Description: In January and February of 1937, weeks of heavy rainfall caused the Ohio River to flood parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, causing $500 million in property damages, and displacing and killing hundreds. By the end of January, the Ohio River measured 80 feet deep in Cincinnati, one of the areas most affected. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities. This photograph shows the Sohio gas station in Empire, Ohio, with the white mark on the door jam which marks the flood level. The mark is visible just right of center, between the farthest right window and the door of the building, near the top of the door frame. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F06_010_001
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Works Progress Administration; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Empire (Ohio); Jefferson County (Ohio)
 

Description: In January and February of 1937, weeks of heavy rainfall caused the Ohio River to flood parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, causing $500 million in property damages, and displacing and killing hundreds. By the end of January, the Ohio River measured 80 feet deep in Cincinnati, one of the areas most affected. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities. This photograph shows the Sohio gas station in Empire, Ohio, with the white mark on the door jam documenting the flood level. The mark is visible just right of center, between the farthest right window and the door of the building, near the top of the door frame. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F06_027_001
Subjects: Floods; Natural disasters; Ohio River; Works Progress Administration; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Empire (Ohio); Jefferson County (Ohio)
 

Description: Map showing Ohio railroad lines, indicated in red along with the name of the railroad. This map was included as a fold-out in the 1950 edition of "Ohio: An Empire Within an Empire." Originally published in February 1944 by the Ohio Development and Publicity Commission, this publication documents "the resources and facilities of Ohio, taking into particular consideration war expansions." Topics covered include agriculture. forestry, mineral resources, transportation, oil, retail and wholesale trade, and much more. According to information accompanying the map, Ohio had 8,482 miles of railroad at the time, ranking sixth in the nation for such mileage. Railroads represented include the Pennsylvania; New York Central; Baltimore and Ohio; Erie; Nickel Plate; Chesapeake and Ohio; Norfolk and Western; Wabash; Akron, Canton and Youngstown; Detroit, Toledo and Ironton; and Pittsburgh and Lake Erie. Railways in Ohio connected the state to surrounding states as well as Atlantic and Gulf ports important for import and export traffic. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MAPVFM0095_4
Subjects: Maps--Ohio; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development; Railroads--Ohio; Railroad stations; Natural resources--Ohio
Places: Ohio
 

Description: This image shows the side facade of the Erie County Courthouse. The original courthouse was completed in 1874 in the Second Empire style with a mansard roof and imposing corner towers. During the 1930s funds from the Works Progress Administration funds were used to remodel the courthouse into the popular Art Deco style of the time. The mansard roof and ornamentation were removed in favor of the smooth limestone facade it presently has. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_129
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; arches; clock towers; Second Empire; Art Deco
Places: Sandusky (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio); 323 Columbus Ave.
 

Description: This image shows the front facade of the Erie County Courthouse. The original courthouse was completed in 1874 in the Second Empire style with a mansard roof and imposing corner towers. During the 1930s funds from the Works Progress Administration funds were used to remodel the courthouse into the popular Art Deco style of the time. The mansard roof and ornamentation were removed in favor of the smooth limestone facade it presently has. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_128
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; arches; clock towers; Second Empire; Art Deco
Places: Sandusky (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio); 323 Columbus Ave.
 

Description: This image shows the cornerstone of the Franklin County Courthouse, which is located in the heart of Columbus' County Government Center. This building was built between 1884 and 1887 by George H. Maetzel. It was the county’s third courthouse and made of Berea sandstone. Before its destruction in 1974 due to irreparable structural faults, it was one of the finest examples of Second Empire architecture in the United States. An annex was added in 1951. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_150
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; Second Empire
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); 373 S. High St.
 

Description: This image shows the windows on the front facade of the Erie County Courthouse. The original courthouse was completed in 1874 in the Second Empire style with a mansard roof and imposing corner towers. During the 1930s funds from the Works Progress Administration funds were used to remodel the courthouse into the popular Art Deco style of the time. The mansard roof and ornamentation were removed in favor of the smooth limestone facade it presently has. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_130
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; arches; clock towers; Second Empire; Art Deco
Places: Sandusky (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio); 323 Columbus Ave.
 

Description: This image shows the front and side facades of the Franklin County Courthouse, which is located in the heart of Columbus' County Government Center. This building was built between 1884 and 1887 by George H. Maetzel. It was the county’s third courthouse and made of Berea sandstone. Before its destruction in 1974 due to irreparable structural faults, it was one of the finest examples of Second Empire architecture in the United States. An annex was added in 1951. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_147
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; Second Empire
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); 373 S. High St.
 

Description: This image shows the front and side facades of the Franklin County Courthouse, which is located in the heart of Columbus' County Government Center. This building was built between 1884 and 1887 by George H. Maetzel. It was the county’s third courthouse and made of Berea sandstone. Before its destruction in 1974 due to irreparable structural faults, it was one of the finest examples of Second Empire architecture in the United States. An annex was added in 1951. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_146
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; Second Empire
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); 373 S. High St.
 

Description: This image shows the front entrance of the Franklin County Courthouse, which is located in the heart of Columbus' County Government Center. This building was built between 1884 and 1887 by George H. Maetzel. It was the county’s third courthouse and made of Berea sandstone. Before its destruction in 1974 due to irreparable structural faults, it was one of the finest examples of Second Empire architecture in the United States. An annex was added in 1951. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_149
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; Second Empire
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); 373 S. High St.
 

Description: This image shows the front facade of the Franklin County Courthouse, which is located in the heart of Columbus' County Government Center. This building was built between 1884 and 1887 by George H. Maetzel. It was the county’s third courthouse and made of Berea sandstone. Before its destruction in 1974 due to irreparable structural faults, it was one of the finest examples of Second Empire architecture in the United States. An annex was added in 1951. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_148
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; Second Empire
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); 373 S. High St.
 

Description: This image shows the front and side facades of the Erie County Courthouse. The original courthouse was completed in 1874 in the Second Empire style with a mansard roof and imposing corner towers. During the 1930s funds from the Works Progress Administration funds were used to remodel the courthouse into the popular Art Deco style of the time. The mansard roof and ornamentation were removed in favor of the smooth limestone facade it presently has. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_127
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; arches; clock towers; Second Empire; Art Deco
Places: Sandusky (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio); 323 Columbus Ave.