North Ridgeville

North Ridgeville took root when 17 men, mostly members of the Beebe and Terrell families, left Waterbury, Connecticut, traveled west to Ohio, and established the first permanent settlement on May 10, 1810. Ridgeville Township was organized in 1813, centered at State Routes 20 and 83, and by the mid-1800s welcomed many people of German and English descent. In 1829, due to frequent mail mix-ups with Ridgeville, a town near Dayton, the postmaster general requested that the post office be named North Ridgeville. What was once a small farming community began to grow and prosper, and by 1958, North Ridgeville was incorporated as a village; two years later it became a city. Today the population nears 30,000, and North Ridgeville is flourishing, thanks to the hard work, determination, and pride of its forefathers.

Carol G. Klear retired in 2006 after 26 years as a reporter and editor for weekly newspapers in North Ridgeville. She moved to North Ridgeville with her husband and seven children nearly 30 years ago, joining the fabric of the community life. In this collection of photographs and writings, she hopes to share with others the pride she feels for the history of her adopted hometown.