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is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. The population was 22,621 at the 2000 census. Willoughby is served by a branch of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library.
Willoughby's first permanent settler was David Abbott in 1798, pre-dating Ohio's bid for statehood by five years. Abbott and his family had close relations to the local tribe of Erie Indians along the banks of the river the Indians called the "Sha-ga-rin" or Clear Water. This river was later called the Chagrin River.
In 1835, the village was permanently named "Willoughby" in honor of Dr. Westel Willoughby, Jr., a public health official that the founders of the Medical College, which was based in the city, hoped to attract to the area. This medical college would later merge with Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, OH to eventually become Western Reserve University, the predecessor to Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University. Many historical buildings from this period survive to this date, affording the downtown Willoughby area some outstanding specimens of 19th century architecture.
Over time, Willoughby sent citizens into every major U.S. military conflict. Several memorials and historical relics are displayed in Wes Point Park, the center of downtown Willoughby, to honor those that have served.
Two public high schools are located in Willoughby: Willoughby South High School and Willoughby-Eastlake Technical Center, both of which are a part of the Willoughby-Eastlake School District. Students in the ninth through twelfth grades are enrolled at Willoughby South High School, which opened its doors at its present location in 1959. Previously, Willoughby South High School and current rival Eastlake North High were housed in the same building called Union High, but following the division, the then-abandoned Union High became the location of Willoughby Junior High School until 1972. It then housed the Willoughby-Eastlake Technical Center, located in Historic Downtown Willoughby.