Welcome
to Ohio, birthplace of seven U.S. presidents, birthplace of the first
professional baseball team, and birthplace of that all-American favorite,
the hot dog!
Ohio
grew into a highly industrialized state in large part due to its
geography. (Location, location, location...) With ports along Lake Erie,
major rivers, and rolling plains, Ohio was perfectly situated to grow as
America grew, and to provide what America (and the world) needed. Ohio's
industrial might has encompassed steel, automobiles, rubber products,
chemicals, machine tools, and building materials. The state is also the
eastern end of the corn and meat belts, with agriculture contributing to
Ohio's economic strength.
And
now it's time to rock and roll!... Since its construction in 1995 in
Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been welcoming visitors from
all over the world to explore the legends, roots, and history of rock
music.
| THE NAME:
The state of Ohio is named after the Ohio River. Ohio is the name that the Iroquois Indians used when
referring to the river and means "large" or "beautiful river."
Source: Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S.
State
Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut - 1994 |
| THE NICKNAMES:
The Buckeye State: (Official) A buck's eye; this is what the fruit, or nut, of the buckeye tree
is said to resemble. The buckeye's association with Ohio dates back to 1788, but may have been fixed forever in
Ohio history during the election of
William Henry Harrison
as President of the United States in 1840.
Certainly, the abundant presence of buckeye trees in Ohio gave root to the term but it's thought that the first use
of "Buckeye" to refer to an Ohioan was back in 1788 in Marietta at
Campus Martius.
Campus Martius was a fort
that served as home for early settlers. Located at the fort was the first court conducted by those early
settlers. The story goes, that on September 2, 1788, a certain Colonel Sproat lead a procession of judges to
the court. His posture was erect and he stood six feet, four inches tall. As he lead the procession, glittering
sword in hand, onlooking Indians shouted out "Hetuck, hetuck, hetuck" meaning "Big Buckeye."
William Henry Harrison was born in Virginia, but he settled along the Ohio River west of Cincinnati. He entered
the race for President as a candidate of the Whig party. An opposition newspaper said Mr. Harrison "...was
better fitted to sit in a log cabin and drink hard cider than rule in the White House." Harrison capitalized on this image by issuing an engraving of
himself seated in a rustic buckeye wood cabin with a barrel of cider and rows of buckeyes hanging from pegs. Buckeye cabins and buckeye canes
carried by Harrison supporters ensured that the buckeye would be forever associated with the state of Ohio.
The Ohio State Flag, adopted in 1902, displays a white circle with a red center, representing the "O" in
Ohio and the Ohio "Buckeye." In 1953, the Ohio Buckeye, (Aesculus globra), was made the official State Tree of Ohio and "The Buckeye State"
was made the official State Nickname.
Mother of Modern Presidents: or "Mother of Presidents" is sometimes used to refer to Ohio. Seven United
States Presidents were born in Ohio. They are
Ulysses Simpson Grant (Point Pleasant),
Rutherford Bichard Hayes (Delaware, OH),
James Abram Garfield (near Orange),
Benjamin Harrison (North Bend),
William McKinley (Niles),
William Howard Taft (Cincinnati), and
Warren Gamaliel Harding (Corsica, now Blooming Grove).
William Henry Harrison, born in Virginia but settled in Ohio, is also claimed as one of Ohio's own.
The Yankee State: "The Yankee State" was an early nickname applied to Ohio, probably by Kentuckians and
Virginians because of its free institutions. It may also have been in reference to the many New Englanders
who migrated to Ohio in the early 1800s.
Source: Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State
Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut - 1994
Shankle, George Earlie, Phd State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and
Other Symbols H. H. Wilson Company, New York - 1938 (Reprint) |
THE CITIZENS:
People who live in Ohio or who come from Ohio are called Ohioans and sometimes they are referred to as Buckeyes. |
THE QUARTER:
The Ohio State Quarter is the second quarter to be released in 2002 and the 17th in the 50 State Quarters™ Program
of the United States Mint.
Against an outline of the state, the images on the reverse of the quarter honor Ohio's contributions to aviation.
A rendition of the Wright brothers' 1905 Flyer III, considered to be the first true airplane because of its ability
to take off, land, bank and turn is shown along with a suited astronaut.
An inscription reads "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers." One of the first men to fly, Orville Wright, was
born in Ohio. The first American to orbit the earth, John Glenn, was born in Ohio. The first man to walk on the moon,
Neil Armstrong was born in Ohio. The inscription seems apt. The date on the coin, 1803, is the year that
Ohio became part of the United States.
For more on the state commemorative quarters, visit this page.
This 50 State Quarter Map is a great way to collect and display all 50 State Quarters. |
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