Oberlin, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oberlin, Ohio
City
Motto(s):  "Live. Learn. Lead."
Location in Greater Cleveland
Oberlin, Ohio Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Oberlin, Ohio Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Lorain
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area
• Total	4.96 sq mi (12.85 km2)
• Land	4.92 sq mi (12.75 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation	807 ft (246 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,555
• Density	1,737.06/sq mi (670.75/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	44074
Area code(s)	440
FIPS code	39-57834
GNIS feature ID	2395295
Website	http://www.cityofoberlin.com/

Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is about 31 miles southwest of Cleveland. In 2020, about 8,555 people lived there.

Oberlin is home to Oberlin College. This college is known for its liberal arts programs and its music school, called a conservatory. About 3,000 students attend the college. The city is also famous for being the birthplace of the Hall-Héroult process. This important invention made it possible to produce aluminum on a large scale.

Discovering Oberlin's Past

Oberlin was started in 1833 by two Presbyterian ministers, John Jay Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart. They wanted to create a religious community. They also planned a school to train Christian missionaries. These missionaries would then spread their beliefs across the American frontier.

The founders named their new community after Jean-Frédéric Oberlin. He was a minister from France who did amazing work teaching people in a poor area. Shipherd and Stewart were very inspired by him.

Choosing the Location

Shipherd and Stewart rode south from Elyria to find a good spot. They stopped to rest under an elm tree. They agreed this was the right place for their community. A legend says a hunter saw bears near them. The bears saw the men but left them alone. The ministers took this as a sign from God. They believed they had chosen the perfect spot.

Shipherd then went east to get land. The owner donated 500 acres for the school. Shipherd bought another 5,000 acres for the town. He paid $1.50 per acre. He also convinced friends to join and donate money.

Learning and Labor

The new Oberlin Collegiate Institute had a motto: "Learning and Labor." In the early days, this meant students didn't pay tuition. Instead, they helped build and support the community. This allowed many smart young people to attend who couldn't afford college otherwise. This system later changed, but the motto is still used today.

In the mid-1800s, many African Americans moved to Oberlin. These included free people and those who had escaped slavery.

Transportation and Growth

Early travelers to Oberlin often used Lake Erie for transport. The closest train was in Wellington, Ohio. People had to use stagecoaches to get to Oberlin. This changed in 1852 when a railroad opened a stop in Oberlin. This made travel much easier for the college and town.

Later, a new train station was built. It is no longer used for trains. Instead, it has become a community center in a park.

On June 28, 1924, Oberlin had its worst flood. On the same day, a tornado hit nearby Lorain, killing many people. In Oberlin, the floodwaters were so deep that children swam in Tappan Square. Downtown Oberlin was badly damaged.

Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the second-largest employer in Oberlin. The FAA has an Air Route Traffic Control Center there. This center manages air traffic over six states and a small part of Canada.

Oberlin's Role in Ending Slavery

In the mid-1800s, Oberlin became a key place for the abolitionist movement. This movement worked to end slavery in the United States. Oberlin was designed to be a community where people of all races lived together. Black students attended Oberlin College starting in 1835. Charles Henry Langston and his brother Gideon Quarles were among the first. Their younger brother, John Mercer Langston, later became the first black person elected to the United States Congress from Virginia. Many Oberlin College graduates were strong abolitionists. They helped enslaved people escape to the North.

In 1834, students and a professor left another school, Lane Theological Seminary. They left because the school stopped them from discussing anti-slavery ideas. Oberlin invited these "Lane Rebels" to come. They agreed, but only if Oberlin accepted students of all races. They also insisted that Oberlin respect free speech. In 1835, Oberlin opened a new theology school.

By 1852, Oberlin was an active stop on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped thousands of enslaved people find freedom. An Ohio law helped protect these people. It allowed them to ask for a special legal order called a writ of habeas corpus. This order protected them from being sent back to the South.

However, in 1858, a new state law changed this. It made it easier for slave-catchers to take people back to the South.

The Oberlin-Wellington Rescue

This led to a major event called the Oberlin–Wellington Rescue. On September 13, 1858, a man named John Price, who had escaped slavery, was captured. He was held in nearby Wellington. A large group of Oberlin residents, both white and black, went to Wellington. They wanted to free Price.

Oberlin "Rescuers" outside the Cuyahoga County jail. C.H. Langston is seventh from right in front row, with hat over his chest.

