Transportation

At the start of the nineteenth century, Ohio was isolated geographically. The Appalachian Mountains on the east, Lake Erie to the north, and the Ohio River to the south, isolated the state from its neighbors. During the nineteenth century, new transportation systems formed, granting Ohioans easier access to all parts of the United States of America. In the first decades of the 1800s, turnpikes originated. Water travel became easier with the advent of steamboats. Beginning in the 1820s, canals provided Ohioans with a cheaper and faster form of travel. In the 1840s and 1850s, railroads emerged, allowing Ohio residents to ship their products to market much more easily and quickly. With the start of the twentieth century, several new transportation systems, including automobiles, trucks, and airplanes, emerged. From Zane's Trace, to the Ohio and Erie Canal, to the Wright brothers, Ohioans were at the forefront of all of these transportation innovations.

To learn more about the role of transportation in Ohio's history, please browse these entries at your leisure.

There are 176 entries matching this topic. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

Agriculture and Farming in Ohio: For all of Ohio's history, farming has been a major component of the state's economy. . . .
Airco DH.4 Bomber: During World War I, the Airco DH.4 Bomber was the only plane built in the United States of America to be flown in battle. . . .
Akron (Zeppelin): The Akron was a zeppelin manufactured by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation in Akron, Ohio. . . .
Akron, Ohio: Akron is the county seat of Summit County. . . .
Ashtabula Train Disaster of 1876: In December 1876, a Howe-truss bridge, near Ashtabula, Ohio, collapsed while a train with three passenger cars was crossing it. . . .
Astronaut-Maneuvering Unit: Peter N. Van Schaik invented an Astronaut-Maneuvering Unit that allowed astronauts to maneuver in space outside of a space vehicle. . . .
Automobiles: Throughout most of the twentieth century, the city of Detroit has been synonymous with American automobile manufacturing. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, that was not the case. Instead, Ohio innovators in Cleveland and elsewhere were at the forefront of this new form of transportation technology. . . .
B.F. Goodrich Company: Benjamin Franklin Goodrich helped make Akron, Ohio, the "Rubber Capital of the World" during the late 1800s. He became involved in the rubber industry in 1869, becoming the largest stockholder in the Hudson River Rubber Company in New York. . . .
Baker Motor Vehicle Company: The Baker Motor Vehicle Company began producing electric-powered automobiles in Cleveland in 1899. Its founders were Walter C. Baker and Fred R. White, of the White Sewing Machine Company family. . . .
Bassett, Charles A.: Charles Arthur Bassett was an astronaut from Dayton, Ohio. . . .
Bentonville Anti-Horse Thief Society: During the nineteenth century, Ohioans relied on horses for transportation and for farming. Horse thieves were relatively common. To help protect their animals, in March 1853, residents of Bentonville, Ohio formed the Bentonville Anti-Horse Thief Society. . . .
Bicycles: Bicycles dramatically changed life in Ohio during the late nineteenth century. . . .
Blimps: Zeppelins are a type of airship, named for and invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin. They are also known as blimps, airships, and dirigibles. . . .
Bradford Tavern: The Bradford Tavern was one of the first inns built in West Union, Ohio. . . .
Brookins, Walter R.: Ohioan Walter Richard Brookins made the first night flight in world history. . . .
Brown, Ethan A.: Ethan Allen Brown, Ohio's seventh governor, was born in Connecticut on July 4, 1776. As a young man, he trained for the law in Alexander Hamilton's law office in New York, passing the bar examination in 1802. . . .
Buck Fry: During the late 1970s, motorists in the United States faced a gasoline shortage. In response to this shortage, The Ohio State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering developed a new fuel known as “Buck Fry” from dirty cooking oil from the university’s cafeterias. . . .
Buckeye Lake: Buckeye Lake originally was a small pond that eighteenth century Ohio Indians called "Big Swamp" or "Big Pond." It remained insignificant to white settlers until the 1820s, when Ohioans began construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal. . . .
Campana, Mary Ann: In 1933, Campana set a world's record for remaining airborne the longest in a light airplane. She remained airborne for almost twelve and a half continuous hours, demonstrating that women could be skilled pilots. . . .
