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Bryan is a city in, and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of,
Williams County, Ohio Williams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,102, and was estimated to be 36,554 in 2024. The county seat and the largest city is Bryan. History The county was created on April ...
, United States. It is located in the state's northwestern corner, southwest of Toledo. The population was 8,729 at the 2020 census.


History

Bryan was
plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...
ted in 1840 by John A. Bryan, and named for him. It was incorporated as a
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
in 1841, and reincorporated as a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in 1941. Williams County was originally part of Defiance County, with Defiance as the county seat. The area was later split into Williams and Defiance counties. Bryan was named the seat for the new county, but not without conflict; the village of Montpelier was considered a more centralized location. The people of Montpelier petitioned the state legislature, but in the end Bryan was named county seat because of its greater industrial and commercial importance and because of its higher population. To this day, many people still argue about the state's decision and a rivalry of sorts remains between the two communities. A strip of Williams County north of Bryan was originally part of a conflict known as the
Toledo War The Toledo War (1835–1836), also known as the Michigan–Ohio War or Ohio–Michigan War, was a boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan over what is now known as the Toledo Strip. Control of th ...
, between Ohio and
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. Both states claimed the land, the
Toledo Strip The Toledo War (1835–1836), also known as the Michigan–Ohio War or Ohio–Michigan War, was a boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan over what is now known as the Toledo Strip. Control of th ...
, which was named for the port city of Toledo at its eastern end. The conflict was eventually resolved in favor of Ohio, with Michigan being compensated with what is now the western
Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula b ...
. The Williams County Courthouse downtown was completed in 1891. It is the third courthouse to occupy the property. The
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, established in 1833, and sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, New York, to Chicago, Illinoi ...
, later absorbed into the
New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...
as part of its Chicago mainline, began serving Bryan in 1869. Due to the New York Central's line between
Stryker, Ohio Stryker is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,259 at the 2020 census. History Stryker was platted in 1853. The village was named for John Stryker, a railroad promoter. A post office has been in operation at ...
and
Butler, Indiana Butler is a city in DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,684 at the 2010 census. History Butler was platted in 1856 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was likely named for David Butler, a pioneer. Butler wa ...
, being both straight and flat, on July 23, 1966, Bryan was a mid-point of a record-setting speed run by a New York Central RDC-3, M-497 Black Beetle, modified with a pair of jet engines. The car reached a speed of , an American rail speed record that still stands today. From 1905 to 1939, Bryan was also the western terminus for the Toledo and Indiana Railway, an interurban that began operation between Toledo and Stryker in 1901.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.


Climate

Within the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Bryan has a
hot-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Bryan was on June 29, 2012. The coldest temperature recorded was on January 16, 2009.


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 8,545 people, 3,761 households, and 2,214 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 4,087 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.3%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.6%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 2.1% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 5.1% of the population. There were 3,761 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 39.7 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,333 people, 3,528 households, and 2,155 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,733 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.23%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.31%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.23% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 1.40% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 3.73% of the population. There were 3,528 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,978, and the median income for a family was $45,965. Males had a median income of $34,641 versus $22,434 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $20,069. About 3.9% of families and 6.0% 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 5.1% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Bryan's manufacturers produce a diversity of items. However, it is best known for products made by two companies headquartered in the city. Dum Dum lollipops, Saf-T-Pops and Marshmallow Circus Peanuts are made by
Spangler Candy Company The Spangler Candy Company is a privately owned confectioner that has been manufacturing and marketing candy for more than a century. Headquartered in Bryan, Ohio, Spangler's products include lollipops, candy canes, and marshmallow circus peanut ...
(the largest producer of candy canes in the world), and the
Etch A Sketch Etch A Sketch is a mechanical drawing toy invented by André Cassagnes of France and subsequently manufactured by the Ohio Art Company. It is now owned by Spin Master of Canada. An Etch A Sketch has a thick, flat gray screen in a red plastic fra ...
(now manufactured in China) was developed by the Ohio Art Company. Allied Moulded Products, premier manufacturer of electrical enclosures, has been located in Bryan for 60 years. The city is also home to Titan Tire Corporation, makers of Goodyear- and Titan-brand off-road tires. In 2005
Sun Pharmaceutical Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (Trade name, d/b/a Sun Pharma) is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mumbai. It manufactures and sells Pharmaceutical formulation, pharmaceutical formu ...
purchased a plant specializing in generic medications from former operator
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Bausch Health Companies Inc. is a global, diversified American-Canadian pharmaceutical company. Its global corporate headquarters are located in Laval, Quebec, Canada, and its U.S. headquarters are in Bridgewater, New Jersey. It develops, manufa ...
. The plant was sold to
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
-based Nostrum Laboratories in December 2015.


