Remarkable Ohio

Results for: medal-of-honor
Front St at Louisiana Ave
Perrysburg

, OH

Following the War of 1812, settlers reestablished the 1810 Maumee River town, Port Miami of Lake Erie, on the land below the deserted Fort Meigs. The inhabitants nicknamed the new town “Orleans of the North” in honor of New Orleans in the Louisiana Territory. Orleans was destroyed twice by the river’s spring ice floes. Consequently, on April 27, 1816, at the suggestion of the town’s founder Amos Spafford, the United States Congress agreed and a new town was platted to the east and up on the bluff. Spafford named the town Perrysburg, formerly spelled Perrysburgh, in honor of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s 1813 victory over the British fleet in Lake Erie. Wood County was founded in 1820 and included Maumee, which separated when Lucas County was formed in 1835. Perrysburg was the county seat from 1823 until 1870 when the county government was moved to Bowling Green.

23 E Main Street
Canfield

, OH

The Canfield War Vet Museum was chartered in 1988 by American Legion Post 177 and Ladies Auxiliary to collect and preserve items and history from American wars. The building that houses the museum was built in 1809 by Comfort S. Mygatt, a Revolutionary War veteran, and later, passed through several generations of the Church family. Colonel James Madison Nash, a Civil War officer, lived here for a time, giving the house its nickname, “The Colonel’s House.” The structure stands as the oldest building in Canfield on its original site. The carding barn on the rear of the property was built in 1810 to process sheep wool. The Wall of Honor at this site honors war veterans, in particular, the Revolutionary War veterans interred in Canfield cemeteries and the 18 Canfield men who lost their lives in World War II.

E. Bridge Street
Berea

, OH

The Triangle, one of the most historic places in Berea, has been the center of the city’s civic life since the mid-19th century. Just beneath lie the solid layers of the famous Berea Sandstone that brought prosperity to Berea during its early years. Quarry owner and Berea Seminary founder John Baldwin obtained much of what is now Berea from Gideon Granger, Postmaster General under President Thomas Jefferson and original owner of Township 6, Range 14 (later Middleburg Township) of the Western Reserve. When the seminary trustees transferred the Triangle tract to the people of Berea in 1847, they designated it by deed as a public promenade. This farsighted stipulation preserved it from commercial development during the 20th century. (continued on other side)

601 Front St
Marietta

, OH

People living in Marietta and along the Muskingum River shared a history of slavery opposition. Manasseh Cutler, from Massachusetts and an Ohio Land Company agent, helped draft the Ordinance of 1787 that prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory. General Rufus Putnam, Captain Jonathan Stone, and other Ohio Land Company Revolutionary War veterans, founded Marietta at the mouth of the Muskingum River in 1788 bringing with them their anti-slavery sentiments. A proposal to legalize slavery in the proposed state of Ohio was vetoed largely due to the efforts of Marietta’s Ephraim Cutler and General Putnam at the 1802 Ohio Constitutional Convention. These conditions were precursors toward the formation of the Underground Railroad as fugitive slaves crossed the Ohio River seeking freedom. From 1812 through 1861, large numbers of fugitive slaves fleeing toward Canada, were aided by descendants of early settlers who operated Underground Railroad Stations along the Muskingum River. (Continued on other side)

124 East 4th Street
Marysville

, OH

The Marysville Ohio National Guard Armory was the first such armory constructed in the state after the recognition of the Guard in 1909. The new armory and others like it were built in response to federalization of National Guard units after the passage of the Militia Act of 1903. Armory buildings served as the headquarters for local companies and provided drill rooms and arsenals for the storage of military equipment and supplies. Architect Charles Insco Williams designed Marysville’s armory and it was built by James Laughlin, both of Dayton, Ohio. Marysville contractor George W. Fox provided the brickwork for the structure. Construction began in 1910 and was completed in 1911 at a cost of $19,886. (Continued on other side)

1827 Erie Street
Massillon

, OH

As a member of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Cavalry that fought at the Battle of Sailor’s Creek in Virginia on April 6, 1865, the last major battle of the Civil War, Private William Richardson was personally recommended by General Phillip Sheridan to receive the Medal of Honor for bravery. Private Richardson was the only survivor of an eight man recon group sent to investigate the strength and position of the Confederate troops. His information was invaluable toward the defeat of the enemy forces that day. Private Richardson is buried with his comrades by the Civil War Soldiers Monument.

605 Miami Street
Urbana

, OH

The Johnson Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1902 by brothers James B., J. Will, Isaac T., and Charles F. Johnson, all of Quaker heritage. The company manufactured tin and galvanized iron ware for railroad lines across the United States. The initial product was the No. 1 long-spouted locomotive oiler with the patented dripless spout. That was quickly followed by other types of oil cans, signaling equipment, engine buckets, tallow pots, torches, track inspection devices, tin cups, and caboose and cabin car lamps, all carrying the Diamond J trademark. The makers created the patterns and everything was cut, riveted, and soldered by hand. As production expanded, the original frame building at 605 Miami Street was replaced by a brick structure in 1910, the southernmost part of the present building. (continued on other side)

720 Washington Avenue
Lorain

, OH

Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King was born in Lorain, Ohio, on November 23, 1878. He graduated from Lorain High School in 1897 and later attended the United States Naval Academy. King lived by his motto, “Do all that we can with what we have.” Having the full confidence of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, King was eventually promoted to Fleet Admiral and commanded the largest fleet in the history of the United States and the world. Through his career, King held various leadership positions in the United States Navy and was the first man to simultaneously hold the positions of Commander in Chief of the U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations. (continued on other side)