Canal Lands: During the 1820s, the United States Congress gave the State of Ohio approximately one million acres of Congress Lands to facilitate the construction of canals in the state. This grant became known as the Canal Lands. . . .
Canals: During the late 1810s, Governor Thomas Worthington and Governor Ethan Allen Brown both supported internal improvements, especially canals. Both men believed that Ohioans needed quick and easy access to the Ohio River and to Lake Erie if they were to profit financially. . . .
Canton, Ohio: Canton is the county seat of Stark County. . . .
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway: The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway formed in 1869. It began as a conglomeration of smaller railroads, principally in Virginia, but eventually the company expanded its service to Ohio and beyond. . . .
Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal: In 1836, the state of Indiana began construction on the Whitewater Canal in the southeastern part of the state. Cincinnati businessmen, concerned that the Whitewater Canal might reduce their business once it was completed, decided that it was necessary to build a canal that would connect the city to the Whitewater Canal. . . .
Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal Tunnel: In 1836, the state of Indiana began construction on the Whitewater Canal in the southeastern part of the state. Cincinnati, Ohio, businessmen, concerned that the Whitewater Canal might reduce their business once it was completed, decided that it was necessary to build a canal that would connect the city to the Whitewater Canal. . . .
Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Railroad: Construction of the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Railroad (CH & D) began in 1851. The railroad attracted German and Irish migrants who were looking for work. . . .
Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland was the first settlement founded in the Connecticut Western Reserve by the Connecticut Land Company. It was named after General Moses Cleaveland, an investor in the company who led the survey of its land within the Western Reserve. . . .
Columbus Buggy Company: The Columbus Buggy Company was originally known as the Iron Buggy Company. Located in Columbus, Ohio, the company claimed to be one of the largest buggy manufacturers in the world. . . .
Cox, Jacob D.: Jacob Dolson Cox served as Ohio governor from 1866 to 1868. . . .
Crash of the USS Shenandoah: During World War I, the United States military first observed Germany's use of zeppelins, a type of airship. Once the war ended, the United States Navy determined that it would build three rigid airships. These airships would not be used to fight in future wars but instead would be able to scout enemy positions. . . .
Dayton Wright Airplane Company: The Dayton Wright Airplane Company originated from the Wright Company. . . .
Dayton, Ohio, General Motors Strike (1996): On March 5, 1996, three thousand workers, members of the United Auto Workers, went on strike at two General Motors (GM) parts plants in Dayton, Ohio, causing GM production facilities across the United States close. . . .
Dirigibles: Zeppelins are a type of airship, named for and invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin. They are also known as blimps, airships, and dirigibles. . . .
Ebenezer Zane Tracts: In 1796, the United States Congress granted Ebenezer Zane three tracts of land as partial payment for his completion of Zane's Trace. . . .
Electric Trolleys: During the late nineteenth century, some Ohio business owners and communities began to build smaller railroads that usually extended only a few miles either between towns or within a community. . . .
Ellsworth, Lincoln: Lincoln Ellsworth was an important explorer during the 1920s and 1930s. . . .
Energy Crisis of the 1970s: In the 1970s, Ohioans, like other Americans, experienced inconvenience and financial hardships, due to severe fuel shortages and inflated prices caused by the rising cost of crude oil. . . .
Enola Gay: On August 6, 1945, the crew of the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. . . .
Erie & Kalamazoo Rail Road: The Erie & Kalamazoo Rail Road was the first railroad completed west of the Allegheny Mountains. . . .
Erie Canal: The Erie Canal was a 363-mile canal that connected the Atlantic Ocean, via the Hudson River in eastern New York, with Lake Erie. The Erie Canal provided the first waterway connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. . . .
Ethyl Gasoline: Automobiles dramatically changed life in the United States with their invention in the late nineteenth century. . . .
Federal Manufacturing Company: By the early 1900s, Elyria, Ohio, businessman Arthur Garford had amassed a sizable fortune from the Garford Manufacturing Company. . . .
First Airplane Flight: The first successful flight of a powered airplane occurred at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. The plane's designers were Dayton residents Orville and Wilbur Wright, who until that point had made a living by building bicycles. . . .
