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Barberton is a city in Summit County,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, United States. The population was 25,191 at the 2020 census. Located directly southwest of
Akron Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 census. The Akron metropolitan area, covering Summit and Portage counties, had ...
, it is a
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
of the
Akron metropolitan area The Akron, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, sometimes referred to as Greater Akron, is defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget as an area consisting of two counties, Summit County, Ohio, Summit and Portage County, Ohio, Po ...
.


History

Barberton was founded in 1891 by industrialist
O.C. Barber Ohio Columbus Barber (April 20, 1841 – February 4, 1920) was an American businessman, industrialist and philanthropist. He was called "America's Match King" because of his controlling interest in the Diamond Match Company, which had 85 percent ...
, who planned the town according to his vision of industry, progress and community. In 1894 he moved the manufacturing operations of the
Diamond Match Company The Diamond Match Company is a brand of matches and toothpicks, and formerly other wood products and plastic cutlery, that has its roots in a business started in 1853 by Edward Tatnall in Wilmington, Delaware. Ownership passed to William H. ...
, which he formed from a merger of 11 companies, from Akron to Barberton. He soon was producing 250 million matches a day. In the valley running parallel to the
Tuscarawas River The Tuscarawas River is a principal tributary of the Muskingum River, 129.9 miles (209 km) long, in northeastern Ohio in the United States. Via the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining ...
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 was Lake Anna, named after Barber's only daughter, Anna Laura Barber. Barberton became known as the "Magic City" because of its rapid population growth during its formative industrial years, at a time of waves of immigration from eastern and southern Europe. In 1891, when Barberton 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 The ''Akron Beacon Journal'' is a morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States. Owned by Gannett, it is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper's coverage focuses on local news. The Beacon Jo ...
'' reporter revisited Barberton in 1893, he noted that since 1891, it had grown so quickly that it appeared to have grown by magic (hence its nickname). Many new immigrants were attracted to its industrial jobs, which provided a path to assimilation. In 1908, on a high hill on the east side of town, Barber began construction of an experimental farm and estate, which he called
Anna–Dean Farm The Anna–Dean Farm is a historic farm in Barberton, Ohio, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the site of several structures independently listed on the Register. History The Anna–Dean farm was ...
. It included his 52-room,
French Renaissance The French Renaissance was the cultural and artistic movement in France between the 15th and early 17th centuries. The period is associated with the pan-European Renaissance, a word first used by the French historian Jules Michelet to define ...
Revival-style mansion, completed in 1909, and lush gardens, dozens of barns and other structures in the same style, and greenhouses. Barber built 35 structures for the Anna-Dean Farm, all in the French Renaissance Revival style. The farm covered 3500 acres. Believing farming could be as efficient as an industry, Barber intended the farm to be the basis of an agricultural college, but he did not complete its financing before his death. He willed the farm to Western Reserve University (now
Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a Private university, private research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1967 by a merger between Western Reserve University and the Case Institute of Technology. Case ...
). It later sold much of the property. In May 1939, forty students were injured when a temporary school in the town exploded. News reports at the time indicated three children were not expected to survive. Firefighters suspected an accidental gas leak caused the blast. Today, five of the eight primary buildings and associated property of the farm complex are owned by the Barberton Historical Society. These buildings 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, the former Dairy Barn, restored in 1985 and now the world headquarters of the Yoder Brothers Corporation, horticulturists. The building has castle tower-like silos, visible from much of the east side of the city. The other barns have been structurally stabilized and at least partially restored. All but one may be renovated for other economic uses. The Creamery has been restored as a residence for the same family since 1943 and served as the birthplace for the Apostolic Church of Barberton founded in 1950.Bob Bissler, "Saving the Farm"
''Akron Magazine'', Fall 2001, hosted by permission on Anna Dean Farm Website, accessed September 25, 2010
After sale by Western Reserve University following World War 2, most of the 40-acre Barber estate was broken up and redeveloped for suburban residential housing. The mansion was demolished in 1965. "The Magics" became the mascot name of the Barberton High School athletic teams. As Barberton High School colors are purple and white, "purple pride" marks local enthusiasm for the school. The city's schools have also improved academic performance since the 1980s. During the 1980s Barberton suffered a precipitous economic decline due to restructuring in heavy industry and job losses, similar to much of the rest of the industrial American Midwest. It was in many ways representative of a typical
Rust Belt The Rust Belt, formerly the Steel Belt or Factory Belt, is an area of the United States that underwent substantial Deindustrialization, industrial decline in the late 20th century. The region is centered in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (Uni ...
city. During this period, the city lost a large part of its economic base as factories shuttered and stores went vacant. ''The Magic City: Unemployment in a Working-Class Community'' (Cornell University Press, 1989) documents the consequences of the migration of major industries from the region and the responses of residents to such dramatic changes. In 1985, key business stakeholders and government leaders created the Barberton Community Development Corporation (BCDC). The BCDC has facilitated the creation of over 2,000 jobs, and in excess of $100 million in business expansion projects. They have stimulated the creation of three mini-industrial parks and 25 new construction projects. The Barberton Community Foundation facilitated the construction of a new Barberton High School, located on reclaimed swampland in the northwest section of the city.


