Ohio is a state that is rich
in history. Each of the towns, villages, and cities that dot the landscape of
the Buckeye State has its own story to tell. The purpose of the Ohio Town Historic
Markers project is to help uncover the unique stories that stand behind the
development of these municipalities. These special signs, which are in the shape
of the Buckeye State, have been erected at the entrances to many of these communities.
Each marker has the community's name across the top, and a note of historical
significance about the village or city.
This site offers a
unique perspective of the different communities of Ohio. Your help with this project is enthusiastically
encouraged. Photos, links, corrections, and anecdotes are
all accepted. Photos should focus on the sign and if
possible the surroundings. Extreme close-ups are not
necessary; however, the context should be readable. Photos
are subjected to be resized to fit the needs of this
project. If you are interested in helping out, I can be
reached via e-mail at
michohioroads@yahoo.com.
Thank you for your enjoyment and continued support!
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| B | C | D | E | F | G | H
| I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W
| X | Y | Z
Baltic(Photo by Mike Austing) - Founded as Rowville
in 1848, incorporated as Baltic in 1903. Nestled in the heart of Amish Country,
Baltic is located at the point where Holmes, Coshocton, and Tuscarawas Counties
come together.
On OH 93 South.
Barnesville(Photo by Mike Austing) - Settled in 1808. Situated at the junction
of OH 800 and OH 147 in southwestern Belmont County, this community is named
for its early nineteenth century founder, Maryland pioneer James Barnes. On
OH 800 South.
Berlin(Photo by Mike Austing) - Berlin is a quaint little town in the heart
of Holmes County Amish Country, at the eastern junction of US 62 and OH 39.
Berlin is also the birthplace of Atlee Pomerene, a U.S. Senator from the 1910s
and 1920s. On US 62 West.
Cadiz(Photo by Mike Austing) - Located at the junction of US 22, US 250,
and OH 9, Cadiz was not only the home of John Bingham, prosecutor of Abraham
Lincoln's assassins, but it also served as the childhood home of Clark Gable,
who was actually born in Hopedale just a few miles to the northeast of Cadiz.
On US 250.
Caldwell(Photo by Mike Austing) - Founded in 1854. Named for the person
who donated the land for the community to develop on, Caldwell is the county
seat of Ohio's youngest county, Noble County. On OH 821 South.
Cambridge(Photo by Mike Austing) - Incorporated in 1895. The
City of Cambridge,
county seat of Guernsey County, is referred to as the "Crossroads of Ohio",
as I-70, I-77, US 22, and US 40 all meet there. The first bridge to be authorized
by the Northwest Territory Legislature was constructed where Cambridge is located
today. On US 22/US 40 East.
Conneaut(Photo by Doug Kerr) - Founded in 1796, incorporated in 1832. Located
in the far northeastern corner of the Buckeye State, the City of Conneaut was originally known as Fort Independence.
On OH 7 North.
Dresden(Photo by Mike Austing) - A town set along the Muskingum River, Dresden
is located where the Indian town of Wakatomica once flourished. On OH 60.
Fairport Harbor(Photo by Mike Austing) - Home to the Fairport
Harbor Marine Museum and Lighthouse, one of the oldest standing structures
in northern Ohio, this Lake Erie shoreline community was at one time an Indian
village site. When initially founded, the town was called Grandon, but was changed
to Fairport Harbor in 1825.
Genoa(Photo by Dan Garnell) - Founded in 1857, incorporated in 1868. Named
for Genoa, Italy, the
Village of Genoafeatures a Town Hall that has been classified
as the oldest free-standing municipal building in Ottawa County, in place for
over 120 years now. On OH 163 West.
Gnadenhutten(Photo by Mike Austing) - Settled in 1772. The
Village of Gnadenhutten (pronounced locally as "ja-na-den-hutten")
has the distinction of being "Ohio's Oldest Existing Settlement".
On US 36 East.
Granville(Photo by Mike Austing) - Founded in 1805. Home to Denison
University, the Village of
Granville was originally established by a group of New Englanders as an
early center of education. On OH 661 South.
Jewett(Photo by Mike Austing) - This northern Harrison County town was home
to an early car company during the late nineteenth century. On OH 9/OH 151.
Johnstown(Photo by Mike Austing) - Founded in 1813. The Village
of Johnstown is where famous mastadon remains were unearthed in 1926. On
US 62 East.
Lyons(Photo by Sean Lyons) - The community of Lyons is just south of the
Michigan State Line in northern Fulton County. At one time, it was the home
of the Toledo & Western Interurban Electric Train Depot. On OH 120.
Malta(Photo by Mike Austing) - Founded in 1816. Named for the island country
in the Mediterranean Sea and situated along the banks of the Muskingum River
in central Morgan County near McConnelsville, the tiny Village
of Malta was home to James Ball Naylor, a writer who based many of his works
on the early history of the Buckeye State. On OH 78.
Mantua(Photo by Mike Austing) - Incorporated in 1898. The Village of Mantua
is in northern Portage County, just north of the Ohio Turnpike on OH 44. Founder
John Leavitt named the community after a famous Italian city. On OH 44 North.
Marblehead (Photo by Dan Garnell) - At the eastern end of the Marblehead Peninsula
and just across Sandusky Bay from Cedar
Point, Marblehead is home to the oldest lighthouse on the Great Lakes to
be in continuous service, the Marblehead Lighthouse, built in the early 1820s.