First Cross-Country Automobile Trip: Horatio Nelson Jackson made the first cross-country automobile trip in 1903, in a Winton automobile that was manufactured in Ohio. . . .
First Ejection from an Airplane while in Flight: The first ejection from an airplane while in flight occurred at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. . . .
First Helicopter Crossing of the Atlantic Ocean: Two Ohioans made the first successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a helicopter. . . .
First Night Flight in World History: Ohioan Walter Richard Brookins made the first night flight in world history. . . .
First Successful Cloud Seeding: W.D. Bancroft was the first man to seed clouds successfully. . . .
Fisher Body Company: On July 23, 1908, Fred J. Fisher, Charles T. Fisher, and Albert Fisher formed the Fisher Body Company. The company intended to manufacture the bodies of automobiles for Ford Motor Company, Buick, and Cadillac, as well as several other companies. . . .
French Fry Bus: During the late 1970s, motorists in the United States faced a gasoline shortage. In response to this shortage, The Ohio State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering developed a new fuel known as “Buck Fry” from dirty cooking oil from the university’s cafeterias. . . .
Friendship 7: In 1958, John Glenn became one of seven original astronauts chosen by the National Air and Space Administration for the first American space missions. . . .
Fulton, Robert: Robert Fulton created the first economically-viable, commercial steamboat. . . .
Garford Company: By the early 1900s, Elyria, Ohio, businessman Arthur Garford had amassed a sizable fortune from the Garford Manufacturing Company. . . .
Garford Manufacturing Company: In 1892, Elyria, Ohio, businessman Arthur Garford purchased the Fay Manufacturing Company. . . .
Garford Saddle: In 1892, Elyria, Ohio, businessman Arthur Garford purchased the Fay Manufacturing Company. . . .
Garford, Arthur: Arthur Garford was a prominent Ohio businessman during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. . . .
Geddes, James: James Geddes was born on July 22, 1763, near Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He worked on his parents' farm and taught school for a few years before moving to Kentucky in the early 1780s. . . .
General Motors: Today, General Motors remains one of the largest manufacturers of automobiles in the world. Some of their production facilities are located in Ohio, making this firm one of the largest employers in the state. . . .
Gentile, Dominic S.: Ohioan Dominic (Don) Salvatore Gentile shot down more enemy planes in World War II than any other pilot from Ohio. . . .
Goodrich, Benjamin F.: Benjamin Franklin Goodrich was a prominent businessman and founder of the the B.F. Goodrich Company. . . .
Goodyear Aerospace Corporation: In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron, Ohio, to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. . . .
Goodyear Aircraft Corporation: In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron, Ohio, to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. . . .
Goodyear Blimps: In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron, Ohio, to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. . . .
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company: In 1898, Frank Seiberling established the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. . . .
Goodyear Zeppelin Company: In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron, Ohio to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. . . .
Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System: Since the first French colonists settled in modern-day Canada, humans had attempted to improve navigation on the St. Lawrence Seaway and on the Great Lakes. . . .
Great Railroad Strike of 1877: The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began on July 17, 1877, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Workers for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad went on strike, because the company had reduced workers' wages twice over the previous year. . . .
Greenwood, Miles: Industrial innovator Miles Greenwood was born on March 19, 1807, in Jersey City, New Jersey. In 1817, he moved with his father to Ohio, settling near Cincinnati. . . .
Hall, Ernest C.: Ernest C. Hall was an important aviation figure during the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. . . .
Herbert, Thomas J.: Thomas J. Herbert served as Ohio's governor from 1947 to 1949. . . .
Hull's Road: During the War of 1812, General William Hull ordered the construction of a road connecting his troops at Detroit with supply bases located in Ohio. Hull's Road began in Dayton and passed through Urbana on to Detroit. . . .
HwyH2O: During the 1950s, the Canadian and the United States government worked together to create the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System. Construction began in September 1954 and was completed on July 4, 1958, although the first vessel did not traverse the entire seaway until April 1959. Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally opened the seaway on June 26, 1959. . . .
Interstate 70 Sinkholes: On March 4, 1995, a twelve-foot sinkhole developed in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 in Guernsey County, Ohio. Three cars and one truck struck the sinkhole, but no serious injuries resulted. . . .
