Description: This photograph from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus is of 33-year-old parolee Norman Walker. His formal attire suggests that the photograph was taken during his trial or sentencing. Walker, convicted of murdering a Valley View patrolman in Independence, was the 302nd individual to be executed via the electric chair in Ohio. The caption at the bottom reads: “No. 302 Norman E. Walker Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Legally Electro-cuted Janaury 3, 1958, for the Murder of Police Officer Garner M. Robertson” In 1885 the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio, became the location for all executions, which previously took place in the various county seats. In 1896 the Ohio General Assembly mandated that electrocution replace hanging as the form of capital punishment. The Ohio Penitentiary regularly offered tours as well as souvenir photographs and postcards of the building and prisoners on death row. A total of 315 prisoners, both men and women, were executed in the electric chair known as “Old Sparky” between 1897 and 1963. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08354
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Death row; Electrocution; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Prisons--Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Valley View (Ohio); Independence (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: View of covered bridge near Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, ca. 1886-1888. This photograph is part of a collection compiled by Henry Howe while researching the 1889 edition of "Historical Collections of Ohio." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00510
Subjects: Miami River Valley (Ohio); Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Piqua (Ohio); Miami County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is a view of Sharon Valley, near Wainwright, Ohio. It is located in Tuscarawas County. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B14F01_025_001
Subjects: Tuscarawas County (Ohio)
Places: Wainwright (Ohio); Tuscarawas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1940-1949, this photograph shows an aerial view of the Captina Valley in Belmont County, Ohio. The Captina Creek runs through the Captina Valley and serves as a home to diverse species of aquatic life, and is one of the most important watersheds in Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00317
Subjects: Belmont County (Ohio); Agriculture; Farming; Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio
Places: Belmont County (Ohio)
 

Description: The caption reads: "Little Miami Valley and river view from Fort Ancient, Warren County, Ohio." Fort Ancient is a series of earthen embankments that extend for more than three-and-a-half miles around a high bluff along the Little Miami River in Warren County, Ohio. It was built by the Hopewell culture between 100 B.C. and A.D. 400. Although it is called a "fort," it probably never served as a defensive work. Ditches are located inside the walls rather than outside as might be expected if it was an actual fort. Also, there are more than 60 gateways in the enclosure, which would have made it difficult to defend against enemies. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07992
Subjects: Little Miami River (Ohio); Mounds--Ohio--Warren County
Places: Warren County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "View of Miami Valley from Buffalo Ridge Road. West of Cincinnati, Ohio." Buffalo Ridge Road runs through the Mitchell Memorial Park in Cleves. It is a Hamilton County Park and has many interesting hiking and biking trails. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F10_006_1
Subjects: Landscapes--Ohio; Rural development--Ohio
Places: Cleves (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Original description reads: "View across the valley in which Dayton lies, from 'Inspiration Point' which is on the northern side of Peach Orchard Road 6/10 of a mile west of its intersection with Far Hills Ave. 3 miles south of town." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F08_036_1
Subjects: Miami River Valley (Ohio); Landscape photography--Ohio--Dayton
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image is a reproduction of a photograph depicting a view of the Ohio and Erie Canal at Millersport, Ohio, ca. 1900. At the right edge of the image people can be seen walking on the canal towpath. The Ohio and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid nineteenth century. During the late 1810s, Governor Thomas Worthington and Governor Ethan Allen Brown both supported the development of 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. Farmers and business owners would be able to transport their products much more easily and cheaply with canals rather than turnpikes. Canals would also possibly open up new markets for Ohio goods. In 1822 the Ohio legislature created a new Ohio Canal Commission, which eventually recommended two routes: a route that started at Lake Erie, passing through the Cuyahoga Valley, the Muskingum Valley, the Licking Valley, and then to the Ohio River along the Scioto Valley (Ohio and Erie Canal) and a western route along the Miami and Maumee Valleys (Miami and Erie Canal). In 1825 the Ohio legislature approved both routes, and work began immediately. On July 4, 1825, work began on the Ohio and Erie Canal at Licking Summit just south of Newark. The surrounding swamps were drained