88 Ohio counties, 88 historic sites

By Patrick Cooley

cleveland.com

Feb. 15, 2017

CLEVELAND, Ohio — At more than 200 years old, The Buckeye State is steeped in history. Seven presidents were born here, battles of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 were fought here, and it was the first place Europeans settled outside of the original 13 colonies.

With all that history, you may have wondered about what site in your community is the most historic. Well today, cleveland.com has your answer.

We reached out to historical societies, combed through the National Register of Historic places, looked at national historic landmarks and spoke with historians across the state to come up with the following list of the most historically significant place in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.

Scroll through the slides to find the most historic place from your home county.

(Photo courtesy of Ohio Department of Transportation)

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Adams County

Great Serpent Mound: The Great Serpent Mound remains an object of fascination for researchers, who continue to debate when it was built and by whom. A historical marker at the site says it was likely used to for ceremonies dedicated to the powerful serpent spirit, and it is located on the edge of a large crater that may have come from a small asteroid that struck the Earth 300 million years ago.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Allen County

The Miami and Erie Canal Deep Cut: Before railroads rendered them unnecessary, canals ferried goods from one section of Ohio to another. Canals were dug generally around 5 feet deep, but a section of the Miami and Erie Canal — which stretched from Toledo to Cincinnati — was dug more than 50 feet deep. The so-called “deep cut” is preserved near Spencerville.

("Creative Commons Miami and Erie Canal Deep Cut Park entrance sign" by Dana60Cummins. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Ashland County

Anderson Schoolhouse: The Anderson Schoolhouse was built in the mid-1800s and is one of the few one-room schools houses still standing in Ohio. It burned to the ground in the late 1800s and was rebuilt in 1900. Classes were held there until the 1930s, when students were sent to the consolidated Ashland City School District. Today the building serves as a museum.

(Courtesy of the Anderson Schoolhouse)

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Ashtabula County

Ashtabula Harbor Light: This light house was erected in 1836. While other lighthouses were automated, the Harbor Light remained manned until 1973. The lighthouse was restored in the 2000s and today is available for public tours.

(U.S. Coast Guard)

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Athens

Wolf Plains: The Adenas built 22 conical mounds and nine circular mounds in what became known as the Wolf Plains in Athens County. The Archaeological Conservancy bought the property in 2008. Today there are 25 earthworks left on the site.

(Squier and Davis map)

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Auglaize County

Fort Amanda Monument: One of many outposts that were built from Piqua to Fort Miegs, Fort Amanda served as an important supply depot for U.S. soldiers during the War of 1812. The fort no longer exists, but a granite monument was built in its place.

("Creative Commons Amanda obelisk pathway view" by nyttend. Public domain photo)

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Belmont County

Barnesville Petroglyphs: No one is quite certain who is responsible for the Barnesville Petroglyphs or what the images mean. Pictures carved into the stone include footprints of birds and mammals, and geometric figures. The carvings were discovered in the 1800s, but their exact age is unknown.

("Creative Commons Tracks at the Barnesville Petroglyph" by Bwsmith84. Licensed under CC BY 3.0)

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Brown County

John Rankin House: This house, home to abolitionist John Rankin, was one of the first stops on the underground railroad and partially inspired the abolitionist novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” after Harriet Beecher Stowe visited it.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Butler County

Fortified Hill Works: The fortified hill works are earthen walls surrounding several altars. The two men who discovered the earthworks believed it was used as a fort for defense, with altars that provided spiritual assistance.

(Squier and Davis map)

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Carroll County

Seven Ranges Terminus: Following their victory in the American Revolution, the U.S. government appointed surveyors to divide up the land in the Northwest Terrority — part of which would eventually become Ohio. Surveyors in the area that became Carroll County divided their land into seven ranges, and placed a stone on the western edge that later became known as the Seven Ranges Terminus.

("Creative Commons Seven Ranges Terminus" by Nyttend. Public Domain photo)

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Champaign County

Carl Potter Mound: In the 1930s, a group of boys dug into the mound with their shovels and found bones and a grooved axe. Because there’s never been any further excavation, it’s unclear who built the mound or how old it is, but historians suspect it was constructed by the Adena culture, which used it as a burial mound.

