columbus became the capital of ohio on may 5, 1802.
when did columbus became the capital of ohio?
may 5, 1802
the city of columbus began development in 1812 with the purpose of being the state's new capital. originally laid out by lucas sullivant as the town of franklinton, the original settlement lay west of the scioto river. however, sullivant laid out plans to expand east of the river for what we now know as downtown columbus. development began quickly and by 1814 significant buildings included a penitentiary, the first school, the statehouse, the first newspaper, and the first church. by 1816, columbus was incorporated as an official town, and in 1824 columbus became the official seat of the county and elected its first mayor, john brooks, in 1834 after being elevated to "city" status. the city of columbus has spread out and around from the original plot surrounding the statehouse, making downtown the literal center of the city. another pivotal element of downtown columbus is the scioto river, which snakes directly through downtown. the downtown of columbus has changed roles since its founding, going from a government center, to an industrial and commercial center, to what it currently is as the major commercial hub of central ohio. the first skyscraper to adorn downtown columbus' skyline is the leveque tower, built in 1927. many other high rises and skyscrapers have been added since the leveque tower, fitting a variety of uses from commercial to residential.
downtown columbus, ohio
tobacco processing plants were founded in dayton by the 1810s and cincinnati became known as "porkopolis" in being the nation's capital of pork processing, and by 1850 it was the third largest manufacturing city in the country. mills were established throughout the state, including one in steubenville in 1815 which employed 100 workers. manufacturers produced farming machinery, including cincinnati residents cyrus mccormick, who invented the reaper, and obed hussey, who developed an early version of the mower. columbus became known as the "buggy capital of the world" for its nearly two dozen carriage manufacturers. dayton became a technological center in the 1880s with the national cash register company. for roughly ten years during the ohio oil rush in the late 19th century, the state enjoyed the position of leading producer of crude oil in the country. by 1884, 86 oil refineries were operating in cleveland, the home of standard oil, making it the "oil capital of the world", while producing the world's first billionaire, john d. rockefeller.
history of ohio