Ohio

History: Archaeologists say that the Ohio Valley was inhabited by nomadic people as early as 13,000 BC. Robert de La Salle, a French explorer, arrived around 1670 and claimed the area for France. French fur traders began to settle in the area, but by 1763, the British took over after winning the French and Indian War. After the Revolutionary War, Ohio became part of the Northwest Territory. Ohio became the 17^th state of the U.S. on March 1, 1803. Due to an oversight, Congress did not actually declare Ohio a state until August 1953.

Economy: Ohio is a major center in the U.S. for science, industry, and aviation. Manufacturing (metals, electronics, machinery, etc.) is almost 20% of the state economy. Ohio is also one of the biggest manufacturers of plastic and rubber in the country. Other more traditional industries in Ohio include agriculture, bio-science, and food processing industries. Ohio is fourth in the country for ‘green’ industry.

Geography: Ohio is between the Appalachian Plateau on the east and the Central Lowland on the west. These two regions divide the state almost in half. The Central Plains soils contain glacial limestone, rich in phosphates, making the land very fertile. Throughout the plateau, rivers wind through among steep hills. Lake Plains in northeastern Ohio are very good pasturelands, while the southeast hilly areas are not very good for farming. Although the Ohio River forms the southern border of Ohio, it is not part of the state.

Climate: In Ohio, summer highs seldom reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit and winter lows rarely go below -20 degrees Fahrenheit. The state receives cold, dry fronts coming south from Canada, and warm, moist fronts from north from the Gulf of Mexico. These provide the Ohio with most of its precipitation, which may average about 40 inches annually, along with about 28 inches of snowfall.

Fun Facts:

Ohio’s nickname of the “Buckeye State” is because of the Buckeye Trees commonly found throughout the Ohio River Valley. (brown nuts from the tree look like the eye of a deer)
Thomas Edison, the famous inventor, was born in Milan.
The first professional baseball team, the “Cincinnati Red Stockings” founded in 1869 were from Ohio. That team became the modern-day Cincinnati Reds.
Ohio has the world’s largest cuckoo clock is located in Sugarcreek, the “Little Switzerland” of Ohio.
“The River That Caught Fire”- the Cuyahoga River has caught on fire 13 times or more due to heavy pollution being ignited by sparks from a passing train.
Seven presidents were born in Ohio, giving it the name of “Mother of Modern Presidents”

Points of Interest: