Ravenna

History

Ravenna was founded by Benjamin Tappan, who arrived there on June 11, 1799, to lay claim in his father's name to land purchased in the Connecticut Western Reserve. Tappan did not stay in the area for long, however, but built a settlement of log cabins before returning to Connecticut during the summer of 1800. Later in 1800, Tappan, newly married, returned to the area where the couple built a log cabin of their own. It was his new wife, Nancy Wright, who suggested that the settlement be named after the city of Ravenna, Italy. Nancy became a driving force for the new town. When plans were announced in 1806 for the formation of Portage County, she lobbied for Ravenna to be made the county seat, and it was selected in 1808. She also convinced other Connecticut families to move to the area. In 1831, the Clark Carriage Company, founded by W.D. Clark, first began to produce high-end hearses known for their elaborate workmanship and quality. Thirty years later, the company was purchased by Henry W. Riddle and Charles Merts in 1861, with Riddle being the salesman for the company and Merts running the factory. In 1891, Merts retired and sold his share of the company to Riddle, who, in turn, changed the name of the company to the Riddle Coach and Hearse. After the company began manufacturing motorized hearses, the name changed once again—this time to the Riddle Manufacturing Company. With the highly acclaimed reputation of the Riddle Hearse, two U.S. Presidents from Ohio, William McKinley and Warren G. Harding, would later make them their coach of choice for carrying their remains after their deaths. On February 15, 1861, en route to his inauguration in Washington, DC, President-elect Abraham Lincoln traveled by train through Ravenna. He didn’t plan on speaking but, due to the…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  17,658
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,672
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  15,598
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  13,812
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,565
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,418
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  11,395
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  11,172

Largest nearby schools

• Theodore Roosevelt High School
  High · Kent · 1,245 students
• Bio-Med Science Academy STEM School
  Other · Rootstown · 1,013 students · 18.1:1 ratio
• Maplewood Career Center Building
  High · Ravenna · 665 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• Stanton Middle School
  Middle · Kent · 660 students
• Crestwood High School
  High · Mantua · 629 students · 14:1 ratio
• Streetsboro Elementary School
  Elementary · Streetsboro · 609 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• Streetsboro High School
  High · Streetsboro · 600 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Ravenna High School
  High · Ravenna · 582 students · 13.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-03-05
  3 km SW of Madison, Ohio
• M 2.7 — 2026-01-06
  4 km ENE of North Madison, Ohio
• M 2.5 — 2025-05-12
  4 km ESE of Madison, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2024-06-01
  1 km E of Madison, Ohio
• M 3 — 2024-03-30
  2 km SSW of Maple Ridge, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2024-01-05
  3 km SE of Madison, Ohio