Making History, Ohio Style
1/14/2010 | Peter Chakerian
Mere mention of the word history conjures dread in some, replete with memories of drowsy lectures with one’s nose stuck in a textbook. In such remarkably dull conditions, anything approaching a metaphorical journey back in time is rare. Ohio residents, however, have it good. The Buckeye State’s cache of historical sites helps turn sleepy-eyed students into avid history buffs. The breadth of attractions is without peer, offering a compelling education without the pressure of a pop quiz.
Military Might
The third most populous state in the Union at the time, Ohio supported American Civil War efforts with nearly 320,000 enlisted men. That’s more soldiers per capita than any other state, and third in total numbers behind New York and Pennsylvania, for those keeping
score. Ohio’s most noteworthy Civil War site is
Johnson’s Island Confederate Officers Prison Cemetery in Sandusky Bay, which processed (and held) over 9,000 soldiers and civilians during its three years of operation. The confinement center was guarded by Ohio’s 128th Volunteer Infantry and held notable Battle of Gettysburg generals James J. Archer and Isaac Trimble. The remains of over 200 former prisoners are interred here. With plenty of side attractions in the area (
Hayes Presidential Center,
Sandusky Maritime Museum, and
Cedar Point Amusement Park) this makes a great multi-stop hop.
Let Freedom Ring
Ohio’s role in the Underground Railroad is essential to the narrative. Some 700 safe houses across the state helped over 40,000 runaway slaves escape to Canada. Despite the label of a "free state," Ohio was hardly friendly to fugitive slaves. The state’s Black Laws benefited anti-slave groups, bounty hunters and skiptracers, making passage through Ohio perilous at best.
Clermont County Ohio Freedom Trail Underground Railroad heralds the region’s "conductors" and the courageous slaves who relied on them for safe passage. With 33 different sites spanning southwest Ohio -- 19 of which are official National Underground Railroad Network stops—locations include the site of the anti-slavery newspaper
The Philanthropist, noted conductor Robert E. Fee’s crypt, and Sugar Tree Wesleyan Church, a slave stopover on the Underground Railroad. A compelling, three-day tour of the Freedom Trail is mapped out for serious history buffs on Clermont County’s website.
Native Tongue and Groove
What were Native Americans’ lives like 2,000 years ago? In Warren County,
Fort Ancient, near the Little Miami River, offers some insight thanks to 18,000 feet of earthen walls and mounds. Built by Hopewell Indians using primitive tools like antlers, bones and sticks, the prehistoric structures are thought to be part of a ceremonial sun/moon calendaring system. The neighboring museum contains interactive exhibits and narratives on American Indian life and history in the Ohio Valley. Hiking trails and group tours provide another layer of intrigue to the visit.
Visitors can continue the experience at nearby
SunWatch Indian Village and Archaeological Park. The reconstructed Fort Ancient appears just as it might have 800 years ago. Learn the archeological gusto it took to recreate it by visiting the SunWatch Interpretive Center, where film, lectures, native reenactments and authentic site artifacts piece together its history and bring the subject matter to life.
Learning to Fly
Two men from Ohio taught the world to fly via their pioneering spirit. The
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park chronicles the Wright Brothers’ power-driven flight breakthroughs with stops at the printing office (Hoover Block), the original Wright Cycle Co. complex, and the legendary Huffman Prairie Flying Field (at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base). The nearby
Paul Laurence Dunbar House offers visitors a look at the final home of the Wrights’ friend, poet and Civil War vet Paul Dunbar. Home to the Wright Flyer III,
Carillon Park is not to be missed. The resplendent, 65-acre outdoor museum features the impressive 57-bell Deeds Carillon, Ohio’s largest bell tower. Quick tip to parents: kids who follow the rules on the "Dayton Amazing Aviation Places" passport brochure can score a free "Wilbear" Wright aviator bear, complete with leather bomber jacket, goggles and scarf.
Hail to the Chiefs
Ohio is called "The Mother of Presidents" for a reason. She has produced more U.S. presidents than any other state in the nation (eight) and it has the historical sites and museum-homes to show for it. The
Warren G. Harding Home and the nearby Harding Memorial are among the coolest. The latter is the last of the ornate Presidential crypts, featuring those beefy, white marble columns usually reserved for inside the Beltway.
Another Ohio-bred President, James A. Garfield, capped off the Presidential monument-mausoleum trend with his burial in Cleveland’s picturesque
Lake View Cemetery. Though the gorgeous
Garfield Monument is allegedly haunted by the dead prez’s ghost, visitors are more likely to be haunted by building’s striking beauty, leaded glass, and dark, imposing tower. Garfield may have ended one presidential trend, but his wife started another. Following her husband’s assassination, Lucretia built the nation’s first Presidential library at their home in Mentor, a.k.a. "
Lawnfield."
Stagecoach Rest Area
Once a stagecoach stop halfway between Buffalo and Detroit, the
Dunham Tavern Museum in Cleveland is the oldest Cleveland building still on its original site. Rufus and Jane Pratt Dunham built their residence back in 1824, later adding a taproom and tavern that hosted meetings of the Whig party. Long after the Dunhams sold the property, this residence has outlasted generations of Euclid Avenue transitions, including the rise and fall of Millionaire’s Row. Dunham Tavern Museum also holds the distinction of being the first frame house on Euclid Avenue. Today, the volunteer-run museum offers tours and educational programming.
Law and Order
With
exhibits covering everything from the notorious Kingsbury Run Murders
(Torso Murders) to "untouchable" Cleveland law director Eliot Ness, the
Cleveland Police Museum immerses visitors in local law
enforcement history and lore. Most famous amongst its holdings are the
Kingsbury Run "death masks," plaster casts of victims’ faces that the
police used in hopes of identifying the deceased. Also on display are
the first police call box, first bank closed-circuit TV, and the black
box recovered from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbird that crashed during
the 1981 Cleveland Air Show. Inspired by CPD detective Robert Bolton’s
visit to London’s famed Scotland Yard, the museum has inspired police
departments across the country to curate their own museums.