Legendary Ohio

HISTORY COMES TO LIFE IN OHIO. MEET THE STATE’S INVENTORS, EXPLORERS, AND FOUNDERS.

MEET WRITER ANN FAZZINI

Columbus-based writer Ann Fazzini always enjoys a good adventure. She especially enjoys outdoor pursuits (Mansfield’s Kingwood Center and hiking in Ohio’s state parks are favorites) and unusual roadside attractions, like the Hartman Rock Garden in Springfield and the Ohio Small Town Museum in Ashville.

KINGWOOD CENTER

ancient touchstones, amazing feats

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the lands of the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park (PICTURED) in Chillicothe served as ceremonial grounds for large gatherings that probably included feasts, funerals, games, and rites of passage for some of Ohio’s earliest residents. The mounds that make up those sacred spots were constructed by monumental feats of early engineering, which required expert knowledge of soil and rock, and thousands of hours of construction using manmade tools and woven baskets.

Some of the early Ohioans’ customs and building methods were revealed in an excavation of Newark’s Great Circle Earthworks. Researchers discovered soils of different colors layered throughout the mound which may have held cultural significance for the builders, and the remains of a wooden structure within the circle’s walls that possibly served as a ceremonial platform.

Ohio also boasts the largest hilltop earthworks enclosure in North America at Oregonia’s Fort Ancient (RIGHT, TOP). Notches and doorways built into the embankments align with sun and moon positioning, suggesting the “fort” may have been a special community gathering place that also served as a calendar of sorts.

All three areas, collectively known as Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, are nominated for the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, which honors and protects culturally significant landmarks around the world. CAN’T-MISS LEGENDARY TRIBUTES

Serpent Mound

(LEFT, BOTTOM) in Peebles is perhaps the most famous — and most spectacular — effigy mound in the world. A National Historic

Landmark, the curved snake mound was built by the ancient cultures of Ohio likely for ceremonial purposes.

Before Ohio became a state, Wyandot Chief

Shateyaronyah (also known as Leatherlips) signed the Treaty of Greenville, a controversial move that promoted cooperation and land division between Native American tribes and European settlers. Dublin’s

Leatherlips

(BELOW) sculpture pays tribute to the storied leader.

PICTURED: The Valley Gem Sternwheeler travels along the Ohio

River. LEFT TO RIGHT: Learn about Marietta’s history at the Campus Martius Museum. The Rufus Putnam House was part of Marietta’s first settlement. Downtown Marietta honors its historic past.

ohio’s f irst city

Nestled at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers in the Appalachian foothills, Marietta is a natural place for a settlement — and has been clear back into prehistoric times. Indigenous cultures, including the Hopewell and Adena, flourished in the area’s hills and valleys, and some of the earthworks and burial mounds from the time period are still around today.

In 1788, Revolutionary War veterans laid claim to the area, making Marietta the first settlement in the Northwest Territory and Ohio’s first town. Learn more about the city’s past and see historic boat models at the Ohio River Museum and take a ride on the Valley Gem Sternwheeler like travelers did years ago.

Brandon Smith, the producer and CEO of the Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama (BELOW) in his hometown of Chillicothe, is a big fan of Ohio’s theater scene. Now in its 51st season, Tecumseh! brings to life the story of the legendary Shawnee leader’s fight to defend his people’s homeland. Smith appreciates Ohio’s wealth of theaters where you can see everything from opera to heavy metal concerts or a Broadway show. Two standouts are The Ritz Theatre in Tiffin and the Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton. For musical performances, he recommends Wilmington’s Industrial Strength Bluegrass Festival March 16–18 and Nov. 9–11, along with the Whispering Beard Folk Festival Sept. 22–23 in North Bend. Read about more Notable Ohioans on Ohio.org.

time-traveling through history

Some of Ohio’s most notable history museums have gone above and beyond to put visitors in the shoes of those who lived in the past with fascinating immersive exhibits, activities, and programs.

Cincinnati’s National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (TOP LEFT) tells the stories of slaves who risked their lives for freedom and the abolitionists who helped them along the way. Visitors can walk through replicas of plantation quarters, make choices along an imaginary escape route through an interactive display, and learn about heroes throughout history.

In Columbus, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum (TOP RIGHT) pays tribute to servicemen and women in all branches of the military from the Revolutionary War to today. Exhibits focus on soldiers’ experiences and stories from deployment to combat to return to civilian life told through their own voices and artifacts, including uniforms, flags, and family photographs. Veterans can even share their own stories in a recording booth during their visit.

At the Pro Football Hall of Fame (ABOVE) in Canton, sports buffs can check out memorabilia from the gridiron’s biggest giants and learn the history of American football from the 1860s to today. Get in the game with interactive exhibits that let you play referee and make game calls, watch holographic images of football greats giving inspirational talks, and take fun action shots with a green screen.

See costumes, wild stage props, and instruments from some of the most well-loved rock, pop, R&B, and hip-hop artists at Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Live out your rock star dreams by playing guitars, drums, and keyboards and get a take-home video of your jam session.

PICK UP YOUR PASSPORT TO OHIO HISTORY

and track your visits to Ohio’s historical hot spots and collect stamps along the way. The booklet covers 58 historic sites and museums — from ice-age landscapes like the Cedar Bog Nature Preserve in Urbana to immersive experiences like the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center in Wilberforce — and features additional information and trivia about each stop. Order your copy at ohiohistorystore.com.

Today, hopping on an airplane and jetting off to anywhere in the world is no big deal, but up until a little over a century ago, flying the friendly skies was a pipe dream. Thanks to Ohio’s Wright family — Wilbur, Orville, and sister Katharine — we enjoy access to the world via air travel today. This year marks bright minds, innovative thinkers the 120th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight, and you can trace the family’s history and journey of innovation in and around their hometown of Dayton.

The Aviation Trail begins at the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, which includes a historical interpretation center, the Wright Cycle Company where the famed brothers mapped out their plans, and the home of their friend, African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. The self-guided tour leads to a total of 17 locations in and around Dayton that celebrate the rich history and innovators that got modern flight off the ground. Download a trail passport at aviationtrailinc.org, collect stamps at trail stops, and earn a “Wilbear” teddy bear.

If your Aviation Trail adventures make you want to reach for the stars, be sure to visit the WACO Air Museum in Troy where you can book a biplane ride on select dates and pay a visit to the Wright “B” Flyer at Dayton Wright Brothers Airport in Miamisburg and catch a ride on a replica of the brothers’ most famous craft.

PICTURED: Take a ride on a replica of the Wright “B” Flyer.

movers, shakers, and makers

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF OHIO’S NOTABLE INVENTORS AND EXPLORERS.

See the birthplace and a collection of inventions honoring the man who developed incandescent light, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera at the Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum in Milan.

Take an up-close look at the science, discoveries, and engineering behind Neil Armstrong’s pioneering journey to the moon at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum in the astronaut’s hometown of Wapakoneta.

Learn about African-American inventor Garrett Morgan, who created an early version of today’s traffic signal and gas mask, at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland.

Get swept up in the story of James Murray Spangler, who invented the portable electric vacuum cleaner while working as a custodian, at the Hoover Historical Center in North Canton.

Explore the life and legacy of the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the earth at the John & Annie Glenn Museum located in the astronaut’s boyhood home in New Concord.

Visit Kings Island and Cedar Point to take a ride on roller coasters. The technology behind original coasters was invented by Columbus native Granville T. Woods, who had more than 50 patents to his name.