BlockOberlin, Ohio
14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1901 and the latest in 1986. It stands in Oberlin City. It lies in ZIP code area 44074. The Survey maps it on the Oberlin quadrangle. 8,555 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 814 feet above sea level.
Then and now
1901 to 1986The same ground, surveyed 85 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.
Compare 1901 against another survey:
On record in Oberlin
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 11 records
Wilson Bruce Evans HouseNational Historic Landmark · listed 1980
John Mercer Langston HouseNational Historic Landmark · listed 1975
Oberlin CollegeNational Historic Landmark · listed 1966
Burrell-King Houselisted 1979
Christ Episcopal Churchlisted 1978
Congregational Church of Christlisted 1974
Frank Jewett Houselisted 1979
Oberlin Gas Lighting Company Gasholder Houselisted 1998
Oberlin Lake Shore And Michigan Southern Stationlisted 1979
Westervelt Halllisted 1974- Downtown Oberlin Historic Districtlisted 2003
Surveyed buildings and structures 2 records
- First Church in Oberlin (Congregational), North Main & West Lorain Streets, Oberlinfederal building survey, 22 photographs
- John Mercer Langston House, 207 East College Street, Oberlinfederal building survey, 2 photographs
Businesses named in the fire insurance atlases 12 of 21 shown
- Union SchoolSchool, in the atlas of 1888 to 1897
- Episcopal ChurchChurch, in the atlas of 1888 to 1922
- First Congregational ChurchChurch, in the atlas of 1893 to 1922
- High schoolSchool, in the atlas of 1922
- Baker & Streator, Carriage ShopCarriage Shop, in the atlas of 1893
- Baptist ChurchChurch, in the atlas of 1888
- City HallCity Hall, in the atlas of 1922
- City Water WorksWorks, in the atlas of 1888
- Davis, E. J., Candy and Ice Cream M'fgIce House, in the atlas of 1922
- Deming & Whitney, Flour MillsFlour Mill, in the atlas of 1893
- Gilehrist, J. C., & Co., Planing MillPlaning Mill, in the atlas of 1893
- Jook Bros., Carriage FactoryCarriage Shop, in the atlas of 1897
Population over time
2 figuresOberlin grew from 8,286 to 8,555 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 8,286 | |
| 2020 | 8,555 | +269 (+3%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 14 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1901 USGS Oberlin quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1903 USGS Oberlin quadrangle1:62500
- 1956 USGS Toledo quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1960 USGS Oberlin quadrangle1:24000
- 1961 USGS Toledo quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS Oberlin quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1986 USGS Lorain quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
In the county-history sources
77,639 words on this townshipHistory of Lorain County, Ohio, published 1879 names this settlement in its chapter on Oberlin City. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
The following sketch of Oberlin history is mainly a compilation, but it may be regarded as reliable, anil is as complete as the scope of this work ^vill admit. The facts and documents pertaining to the early history, I have taken chiefly from the " History of Oberlin," in manuscript, by President Fairchild ; of which, availing myself of the generous offer of the author, I have made free use. Other facts and statistics have been taken from the college catalogues, from articles in the Oberlin Evcmtjelisi and in the Oberlin Revieir, and from other sources, for my indebtedness to which, this general acknowledgment must suffice. For the estimates of Oberlin, and of a few of its leading men, the writer is alone responsible. H. M.
Passage source: History of Lorain County, Ohio, published 1879.
The history of Oberlin m;iy be said to be the history of an idea, first, as conceived in the minds of individuals and matured into a plan, which may be called its origin; then as converted by them into fact, and made an outward reality, which constitutes its begitining; next, as receiving a sudden increase of mental and moral force, which gave it enlargement, and was its second beginning, from which it should proceed as from a new point of departure; and finally, as its natural and gradual development, in which is found, amid strivings and conflicts, its growth to maturity. In this fact, that Oberlin is built on and represents a progressive idea, or a fundamental principle, is found its distinctive and representative character; and this is the true explanation of the enthusiasm it awakened, the oi)position it excited, the success it has achieved, and the work it has wrought.
Passage source: History of Lorain County, Ohio, published 1879.
The explanation and source of the idea must be sought in the character of the period. It was a period of revivals, and of the beginning of great and radical reforms. Before Oberlin had an existence, so much as in thought, extensive revivals had prevailed in various parts of the land, by whicli whole communities and towns were regenerated, and thou.sands had their conscience quickened, and their life renewed. Following, or accompanying, these revivals were certain special reforms, which were a practical use of christian principles for the overthrow of great, individual, social, and national evils, as intemperance, slavery, and war. Of these, the anti-slavery reform, from the ardor with wliich it was espoused and advocated by its friends, and the violence with which it was resisted by its enemies, gained especial prominence. Now, Oberlin was, from its beginning and in its very idea, the embodiment of this spirit of revival and reform - of revival as first, and of reform as proceeding from it. It was this spirit of revival and reform that created it, that possessed and ruled it, and that gives life to its history.
Passage source: History of Lorain County, Ohio, published 1879.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Oberlin City - it names this place 150 more 150 times.