Interstate Highway Act of 1956: In 1956, the United States government implemented the Interstate Highway Act. This legislation provided twenty-six billion dollars to build interstate highways, linking the United States' major cities. . . .
Interurban Railroads: Interurban railroads were electrically-powered trains that connected communities together. . . .
James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike: In 1949, the Ohio government established the Ohio Turnpike Commission. This office was to finance and construct a turnpike that crossed northern Ohio. . . .
Kansas-Nebraska Act: The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in 1854 by the United States Congress to deal with the opening of the central Midwest to continuing American settlement. . . .
Kelley, Alfred: Alfred Kelley was born in Middlefield, Connecticut, on November 7, 1789, and then moved with his family to Lowville, New York, at the age of ten. He trained as a lawyer under New York Supreme Court justice Jonas Platt beginning in 1807. . . .
Kettering, Charles F.: Charles Franklin Kettering was born on a farm near Loudonville, Ohio, on August 29, 1876. He came from a poor background but still managed to obtain an education. Kettering graduated from The Ohio State University in 1904 with a degree in engineering. . . .
Knowlton, Ephraim: Ephraim Knowlton was born in 1803. He came to the Cincinnati area in the early 1820s to supervise workmen on the Miami and Erie Canal. Knowlton founded the town of Cumminsville, named for David Cummins, one of the community's earliest residents. . . .
Kroger Company: Barney Kroger opened up his first grocery store in Cincinnati in 1883, and by the following year had opened his second store. . . .
Kroger, Barney: Barney Kroger was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1860. As a young man, he embarked on a career in grocery sales, establishing the Great Western Tea Company in 1883. This business eventually became the first of many stores that operated under the Kroger name. . . .
Lake Erie: Lake Erie is one of the Great Lakes and currently serves as part of Ohio's northern boundary. During the 1700s and 1800s, Lake Erie provided a quick means of transportation for men engaged in the fur trade as well as settlers hoping to improve their fortunes in the Ohio Country. . . .
Lakes, Rivers and Canals: Ohio's streams flow into Lake Erie to the north, and the Ohio River to the south and southeast. There are more than 400 miles of waterways along Ohio's southern border that can be used by commercial boats. . . .
Lambert, John W.: In 1890, John William Lambert, a resident of Ohio City, Ohio, built the first gasoline-powered single-cylinder automobile. . . .
Lansdowne, Zachary: Ohioan Zachary Lansdowne was the commander of the USS Shenandoah. . . .
Lewis Research Center: The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field was originally known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was established in 1941, and its purpose was to develop and improve aircraft engines. . . .
Lima Locomotive Works: The Lima Locomotive Works was established in 1879, in Lima, Ohio. . . .
Little Miami Railroad: The Little Miami Railroad was the second railroad to be built in Ohio. The state legislature granted the Little Miami Railroad Company a charter in March 1836. The purpose was to connect the city of Cincinnati to Springfield. . . .
Loebell, Ernst: Ernst Loebell was an early researcher of rocketry and founder of the Cleveland Rocket Society. . . .
Macon: The Macon was the second zeppelin manufactured by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation in Akron, Ohio. . . .
Mandatory Safety Belt Usage Law: During the early 1980s, a movement arose in Ohio to make seatbelt usage mandatory in the state. . . .
Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad: The Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad connected Wheeling, Virginia (modern-day West Virginia) to Cincinnati, Ohio, passing through Marietta. . . .
Maumee River: The Maumee River is located in northwestern Ohio. The river begins at Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the confluence of the St. Marys and the St. Joseph Rivers. The Maumee River is approximately 130 miles long, and it eventually flows into Lake Erie at Toledo, Ohio. . . .
Maumee Road Lands: In 1823, the United States Congress gave the State of Ohio approximately sixty thousand acres of Congress Lands. This grant became known as the Maumee Road Lands. . . .
McClellan, George B.: George B. McClellan was a prominent nineteenth century American military and political leader. . . .
McCook Field: Beginning in the 1910s, with World War I's outbreak, the United States government began investigating the use of airplanes in war. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson created the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA). This committee suggested establishing a center to research the use of airplanes in the military and also to seek improvements in airplane technology. Due to the presence of several automobile and aircraft plants in Ohio, the NACA established this center at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. . . .
