Lorain is located along the coast of Lake Eerie in Lorain County, Ohio, with a population of about 65,000 inhabitants. This places it in the top ten largest cities in the state of Ohio, and the city is representative of the deindustrialized Rust Belt area of the United States, with Lorain formerly being home to assembly plants and yards of companies like Ford Motor, American Ship Building Company, and United States Steel. Initially a series of settler towns for most of the 19^th Century, Lorain would develop over time in large part to the United States Steel Mill, opened in 1895, and the Ford Motor Company Lorain Assembly Plant, opened in 1958 primarily for the assembly of E-series, Torino, and Thunderbird car lines. Over time, the city would face problems associated with the decline of major manufacturing and raw materials industries in the Rust Belt, including migration and job loss.

Lorain is home to a diverse set of nationalities, and holds the nickname of “The International City.” This is reflected in popular events in the city, including the Lorain International Festival. Notable occurrences include a 1924 tornado that destroyed much of the city’s downtown area, though it was swiftly rebuilt shortly following the disaster and many buildings still stand today, including the Lorain Palace Theatre. Check out the city’s archived photographs of the damage at their online website via CenturyLink Internet, Telephone, and Prism TV. The tornado also affected one of the city’s biggest natural attractions, Lakeview Park, which houses playgrounds, volleyball courts, beaches, lawn bowling, and various gardens. Notable individuals from the city include Fleet Admiral Ernest J King, Medal of Honour recipient Charles J. Berry, Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison, and NFL linebacker Matt Wilhelm.