Ohio History Guide

The history of Ohio is composed of many thousands of years of human activity. Much like the U.S. State of West Virginia, Ohio was originally inhabited by the Adena Culture, or (Mound Builders.) They lived here for many centuries and remnants of their fascinating culture remain to this day. Many years later when European explorers first arrived in the late 1600s, they found Delaware, Shawnee, Wyandot, and Miami Indian tribes living there.

In 1669, the French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle traveled through the Ohio River Valley; he claimed the entire area for France, and his King, Louis XIV. Soon the flood gates opened, and this land beyond the Allegheny Mountains proved irresistible, especially to the British. Christopher Gist was one of the first English-speaking explorers to travel through and write about the Ohio Country. When British traders such as George Croghan started to do business in the Ohio Country, the French and their northern Indian allies drove them out. They began in 1752 with a raid on Miami Indian town of Pickawillany (modern Piqua, Ohio). The French began military occupation of the Ohio Valley in 1753.

Disputes over land in North America started the French and Indian Wars (1754 - 1763), and ended in 1763 with British control of most land in North America.

During the American Revolutionary War, Native Americans in the Ohio Country were divided over which side to support. For example, the Shawnee leader Blue Jacket and the Delaware leader Buckongahelas sided with the British, while Cornstalk (Shawnee) and White Eyes (Delaware) sought to remain friendly with the rebellious colonists. American frontiersmen often did not differentiate between friendly and hostile Indians, however. Cornstalk was killed by American militiamen, and White Eyes may have been. One of the most tragic incidents of the war, the Gnadenhutten massacre of 1782, took place in Ohio.

After the Revolutionary War, the Northwest Territory was established in 1787. On April 7, 1788, Marietta was founded and became the first permanent white settlement in Ohio. Indian raids became common until their defeat in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. The Treaty of Greenville that followed gave the United States land that accounts for almost two-thirds of present-day Ohio. Thousands of settlers came to the region and soon Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, and Youngstown were established.

By 1801, the Ohio Territory's population surged to nearly 50,000. By 1802, because of its rapid growth, the U.S. Congress authorized the residents to form the state of Ohio and join the Union. A state convention drafted a constitution, and in 1803, Ohio entered the Union as the 17th state with Chillicothe as its first capital; Columbus became the permanent capital in 1816.

Ohio was on the front lines of the War of 1812. Frontiersmen believed that British agents in Canada had provided weapons, especially rifles and gunpowder, to hostile Indian tribes. An important naval victory, the Battle of Lake Erie, was fought off the Ohio shore in this war.

In 1825, the Erie Canal opened. In 1832, the Ohio and Erie Canal connected Cleveland and Portsmouth. The Miami and Erie Canal connected Toledo and Cincinnati in 1845. Many mills and factories were built between 1830 and 1860 because canals and railroads had created a much faster trade route.

During America's Civil War (1861-1865), the State of Ohio played a key role in providing troops, military officers, and supplies to the Union army. As nearly 320,000 of its men marched off to war, Ohio was spared the bloody battles witnessed by other states, and yet, 7,000 of its soldiers were killed in action. After the war, industry expanded rapidly. Benjamin Goodrich opened a rubber plant in Akron. John Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in Cleveland. Ohio became a top manufacturing state of machinery and furniture. Shipping of coal and iron ore increased on Lake Erie, and farming continued to be a leading industry.

Like most other U.S. States, World War II also revived the prosperity and pride of Ohio. To support the war effort manufacturing industries opened factories across the state, thousands of jobs became available, and Ohio was once again in a prominent position.

Many serious problems have occurred since the 1970s. Many schools were forced to close due to lack of funds. Today, laws now require schools to borrow money from the government when shortages occur for necessary school supplies. Many businesses were forced to close in 1977, when a natural gas shortage occurred in severe weather conditions. Pollution killed many of the fish in Lake Erie and caused fire to the Cuyahoga River. Today, federal and state laws have now cleaned up state rivers and Lake Erie for commercial and recreational use.

Ohio is one of the nation's industrial leaders, ranking third in manufacturing employment nationwide. Important manufacturing centers are located in or near Ohio's major cities. Akron is known for rubber; Canton for roller bearings; Cincinnati for jet engines and machine tools; Cleveland for auto assembly, auto parts, and steel; Dayton for office machines, refrigeration, and heating and auto equipment; Youngstown and Steubenville for steel; and Toledo for glass and auto parts.

The state's fertile soil produces soybeans, corn, oats, greenhouse and nursery products, wheat, hay, and fruit, including apples, peaches, strawberries, and grapes. More than half of Ohio's farm receipts come from dairy farming and sheep and hog raising. Ohio ranks fourth among the states in lime production and also ranks high in sand and gravel and crushed stone production.

Ohio Famous People

• Neil Armstrong (1930 - ) The first astronaut to walk on the moon; born in Wapakoneta.
• Daniel Beard (1850 - 1941) Founded the Boy Scouts of America; born in Cincinnati.
• Halle Berry (1966 - ) Famous Actress; born in Cleveland.
• Drew Carey - (1958 - ) Actor, Writer, Comedian; born in Cleveland.
• Thomas Edison (1847 - 1931) Only American inventor with more than 1,000 patents; born in Milan.
• Clark Gable (1901-1960) Actor known for his role in Gone with the Wind; from Cadiz.
• James A. Garfield (1831 - 1881) The 20^th President of the United States; born in Cuyahoga County.
• John Glenn (1921 - ) The first American to orbit the Earth; born in Cambridge
• Ulysses S. Grant (1822 - 1885) The 18^th President of the United States; born in Point Pleasant.
• Zane Grey (1872 - 1939) Western novel author; born in Zanesville.
• Arsenio Hall (1958- ) Actor and former late-night talk show host; born in Cleveland
• Warren G. Harding (1865 - 1923) The 29^th President of the United States; born near Marion.
• Benjamin Harrison (1833 - 1901) The 23^rd President of the United States; born near Cincinnati.
• Rutherford B. Hayes (1822 - 1893) The 19^th President of the United States; born in Delaware, Ohio.
• Bob Hope (1903 - 2003) Actor/Dancer/Singer/Comedian/Entertainer; Grew up in Cleveland.
• William McKinley (1843 - 1901) The 25^th President of the United States; born in Niles.
• Annie Oakley (1860 - 1926) Sharpshooter and entertainer. She performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.
• Jesse Owens (1913 - 1980) Winner of four gold medals in the 1936 Summer Olympic Games; lived in Cleveland.
• Judith Resnik (1949 - 1986) Astronaut. She was the second American woman to go into space; born in Akron.
• Pete Rose (1941 - ) Baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds that broke the all-time hitting record in 1985; born in Cincinnati.
• William Sherman (1820 - 1891) General of the Civil War that led "Sherman's March" through Georgia destroying Southern hope; born in Lancaster.
• Steven Spielberg (1947 - ) Director of E.T., Schindler's List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and many other famous movies; born in Cincinnati.
• R.L. Stine (1943 - ) Author of the popular Goosebumps series; native of Bexley.
• William Howard Taft (1857 - 1930) The 27^th President of the United States; born in Cincinnati.
• Wilbur Wright (1867 - 1912) & Orville Wright (1871-1948) Brothers who invented the first airplane; born in Indiana and Dayton respectively.