Miami and Erie Canal: The Miami and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid nineteenth century. . . .
Miami Conservancy District: The state of Ohio passed the Vonderheide Act, also known as the Ohio Conservancy Law, after the Flood of 1913. This flood was the greatest natural disaster in Ohio history. . . .
Miamisburg, Ohio, Train Derailment: On July 8, 1986, fifteen cars of a forty-four-car CSX train derailed near Miamisburg, Ohio. Some of the cars that derailed contained phosphorus. . . .
Mitchel, Ormsby M.: Ormsby McKnight Mitchel was an attorney, educator, astronomer and Union army military leader in the American Civil War. . . .
Mock, Geraldine F.: Newark, Ohio native, Geraldine Fredritz Mock was the first woman to fly around the world. . . .
Model T: In 1909, automobile manufacturer Henry Ford introduced the Model T. This automobile became the most popular and affordable car available to the American people during the 1910s and the 1920s. In 1912, the Model T sold for six hundred dollars. . . .
Montgomery Pike: Built between 1824 and 1829, the Montgomery Pike extended from the community of Montgomery to Zanesville. Montgomery originally began as a stagecoach stop along the Cincinnati-Zanesville Road. . . .
Morgan, Garrett A.: Garrett Morgan was an inventor and businessman in Cleveland in the first half of the 20th Century. . . .
Morrow, Jeremiah: Jeremiah Morrow was a legislator, political leader and the ninth Governor of Ohio. . . .
Mt. Healthy, Ohio: The community of Mt. Healthy, originally known as Mt. Pleasant, was founded in the 1810s on land originally owned by John Cleves Symmes. . . .
Mt. Pleasant, Ohio: The community of Mt. Pleasant, originally known as Mt. Healthy, was founded in the 1810s on land originally owned by John Cleves Symmes. The town began with a tavern built by John LaBoiteaux circa 1815 along the Hamilton Pike. . . .
Muskingum River: The Muskingum River has been an important pathway for both trade and communication throughout much of Ohio's history. The original founders of Marietta chose to build their community where the Muskingum River met the Ohio River. . . .
Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District: After state legislators began to comprehend the devastation caused by the Flood of 1913, they passed the Vonderheide Act, also known as the Ohio Conservancy Law. This law made it possible for flood-prone regions to create plans for future flood control projects. In response to the Vonderheide Act, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District was established in 1933. . . .
NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field: The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field was originally known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was established in 1941, and its purpose was to develop and improve aircraft engines. . . .
National Air Races: The National Air Races was an important competition in the early history of aviation. . . .
National Road: The National Road was one of the first paved (compacted gravel) roads to cross the Appalachian Mountains. . . .
New Hampton, Ohio: New Hampton was a community in Madison County, Ohio. . . .
New Orleans: New Orleans is a city in southeastern Louisiana, along the Mississippi River. . . .
Norton Field: Located at Columbus, Ohio, Norton Field was the first airfield to be built in central Ohio. . . .
Oberlin, Ohio: John Shipherd, a Presbyterian minister, and Philo Stewart founded Oberlin, Ohio, in 1833. The town was named after Reverend John Frederic Oberlin, a famous minister in Alsace who had died in 1826. . . .
Ohio: Ohio is the seventeenth state within the United States of America. . . .
Ohio and Erie Canal: The Ohio and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid nineteenth century. . . .
Ohio and Mississippi Railroad: The city of Cincinnati provided financial support for the construction of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad in 1854. The railroad was built parallel to the Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal. . . .
Ohio Automobile Company: One of the Packard Electric Company's subsidiaries was the New York and Ohio Company, which produced the first Packard Motor Car in 1899. The new manufacturing interest was first known as the Ohio Automobile Company, but the family renamed it the Packard Motor Car Company in 1902. . . .
Ohio Canal Commission: The Ohio Canal Commission oversaw the construction of canals in the State of Ohio during the early and mid nineteenth century. . . .
Ohio Loan Law of 1837: On March 24, 1837, the Ohio legislature passed the Ohio Loan Law of 1837. This legislation was designed to assist the building of additional canals within the state. . . .