The group took Price from the officials. They then helped him escape to Canada. But the authorities did not let this go. The U.S. President, James Buchanan, asked for the group to be punished. Thirty-seven people, called "the Rescuers," were charged. Twelve of them were free black men, including Charles H. Langston.

Eventually, most of those charged were freed. But Simeon M. Bushnell and Charles H. Langston were tried and found guilty. Langston gave a powerful speech against slavery. The judge gave them light sentences. This event caused a lot of anger and led to big protests. It also helped the anti-slavery Republican party gain power in Ohio.

Geography and Climate

Oberlin covers about 4.96 square miles. Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.

Oberlin's Weather

Oberlin has a humid continental climate. This means winters are cold, dry, and often snowy. Summers are warm to very warm. The city is in Ohio's northern "snowbelt." This means it gets more snow because of its closeness to the Great Lakes.

People of Oberlin

Oberlin's Population in 2010

In 2010, Oberlin had 8,286 people living in 2,730 households. The city had about 1,684 people per square mile.

About 73% of the people were White, and 14.8% were African American. About 4% were Asian, and 0.2% were Native American. About 5.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Oberlin was 23.3 years old. Many residents were college students, which makes the average age lower. About 14.8% of residents were under 18. About 37.4% were between 18 and 24 years old.

Getting Around Oberlin

Oberlin is located where state routes 58 and 511 meet. U.S. Highway 20 also runs through parts of the city.

Oberlin has a paved path for bikes and walkers called the North Coast Inland Trail. This path follows an old railroad line. It goes southwest to Kipton and northeast to Elyria. Like many smaller towns in Ohio, Oberlin used to have train service, but it does not anymore. You can still see an old train station along the bike path.

Lorain County Transit (LCT) used to have bus routes in Oberlin. These routes were stopped due to money problems. Now, LCT offers a special "Oberlin Connector" bus service. This is a door-to-door service that must start or end in Oberlin. Since 2024, Oberlin also has the EBus. This is a free public bus route that uses electric vehicles. It makes several stops around the city.

Famous People from Oberlin

Many notable people have lived in or were born in Oberlin:

• Frederic de Forest Allen (1844–1897), a scholar of classical languages.
• Sweet Pea Atkinson (1945-2020), a singer.
• Roger Bacon (1926-2007), who invented graphite fiber.
• Antoinette Brown Blackwell, a leader for women's rights and the first ordained woman minister in the U.S.
• John Anthony Copeland, Jr. (1834–1859), who participated in John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry.
• Aaron Dilloway (1976-), an experimental musician.
• Charles Grandison Finney (1792–1875), a minister and president of Oberlin College.
• Shields Green (1836?–1859), who was involved in John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry.
• Charles Martin Hall (1863−1914), co-discoverer of the Hall-Héroult process and founder of Alcoa.
• Oszkár Jászi, a Hungarian social scientist and politician.
• Isaac Jennings (1788–1874), a medical reformer and mayor of Oberlin.
• Albert Mussey Johnson (1872−1948), a wealthy industrialist.
• Charles Henry Langston (1817–1892), an abolitionist and activist.
• John Mercer Langston (1829–1899), an abolitionist, educator, and politician.
• Lewis Sheridan Leary (1835–1859), who was killed during John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry.
• David Lewis (1941–2001), a philosopher.
• Sarah Cowles Little, an educator.
• John Miller, an American football player.
• Jason Molina (1973-2013), a musician and singer-songwriter.
• Jason Moore, a football player for the Los Angeles Chargers.
• Anne Eugenia Felicia Morgan (1845-1909), a professor, writer, and game inventor.
• Toni Morrison, a famous novelist and professor.
• Nettie Langston Napier, an advocate for African-American women's rights.
• Dwight Peabody, an American football player.
• Dirk Powell, a traditional musician.
• Dan Ramos, an Ohio state legislator.
• Julia Gridley Severance (1877–1972), an artist and sculptor.
• Lucy Stone, a leader for women's rights.
• Cliff Stoudt, a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Mary Burnett Talbert, an orator, activist, and suffragist.
• Hugh Thornton, a professional football player.
• Charles Henry Tyler Townsend, an entomologist and biologist.
• Don Treadwell, a football coach.
• Frankie E. Harris Wassom, an educator and poet.
• Dale Willman, a journalist.
• Matt Wilhelm, a professional football player.

Sister Cities

Oberlin has a "sister city" relationship with:

• Ifẹ, Nigeria

See also

In Spanish: Oberlin (Ohio) para niños