("Creative Commons Carl Potter Mound" by Nyttend. Public Domain photo)

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Clark County

Site of the Battle of Piqua: George Rogers Clark led his men on campaign against the Shawnee Native Americans in 1780 after series of Shawnee raids on American settlements in Kentucky. He confronted a Shawnee army near modern-day Donnelsville, and while the American soldiers won the day, it is largely considered a pyrrhic victory, as Clarks men suffered heavy casualties. The encounter was named the Battle of Piqua after the Pekowi branch of the Shawnee.

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Clermont County

Birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant: Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, was born in a one-story cottage in Point Pleasant. The house has been uprooted and has toured around the country, but was eventually returned to its original location and is now available for tours.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Clinton County

Beam Farm Woodland Archeological District: A Native American burial mound and two archeological sites are located on this two-acre farm. The Beam family has never allowed the site to be excavated, but researchers have attributed the sites to the Adena and Hopewell cultures.

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Columbiana County

John H. Morgan surrender site: Confederate Brigadier General John H. Morgan led his troops on a bloody campaign of terror through Ohio and Indiana during the American Civil War. After he burned towns throughout Union territory, he was finally captured Salineville. A monument marks the site of his surrender.

(Historic photo)

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Coshocton County

Roscoe Village: Roscoe Village was founded in 1816 and quickly became a thriving port along the Erie Canal. The village population fell with the advent of railroads, but the village was largely restored in the 1960s and is a tourist attraction today complete with a museum.

Christmas in Roscoe Village is pictured in the photo above.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Crawford County

J & M Trading Post: This store was founded in 1829 under the name “Lee’s General Store.” Twenty-six people have owned the store and it’s gone by several different names in its nearly two centuries of existence. It has variously served as a trading post and a general store.

("Creative Commons J & M Trading Post" by Nyttend. Public domain photo)

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Cuyahoga County

Cuyahoga River: When the badly contaminated Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969, it made Cleveland the poster child for extreme pollution and continued to tarnish the city’s reputation for years to come. It wasn’t the first time the river caught fire, but the 1969 blaze caught the nation’s attention, becoming partially responsible for the creation of the EPA. It also inspired countless rock songs and one of the Great Lakes Brewing Company’s most popular beers.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Darke County

Site of Fort Jefferson: After Arthur St. Clair led his soldiers to an embarrassing defeat to the Native Americans in 1791, his scattered forces built Fort Jefferson, which was used to house soldiers during a campaign against Native Americans in the Northwest Territories. The fort has since been torn down, but the site was placed on the National Register of Historic places.

("Creative Commons Fort Jefferson Marker" by Gbauer8946. Licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Defiance County

Site of Fort Defiance: After General “Mad” Anthony Wayne ordered the construction of Fort Defiance during an American campaign against the Native Americans in the Northeast Territories in 1794, he famously declared: “I defy the English, the Indians, and all the devils of Hell to take it.” The American soldiers used the fort as a staging ground after their victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers turned the tide of the U.S. campaign against the Native Americans. The Defiance Public Library sits on the site of the fort today.

("Creative Commons Fort Defiance cannons" by Nyttend. Public domain photo)

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Delaware County

Birthplace of Rutherford B. Hayes: Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States, was born in Delaware, Ohio in 1822. The building he was born in has long since been torn down and a gas station stands in its place. But a tablet marks the spot of his birth.

(Photo courtesy of Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums)

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Erie County

Birthplace of Thomas Edison: Often described as America’s greatest inventor, Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio in 1847. The site of his birth is now a National Historic Landmark.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Fairfield County

Birthplace of John Sherman: U.S. Senator John Sherman and Civil War General William T. Sherman lived in a house in Lancaster as children, and John Sherman was born there. The house is a museum today.

William T. Sherman is at at the center of the photo above.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Fayette County

Washington Cemetery: Two former U.S. Congressmen and a U.S. Attorney General under Warren G. Harding are buried in Washington Cemetery, which is considered a masterpiece of design. Today it’s also considered a historic landmark.