Ohio River: The Ohio River is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers at modern-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It ends approximately 900 miles downstream at Cairo, Illinois, where it flows into the Mississippi River. . . .
Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission: In 1948, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, and New York established the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). . . .
Ohio State Highway Patrol: In 1933, the Ohio government created a statewide police force known as the Ohio State Highway Patrol. . . .
Ohio Tobacco Museum: Located in Ripley, Ohio, the Ohio Tobacco Museum commemorates the important role that tobacco played in southern Ohio's economy during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. . . .
Ohio Turnpike Commission: In 1949, the Ohio government established the Ohio Turnpike Commission. This office was to finance and construct a turnpike that crossed northern Ohio. . . .
Ohio's Tourist Information Centers: Since 1984, Ohio has maintained one of the United States of America's more extensive networks of Travel Information Centers. . . .
Olde Wayside Inn: Built as the Bradford Tavern, the Olde Wayside Inn is one of the oldest buildings in West Union, Ohio. . . .
Oldfield, Barney: Barney Oldfield was born on June 3, 1878, in Wauseon, Ohio. His name was originally Berna Eli Oldfield. . . .
Packard Electric Company: In 1890, William Doud Packard and his brother James Ward Packard established the Packard Electric Company, which produced incandescent bulbs. . . .
Packard Motor Car Company: The Packard Motor Car, of Warren, Ohio, was a major automobile manufacturer in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. . . .
Parachute with Ripcord: James Floyd Smith invented the first parachute to use a ripcord. His invention was the predecessor of the modern parachute. . . .
Parmalee, Phillip: Phillip Parmalee was an important pilot during the first two decades of the twentieth century. . . .
Peerless Motor Vehicle Company: The Peerless Motor Vehicle Company was located in Cleveland , Ohio. The Peerless Company originally built clothes wringers and bicycles but in 1900 began producing its first automobiles. . . .
Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal: The Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal (P&O) was built between 1835 and 1840. Also known as the Mahoning Canal, the P&O connected Akron, Ohio, to the Beaver and Erie Canal in Pennsylvania. . . .
Perkins, Simon: Simon Perkins was an early settler of the Western Reserve of Connecticut in what would become northeast Ohio. Over a long and active life he would become involved in many of the most important economic and political events of his time. . . .
Pilgrim: The Pilgrim was the first public-relations airship manufactured by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation in Akron, Ohio. . . .
Plunder Law: On March 24, 1837, the Ohio legislature passed the Ohio Loan Law of 1837. This legislation was designed to assist the building of additional canals within the state. It allowed the Ohio government to loan businesses one-third of the total costs to complete a project. . . .
Portage Path: Portage Path was an important American Indian transportation route in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. . . .
Portsmouth Cement & Lime: Portsmouth Foundry and Machine Works was an important business in western Portsmouth, Ohio during the nineteenth century. . . .
Portsmouth Foundry and Machine Works: Portsmouth Foundry and Machine Works was an important business in western Portsmouth, Ohio during the nineteenth century. . . .
Railroads: As early as the mid 1820s, Ohio residents advocated the building of railroads to speed travel time and to make it easier to ship products. . . .
Roadway Express: Akron-based Roadway Express is one of the largest commercial trucking firms in the United States. . . .
Rodgers, Calbraith P.: Calbraith (usually reported as Galbraith) Perry Rodgers lived for several years in Dayton, Ohio. On September 27, 1911, Rodgers boarded his airplane, the Vin Fiz, and attempted to make the first transcontinental flight across North America. . . .
S-Bridges: S-Bridges were a type of bridge used on the National Road. When viewed from above, they resemble the letter "S." . . .
Sandusky and Mad River Company: The Sandusky and Mad River Company was one of the first railroad companies in Ohio. . . .
Sandusky River: The Sandusky River is located in northern Ohio. The river's watershed begins in Richland County. . . .
Sandy and Beaver Canal: Although the Ohio legislature issued the charter for the Sandy and Beaver Canal in 1828, the canal was not completed until 1848. . . .
Scioto River: The Scioto River is a major river in central and southern Ohio. . . .
