Fostoria's roots go
back to the early
1800's when the villages of Risdon
and Rome were established. The first notice of the location of Fostoria
goes back to 1825. In that year, while searching for a lost child, Neal
McGaffey and some companions from Fort Ball camped where Rome Village later
was founded. Rome was platted in April, 1833.
Risdon was laid out by
the surveyors Risdon and Henderson in 1832. In September, 1853, the inhabitants
of Risdon petitioned the county board
to be annexed to the incorporated village of Rome, and, after the
annexation in 1854, the name of the combined towns was changed to
"Fostoria".
The discovery of natural
gas in the area caused spectacular growth for
Fostoria. Eventually five railroads crossed the town. The railroads, in
turn, attracted other businesses and industry including quarries, metalworking
plants, foundries, glass factories, garment factories, buggy and wagon
factories and automotive manufacturing.
This mix of industry
and agriculture has continued to make Fostoria the
city of diversity it is today. Currently the population of the city is
almost
16,000 with the metropolitan area numbering approximately 30,000.
c. 1996 Boroff Publication
Services, Inc.
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