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Franklin County

Ohio Statehouse: Construction began on the building that now houses Ohio’s government in 1839. The state government held a design competition to determine which architect would build the structure intended to replace the cramped quarters that both houses of Ohio’s legislature occupied before moving into its current home. It was built in Greek revival style, and its iconic circular, column-supported dome makes it one of the most recognizable buildings in downtown Columbus.

(Kiichiro Sato, Associated Press)

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Fulton County

The town of Ottokee: Founded in 1850, the planners behind Ottokee tried to put the town at the exact geographical center of Fulton County. It was once the Fulton County seat and was home to the county’s first courthouse, which was built in 1851.

(Submitted photo)

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Galia County

Bob Evans (Wood Old) Homestead: Bob Evans of the Bob Evans restaurant chain lived on this property with his wife, Jewell for 20 years. The brick farmhouse on the property now serves as a museum.

Bob Evans himself is pictured in the photo above.

(Terry Gilliam, Associated Press)

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Geauga County

ASM Headquarters and Geodesic Dome: The ASM headquarters is home to the world’s largest open-air geodesic dome, which was built in 1958.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Greene County

Huffman Prairie: While the first controlled flight took place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright built the plane they would eventually use during that flight on a field near Fairborn. The site is now part of the Wright Patterson Air Force Base and the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

(David Kohl, Associated Press)

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Guernsey County

National Road Bridge: President Thomas Jefferson authorized the National Road in 1806, and the path eventually stretched from Pittsburgh to Jefferson City, Missouri. It located near Route 40 today. It remained unpaved until the 1920s, and remains virtually unchanged since then. A bridge along the road in Guernsey County is considered a national historic landmark.

("Creative Commons S Bridge by Old Washington" by Bwsmith84. Licensed by CC BY 3.0)

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Hamilton County

Taft House: William Howard Taft is one of seven presidents born in Ohio. His childhood home, a modest two-story house, still stands in Cincinnati and looks much like it did when the former President lived there. The property is also home to a visitor’s center and an education center.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Hancock County

First Hancock County Courthouse: When it was built in 1833, the courthouse was envisioned as a temporary place to house the county court system. But it served in that position for nearly a decade until a more permanent court was built in 1842. The two-story building — which looks much like a house — still stands in Findlay. Since the court system left the building, it's been used as a church and a school.

The last entry for Hancock County was actually in Hancock County, West Virginia.

("Creative Commons First Hancock County Courthouse, Findlay" by Pepsi2786. Public domain photo)

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Hardin County

Ada Pennsylvania Station: The Pennsylvania Railroad ran through Ada beginning in the late 1800s, and the railway built a station in town to accommodate more traffic after Ohio Northern University was established.

("Creative Commons Ada Pennsylvania Station and Railroad Park" by Nyttend. Public domain photo)

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Harrison County

Ourant's School: The Ourant School provides a window into an era when students studied in single-room schoolhouses. It was built in the late 1800s and is maintained by the Ourant's Memorial Association, which allows students to spend the day in the schoolhouse for a glimpse of what their education would have looked like in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

("Creative Commons Ourant School Harrison County" by Bwsmith84. Licensed by CC BY 3.0)

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Henry County

The two canals: The Wabash and Erie Canal and the Miami and Erie Canal — which ferried goods throughout the region before the advent of railroads — merged in Henry County. When it was finished in 1856, the Wabash and Erie Canal was the longest canal ever built.

("Creative Commons Maumee & Ohio Canal" by Chris Light. Public domain photo)

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Highland County

Fort Hill State Memorial: The Fort Hill Memorial contains an earthen wall with a flat top and more than 30 man-made openings. The structure is more than 2,000 years old and was built by the Hopewell people. As with many earthen Native American formations, historians believe it had a religious significance.

("Creative Commons Fort Hill Entrance sign" by Aesopposea. Licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Hocking County

Hocking Valley Scenic Railway: The rail lines on the Hocking Valley Scenic Railroad are some of the oldest rail lines in Ohio. They include a line that was intended to carry passengers and commodities — mostly coal — between Columbus and Athens. The railway faded along with the decline of the coal industry and the rise of the automobile in the mid-20th Century.