Sciotoville Railroad Bridge: The Sciotoville Railroad Bridge is the longest riveted truss bridge in the United States of America. . . .
Shopping Centers: As Americans moved from the cities to suburbs, business owners began to develop new retail establishments to attract suburbanites. These establishments were known as shopping centers. . . .
Smith, James F.: James Floyd Smith invented the first parachute to use a ripcord. His invention was the predecessor of the modern parachute. . . .
Spicer Company: Clarence Spicer started the Spicer Company in Plainfield, New Jersey, in 1904. In 1928, the company's headquarters was moved to Toledo, Ohio. In 1946, the company name changed to the Dana Corporation. . . .
Spirit of Columbus: The Spirit of Columbus was the first plane piloted by a woman to fly around the world. . . .
Steamboat Travel to New Orleans: The first steamboat to travel on the Ohio River was named the New Orleans. Although not as well constructed as later vessels, it managed to steam its way from Pittsburgh to New Orleans in 1811. Robert Fulton and his partner, Robert Livingston, built the New Orleans. . . .
Steamboats: Steamboats revolutionized river travel during the first half of the nineteenth century. Although early Ohioans used the Ohio River to transport agricultural goods and manufactured products even prior to the invention of the steamboat, certainly their advent made travel easier. . . .
Steedman, James: James Steedman was an Ohio political and military leader in nineteenth century America. . . .
Stevens, A. L.: A. Leo Stevens was an important balloonist and parachutist in the early twentieth century. . . .
Suburbs: Suburbs are neighborhoods near to but not located in the center of cities. . . .
Terminal Tower: The Terminal Tower in Cleveland, completed in 1930, was originally known as Cleveland Union Terminal. Brothers Oris Paxton and Mantis James Van Sweringen developed the original concept for the building. . . .
Tupper, Benjamin: Benjamin Tupper was a prominent early settler of the Northwest Territory. . . .
Turnpike Lands: In 1827, the United States Congress gave the State of Ohio 31,360 acres of Congress Lands. This grant became known as the Turnpike Lands. . . .
Turnpikes: In the early years of Ohio statehood, there were a limited number of roads linking various parts of the state. These routes included Zane's Trace, some old army roads, and the National Road. . . .
Uniform Traffic Code: On June 5, 1941, the Ohio government approved the state’s first uniform traffic code. This legislation established a standard speed limit of fifty miles per hour outside of all municipalities. . . .
Union Terminal: In the early twentieth century, one of the most popular forms of long-distance transportation was the railroad. The city of Cincinnati, Ohio, was linked to a number of other major cities through its rail lines, but the original system had not been well-coordinated. . . .
USS Shenandoah: During World War I, the United States military first observed Germany's use of zeppelins, a type of airship. Once the war ended, the United States Navy determined that it would build three rigid airships. These airships would not be used to fight in future wars but instead would be able to scout enemy positions. . . .
Van Schaik, Peter N.: Peter N. Van Schaik invented a propulsion backpack that allowed astronauts to maneuver in space outside of a space vehicle. . . .
Vin Fiz: On September 27, 1911, Calbraith (usually reported as Galbraith) Perry Rodgers boarded his airplane, the Vin Fiz, and attempted to make the first transcontinental flight across North America. . . .
William Lafferty Memorial Funeral and Carriage Collection: The William Lafferty Memorial Funeral and Carriage Collection is a museum focused on the funeral profession. Established in 1994, the museum is located in West Union, Ohio. . . .
Winder, C. B.: C.B. Winder was the first man to become a pilot for any National Guard unit in the United States of America. . . .
Wonders, J.C.: J.C. Wonders is often referred to as the father of concrete paving because of his decision to pave the street surrounding the courthouse square in Bellefontaine, Ohio with Portland cement concrete, in 1891. . . .
Zane's Trace: Zane's Trace was an early road in the Northwest Territory that connected Wheeling, Virginia, to Limestone, Kentucky (present-day Maysville). . . .
Zane, Ebenezer: Ebenezer Zane was an early settler and town builder in the Ohio Country in the years after the American Revolution. . . .
Zeppelins: Zeppelins were a type of airship, named for and invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin. They are also known as blimps, airships, and dirigibles. These vessels used heated air to become airborne. . . .