1. You Will Do Better In Toledo
Did you know the “You Will Do Better In Toledo” sign is more than 100 years old?
In 1913, it was chosen from more than 7,000 entries and made into a sign with 700 lights.
According to the Toledo Blade, “8,000 spectators jammed into St. Clair St, between Madison Ave and Adams St. to view the sign.”
You can learn more about the sign by visiting this link.
2. Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was inspired by the Old West End.
The Old West End Neighborhood is one of the largest collections of Victorian, Edwardian, and arts and crafts homes in the United States, and serves as a showcase of architectural styles popular with Americans around the turn of the century.
The world-famous architect used it as an example while designing his Oak Park Project in Illinois.
3. 12 Sister Cities
Toledo has 12 sister cities starting with Toledo, Spain in 1931 through the Sister Cities International program.
The University of Toledo in partnership with the SCI program offers a sister city award to attract students from those cities.
Other cities include:
- Londrina, Brazil (1975)
- Szeged, Hungary (1990)
- Poznan, Poland (1991)
- Toyohashi, Japan (2000)
- Tanga, Tanzania (2001)
- Delmenhorst, Germany (2002)
- Coimbatore, India (2009)
- Hyderabad, Pakistan (2011)
4. Hot Dog Sauce In Space
Tony Packo’s Hot Dog Sauce went to outer space.
Astronaut Donald Thomas was a native Ohioan and became hooked on the sauce in 1996. He brought cans of the sauce on the space shuttle Columbia in 1997.
He has since retired from NASA, but still enjoys Tony Packo’s whenever he’s back in the area.
5. Movie Credits
A casting coordinator for The Avengers needed a string quartet for a pivotal scene to be filmed in Cleveland.
She liked what she saw after a Google search, and so did Joss Whedon!
So, that’s how four Toledo Symphony members played in the movie Avengers. They scored 30 seconds of screen time in the 2.5 hour blockbuster.
6. NASA Hero From Toledo
Toledo native and Central Catholic alumna, Gene Kranz, a NASA flight director, led the team that rescued the Apollo 13 Astronauts.
Kranz is even portrayed in the popular movie in his iconic white vest.
Astronaut and Toledo native, Gene Kranz, serving as Chief Flight Director during the Apollo mission.
Actor Ed Harris depicted Kranz in the movie, Apollo, right down to his signature white vest.
7. Olympic Champ
Wilbur McClure of Toledo went to the Olympics and the boxer actually won the gold in 1960 in the light middleweight category.
He also competed alongside Muhammad Ali, who also came to Toledo 10 times!
8. Toledo Could Have Become a Solar Valley
Solar companies in Toledo started to flourish due to a renewable energy policy in 2000.
But 2014 a law was passed that froze this policy, bringing a drought to the solar industry here.
9. Diversity
Toledo has a history with diversity.
In the 1900s, during the great immigration, many African Americans settled in Ohio to find industrial jobs in the city.
The trend will continue.
Based on current statistics, the young generation in Toledo is more diverse than ever before.
