still considered by most Barbertonians to be the greatest loss in the city's history, and it was the first and most significant example of the community's often-noted failure to conserve its historic legacy. However, there are still eight buildings in existence that were built by Barber for his Anna-Dean Farm, and they provide a glimpse of the beauty and vision that once characterized the city. Five of the eight remaining Anna Dean Farm buildings are owned by the Barberton Historical Society. These buildings, built in the elegant Beaux Arts style, are constructed of red brick edged in white concrete block, with royal blue trim and red tile roofing. The most significant of the remaining buildings is Barn No. 1, now home to the world headquarters of the Yoder Brothers Corporation. It is notable primarily for its castle-like towers, which are visible from much of the east side of the city.
Barberton is known as the "Magic City" due to its rapid population growth during its formative years. In 1891, when it was incorporated, the scattered farms that had originally characterized the landscape were transformed into a fledgling city of 1,800. When an Akron Beacon Journal reporter revisited Barberton in 1893, he remarked in the paper that between 1891 and 1893 the town of Barberton had grown so quickly that it appeared to grow by magic (hence its nickname). Currently most people know Barberton as the Magic City as a result of the mascot name for Barberton High School - The Magics.
Barberton High School colors are purple and white, and "purple pride" is the affectionate term the locals use to describe enthusiasm for both the school and the broader community. Barberton High School has been recognized for athletic prowess in recent years, winning state championships in basketball, football, and track and field. After an academic downturn in the 1980s, the schools have begun to show significant strides in scholastic performance, as well.
Barberton's local sources of news include daily newspapers such as Cleveland Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal and a weekly newspaper, the Barberton Herald.
During the 1980s Barberton suffered a severe disinvestment trend similar to that of much of the American Midwest. During this period, the city lost a large part of its economic base as factories shuttered and storefronts went vacant. The Magic City: Unemployment in a Working-Class Community (Cornell University Press, 1989) documents the consequences of the migration of major industry from the region and the responses of the people to these dramatic changes.
The establishment in the late 1990s of The Barberton Community Foundation has likely been a major factor in a rebounding trend Barberton has enjoyed for the last ten to fifteen years. The Barberton Community Foundation was created with the proceeds from the sale of Barberton Citizens Hospital. Among other community projects, the Foundation facilitated the building of a new Barberton High School, located on reclaimed swampland in the northwest section of the city. New development has begun to sprout.
Notable People From or Born in Barberton
Chicken
The fried chicken restaurants in Barberton are famous among chicken lovers, even as far away as the Deep South. In fact, to some, Barberton is known as the "Chicken Capital of the World." Until recent years, the city was home to a zany festival known as The Chicken Fest, which celebrated its unique and quirky place in the culinary world. Chickenfest had a rebirth as an event sponsored by United Way of Summit County and will be sponsored again in 2008.
The four original chicken eateries are Belgrade Gardens, Milich's Village Inn, Hopocan Gardens, and White House Chicken.
See also
- List of mayors of Barberton, Ohio
External links
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