NORTH ROYALTON - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

NORTH ROYALTON, originally part of ROYALTON TOWNSHIP, (est. 1818), later called North Royalton Twp., was incorporated as a village on 29 April 1927 and as a city in 1961. On the southern edge of Cuyahoga County, it occupies 21 sq. mi. and is bounded by PARMA on the north, BROADVIEW HEIGHTS on the east, STRONGSVILLE on the west, and Medina County on the south. In the 19th century, Royalton was a community of farmers (see AGRICULTURE) who maintained a thriving dairy and cheese business. Many mid-19th-century farmhouses still remained in the 1990s. Charles E. McCombs was the village's first mayor; North Royalton as a city adopted the mayor-council form of government. Its growth progressed slowly from a population of 1,051 in 1840 to 2,559 in 1940. Following the post-World War II migration of Cleveland residents to the SUBURBS and the construction of the Ohio Turnpike in 1955, the population quickly rose to 9,290 in 1960, 12,807 in 1970, 17,705 in 1980, 26,364 in 1995, and 28,648 in 2000. In 1980 the city had 10 industries and over 200 small businesses, the major employer being the Board of Education. North Royalton schools, with an enrollment of 2,750 in 1987, included 3 elementary, 1 parochial, and 1 high school. North Royalton has 30 acres of city parks, recreational facilities, and a branch of the CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM (CCPL).

Marcus, T. Richard, ed. North Royalton, Ohio, 1818-1968 (1968).

Related Article(s)

• SUBURBS