Ashtabula, OH

Ashtabula ( ASH-tə-BYU-lə) is the largest city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. It lies at the mouth of the Ashtabula River, on Lake Erie, 53 miles (85 km) northeast of Cleveland. At the 2020 census, the city had 17,975 people. Like many other cities in the Rust Belt, it has lost population because of a decline in industrial jobs since the 1960s. It is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area. The name Ashtabula is derived from ashtepihəle, which means "always enough fish to be shared around" in the Lenape language.In the middle of the 19th century, the city was an important destination on the Underground Railroad, because from Ashtabula refugee slaves could take ships across Lake Erie to Canada and freedom. Even in the free state of Ohio, they were at risk of being captured by slavecatchers. In the late 19th century, the city became a major coal port on Lake Erie. Coal and iron were shipped here, the latter from the Mesabi Range in Minnesota. The city attracted immigrants from Finland, Sweden, and Italy in the industrial period. Ashtabula hosts an annual Blessing of the Fleet Celebration, usually in late May or early June. As part of the celebration, a religious procession and prayer service is held at Ashtabula Harbor. The city was the site of the FinnFestUSA in 2007, a celebration of Finnish Americans.