Good Friday afternoon, today we will see some weird and true facts about the State of Ohio... 1). The state originated from the name of the river, “Ohio.” “Ohio” in the Seneca language means “the Great River.” 2). Around 1670, French explorer Robert de La Salle was the first non-native person to reach the area. Interestingly, most people from Ohio fought for the Union during the Civil War, and those that did not support the Union were called Copperheads (also called Peace Democrats). Copperheads were considered poisonous snakes lying in wait to attack in favor of the South. 3). Columbus became the capital of Ohio in 1816. Before this, the state’s capital was Chillicothe (the first capital), and then it was moved to Zanesville in 1810 and then one more time back to Chillicothe in 1812. 4). Ohio’s flag is the only non-rectangular U.S. state flag. 5). After Pennsylvania, Ohio has the second largest concentration of Amish living in the United States. After Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Holmes County is the second-largest Amish community in the world. About 70 miles south of Cleveland is relatively rural Holmes County. Known affectionately as Amish Country, the area has a population of around 35,000 Amish people. It has become a regional tourist destination for shopping, food, and more. 6). Tomato juice is the official beverage of the state of Ohio. 7). The Ohio River empties its water into the Mississippi River. Without the Ohio River, therefore, the great Mississippi River would not be what it is today. It is important to note that the Ohio River is formed in western Pennsylvania when the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers meet. 8). Xenia, Ohio, is known for its unusually high number of tornadoes and is often called the “Tornado Capital of the World .” 9). Did you know that twenty-one thousand soldiers at Camp Sherman, Ohio, were meticulously ordered to form the profile of the sitting president, Woodrow Wilson? 10). Seven U.S. Presidents were born in Ohio. They are Ulysses Grant, Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Taft, and Warren Harding. The state is also nicknamed the “Mother of Modern Presidents.” Benjamin Harrison was the only President whose grandfather (William Henry Harrison) was also a President—list of the U.S. Presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden. 11). Born in Ohio, William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States,delivered the longest inaugural speech in U.S. presidential history. Unfortunately, he died one month after the speech, thus, holding the office for the shortest tenure of any U.S. president. He was the first president to die in office. 12). Did you know that between 1913 and 1915, at least 7 children were shipped in the mail in the United States? The first instance of this weird act was recorded when the Beagles, a couple from Ohio, after paying for postage stamps and insurance money, handed over their 8-month-old infant son to the mailman to be delivered at his grandmother’s place, which was just a mile away. The news broke, and other parents also started using the cheap service; a six-year-old girl was even sent from her home in Florida to her father’s house in Virginia. And that’s a lot of mileage to cover! 13). The first full-time automobile service station in the United States was opened in 1899 in Ohio. The Winton Motor Carriage Company Service Station was named after Alexander Winton, a Scottish-born American inventor and automobile manufacturer. 14). Did you know that the Wright Brothers dealt with bicycles before taking flight? They repaired, rented, built, and sold bikes in Dayton, Ohio. They eventually used the profits from their bicycle business to fuel their aviation experiments. 15). According to NASA, 25 astronauts are Ohio natives, having made nearly 80 space flights, three of which are trips to the Moon. These astronauts include; Neil Armstrong – the first man to set foot on the moon, and John Glenn – the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. 16). The Cuyahoga River, which flows through Cleveland, famously caught fire multiple times due to industrial pollution, leading to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970. (Source comes from 98 Interesting Facts About Ohio - The Fact File). Have a blessed day and a wonderful weekend...Take care and GOD bless...
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