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Holmes County

Croco House: Farmer John Croco used his property as a stop on the underground railroad, hiding runaway slaves on their journey to Canada. A trap door in the attic led to a hiding place where escaped slaves would hide from their pursuers.

("Creative Commons Croco Hse" by Chris Light. Licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Huron County

Hunts Corners: Hunts Corner was one of the first settlements in the region. It was founded in 1811 by Virginian Levi Sutton.

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Jackson County

Leo Petroglyphs: Someone carved pictures of humans and animals on a rockface near modern-day Coalton, Ohio sometime between 1000 and 1600 CE. The origin of the images remains a topic of debate, but historians point to the Hopewell Native Americans as a possible culprit.

("Creative Commons Leo Petroglyph, face with headdress" by Nyttend. Public domain photo)

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Jefferson County

Benjamin Lundy House: Quaker Benjamin Lundy established several abolitionist newspapers prior to the American Civil War, and tried to found a colony outside the U.S. for freed slaves. He was born in Jefferson County and his house still stands today.

("Creative Commons Benjamin Lundy House, front" by Nyttend. Public domain photo)

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Knox County

Kenyon College: Found in 1824 by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase, Kenyon College predates the American Civil War and is one of the oldest colleges in Ohio. The school publishes the Kenyon Review, a well-regarded literary journal.

John Kerry speaks at Kenyon in the picture above.

(Michael P. King, Associated Press)

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Lake County

James A. Garfield National Historic Site: James A. Garfield bought this property in 1876, five years before he became President. It was the site of his front porch campaign in 1880, in which he invited supporters to come to his home and hear his speeches. The first presidential library was built on the site and today it is considered a landmark.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Lawrence County

Ironton Norfolk Western Depot: Ironton was an important part of the steel industry, and the Ironton Norfolk Western Depot was the train stop on the railroad that supplied the area with much of its commodities. It was built in 1906 and remained in service for nearly half a century.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Licking County

Newark Earthworks: The largest cluster of earthen enclosures in the world stands near Newark, Ohio, a legacy of the Hopewell culture. While the meaning of the mounds remains the subject of debate, some historians believe they were used to track the orbit of the moon. The site is now a National Historical Landmark.

(Courtesy of the National Park Service)

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Logan County

Court Avenue in Bellefontaine: A stretch of Court Avenue in Bellefontaine is the first paved section of road in the United States. George Bartholomew wanted to pave a small section of the street in the 1800s, but the city government at the time was skeptical, worrying it would be easily damaged. Bartholomew eventually convinced the city council to let him pave a portion of the street in 1893.

("Creative Commons Court Avenue in Bellefontaine" by Nyttend. Public domain photo)

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Lorain County

Oberlin College: Oberlin College made history in 1835 when it became the first predominantly white American college to admit black students. Two years later it began admitting women, and in 1862, the first African-American woman to earn a bachelor’s degree graduated from Oberlin.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Lucas County

Fallen Timbers Battlefield: United States soldiers trying to secure the Northwest Territory from Native American tribes defeated a contingent of Native American warriors led by Blue Jacket near modern-day Maumee in 1791. A tornado tore through the area years earlier and left fallen tree trunks in its wake which the Native Americans used as cover. Despite their preparation, U.S. soldiers won the day, clearing the path for U.S. expansion into what would become Ohio.

Pictured above is a monument commemorating the battle.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Madison County

Cary Village Site: Archaeologists have found Native American artifacts including pottery and stone tools at this site near Plain City. Because the artifact styles vary wildly, they are thought to come from different groups of Native Americans.

("Creative Commons Cary Village Site" by Nyttend. Public Domain photo)

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Mahoning County

Idora Park: Most amusement parks are located far outside of cities. But Youngstown's Idora Park was an exception, sitting on the city's then booming south side until much of it burned to the ground in a devastating 1984 fire. Idora opened in 1899 and several renowned roller coasters were built in the 1920s and 1930s. A ballroom on the property hosted legendary swing bands like the Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey Orchestras, and icons of rock like the Eagles. A church bought the property after the fire in order to build a religion-themed park, but shelved their plans after going into debt.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Marion County

Harding House: Warren G. Harding was one of seven U.S. presidents born in Ohio. While he was born in Blooming Grove, a miniscule town in Morrow County, the house where he and his wife, Florence, lived from 1891 to 1921 — when Harding was elected president — is in Marion. The house became a museum in 1926 and includes 300 items from the White House.

(Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

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Medina County

Paleo Crossing: Artifacts from the Paleoindian settlement have been found here, dating back some 13,000 years. The artifacts are believed to have come from Ohio’s earliest residents.

(Plain Dealer file photo)

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Meigs County

Buffington Island Monument: Confederate commander John H. Morgan cut a bloody swath through Union territory during the American Civil War in a campaign that became known as “Morgan’s Raid.” Union soldiers finally managed to surround and rout his forces at the Battle of Buffington Island on July 19, 1863. While Morgan escaped to fight another day, the encounter put an end to his campaign. A monument marks the site of the battle today.

(Historical photo)

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Mercer County

Fort Recovery: General “Mad” Anthony Wayne ordered Fort Recovery — near the modern-day village of the same name — to be built during a campaign against the Native Americans in what would eventually become Ohio. A contingent of Native American fighters tried to starve the fort of supplies before attacking it, but their 1794 assault on the fort itself ultimately failed, and U.S. soldiers continued to drive Native Americans from the region.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Miami County

WACO Air Museum: The Waco Aircraft Company was founded in 1919 and manufactured planes in a facility near Troy for almost 50 years. In their early years, the company made planes popular for business trips, but later made military planes used in World War II. The company faced trouble after predicting post-World War II aviation boom that never materialized and was eventually forced to halt production. Today the site serves as an aviation museum.

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Monroe County

George Washington’s encampment: George Washington and his soldiers set up camp in modern-day Jackson Township in 1770 and stayed there overnight. Washington’s journal fully documents their stay, even mentioning that one of his men reeled in the biggest catfish he had ever seen.

(Historic picture)

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Montgomery County

Paul Laurence Dunbar House: Paul Laurence Dunbar is considered one of the greatest American poets. He wrote the lyrics for “In Dahomey,” the first Broadway play with an entirely African-American cast, and his poems were widely published in nationally distributed magazines, including Harper’s Weekly and the Saturday Evening Post. His Dayton home has been restored and now serves as a museum.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Morgan County

Big Bottom Massacre Memorial: Lenape and Wyandot warriors raided a settlement near modern-day Stockport on January 2, 1791, killing at least 14 people, including women and children, in what became known as the Big Bottom Massacre. The outpost was part of an effort to settle the Northwest Territories after the American Revolution, which was frequently marked by Native American efforts to repel European settlers. Today a 12-foot marble plaque marks the site of the massacre.

("Creative Commons Big Bottom Massacre Plaque" by ColWilliam. Public domain photo)

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Morrow County

Victory Shaft: This obelisk in the center of Mt. Gilead was awarded to the town for buying more World War I war bonds per capita than any other place in the county.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Muskingum County

Y-shaped bridge: A Y-shaped bridge has spanned the length of the Muskingum River in the heart of Zanesville since the early 1800s, although it’s been demolished and rebuilt several times. Three sections of the bridge meet in the middle, merging to create an intersection that now has a traffic light.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Noble County

U.S.S. Shenandoah crash site: The naval airship U.S.S. Shenandoah was traveling across the country for a series of exhibitions when, on Sept. 3, 1925, it hit a patch of bad weather over Noble County. The turbulence proved too much for the crew, and the blimp crashed near Caldwell, killing 14 crew members. A historical marker was placed at the crash site.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Ottawa County

Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial: This monument commemorates the U.S. victory over British naval forces at the Battle of Lake Erie (sometimes called the Battle of Put-In-Bay), which marked a turning point in the War of 1812. The British navy dominated Lake Erie until Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led his ships to victory at Put-In-Bay on September 10, 1813. His triumph paved the way for American forces to take back Detroit. The memorial was established in the 1930s.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Paulding County

Paulding County Carnegie Library: Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie provided the funding for public libraries across the Midwest, but the library in Paulding marked the first Carnegie library built in a town as small as Paulding. It was also the first Carnegie library intended to serve an entire county. Construction on the library began in 1912 after Paulding residents successfully convinced Carnegie to fund the endeavor.

(Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

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Perry County

St. Joseph Catholic Church: St. Joseph is the oldest Catholic church in Ohio, and is home to the oldest Catholic parish in the state. A log cabin served as the parish’s home until St. Joseph was built in 1843.

("Creative Commons St. Joseph's Catholic Church near Somerset" by Nyttend. Public domain photo)

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Pickaway County

Ashville Depot: The Ashville Depot was built in 1876, and with the advent of the automobile, it was connected with a road for cars, creating a bridge between the two modes of transportation. It was, at one time, the center of commerce in the area.

(Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

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Pike County

Vanmeter Stone House: The same family has run the farm surrounding the Vanmeter Stone House near Piketon for nearly 2 centuries. It was constructed more than 20 years after Isaac Vanmeter bought the property it sits on. His son, John had the house built in 1823.

(Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service)

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Portage County

Site of the Kent State Shootings: On May 4, 1970, National Guard troops opened fire on students at Kent State during anti-war protests, which were inspired by the massacre of Vietnamese civilians at My Lai and the invasion of Cambodia. They killed four and injured nine others, one of whom was permanently paralyzed. A picture of a 14-year-old runaway screaming over the dead body of one of the students became one of the most enduring images of the era, and a subsequent student strike led to the closure of hundreds of college campuses across the nation. Lights now mark the spots where the four students were killed.

(Tony Dejak, Associated Press)

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Preble County

Site of Fort St. Clair: American soldiers built Fort St. Clair during a campaign against the Native American tribes in the territory that would eventually become Ohio prior to the Revolutionary War. The fort served as a waypoint for communications and supply runs between American outposts in the region following General Arthur St. Clair’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of Native American fighters.

(Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

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Putnam County

Firemen’s Memorial: This memorial in Ottawa’s Court House Square honors John Krieger and Joseph Hermiller, who died fighting a 1911 electrical fire in a blacksmith shop. Citizens started raising money for the memorial the day after the fire, and it was dedicated in 1915 and became the first firefighter’s memorial in the state.

(Courtesy of Putnam County)

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Richland County

Ohio State Reformatory: The reformatory is best known as place where "The Shawshank Redemption" was filmed, but the building's history goes back to the late 19th Century. Construction started on the prison, which was originally envisioned as a place for first-time offenders, in 1886, and the first prisoners moved there in 1896. In the ensuing years it became known for deplorable conditions and a federal order closed the prison in 1990 in response to a class-action lawsuit by the prisoners. Most of the building was torn down after it was shuttered, but part of the facility was preserved as a museum.

(Tony Dejak, Associated Press)

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Ross County

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park: This park features earthworks and burial mounds built by the Hopewell, a network of Native American tribes that lived and conducted trade in the region that would become Ohio more 2,000 years ago. Native American artifacts have been taken from the mounds, and today the site is maintained by the National Park Service.

A researcher with a Hopewell artifact is pictures above.

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Sandusky County

Spiegel Grove: Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States and one of seven presidents born in the Buckeye State, once made Spiegel Grove in Fremont his home. The house on the property predates the American Civil War and today is available for tours. The property is also home to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Scioto County

Portsmouth Earthworks: Several mounds make up the Portsmouth Earthworks, some are in the shape of horseshoes, others are circular, and some are rectangular. In one instance, several circular mounds surround one in the shape of a cone. It’s one of the largest clusters of Native American mounds in the country. Historians believe and Hopewell culture built the mounds for religious purposes between 2,100 and 2,500 years ago.

(Squier and Davis map)

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Seneca County

The Octagon: This building on Heidelberg's campus was the second building built by the university in the mid-19th Century. Noted for its octagonal shape, it was built by a math professor, who also served as one its earliest residents. Both students and faculty have lived there.

(Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

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Shelby County

Lockington Locks: The locks were once part of the Miami and Erie Canal, which was used to ferry goods from the Ohio River to Lake Erie. Built in 1833, the locks let boats pass through what is now Lockington until the mid 19th Century, when railroads were built across the country, rendering canals unnecessary.

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Stark County

William McKinley Tomb: William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was laid to rest in Canton after his 1901 assassination. McKinley lived in Canton before his election, and conducted his campaigns from his home there. McKinley's presidential library and museum is nearby.

(Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer)

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Summit County

Akron Civic Theatre: Often called the “jewel on main street,” the Akron Civic Theatre is a throwback to a bygone era. Renowned architect John Eberson designed the theatre, which opened in 1929 and was renovated in 2001. It’s one of the few remaining theaters designed by Eberson, and retains much of the look it featured when it first opened.

A performance at the theatre is pictured above.

(Chuck Yarborough, The Plain Dealer)

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Trumbull County

McKinley Birthplace Memorial: William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, was born in Niles. Ten years after his 1901 assassination in Buffalo, President William Howard Taft provided funding for a memorial in the city of McKinley's birth, and a library and museum was built.

(Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer)

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Tuscarawas County

Gnadenhutten memorial: In response to the abductions and killings of Pennsylvanians in 1782, Captain David Williamson and his men captured more than 100 members of a Christian Delaware tribe. Although the Native Americans were unrelated to those who committed the abductions and murders, Williamson’s men voted to execute them anyway. A memorial marks the site of the massacre.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Union County

Union County Courthouse: The Union County Courthouse was built in 1880 and dedicated in 1883. The iconic building, which includes a 168-foot high clock tower and a 10-foot depiction of Lady Justice, is a fine example renaissance architecture, according to Union County Commissioner Steve Stolte. Historical tours of the county include the courthouse along with the area’s many covered bridges.

("Creative Commons Union County Courthouse" by M.Jovellanos. Licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Van Wert County

Van Wert Bandstand: This gazebo in Van Wert is noted for its architecture. It also served for years as a gathering place for the community, as well as the starting point for parades and a staging ground for political rallies. While such gazebos were common in rural Ohio, the Van Wert Bandstand is one of the few that remains from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

("Creative Commons Van Wert Bandstand" by Nyttend. Public domain photo)

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Vinton County

The Hope Furnace: The Hope Furnace — which was used in the mid 19th century — provides a glimpse into Ohio's industrial past, demonstrating how iron ore was processed in the days before the steel refineries that once dominated industrial cities like Youngstown.

("Creative Commons Hope furnace" by Jaknouse. Licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Warren County

Fort Ancient: The Fort Ancient Earthworks are a wall of earth built by the Hopewell Native Americans centuries ago. Scholars believe the area inside served a ceremonial purpose, and today the site is maintained as a state historical park and has been declared a national historic landmark. Visitors can walk on nearly two miles of trails inside the earthen structure.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Washington County

City of Marietta: According to some historians, Marietta is the oldest permanent settlement outside of the first 13 colonies. French settlers first took up residence there in the 1700s. The city is named after former French Queen Marie Antoinette.

(Al Behrman, Associated Press)

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Wayne County

College of Wooster: The College of Wooster officially opened its doors in 1870, and was one of the earliest colleges to provide equal access to women and minorities. It also served as a battleground in the clash between science and creationism when William Jennings Bryan asked the Presbyterian Church to withdraw funding from the school due to its teaching of evolution.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Williams County

Quaker Meeting House: Built in 1850, the Quaker meeting house — which stands County Road 8 — is the oldest religious building in the county. Quakers met there every Sunday for their worship services and meetings (they never used the term “church”), and the building was a key part of the underground railroad which ferried freed slaves north into Michigan for the next leg of their journey to Canada.

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Wood County

Fort Meigs: Future U.S. President and then-General William Henry Harrison ordered the construction of Fort Meigs to defend against British and Native American soldiers, who laid siege to the fort in 1813. The Americans held off their attackers until reinforcements arrived. The site of the fort now serves as a memorial and museum. Historic reenactors occasionally recreate moments from the siege.

(Plain Dealer Archives)

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Wyandot County

Colonel Crawford Monument: Even as fighting between the Americans and the British wound down as the Revolutionary War drew to a close, some Native American fighters continue to raid American settlements throughout what is now Ohio. Colonel William Crawford led a group of Virginian soldiers into Ohio to defend against the Native American attacks in 1782, but was captured, tortured and burned at the stake near modern-day Crawford. A monument was built in his honor.

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