Photographs
2 photographs,Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Specimens collected near this place
12 of 1,725 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 1,725 specimens collected within 10 miles of Oberlin between 1852 and 1975: 847 Animalia, 615 Fungi, 227 Plantae, 15 Protozoa, 13 Chromista, 8 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A. E. Recksecker, A. E. Ricksecker, A. M. Evans and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.
| Image | Species | Year | Collected by | Where, as recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cantharellus minor Peck | 1896 | F.D. Kelsey | Near Oberlin |
 | Polyporus arcularius (Batsch) Fr. | 1896 | Kelsey, Francis Duncan | Kipton |
 | Dryopteris spinulosa (O.F.Müll.) Watt | 1899 | Ricksecker, A.E. | Wood 4 miles south of Oberlin. |
 | Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. | 1852 | Drège | |
 | Ammocrypta pellucida (Putnam, 1863) | 1853 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton | Black River, below falls at Elyria, Ohio |
 | Etheostoma blennioides Rafinesque, 1819 | 1853 | S. Baird | Black River Elgria Ohio (above falls) |
 | Etheostoma caeruleum Storer, 1845 | 1853 | S. Baird | Elyria, Ohio |
 | Etheostoma maculatum Kirtland, 1840 | 1853 | S. Baird | Elyria, Ohio |
 | Accipiter cooperii (Bonaparte, 1828) | 1894 | Dawson, W. L. (William Leon) | Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, USA |
| Albugo candida (Pers. ex J.F.Gmel.) Roussel | 1894 | F.D. Kelsey | Oberlin | |
| Biscogniauxia atropunctata (Schwein.) Pouzar | 1894 | F. D. Kelsey | Oberlin. | |
| Botrychium virginianum subsp. virginianum | 1894 | Dick, W.M. | Oberlin. |
All 1,725 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Storms near this place
28 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Oberlin in 28 storm reports between 1997 and 2024: 17 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 4 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | Flash Flood | Oberlin | $200,000 | Flash flooding reported in Oberlin and Pittsfield Township due to heavy rainfall. Several reports of flooded basements. OH-303 closed between Pitts Road and Quarry Road due to flash flooding. Radar estimated 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rainfall in a three hour period. |
| September 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and large limbs in Oberlin. Scattered power outages were reported as well. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $35,000 | A 61 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in Oberlin. Over a dozen trees were downed. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed many trees in Oberlin. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed many trees and large limbs across the county. The Oberlin, Kipton and Elyria areas were especially hard hit. A barn was blown down in Eaton Township. A car was crushed by a tree in Elyria. A peak wind gust of 54 mph was measured at the Lorain County Airport near Elyria. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Oberlin | $20,000 | Hail quarter to half dollar size was observed. A few vehicles sustained minor damage. |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $15,000 | Thunderstorm down burst winds downed several trees and large limbs in the Oberlin area. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds were estimated to be at least 70 mph. A few trees and limbs were downed. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several trees. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several large trees and limbs. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $15,000 | Large trees downed. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a tree and several large limbs along Indian Hollow Road. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Oberlin | $5,000 | Thunderstorms produced a swath of hail from Oberlin to Amhurst to Elyria. Hail ranged from penny size up to quarter size during this event. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $5,000 | Several trees were reported down. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Oberlin | $5,000 | Nickel size hail was observed. Several other reports from the county also contained observations of penny size hail. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $5,000 | Trees were downed. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $3,000 | Several large limbs were reported down. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $2,000 | Thunderstorms winds downed several large tree limbs. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree west of Oberlin. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | $1,000 | A few large limbs were reported down. |
| May 2024 | Flash Flood | Oberlin | - | Six to eight inches of flowing water was reported across US-20 near the OH-511 interchange east of Oberlin. Radar estimated around 2 inches of rainfall in one hour at this location. |
| May 2011 | Flash Flood | Oberlin | - | Strong thunderstorms with rain, wind, and hail moved over portions of Lorain County. Rainfall rates approaching two inches per hour were reported with this storm. Flooding occurred in Oberlin with several roads impassable with water up to the hoods on cars. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Oberlin | - | Penny size hail was observed. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Oberlin | - | Penny size hail was observed. |
| April 2002 | Flash Flood | Oberlin | - | Heavy thunderstorm rains caused widespread street flooding in Oberlin. Water on some roads was over two feet in depth forcing several motorists to abandon their vehicles. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oberlin | - | A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured. |
| June 1998 | Hail | Oberlin | - | Large hail also fell at North Ridgeville (0.75"), Elyria (0.75") and Amherst (0.88"). |
| August 1997 | Hail | Oberlin | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiperd Circle | 0.9 miles | 14 | |
| Robin Park | 1.1 miles | 14 | |
| Nickelplate (historical) | 3.8 miles | 14 | |
| Pittsfield | 3.9 miles | 12 | |
| South Amherst | 4.7 miles | 12 | |
| Kipton | 4.8 miles | 12 | |
| Whiskyville | 5.0 miles | 14 | |
| Twin Lakes Homes | 5.4 miles | 14 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Oberlin | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q988384 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1049034. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.