Ohio was inhabited by nomadic tribes as early as 8,000 B.C.; however, the first Indian communities developed around 900 B.C. The Woodland Indians lived in small villages of between 100-200 people from 900 B.C. to 1600 A.D. The Adena Woodland Indians built many mounds like the ones near Newark, Ohio that my twins and I visited on their 4th grade field trip. From 1600 A.D. until European settlement of Ohio pushed them out, the Shawnee, Miami, Wyandot, Mingo, Delaware, and Ottawa Indians inhabited Ohio. For information on Ohio Indians see http://worlddmc.ohiolink.edu/OMP/Subject?subject=american
After signing the Treaties of Greenville in 1795 and St. Mary's in 1818, the native Indians were forced to move to areas in western and northwestern Ohio, as well as parts of present day Indiana. This opened land for sale by the government to prospective farmers. Between 1834 and 1844, my great-great-grandfather William, on my father's side, purchased 560 acres in Wood County and Hancock County (near Findlay) from the land office at Bucyrus, Ohio. This acreage was the family homestead for many years and 160 acres of this land was later purchased by my mother's family (see family farmhouse at right). See the Bureau of Land Management's web site at http://www.glorecords.blm.gov for statistics on early government land sales in Ohio.| Year | Ethnic Group/Area | Where Settled |
|---|---|---|
| 1785-1850 | New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southern States | East, Mid & South Ohio |
| Before 1850 | German & Irish | West Central Ohio |
| Before 1850 | French | Southeast Ohio |
| Before 1850 | Swiss & Canadian | Mid Ohio |
| 1850-1903 | German, Irish & Welsh | Urban Areas & Canal Districts |
| 1880-1910 | Eastern & Southern Europe | Urban Areas |
| 1880-1910 | Southern Blacks | Urban Areas |