to create the Licking Reservoir, today known as Buckeye Lake, in order to supply adequate water for the canal going north to Coshocton and south to Circleville. After the canal route was established, the state engineers discovered that there was a ridge of hills located south of the proposed reservoir through which they would have to cut the canal. Because it was impossible to raise the reservoir’s level, the ridge had to be cut down to the level of the reservoir. This "Deep Cut" marks the deepest part of the canal at 32 feet and runs south from Millersport for nearly two miles. To finance the canals, the Ohio government relied on loans. Ohio received an initial loan of $400,000 from bankers and businessmen living along the East Coast. The canal commissioners estimated that the Ohio and Erie Canal would cost $ 2.3 million, but it actually cost roughly $10,000 per mile to finish. Although the construction of both canals nearly bankrupted the state government, the canals allowed Ohioans to prosper, beginning in the 1830s all the way to the Civil War. In 1830 the Ohio legislature earmarked funds for the Miami and Erie Canal's extension to Defiance and Lake Erie; by 1833 the Ohio and Erie Canal was complete. Once completed, however, the state’s canals still faced numerous difficulties. The effects of flooding and freezing could and often did seriously damage the canals. Usually canals in the northern half of the state were drained dry from November to April. These difficulties paled in comparison to the advantages of having the canals. The cost to ship goods from the East Coast to Ohio and vice versa declined tremendously, from $125 per ton of goods to $25 per ton of goods. Travelers who were willing to trade time for economy could save considerable money by taking a canal boat. Most canals remained in operation in Ohio until the late 1800s. By the 1850s canals were losing business to the railroads, which offered several advantages. Railroads delivered passengers and goods more quickly, and they were not limited by a water source as canals were. Because of these advantages, railroads quickly supplanted the canals. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06108
Subjects: Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Canals--Ohio--History--19th century; Transportation--Ohio--History;
Places: Millersport (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image is a reproduction of a photograph depicting a view of the Ohio and Erie Canal looking north from the the Pugh Locks at Millersport, Ohio, ca. 1906. Visible in the photograph are both banks of the canal and what appears to be the locks' structure. A caption handwritten in white reads: "The old canal from Pugh Locks looking north." The Ohio and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid nineteenth century. During the late 1810s, Governor Thomas Worthington and Governor Ethan Allen Brown both supported the development of 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. Farmers and business owners would be able to transport their products much more easily and cheaply with canals rather than turnpikes. Canals would also possibly open up new markets for Ohio goods. In 1822 the Ohio legislature created a new Ohio Canal Commission, which eventually recommended two routes: a route that started at Lake Erie, passing through the Cuyahoga Valley, the Muskingum Valley, the Licking Valley, and then to the Ohio River along the Scioto Valley (Ohio and Erie Canal) and a western route along the Miami and Maumee Valleys (Miami and Erie Canal). In 1825 the Ohio legislature approved both routes, and work began immediately. On July 4, 1825, work began on the Ohio and Erie Canal at Licking Summit just south of Newark. The surrounding swamps were drained to create the Licking Reservoir, today known as Buckeye Lake, in order to supply adequate water for the canal going north to Coshocton and south to Circleville. After the canal route was established, the state engineers discovered that there was a ridge of hills located south of the proposed reservoir through which they would have to cut the canal. Because it was impossible to raise the reservoir’s level, the ridge had to be cut down to the level of the reservoir. This "Deep Cut" marks the deepest part of the canal at 32 feet and runs south from Millersport for nearly two miles. To finance the canals, the Ohio government relied on loans. Ohio received an initial loan of $400,000 from bankers and businessmen living along the East Coast. The canal commissioners estimated that the Ohio and Erie Canal would cost $ 2.3 million, but it actually cost roughly $10,000 per mile to finish. Although the construction of both canals nearly bankrupted the state government, the canals allowed Ohioans to prosper, beginning in the 1830s all the way to the Civil War. In 1830 the Ohio legislature earmarked funds for the Miami and Erie Canal's extension to Defiance and Lake Erie; by 1833 the Ohio and Erie Canal was complete. Once completed, however, the state’s canals still faced numerous difficulties. The effects of flooding and freezing could and often did seriously damage the canals. Usually canals in the northern half of the state were drained dry from November to April. These difficulties paled in comparison to the advantages of having the canals. The cost to ship goods from the East Coast to Ohio and vice versa declined tremendously, from $125 per ton of goods to $25 per ton of goods. Travelers who were willing to trade time for economy could save considerable money by taking a canal boat. Most canals remained in operation in Ohio until the late 1800s. By the 1850s canals were losing business to the railroads, which offered several advantages. Railroads delivered passengers and goods more quickly, and they were not limited by a water source as canals were. Because of these advantages, railroads quickly supplanted the canals. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06110
