STRONGSVILLE - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

STRONGSVILLE is 15 miles from Cleveland in the southwestern corner of Cuyahoga County, bounded by Lorain County on the west, Medina County on the south, BEREA and MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS on the north, and NORTH ROYALTON on the east. It was incorporated as the Village of Strongsville in 1927 and became a city in 1960, operating under the mayor-council form of government. The city was originally Strongsville Twp., organized in 1818. Occupying 25 sq. mi., it has the second-largest area of the cities in Cuyahoga County. The township was named after John Stoughton Strong, an early pioneer and land agent from Vermont.

By 1820 the population reached 297, and the first roads were constructed. Until World War II, farming was the chief occupation (see AGRICULTURE). Early INDUSTRY included 2 sawmills, sandstone quarries, and a brick-manufacturing company. In 1955 the Ohio Turnpike opened through Strongsville, real-estate developers bought much of the land, and by the early 1960s only a few full-time farmers remained. With the construction of I-71 linking major east-west and north-south HIGHWAYS, the city began an aggressive program to attract industry; in 1966 the Strongsville Industrial Park opened. Consisting of 2,700 acres and comprising 17% of the city's total land area, the park attracted the Glidden-Durkee Research Center in 1967, and soon 10 other companies located there. In 1961 Strongsville withdrew from the Cuyahoga County School System and established the Strongsville Board of Education, with 7 elementary, 2 junior, and 1 senior high school. The school system is the largest employer in the city, followed by VAN DORN DEMAG CORP. and GLIDDEN COATINGS & RESINS DIV. (IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES). Part of the CLEVELAND METROPARKS SYSTEM is located in Strongsville, as is a branch of the CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM (CCPL). Recreational activities include country club membership. In 1995 the population was 37,500 and in 2000 was 43,858.

See also SUBURBS.

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