Description: Photomechanical reproduction of Levi Coffin's home that was located in Fountain City, Wayne County, Indiana, and served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Levi Coffin (1798-1877) and his wife Catharine (1803-1881) were reputed to have harbored more than two thousand slaves from the fall of 1826 to 1846. Coffin was even referred to as the "President of the Underground Railroad." Coffin later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he continued to offer his home as an Underground Railroad stop. The person in the photograph is not identified. The image was collected by Ohio State University professor Wilbur H. Siebert (1866-1961). Siebert began researching the Underground Railroad in the 1890s as a way to interest his students in history. On the photograph written in the left hand corner is: "MARetts Prep" Next to the figure in photograph is written: "Under Ground Railway Hotel. Fountain City Ind [Indiana]" Next to the tree in the photograph is written: "Built 1839" The sign on the building reads: "HOTEL" View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03010
Subjects: Siebert, Wilbur Henry, 1866-1961; Coffin, Levi, 1798-1877; Underground Railroad--Indiana
Places: Fountain City (Indiana); Wayne County (Indiana)
 

Description: Photographic reproduction of a copper engraved portrait of Levi Coffin (1798-1877), a Quaker and a sympathizer with fugitive slaves. The original portrait was possibly created circa 1850 to 1877. Together with his wife Catharine, Coffin aided over two thousand fugitive slaves at Fountain City, Wayne County, Indiana, from 1826 to 1846. The image was collected by Ohio State University professor Wilbur H. Siebert (1866-1961). Siebert began researching the Underground Railroad in the 1890s as a way to interest his students in history. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03028
Subjects: Underground Railroad--Indiana; Ohio History--Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Civil Rights
Places: Fountain City (Indiana); Wayne County (Indiana)
 

Description: Photographic reproduction of a copper engraved portrait of Catharine Coffin (1803-1881), a Quaker and a sympathizer with fugitive slaves. Together with her husband Levi, Coffin aided over 2,000 fugitive slaves at Fountain City, Wayne County, Indiana, from 1826 to 1846. The image was collected by Ohio State University professor Wilbur H. Siebert (1866-1961). Siebert began researching the Underground Railroad in the 1890s as a way to interest his students in history. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03029
Subjects: Ohio History--Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Civil Rights; Underground Railroad--Ohio; Antislavery movements--Ohio--History--19th century; Abolitionists;
Places: Fountain City (Indiana)
 

Description: Caption on reverse reads: "Indian Trail Marker (Silhouette). Central Pky. and Sycamore Str." This photograph shows a plaque with the silhouette of soldiers and a covered wagon on top, held between two concrete pillars. It used to stand somewhere near the intersections of Reading Road, Central Parkway and Sycamore Street, in Cincinnati. Inscription reads: "Approximately at this point two Ohio military trails branched. Reading Road follows the marches of Bowman, Clark, Harmar, Harrison, Clay and Shelby, 1779 - 1812. Central Parkway follows the route of St. Clair and Wayne, 1791 - 1793." A historical marker, erected under the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission's plan, stands at Central Parkway and Sycamore where the two Ohio trails branched. Reading Road following the marches of Bowman, Clark, Harmar, Harrison, Clay and Shelby; and Central Parkway folloing the route of St. Clair and Mad Anthony Wayne - brave names in those days of pioneer drumbeat and marching soldiers and frontiersmen in buckskin. The Daughters of the American Revolution placed at the Central Parkway and Ludlow Avenue intersection a bronze tablet in memory of Major General Arthur St. Clair, who was an officer in the Revolutionary War, first governor of the Northwest Territory, and the man who gave Cincinnati its name. Major General Arthur St. Clair left Fort Washington, in present day Cincinnati, on September 17, 1791, following the aforementioned trail north, in order to build a fort at the head of the Maumee River. An large group of Indians led by Little Turtle and Blue Jacket, as well as army deserters and prisoners, left Kekionga in Indiana, heading south. The Indians had been receiving information about the army's movements from warrior scouts and deserters, and a large group led by Little Turtle and Blue Jacket headed south to intercept St. Clair's army. A battle ensued near what is now Fort Recovery in which most of St. Clair's officers were killed, causing him to lose his post and his reputation.General Anthony Wayne returned in 3 years with properly trained, well-equipped army, and defeated the Indians at Fallen Timbers near Toledo. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F10_021_1
Subjects: Historical markers--Ohio--Cincinnati; Indian trails--Ohio; Central Parkway Area (Cincinnati, Ohio); Memorials--Ohio; Wayne, Anthony, 1745-1796; St. Clair, Arthur, 1734-1818
