Defiance, OH

Defiance is a city located in Defiance County, Ohio, United States. The population was 18,811 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Defiance County.

The city was founded in 1812 by settlers from Connecticut and Massachusetts. The first settler was Ebenezer Allen, who built a cabin on the banks of the Little Miami River. Allen's cabin became the nucleus of what would become Defiance.

In 1816, Allen sold his land to James Girty and Daniel Shaffer for $1 per acre. Girty and Shaffer laid out streets and erected a log courthouse on what is now Market Street (formerly Main Street). In 1818, Girty sold his share of the town to John Whetstone for $2 per acre. Whetstone named the town after his home town in England, Defenseless (now known as Whetstone).

The first permanent business in Defiance was opened by Joseph Hart in 1819; he operated a general store on Main Street until 1840. Hart's store served as a focal point for community life; it was there that meetings were held to discuss community affairs, elections were held, and marriages took place.

In 1830, Hiram Barney built the first brick building in Defiance – now known as the Barney House – which served as both a hotel and post office. In 1840, James Ketchum opened Ketchum's Hotel on Main Street; it remained open until 1886.

In 1850, Solomon Meredith built Meredith's Block – now known as Meredith Tower – which served as both an opera house and Masonic hall until 1907. That same year saw the opening of J&M Coffee House (now known as Joe & Mimi's), which became one of downtown Defiance's most popular establishments over the next several decades.

In 1870-71, architect Atherton Brown designed two impressive Romanesque Revival buildings: Sts Peter & Paul Catholic Church (now closed) and City Hall (still standing). In 1888-89, Brown designed another important structure: Union Station (now used by Amtrak).

Banking began to play an important role in Defiance during this period; several banks were established between 1850 and 1900: First National Bank (1850), Citizens National Bank (1870), Peoples National Bank (1890), Farmers & Merchants National Bank (1900). Several other businesses also sprang up during this time to serve banking needs: insurance companies ("Aetna", "Liberty"), trust companies (" Ohio Trust", "Union Trust"), real estate firms ("Ketchum & Co.", "Dowling & Dowling"), law offices ("Fisher", "Snyder"), etc..

During World War II , many residents enlisted in military service; among these were future U . S . Senators Robert Taft Jr . and George Voinovich . After World War II , downtown businesses began to experience increased competition from suburban shopping centers ; however , they have since rebounded somewhat thanks to aggressive marketing efforts by local businesses . In recent years , downtown development has focused on restoring historic buildings such as City Hall , Union Station , Meredith Tower , Sts Peter & Paul Catholic Church , etc., while also developing new commercial properties such as The Gallery at Market Square Shopping Center .