Ohio

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

a central state of the American Union. It may be described as lying west of Pennsylvania between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. It is bounded by Indiana on the west and Michigan, in part, on the north. It is known popularly as the "Buckeye State." It was the first state formed from the Northwest Territory . The name is that of the river, meaning in the Indian language beautiful river. The greatest length of the state from north to south is 210 miles, from east to west 215 miles. The area is 41,060 square miles. The general surface of the state is rolling. There are no mountains. The highest point, 1,540 feet above the sea, lies in Logan County. The lowest point in the state is the bank of the Ohio River below Cincinnati. A gentle rise of land crosses the state from east to west, dividing the drainage basin of Lake Erie from that of the Ohio. As the streams empty into the Ohio and Lake Erie they have carved the surface into deep valleys and bluffs. The principal tributaries of the Ohio are the Muskingum, Mahoning, Hocking, Scioto, and the two Miamis. The principal rivers of the northern basin are the Maumee, Sandusky, and the Cuyahoga. MINERALS. The principal rock formations of the state are sandstone, shale, and limestone. Vast beds of the latter reach entirely across the state and furnish the chief stone for building material. There are salt and gypsum deposits near Sandusky. The state is rich in petroleum and reservoirs of natural gas. Owing to wasteful management the flow of the latter has decreased of late. Extensive coal measures are thought to underly a good fourth of the state. Fine sandstone in the vicinity of Berea supplies over half the grindstones and whetstones used in this country. SOIL AND CLIMATE. The average annual rainfall for the state is about forty inches. Naturally the northern half has cooler summers and colder winters than the southern portion. The soil is composed largely of glacial drift and disintegrated limestone. With proper cultivation, almost the entire area of the state may be said to be fertile. FORESTS. The earlier settlers found dense forests, particularly in the western part. Forests of oak, hickory, elm, walnut, beech, chestnut, maple, sycamore, and buckeye occupy the valleys and rolling uplands. Even yet over twenty per cent of the state is said to be covered by standing timber. The woods mentioned hold a high reputation for furniture and the wooden portions of machinery. According to the last United States census, Ohio ranked first in the Union in the manufacture of vehicles. The annual output of lumber is still valued at $20,000,000. The output of sash, doors, and wares dependent upon wood for the raw material brings the total up to $50,000,000. AGRICULTURE. The leading industry of the state is agriculture. About three-fourths of the state is under cultivation either as meadow or field. The leading field crops in order of acreage are corn, wheat, hay, oats, tobacco, potatoes, rye, buckwheat, and barley. The chief center of tobacco culture is not the most southerly part of the state, as might be expected, but an area lying northwest of Dayton. Vegetable growing is an important industry in the vicinity of the large cities, especially Toledo, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Springfield and Dayton are famous for growing potted plants and nursery stock. Small fruits, as strawberries, raspberries, currants, and gooseberries, do well everywhere. The state is noted for fruit. An annual apple crop of from 10,000,000 to 20,000,000 bushels may be depended upon. A few peach trees are to be found on nearly every farm. Commercial peach orchards are confined, however, to a comparatively few especially favored area. In the same way, the culture of grapes for commercial purposes is confined chiefly to the shore of Lake Erie and the region about Cincinnati. Small orchards of pears, plums, and cherries for home consumption are of general occurrence. While not preeminently a hay state, Ohio is noted for dairy products. Prior to the growth of the industry in Montana and other western regions, Ohio led the Union in wool. INDUSTRIES. Prior to 1850 Cincinnati was the most important meat-packing city in the Union. The state is still noted for the production of pork. Aside from manufactures of wood already mentioned, Ohio is second in the Union in the manufacture of agricultural implements. It is the third state in the output of flour and other meal products. The same rank is held in the roasting of coffee and the spices, in the distribution of liquors, and in the making of soap, candy, tobacco, and cigarettes. There are extensive manufactures of boots, shoes, rubber goods, cars, clothing, and electrical supplies. The state ranks fifth in the printing of books, newspaper, and periodicals. The output of manufactures for the year 