Area Information
Sidney is a city in Ohio approximately 36 mi (58 km) north of Dayton and 100 mi (161 km) south of Toledo. The population was 21,229 at the 2010 census. It is named after English poet Sir Philip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.
Mmany of the city's elementary schools are also named after famous writers, such as Emerson, Longfellow and Whittier.
The construction of the Miami-Erie Canal between 1825 and 1837 connected Sidney in a north/south direction with the major trade centers in Ohio. In addition to opening the first significant "outside" trade for Sidney, the construction of the canal also attracted an influx of settlers to the area.
History: 1834 Incorporated as Village. 1865 First Fire Department established. (Essentially a "bucket brigade"). 1873 First waterworks in operation (mostly for fire protection). 1890 Electric lights (usually 1 or 2 lights in businesses only)
Residential lighting came later.
Resources: Wikipedia - City of Sydney

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