Editing Leetonia, Ohio (section)

==History==
The Village of Leetonia was founded in 1869, following the [[American Civil War]]. Leetonia was named for William Lee of [[Randolph, New York]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ONQyAQAAMAAJ | title=History of Columbiana County, Ohio and Representative Citizens | publisher=Biographical Publishing Company | author=McCord, William B. | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ONQyAQAAMAAJ/page/n315 326]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Overman|first=William Daniel|title=Ohio Town Names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015015361465;view=1up;seq=90|year=1958|publisher=Atlantic Press|location=Akron, OH|page=74}}</ref>  Lee was one of the founders of the Leetonia Iron and Coal Company which was laid out in the village in 1866-1867.

===Cherry Valley Coke Ovens===
{{Main|Cherry Valley Coke Ovens}}
[[Image:Cherry Valley Coke Ovens 3.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cherry Valley Coke Ovens]]]]
Leetonia is home to one of the few remaining [[Beehive oven]] sites in America. In the early 1860s, Irish businessman William Lee discovered rich deposits of coal, ore and lime under the soil of today's Leetonia. Lee began to buy the surrounding land and established the company "The Leetonia Coal & Iron Company" which consisted of a coal mine, coke ovens, and a blast furnace. This company jumped into the iron and coal industry and soon turned the area into a thriving company town. The area went from housing three families in 1864 to 1,800 people by 1869 when it was incorporated.

The [[Coke (fuel)|coke]] production was the main operation of the company. Leetonia Coal & Iron would mine the surrounding areas for coal and then cart coal by the tons into the coke ovens on rails above the ovens. The workers would then shovel the coal into the coke ovens to cook. This would purify the coal into a purer product of coal called coke which was then shipped off to the iron mills to be used in smelting iron. Coke has a much higher temperature point than regular coal so it was preferred for use in the mills.<ref>{{cite web|title=Leetonia Cherry Valley Coke Ovens|url=http://leetonia.org/cokeovens.asp|work=Village of Leetonia|publisher=Village of Leetonia, Ohio|access-date=April 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209091616/http://www.leetonia.org/cokeovens.asp|archive-date=February 9, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=vindy2010>{{cite news|last=Wilkinson|first=D. A.|title=PARK on the GROW {{!}} Leetonia seeks to expand historical site|url=http://www.vindy.com/news/2010/may/09/park-on-the-grow/|access-date=April 12, 2012|newspaper=Youngstown (Ohio) Vindicator|date=May 9, 2010}}</ref><ref name=Vindy2003 />

Each coke oven is about 12 feet in diameter and 6 to 7 feet in height with the capacity to hold two to three tons of coal each. While still using 100 ovens, Leetonia Coal & Iron would process 250 tons of coal into coke per day. However, in 1873, the company was bought out and renamed "The Cherry Valley Iron and Coal Company", who expanded operations and eventually had over 200 coke ovens and 4 blast furnaces; processing much more coal than ever before. Financial troubles hit the company during the [[Great Depression]] and the ovens were closed permanently.<ref>{{cite book|last=Carey|first=Miriam|title=Backroads of Ohio: Your Guide to Ohio's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures|year=2007|publisher=Voyageur Press|isbn=9780760327722|pages=68|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jtoylhtBAM8C&q=%22Cherry+Valley+Coke+Ovens%22|author2=Ian Adams|access-date=April 12, 2012}}</ref>

The site was donated to the village of Leetonia for a park in 1982, and, in 1986, the village council appointed a commission to transform the area into a park.<ref name=Vindy2003>{{cite news|last=Tullis|first=Nancy|title=Cherry Valley Coke Ovens Park seeks $5,500 for storm damage|url=http://www.vindy.com/news/2003/aug/09/leetonia-cherry-valley-coke-ovens-park-seeks/|access-date=April 12, 2012|newspaper=Youngstown (Ohio) Vindicator|date=August 9, 2003}}</ref>