THE HISTORY OF COLUMBUS OH
Are you planning to visit Columbus, Ohio? Then you may want to learn a little bit about its history. In this article, we will review its history to learn about its interesting beginnings.
Columbus OH is the state's largest city and as well as its capital, while Columbus Metropolitan ranks third in the State. The first being Cleveland and the second one being Cincinnati. Geographically, the city is built around the Scioto River, at the point where the Olentangy meets the Scioto.
The first group of Americans to settle in Columbus OH was led by Lucas Sullivant, and they erected their settlement in 1797, along the western side of Scioto. They chose Franklintonas the community's official, and it retained that name until 1816. During that time, Ohio capital was Chillicothe, located in the southern part of Ohio. However, many people believed that the state capital should be centrally located.
Four of Franklinton’s leading businessmen asked to donate a portion of their land that was located on the eastern side of river Scioto to the State of Ohio. Their only condition was that the state has to use it to build its capital. The state accepted the offer, and in 1816, Columbus OH the state's capital. It went on to receive its charter to become a city in 1834 and finally annexed Franklinton in 1871.
FORT CHASE SITE in Columbus OH
During the American civil war, the federal government used Columbus OH as Fort Chase's site, which was a prison where Confederate soldiers were kept. Initially, their cicurmstances weren't so bad in terms of freedom within the city. All the confederate soldiers had to do to regain their freedom within the city was to take an oath of honor.
As the civil war progressed, conditions worsened, and confederate soldiers were no longer allowed to wander freely within the city. By 1865, there were around 10,000 captured soldiers imprisoned at Fort Chase, and more than 2,000 soldiers died while in confinement.
In 1913, disaster struck when Scioto River broke its banks and flooded the valley, causing the death of 100 people. Moreover, it caused damage to property amounting to $9 million. That disaster prompted the city to institute a flood control program to avert future disasters.
Although Columbus OH was among the cities that suffered the Panic of 1819, in the decades that followed, it continued to experience continued growth. The growth was both economical and in its population, thanks to its proximity to transportation routes. For example, in 1831, Columbus OH was connected to the Ohio and Erie Canal through an 11-mile feeder canal that was completed in 1831.
Moreover, in 1836, the National Road reached Columbus OH after being extended from Cumberland to Maryland, then to Columbus OH, and finally all the way to Illinois. Furthermore, between the 1840s and the 1850s, the telegraph and railroad lines connected Columbus OH to the rest of the state, and by extension the whole country.
THE OHIO AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE
The Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, which was founded in 1871, was Ohio's first college built on public land. It, therefore, benefited from the Morrill Acts that were passed in 1862 and 1890. Moreover, by 1878, the institution had grown in the number of courses it offered and upgraded its status to Ohio State University. Today its campus falls within city limits and has grown to become the largest University in Ohio and the U.S.A as a whole.
We hope that you found this article about the unique beginnings of Columbus OH to be engaging and informative.