13 Interesting Things You Didn’t Know About The History Of Ohio

Ohio tells an interesting story. From taking important steps in American history (and giant leaps for mankind) to inventing common objects and services we take for granted every day, Ohio was often at the forefront of many significant changes in society. The following are 13 things you might not have known about the history of Ohio.

1. Ohio got its name from the Iroquois word, “O-Y-O,” meaning “great river.”

Jim Grey/Flickr

(The Iroquois Indians settled between the Ohio River and Great Lakes around 1650.)

2. Chillicothe was Ohio’s first capital.

Mike Dray/Instagram

(It's also home to the site of The Great Seal of Ohio.)

3. Ohio is home to the first interracial and coeducational college in the United States.

Ralph Repo/Flickr

(Pictured: Oberlin College, founded in 1833.)

4. Ohio is believed to have been the first state to have an African American elected to public office.

Mike Mozart/Flickr

(John Mercer Langston, elected clerk of Brownhelm in 1854, is believed to have been the first African American ever elected to public office.)

5. Ohio was the first state to enact laws protecting working women.

Seattle Municipal Archives/Flickr

6. The first ever full-time automobile service station opened in Ohio.

William Creswell/Flickr

(It opened in 1899.) 

 

 

See the rest at:   http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/ohio/the-history-of-ohio/