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THIS DAY IN HISTORY
The Heart Of It All-Happy Birthday Ohio!
The Buckeye State celebrates its 220th birthday today.
The train derailment and horrible enviromental damage in Palestine, Ohio is on my mind today as I realize it is Ohio’s birthday.
Originally part of the Northwest Territory, Ohio was declared a state 220 years ago today. However, it was never official until 1953, when Dwight D. Eisenhower completed the official state recognition. As the nations 17th state, Ohio was the first state to declare slavery forbidden by law.
Ohio is rich in history as Indigenous tribes including the Delaware, Shawnee, Wyandot and Miami tribes all enjoyed life for thousands of years in the fertile Ohio Valley. More than 6,000 burial mounds and forts are reminders of this early settlement in the state named for the Ohio River (Great River.)
It wasn’t an easy life in this area. Brutally hot summers with abundant mosquito infestations in spring and summer caused many diseases and deaths. Harsh winters, frozen rivers and lakes, and dense forrests made this area difficult to settle.