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image shows a blockhouse in Mansfield that stood when Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman, 1704-1784) ran for reinforcements against a pending Indian attack during the War of 1812. Chapman immediately went to Mount Vernon for assistance. At the time of Appleseed's run, the square in Mansfield was the site of two blockhouses erected during the War of 1812. One blockhouse, constructed of round logs by a Captain Schaeffer of Fairfield County, stood at the intersection of Main Street and Park Avenue West. (The description fits this image.) Chapman risked his own life to summon aid for his neighbors in Richland County. This willingness to suffer for others was a trait Chapman exhibited throughout his life. John Chapman was born on September 26, 1774, in Leominster, Massachusetts. Chapman is better known as Johnny Appleseed. Beginning in 1802, Chapman wandered through Pennsylvania and eventually Ohio, planting apple nurseries. He spent most of his time in Ohio in Richland County near Mansfield. Chapman was known as being somewhat of an eccentric. He opposed violence of all sorts towards both humans and animals. He was a strict vegetarian. He also primarily wore discarded clothing or would barter some apple saplings for used clothes. Many of Ohio's first orchards began with saplings from Chapman's nurseries. His trees fed many of Ohio's early white settlers as they struggled to establish farms and homes on the frontier. Johnny Appleseed eventually owned more than 1,200 acres of land across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He died near Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the early 1840s. This image of the Mansfield blockhouse was among the photographs produced by the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) between 1935 and 1943. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06392
Subjects: Chapman, John, 1704-1784; Appleseed, Johnny, 1774-1845; Mansfield (Ohio); War of 1812; Mansfield (Ohio); United States. Work Progress Administration
Places: Mansfield (Ohio); Richland County (Ohio)
 

Description: Original description reads: "Cinci., O., Sept. 1937 Fort Washington Monument." In 1789, Fort Washington was built to protect early settlements located in the Symmes Purchase in the Miami Valley of what is now southwestern Ohio. The fort was located in modern-day Cincinnati and protected settlers of that city in its early years. The stockade's walls were two stories high with blockhouses located at each corner. The fort was named in honor of President George Washington. In 1790, Harmar used Fort Washington to launch an expedition against the Miami Indians, whose principal city was Kekionga (modern-day Fort Wayne, Indiana). The fort would serve similar purposes for the remainder of the 1790s until the United States Army abandoned it in 1803. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B04F02_14_01
Subjects: Fort Washington (Ohio)--Monuments; Cincinnati (Ohio)
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "Langley's Inn, built as an Indian trading post in 1828. Still stands in an excellent state of preservation on River Road at E. Wayne St. in Maumee, Ohio." The oldest business building in Lucas County, Ohio, the Commercial Building at 301 River Road has been known by different names over the years, including the Neeley House, the Eagle, the Schieley House, the Bismark, the Seurin Hotel, the Langley Inn, the Governor’s Inn, J. Brown’s River Inn, and the Old Plantation Inn. In 1836, Levi Beebe built the Commercial Building. Initially, several different businesses occupied the structure, including various law firms, several stores, and even the local post office. The building also housed an inn at this time. Several prominent people purportedly stayed at the inn, including future presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Rutherford B. Hayes. Businesses in the Commercial Building flourished during the 1830s and 1840s. The structure was located on the stagecoach route between Detroit, Michigan and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Also, Maumee is located on the Maumee River, and river traffic brought business and guests to the area. Maumee also was the original county seat of Lucas County, bringing people to the community who were engaged in legal matters or in politics. In 1837, the Lucas County Whig Party actually formed in the Commercial Building. In 1852, the Lucas County seat moved to Toledo. The Maumee economy weakened at this time, but the Commercial Building continued to house various businesses. Purportedly, the structure served as a stop on the Underground Railroad in the years before the American Civil War. During the twentieth century, the building principally functioned as an inn and restaurant. As of this writing, the Commercial Building houses Giannos Restaurant. The Commercial Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B02F02_012_1
Subjects: National Historic Landmark Program (U.S.); Historic sites--Maumee River Valley (Ind. and Ohio)--Pictorial works; Lucas County (Ohio)--History.
