Lorain in Lorain County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Toni Morrison, Lorain Native
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Toni Morrison, Prize Winning Author
Photographed by Craig Doda, October 24, 2026
1. Toni Morrison, Lorain Native side of marker
Toni Morrison, Lorain Native. Author Toni Morrison was born, Chloe Ardelia Wofford, in Lorain on February 18, 1931. Her passion for language was nurtured by her family and while working at the Lorain Public Library during high school. Then housed in the Carnegie Center, the library hired her to reshelve and catalog books. Morrison said that she was slow because I kept reading the books instead of putting them back fast. Graduating Lorain High School (1949), she attended Howard University (BA 1953), Cornell (MA 1955), and she was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. During college she took the name Toni, shortening her saint name Anthony. Morrison worked as a literary editor and professor while also writing award-winning novels. She maintained a lifelong connection with Lorain. Morrison died August 5, 2019.
Toni Morrison, Prize Winning Author. Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, becoming the first African-American woman to win this prestigious award. Her long list of awards include a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and a U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Morrison's lifelong passion
this page online
Erected 2021 by Lorain Historical Society; Ohioana Library Association; Lorain YWCA; The Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 36-47.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 18, 1931.
Location. 41° 27.641′ N, 82° 10.503′ W. Marker is in Lorain, Ohio, in Lorain County. It is at the intersection of West 10th Street and Streator Place, on the
Photographed by Craig Doda, October 24, 2026
2. Toni Morrison, Prize Winning Author side of marker
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland, on the Lake Erie Shore, and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Admiral Ernest J. King (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Lorain Tornado, 1924 (approx. half a mile away); Veterans Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Lorain Station 100 (approx. half a mile away); Our Fathers (approx. half a mile away); Shipbuilding (approx. half a mile away); Veterans Memorial Park (approx. 0.6 miles away); Trading Post (approx. Ύ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lorain.
Photographed by Craig Doda, October 24, 2026
3. Toni Morrison, Lorain Native / Toni Morrison, Prize Winning Author Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 28, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 13 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 28, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