Education

Bryan City School District operates Bryan Public Elementary School and Bryan Middle/High School. St. Patrick's Catholic School, a combined church and PreK - 6th grade school, also serves local residents. Bryan has a public library, a branch of the Williams County Public Library.


Media

WQCT-AM, which plays
oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...
, WBNO-FM, which plays classic hits, and
WLZZ WLZZ (104.5 FM, "Z104") is a radio station broadcasting a country format. Licensed to Montpelier, Ohio Montpelier ( ) is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Williams County, Ohio, Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population w ...
-FM in nearby Montpelier, which plays
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
, are the local commercial radio stations. Another radio station licensed to Bryan is WGBE-FM, a simulcast of classical music/
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
station WGTE-FM in Toledo.


Infrastructure


Transportation

Bryan is served by
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's ''
Lake Shore Limited The ''Lake Shore Limited'' is an Amtrak Long Distance, overnight passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and the Northeastern United States, with sections to New York City and Boston. The central segment of the route runs along the s ...
'' service at an unstaffed
station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...
along the former New York Central line.
Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
operates the line for high-volume freight service passing through Bryan between the east and Chicago. The city is served by
U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6) or U.S. Highway 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the United States Numbered Highway System. While it ...
(US 6), US 127, State Route 2 (SR 2), SR 15, and SR 34. SR 15 connects to the
Ohio Turnpike The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor between Chicago and Pittsburgh. The road runs east–west for in the northern sect ...
, which passes to the north of Bryan. Williams County Airport is the nearest general aviation airport.


Notable people

*
Richard Cramer Richard Earl Cramer (July 3, 1889 – August 9, 1960) was an American actor in films from the late 1920s to the early 1950s. Cramer specialized in villainous roles in many low-budget westerns, but is today best remembered for his several app ...
, actor * Steve Fireovid, professional baseball pitcher *
Ned Garver Ned Franklin Garver (December 25, 1925 – February 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Browns (1948–1952), the Detroit Tigers (1952–195 ...
,
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...
pitcher * Dr. Margaret Goodell, stem cell scientist and professor at
Baylor College of Medicine The Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is a private medical school in Houston, Texas, United States. Originally as the Baylor University College of Medicine from 1903 to 1969, the college became independent with the current name and has been se ...
*
Bob Hartman Robert "Bob" Hartman (born December 26, 1949) is a Christian artist, guitarist, writer and songwriter. He is the founder of Christian rock band Petra. Hartman was involved with the band from its foundation in 1972 to its end in 2005. He took ...
, guitarist and founder of the pioneer Christian rock band
Petra Petra (; "Rock"), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu (Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: or , *''Raqēmō''), is an ancient city and archaeological site in southern Jordan. Famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit systems, P ...
* William Isaac, chairman of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a State-owned enterprises of the United States, United States government corporation supplying deposit insurance to depositors in American commercial banks and savings banks. The FDIC was cr ...
from 1981 to 1985 * J.O. Kinnaman, biblical scholar and archaeologist * Horace Prettyman, the first Ohioan to play football for the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
*
Richard Schreder Richard E. Schreder (25 September 1915 – 2 August 2002) was an United States, American naval aviator and sailplane developer, responsible for design and development of the HP/RS-series kit sailplanes marketed from 1962 until about 1982. Sch ...
, sailplane designer and pilot * Mark Winegardner, author, professor at Florida State University * Matt Wisler, professional baseball pitcher


References


External links


City website
{{Authority control Cities in Williams County, Ohio County seats in Ohio Populated places established in 1840 1840 establishments in Ohio Cities in Ohio