Places: Maumee (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: This campaign ribbon was created for the presidential election of 1840. It is made of white silk and decorated with images of candidate William Henry Harrison and a log cabin. The ribbon measures 3.15 by 7 inches (8 by 18 cm). Historians have described the 1840 campaign as the first modern political campaign. Harrison broke with tradition and campaigned actively for president on the Whig ticket. The log cabin became the symbol of Harrison's campaign when his Democratic opponents ridiculed him, saying he would be content to spend his days in a log cabin drinking hard cider. Harrison's supporters turned this insult around to portray Harrison as a man of the people. Harrison (1773-1841) was a member of a prominent Virginia family. He served as aide-de-camp to General Anthony Wayne during the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. After moving to the Ohio country, he became secretary of the Northwest Territory and served as the territory's first representative to Congress. In 1801, Harrison became governor of the Indiana Territory and served in that position for 12 years. Harrison achieved his greatest fame during the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. He was planning an attack on an American Indian settlement known as Prophet's town. Instead, American Indian forces attacked Harrison's camp on the Tippecanoe River. Harrison's troops repulsed the attack, but suffered almost 200 dead and wounded. During the War of 1812, Harrison commanded the Army of the Northwest and attained the rank of brigadier general. In 1813, he defeated the combined forces of the British and American Indians at the Battle of the Thames, where Chief Tecumseh was killed. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1427_1534367_001
Subjects: Presidents and Politics; Harrison, William Henry, 1773-1841; Presidential elections; Log cabins
Places: North Bend (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This papier-mâché snuffbox is an example of the plethora of campaign paraphernalia that was created for William Henry Harrison's successful campaign for the presidency in 1840. Harrison's image is painted on the top of the box, while the bottom shows a scene from the Battle of Tippecanoe. The snuff box was manufactured in England. It measures 5.31 by 3.54 inches (13.5 by 9 cm). Snuffboxes were used to hold powdered tobacco, which was popular in the nineteenth century. Historians have described the 1840 campaign as the first modern political campaign. Harrison broke with tradition and campaigned actively for president on the Whig ticket. The log cabin became the symbol of Harrison's campaign when his Democratic opponents ridiculed him, saying he would be content to spend his days in a log cabin drinking hard cider. Harrison's supporters turned this insult around to portray Harrison as a man of the people. William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) was a member of a prominent Virginia family who made a career of the army. He served as aide-de-camp to General Anthony Wayne during the Battle of Fallen Timbers. After moving to Ohio, he became secretary of the Northwest Territory and served as the territory's first representative to Congress. In 1801, Harrison became governor of the Indiana Territory and served in that position for 12 years. As governor, one of Harrison's major responsibilities was to obtain title to Indian lands to accommodate white settlement. Harrison achieved his greatest fame during the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. He was planning an attack on an Indian settlement known as Prophet's town. Instead, the Indians attacked Harrison's camp on the Tippecanoe River. Harrison's troops repulsed the Indians, but suffered almost 200 dead and wounded. During the War of 1812, Harrison commanded the Army of the Northwest and attained the rank of brigadier general. In 1813, he defeated the combined forces of the British and American Indians at the Battle of the Thames, where chief Tecumseh was killed. Harrison resigned his commission in 1814 and returned to Ohio. He entered politics and served in both houses of the U.S. Congress and the state senate. Supporters suggested Harrison as a possible candidate for vice president in 1836, but he swore he would never accept that office and campaigned for president. Because there were three Whigs running for president, Democrat Martin Van Buren won the election. Still, Harrison gained enough support to make him a viable candidate for the 1840 election. Harrison won the election, but contacted pneumonia and died after only one month in office. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1353_1149109_001
Subjects: Presidents and Politics; Political campaigns; Presidential elections; Snuff; Harrison, William Henry, 1773-1841
Places: North Bend (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows an abandoned canal lock and an overgrown canal bed near Grand Rapids, Ohio. A railroad trestle spans the canal bed. The unidentified lock may be Lock No. 44, now located within the boundaries of Providence Metro Park (across the Maumee River from Grand Rapids). Lock No. 44 was part of the Miami, Wabash and Erie Canal system. The Miami and Erie Canal, which connected Toledo to Cincinnati, joined the Wabash and Erie Canal, which linked Toledo to Evansville, Indiana. The conjoined canals diverged at Junction, Ohio. The Miami 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 western route along the Miami and Maumee Valleys (Miami and Erie Canal) and an eastern 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). In 1825 the Ohio legislature approved both routes, and work began immediately on the Miami and Erie Canal. The 250-mile-long canal was completed in 1845. On February 22, 1832, construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal started in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Once completed, it would connect Toledo, Ohio, and Evansville, Indiana. The Wabash and Erie Canal intersected with the Miami and Erie Canal at the town of Junction, Ohio. From Junction the canals proceeded as one to Defiance, Toledo, and Lake Erie. 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: AL06114
Subjects: Wabash and Erie Canal (Ind. and Ohio); Miami and Erie Canal (Ohio); Canals--Ohio--History--19th century; Grand Rapids (Ohio); Wood County (Ohio); Transportation--Ohio--History;
Places: Grand Rapids (Ohio); Wood County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of a farm in Ohio's Appalachian foothills, near Marietta. Much of the land between Marietta and Woodsfield is occupied by Wayne National Forest. Discussion of a national forest in southeastern Ohio began in 1919; the first tracts of land were purchased in 1935. The park was operated as Wayne-Hoosier National Forest until 1951, when Ohio's and Indiana's forests were administratively separated. The Wayne currently preserves the natural and archaeological heritage of southeastern Ohio, spanning 12 counties and more than 240,000 acres. Reverse reads, in part: "Class--Agriculture. Ident.--Farm scene. Location--On the road between Marietta and Woodsfield. Caption--Hillside and bottomland." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F18_004_1
Subjects: Farms--Ohio.
Places: Marietta (Ohio); Washington County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Lake freighter S.T. Crapo on the Maumee River. (Close-up)" This is a photograph of the S.T. Crapo freighter on the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The photo is taken from the water and shows the front and side of the freighter. The Maumee River forms in Fort Wayne, Indiana and continues to flow into the Maumee Bay of Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F11_031_001
Subjects: Maumee River (Ind. and Ohio); Cargo Ships; Cityscape photography; Toledo (Ohio)--History--Pictorial works; Central business districts--Ohio--Toledo; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project.
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)