Geography

According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of , of which (or 97.62%) is land and (or 2.38%) is water.
Lake Anna Lake Anna is one of the largest freshwater inland reservoirs in Virginia, covering an area of , and located south of Washington, D.C., in Louisa and Spotsylvania counties (and partially in Orange County at the northern tip). The lake is easil ...
, a glacial
kettle lake A kettle (also known as a kettle hole, kettlehole, or pothole) is a depression or hole in an outwash plain formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters. The kettles are formed as a result of blocks of dead ice left behind by retreating ...
, is a natural spring lake that lies in the center of the original village of Barberton. It is the center of a park named after it. Lake Anna is named for O. C. Barber's daughter Anna Laura Barber.


Demographics


2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 26,550 people in 11,054 households, including 6,880 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 12,191 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup of the city was 90.8% White, 5.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4%. There were 11,054 households, of which 30.1% had children under age 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.8% were non-families. 32.2% of households were one person and 13.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 39.8 years. 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.


2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 27,899 people in 11,523 households, including 7,443 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 12,163 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup 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%. There were 11,523 households, of which 29.5% had children under age 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 households were one person and 14.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96. The age distribution was 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% 65 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 household income was $32,178 and the median family income 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 The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.


Culture

Barberton is known for Barberton chicken, a local style of
fried chicken Fried chicken, also called Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or ...
. It is a
Serbian-American Serbian Americans () or American Serbs (), are Americans of ethnic Serb ancestry. As of 2023, there were slightly more than 181,000 American citizens who identified as having Serb ancestry. However, the number may be significantly higher, as ...
dish served in several mainly
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...
-owned restaurants in the area. The style of chicken has given the town national recognition, with some proclaiming Barberton to be the "Chicken Capital of the World"White House Chicken Story
Archived from the original archived on February 2, 2008
or the "Fried Chicken Capital of America."


Education

Children in Barberton are served by the public Barberton City School District. The current schools serving the city are: * Barberton Primary School – grades K-2 * Barberton Intermediate School – grades 3-5 * Barberton Middle School – grades 6-8 * Barberton High School – grades 9-12


Media

Barberton's sources of news include daily newspapers from nearby major cities, such as the Akron-based ''
Akron Beacon Journal The ''Akron Beacon Journal'' is a morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States. Owned by Gannett, it is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper's coverage focuses on local news. The Beacon Jo ...
'' and the Cleveland-based ''
The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio; it is a major national newspaper. In the fall of 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily an ...
'', along with a weekly newspaper called the ''Barberton Gazette'', which began on August 24, 2023. Previously, the city was served by the ''Barberton Herald'', a weekly newspaper that ceased publication on December 29, 2022.


Transportation

Barberton station was a
train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...
along the
Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...
main line. It opened in 1890 as a station of the
New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad The Nypano Railroad, earlier the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad, was organized from the bankrupt Atlantic and Great Western Railroad in March 1880. The road was owned by five of the English investors in the A&GW and ran from Salamanca, ...
. Passenger service was terminated on August 1, 1965, with the cancellation of the '' Atlantic Express'' (eastbound) ''
Pacific Express Pacific Express was an all-jet airline in the western United States from 1982 to early based in marketed itself as Pan Am Pacific Express reflecting a marketing agreement between Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and the carrier for connect ...
'' (westbound), and multi-day trains from
Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...
to
Dearborn Station Dearborn Station (also called, Polk Street Depot) was, beginning in the late 1800s, one of six intercity train stations serving downtown Chicago, Illinois. It remained in operation until May 1, 1971. Built in 1883, it is located at Dearbo ...
in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
.


Notable people

* John Cominsky, professional football player in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) * Glenn Davis, Olympic runner and gold medalist; professional football player in the NFL * Derrick Dukes, professional wrestler in the
American Wrestling Association The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The promotion was born out of the Minneapolis ...
* David M. Kelley, co-founder of design firm
IDEO IDEO () is a design firm, design and consulting firm with offices in the U.S., England, and China. It was founded in Palo Alto, California, in 1991. The company's 500 staff uses a design thinking approach to design products, services, environmen ...
*
Scot Loeffler Scot Loeffler (born November 1, 1974) is an American college football coach and former player who is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Bowling Gre ...
, college football head coach *
John Mackovic John Mackovic (born October 1, 1943) is an American football coach. He was most recently the head coach of the Italy national American football team from 2014-2023, which was formed to compete in the EFAF European Championship. Previously, Ma ...
, head football coach in the NFL and
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
*
Josh McDaniels Joshua Thomas McDaniels (born April 22, 1976) is an American professional football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the offensive coordinator of the Patrio ...
, football coach in the NFL * George Morgan, country music singer * Hal Naragon, professional baseball player in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
*
Alvin Robertson Alvin Cyrrale Robertson (born July 22, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 1993, and for one final season in 1995–96. Robertson holds the record for th ...
, professional basketball player in the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) *
Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American college football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the Univers ...
, college football head coach * Lynn St. John, athletic director for The
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
*
Betty Sutton Betty Sue Sutton (born July 31, 1963) is an American politician who currently serves as a Judge of Ohio's 9th District Court of Appeals. She previously served as a U.S. Representative for from 2007 to 2013. She is a member of the Democratic Par ...
, politician in the Democratic Party *
Jeff Tabaka Jeffrey Jon Tabaka (born January 17, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1994 to 2001. Tabaka graduated from Copley High School in Copley, Ohio and played collegiately at Kent State Uni ...
, professional baseball player in Major League Baseball * Lynne M. Tracy, United States Ambassador to Russia * Joe Williams, professional football player in the NFL * Howard E. Woodford,
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient


References


External links

* {{authority control Cities in Summit County, Ohio Populated places established in 1891 1891 establishments in Ohio Cities in Ohio Western Reserve, Ohio