On OH 163 East.
Minerva(Photo by Mike Austing) - Where Stark, Columbiana, and Carroll Counties
come together at a single point is where Minerva is situated. The community
was the birthplace of Dwight D. Eisenhower's Secretary of Defense, Charles Erwin
Wilson. On US 30 West.
Mount Vernon(Photo by Mike Austing) - Settled in 1805. Daniel Decatur Emmett, the
author of the traditional Southern anthem "Dixie", was born in, and is currently
buried in, this county seat of Knox County. Mike has provided a link to an article
by the Beacon Jounral dated March 1, 2003, on how "Dixie" came into being. To
view this article, please click here.
On US 36 East.
New Athens(Photo by Mike Austing) - This small Harrison County town was the one-time
home of Franklin College; now, it is a branch of Muskingum College. On OH
9.
New Philadelphia(Photo by Mike Austing) - Founded in 1804, incorporated in 1833. Set
along the banks of the Tuscarawas River, the
City of New Philadelphia is just west of where Schoenbrunn, the first
Christian community in Ohio, was located. On OH 259 West.
New Rumley(Photo by Mike Austing) - A small hamlet in northern Harrison County,
New Rumley is best known as the birthplace to General George Armstrong Custer.
A special monument honoring the famous U.S. General is situated nearby. On
OH 646.
Norwich(Photo by Mike Austing) - Situated between Zanesville and Cambridge
along I-70 and US 40, Norwich is home to the National
Road / Zane Grey Museum, which details one of the nation's first "western
routes", as well as the "Father of the Adult Western". Norwich also has the
unfortunate distinction of being the site of Ohio's first recorded traffic fatality.
On US 40.
Oak Harbor(Photo by Dan Garnell) - Founded as Hartford in 1835, incorporated
as Oak Harbor in 1871. With a prime location on the banks of the Portage River
in central Ottawa County, the Village
of Oak Harbor was at one time a major exporter of oak timber. While the
lumber industry has diminished over the decades, this quiet community remains
strong and committed to its roots. On OH 163 East.
Old Washington(Photo by Mike Austing) - This Guernsey County community is the site
of a battle that featured General John Morgan's Confederate Raiders. On OH
285 North.
Oregon(Photo by Sean Lyons) - Incorporated in 1959. An eastern suburb of
Toledo, the City of Oregon is home
to the popular Maumee
Bay State Park on the southwestern corner of Lake Erie. The main street
through Oregon, Navarre Avenue (OH 2), was named for Peter Navarre, a famous
Indian scout from there. On OH 2 West.
Port
Clinton (Photo by Dan Garnell) - Founded in 1828.
The county seat of Ottawa County, the City
of Port Clinton is near the site of a famous fight in the Battle of Lake
Erie from the War of 1812. On OH 163 West.
Port Washington(Photo by Mike Austing) - Famous landscape artist Alexander Helwig
Wyant was born in this Tuscarawas County town in 1836.On US 36 East.
Somerset(Photo
by Mike Austing) - This Perry County community was the hometown of
Civil War General Phil Sheridan.On US 22 West/OH 668 South.
Swanton(Photo by Sean Lyons) - The Village
of Swanton is where the inventor of the Baker steam engine, A.D. Baker,
was born.On US 20A/OH 2 West/OH 64 North.
Toledo(Photo
by Dan Garnell) - Founded in 1837. Northwest Ohio's largest city is
situated along the banks of the mighty Maumee River. Toledo, the Glass
City, is home to the world famous Toledo
Mud Hens, who moved into the all new Fifth-Third Field in downtown
in 2002. On OH 51 North.
Uhrichsville(Photo by Mike Austing) - Founded
in 1833, incorporated in 1866. This eastern Tuscarawas County city is located
at the junction of US 36, US 250, and OH 800. Originally named Waterford, the
town was renamed Uhrichsville in 1839 after local mill operator and town founder
Michael Uhrich. An article about the early beginnings of Uhrichsville can be
viewed by clicking here.On Eastbound Trenton Street.
Upper Sandusky(Photo by Dan Garnell) - Wyandot's county seat is the site of the
last reservation of the Wyandot Indians in the Buckeye State.On OH 199 South.
Utica(Photo
by Mike Austing) - Founded in 1810 as Wilmington, renamed Utica in
1817. At the junction of US 62 and OH 13 in northern Licking County, the Village
of Utica
was the leading producer of glass in the United States for a period during the
early twentieth century.On wall in front of the Utica Police and Fire
Departments on OH 13.
Waterville(Photo by Sean Lyons) - Founded in 1830, incorporated in 1882. Alongside
the Maumee River, the Village of Waterville
is home to the Columbian House, an infamous 1828 state coach stop. The structure
still stands today as a restaurant. On US 24 West.
West Lafayette(Photo by Mike Austing) - Founded in 1850. The Village
of West Lafayette was at one time known as the "Porcelain Enameling
Center of the World." On OH 751 South.
Woodsfield(Photo by Mike Austing) - Founded in 1814. Named for founder Archibald
Woods, Woodsfield serves as the county seat of Monroe County. On OH
78 East.
Zoar(Photo
by Mike Austing) - Founded in 1817. The Village of Zoar, situated just
a few miles southeast of I-77 in northern Tuscarawas County, was named for a
group of German settlers, the Zoarites, who established the community as a place
where they could exercise religious freedom.On OH 212 East.