Subjects: Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Canals--Ohio--History--19th century; Transportation--Ohio--History; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Millersport (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image is a reproduction of a photograph depicting a view of the Ohio and Erie Canal at Millersport, Ohio, ca. 1906. The Ohio and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid nineteenth century. During the late 1810s, Governor Thomas Worthington and Governor Ethan Allen Brown both supported the development of 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. Farmers and business owners would be able to transport their products much more easily and cheaply with canals rather than turnpikes. Canals would also possibly open up new markets for Ohio goods. In 1822 the Ohio legislature created a new Ohio Canal Commission, which eventually recommended two routes: a route that started at Lake Erie, passing through the Cuyahoga Valley, the Muskingum Valley, the Licking Valley, and then to the Ohio River along the Scioto Valley (Ohio and Erie Canal) and a western route along the Miami and Maumee Valleys (Miami and Erie Canal). In 1825 the Ohio legislature approved both routes, and work began immediately. On July 4, 1825, work began on the Ohio and Erie Canal at Licking Summit just south of Newark. The surrounding swamps were drained to create the Licking Reservoir, today known as Buckeye Lake, in order to supply adequate water for the canal going north to Coshocton and south to Circleville. After the canal route was established, the state engineers discovered that there was a ridge of hills located south of the proposed reservoir through which they would have to cut the canal. Because it was impossible to raise the reservoir’s level, the ridge had to be cut down to the level of the reservoir. This "Deep Cut" marks the deepest part of the canal at 32 feet and runs south from Millersport for nearly two miles. To finance the canals, the Ohio government relied on loans. Ohio received an initial loan of $400,000 from bankers and businessmen living along the East Coast. The canal commissioners estimated that the Ohio and Erie Canal would cost $ 2.3 million, but it actually cost roughly $10,000 per mile to finish. Although the construction of both canals nearly bankrupted the state government, the canals allowed Ohioans to prosper, beginning in the 1830s all the way to the Civil War. In 1830 the Ohio legislature earmarked funds for the Miami and Erie Canal's extension to Defiance and Lake Erie; by 1833 the Ohio and Erie Canal was complete. Once completed, however, the state’s canals still faced numerous difficulties. The effects of flooding and freezing could and often did seriously damage the canals. Usually canals in the northern half of the state were drained dry from November to April. These difficulties paled in comparison to the advantages of having the canals. The cost to ship goods from the East Coast to Ohio and vice versa declined tremendously, from $125 per ton of goods to $25 per ton of goods. Travelers who were willing to trade time for economy could save considerable money by taking a canal boat. Most canals remained in operation in Ohio until the late 1800s. By the 1850s canals were losing business to the railroads, which offered several advantages. Railroads delivered passengers and goods more quickly, and they were not limited by a water source as canals were. Because of these advantages, railroads quickly supplanted the canals. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06109
Subjects: Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Canals--Ohio--History--19th century; Transportation--Ohio--History; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Millersport (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Wyatt Ceutevry View Camera Norris Dam, near Knoxville TN" The Norris Dam is maintained by the Tennessee Valley Authority. It impounds the Clinch River and forms Norris Lake. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F11_009_001
Subjects: Norris Dams--Ohio--1930-1940. Clinch River (Va. and Tenn.); Norris Lake; Tennessee Valley Authority.
Places: Tennessee
 

Description: An inside view of Lunken Airport, the municipal commercial airport of Cincinnati in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Owned by the city of Cincinnati, Lunken Field (or Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport) is about 3 miles southeast of downtown Cincinnati. Situated in the Little Miami River Valley near Columbia, the first Cincinnati area settlement in 1788, this airport served as a commercial airport from the 1920s to the 1940s. At the time of the dedication in 1925, the 1, 000 acre airport was the largest municipal airport in the world. Following the catastrophic flooding of the Ohio River in 1947, the municipal airport was removed to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B04F05_22_01
Subjects: Cincinnati Lunken Municipal Airport
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)