1900 was reported at the magnificent total of $832,438,113 and that total has been exceeded every year since. HISTORICAL. Ohio was wrested from France by the French and Indian War, terminated by the peace of 1763. The territory of Ohio was claimed by Virginia by virtue of its original charter. An Ohio land company was formed in 1748 for the purpose of establishing settlements in the valley. The pioneers of the state were involved in Indian warfare with the Shawnees and the Wyandots. The Indians, having defeated Generals Harmar and Saint Clair, were not pacified until they were routed by General Anthony Wayne in the spring of 1794. Among the agencies influential in opening up the state was the Ohio Company of Associates, formed in Boston by General Rufus Putnam. The first permanent settlement was formed by a company of emigrants under the direction of General Putnam. They crossed the Alleghanies with their teams and families by wagons, built a flat boat, descended the Ohio, and settled at Marietta in 1788. Other settlements were soon formed by parties who came down the Ohio River, likewise in flat boats. Another current of emigration, chiefly from Connecticut, entered the state by way of Lake Erie and occupied the country about Cleveland. The state was admitted to the Union in 1802. In early days the capital was shifted back and forth between Cincinnati and Chillicothe. In 1810 it was located at Zanesville. Columbus was designated as the permanent capital in 1812. The legislature first met in that city December 2, 1816. The first church in Ohio was erected in 1790 at Columbia, five miles above Cincinnati. The first newspaper, The Sentinel of the Northwest Territory, was printed at Cincinnati November 9, 1793. Ohio now ranks fourth in the Union in the circulation of newspapers and periodicals. EDUCATION, ETC. Ohio was the first state that received a national grant of land for educational purposes. The common school system was established in 1825. Ohio University at Athens was established in 1804, and Miami University at Oxford in 1809. In 1902 state normal schools were established in connection with these institutions. There are a large number of denominational and private institutions. Of these Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan at Delaware, and Western Reserve at Cleveland, are the most noted. The state has furnished five presidents, William Henry Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and William H. Taft. Benjamin Harrison was a native of the state. The census of 1900 returned a population of 4,157,545. The largest nine cities, named in order of population, are Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus Dayton, Youngstown, Akron, Springfield, and Canton. STATISTICS. The following statistics are the latest to be had from trustworthy sources: Land area, square miles 38,060 Water area 300 Population (1906) 4,448,677 Cleveland (1909) 506,923 Cincinnati 351,212 Toledo 174,059 Columbus 155,340 Dayton 109,393 Youngstown 57,959 Akron 54,744 Springfield 43,975 Canton 40,037 Lima 29,665 Hamilton 29,548 Lorain 26,077 Number counties 88 Members of state senate 34 Representatives 118 Salary of governor $10,000 U. S. representatives 21 Presidential electors 23 Assessed valuation of property $2,239,786,000 Bonded indebtedness none State revenue $7,000,000 Acres of improved land 19,244,000 Agricultural Productions- Corn, bushels (1908) 137,000,000 Wheat, bushels 33,000,000 Oats, bushels 38,000,000 Barley, bushels 825,000 Rye, bushels 808,000 Potatoes, bushels 13,000,000 Tobacco, pounds 63,000,000 Wool, pounds 13,000,000 Beet sugar, pounds 8,000,000 Fruits, value $10,000,000 Capital invested in manufactures $570,908,000 Wage earners 364,298 Raw material $527,000,000 Products, total value (1905) 960,811,000 Iron and steel 153,000,000 Foundry products 95,000,000 Flour and grist 41,000,000 Meat products 29,000,000 Boots and shoes 25,000,000 Liquors 37,000,000 Railway repair shops 21,000,000 Clothing 31,000,000 Printing and publishing 37,000,000 Planing mill products 18,000,000 Vehicles 16,000,000 Rubber goods 16,000,000 Furniture 13,000,000 Tobacco 13,000,000 Agricultural implements 13,000,000 Lumber products 12,000,000 Mineral Products- Petroleum, barrels 12,000,000 Coal, tons 32,000,000 Iron ore, tons 2,300 Salt, barrels 3,851,000 Natural gas, value $8,000,000 Clay products $25,000,000 Lime and cement $2,600,000 Quarry products $5,197,000 Domestic Animals- Horses 949,000 Mules 20,000 Milk cows 928,000 Other cattle 1,050,000 Sheep 3,110,000 Swine 3,159,000 Miles of railway 9,290 Banking capital $60,000,000 Teachers in public schools 26,517 Pupils enrolled 827,414 Percentage of male teachers 31.9 Average monthly salary of teachers $41.79 Average annual expenditure per pupil $33.32 See Mound Builders; Wayne ; Tecumseh ; Blennerhassett; Cleveland ; Northwest Territory ; Western Reserve ; Cincinnati ; Columbus ; Toledo