Ohio belongs to the East North Central States. It is located in the eastern part of the nation, north of the Ohio River and midway between the Atlantic coast and the Mississippi River. It is also called the Buckeye State after the tree, Ohio buckeye.
Ohio offers a wide variety of recreational areas, ranging from wide sandy beaches on the shores of Lake Erie to rugged scenic parks in the southern part of the state. There are also many historical and archeological sites.
National Areas
The Wayne National Forest comprises several areas in south central and southeastern Ohio. Other national areas include Cuyahoga Valley, Mound City Group National Monument, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial and William Taft National Historic Site.
Cuyahoga Valley National Recreational Area on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland was established in the late 1970’s. It provides open space in a largely urban area.
Mound City Group National Monument preserves a group of more than 20 burial mounds that were used by the Hopewell group, a prehistoric Indian people.
Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial is on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. The memorial is a towering granite shaft. It commemorates Oliver Hazard Perry’s famous naval victory in the War of 1812, as well as the unfortified boundary between the United States and Canada.
William Howard Taft National Historic Site in Cincinnati preserves the birthplace and early home of the nation’s 27th president.
State Recreational Areas
The Ohio Historical Society administers over 60 state memorials, including historic houses, monuments, museums, and archeological sites. Many of the archeological sites preserve prehistoric earthworks left by Ohio’s earliest inhabitants. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources maintains about 65 recreation areas and places of natural beauty, as well as a number of state forests.
Adena State Memorial in Chillicothe preserves the sandstone mansion built u Thomas Worthington, governor of Ohio and a U.S. Senator. Worthington is known for his work in helping Ohio attain statehood.
Campus Martius Museum in Marietta is a state memorial devoted to pioneer life. It also maintains Ohio River Museum.
Fort Ancient State Memorial preserves a prehistoric fortification. Within the enclosure are remains of a village site, burial mounds, and other earthworks.
Headlands State Beach Park has a long sandy beach on Lake Erie. Other State Parks along the lake include Crane Creek State Beach Park and East Harbor State Park.
Serpent Mound State Memorial near Locust Grove has one of the best prehistoric effigy mounds in existence. It is in the form of a giant snake swallowing an egg.
Sherman State Memorial was the birthplace and boyhood home of William Sherman, one of North’s most noted generals during the Civil War.
Other historical places include the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace in Milan preserves the birthplace the famous inventor. Kirtland Temple was the first Mormon temple built in the United States. Other places of natural beauty include Blue Hole – a deep spring near Castalia – and caves such as Seneca Caverns near Bellevue, Zane Cavern near Bellefontaine, and Ohio Caverns near West Liberty.
Ohio’s two most populous urban areas are the Cleveland metropolitan area and the Cincinnati metropolitan area. Ohio’s largest city, Cleveland, is located on the shores of Lake Erie at the mouth of Cuyahoga River. As the Midwest was settled, Cleveland became an important port and a center of business and industry. Cincinnati is situated on a series of plateaus that rise above the Ohio River.
Cincinnati remains an important industrial center and river port. It is known for its beautiful parks. It is also famous as a center of music and art and for its professional sports teams, which play in Riverfront Stadium.
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