Description: Dated ca. 1930-1939, this photograph shows the Ohio River Trail at Alms Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Hamilton County. The Frederick H. Alms Memorial Park is located at 710 Tusculum Avenue on Mount Tusculum, in Cincinnati, Ohio, overlooking the Ohio River. The park was given to the Park Board by Frederick Alms' wife in 1916. Alms was born in Cincinnati on February 26, 1839 and died July 25, 1898. A former solider and successful businessman, Alms is best remembered as an extraordinarily generous philanthropist. He married Eleanora C. Unzicker on November 9, 1870. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. 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_B04F01_026_01
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio); Parks; Alms, Fred H.; Geography and Natural Resources; Hiking trails; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Original description reads: "A native of Hungary tries a reading lesson before a circle of critical friends in a WPA literacy class, 8637 Buckeye Road, Cleveland, Ohio." On April 8, 1935, the United States Congress passed the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, which was hoped would allow Americans to cope with the Great Depression. Creation of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was the most important accomplishment of this Act. This government office hired unemployed Americans to work on various government projects. During its existence, the WPA constructed more than 600,000 miles of roads and built or repaired more than 124,000 bridges, 125,000 public buildings, 8,000 parks, and 850 airport runways. The WPA also included programs to support education and the arts, providing employment opportunities for out of work educators and artists of all varieties. Although the United States Congress reduced funding for the program in 1939, the WPA remained in operation until June 30, 1943. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B12F08_046_001
Subjects: Literacy programs--Ohio--Cleveland; Naturalization--United States; United States. Works Progress Administration
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is an aerial photograph of the aftermath of the Xenia, Ohio, tornado, 1974. It is what is known as a Super Outbreak of tornadoes. It remains one of the most destructive weather episodes on record in the United States. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03679
Subjects: Xenia (Ohio); Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio; Natural disasters--United States; Aerial views; Tornado damage
Places: Xenia (Ohio); Greene County (Ohio)
 

Description: Ceramic vessel has a globular body with an outward flaring rim. Entire exterior surface is covered in Mixter cordmarking. It is grayish brown in color. Item was excavated from Esch Mounds in Huron Township, Erie County, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07322
Subjects: Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio; Hopewell culture--Ohio; American Indians; Native American history and society
Places: Huron Township (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio)
 

Description: Two 8" x 10" (20.32 x 25.4 cm) photographs document coal mining at the Sunday Creek Coal Mine Number 9 in Hocking County, Ohio. Organized in 1905, the Sunday Creek Coal Company operated dozens of mines in southeastern Ohio and West Virginia. Sunday Creek Coal Mine #6 in Millfield, Ohio was the site of one of the worst mining disasters in Ohio's history. On November 5, 1930, a buildup of methane gas exploded when the trolley the miners used to carry coal out of the mine produced a spark on the track. Eighty-two men were killed. Following the explosion, the mine closed for about a month. It reopened and operated until 1945. Tougher safety regulations were instituted in 1931 as a result of the Sunday Creek Coal Mine disaster. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3093_3735472_001
Subjects: Geography and Natural Resources; Business and Labor; Coal mining; Coal; Coal miners
Places: Hocking County (Ohio)
 

Description: Long and broad obsidian biface of the Ross barbed type has a gently curving edge. The base is corner notched with a diamond-shaped stem. Item was excavated from the Hopewell Site in Twin Township, Ross County, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07231
Subjects: Ross County (Ohio); Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio; Hopewell culture--Ohio; Archaeology
Places: Twin Township (Ohio); Ross County (Ohio)
 

Description: Copper plate is rectangular in shape. The long sides are straight and the shorter sides curve slightly inward. Corners are rounded. One of the long sides is slightly longer than the other. A large piece of woven textile is adhered to the upper surface. There also appears to be a piece of bark adhered adjacent to textile. Item has one small perforation adjacent to the fabric, toward the middle. The copper is moderate yellow green, dusky yellow green, moderate green, grayish yellow green, grayish olive green and dark reddish brown in color. The textile is very dark gray and light gray. Item was excavated from the Raymond J. Ater Mound in Concord Township, Ross County, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07393
Subjects: Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio; Excavations (Archaeology)--Ohio; Hopewell culture--Ohio--Scioto River Valley; American Indians; Mounds--Ohio--Ross County; Native American history and society
Places: Concord Township (Ohio); Ross County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image shows the inside of the Ohio Caverns near West Liberty, Ohio. The caverns were formed thousands of years ago when an underground river cut through ancient limestone and created rooms and passageways that later filled with a vast quantity of crystal stalactites. The most famous formation in the Ohio Caverns is the Crystal King, one of the biggest and most perfectly-formed stalactites ever known. The caverns are the largest in the state, with over two miles of surveyed passageways ranging in depth from thirty feet to the deepest point of one hundred and three feet. The exact age of the caverns is unknown. The Columbus Grey Limestone in which the caverns are carved is some 400 million years old, and the oldest crystal is estimated to be 250,000 years old. The Ohio Caverns serve as a major tourist attraction in Logan County, along with the Zane Caverns and the Lake State Park. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06497
Subjects: Caves--Ohio; Ohio History--Natural and Native Ohio; Crystals; Tourism; Geology--Ohio
Places: West Liberty (Ohio); Logan County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "New Lighthouse at Huron, on Lake Erie." The Huron lighthouse was constructed in 1835. The tower is considered to be an "Art Moderne" style made out of steel plate and concrete. Currently the lighthouse is mostly used by recreational boaters and the occasional freighter. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F01A_019_1
Subjects: Geography and Natural Resources; Lighthouses; Harbors; Recreation
Places: Huron (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1930-1939, this photograph shows a 300 year old beech tree on Geology Trail at Ault Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ault Park is the fourth largest park in Cincinnati. In in the 1940's the park was said to be 235.5 acres, but at some point shrank to its current 223.949 acres. The observation pavilion, designed by Fechheimer and Ihorst, gives the visitor 360 degree views of the formal gardens and the Little Miami Valley, as well as Carew Tower in downtown Cincinnati, and the Kentucky hills. George Kessler initially designed the gardens, and were later modified by A.D. Taylor. Forest trails follow the Red Bank Creek, where interesting geological formations can be enjoyed. The park was named for Mr. and Mrs. Levi Addison Ault, who donated all but 30 acres of land for the park. A bronze plaque by Clement J. Barnhorn, set in rose granite glacial boulder and located at the south end of the pavilion, honors Mr. Ault. The pavilion's water cascade, between a double flight of stairs, was built in 1930, but fell into disrepair during the 1960s. It continued to deteriorate for roughly 25 years, until donations from the city of Cincinnati and its citizens enabled renovations. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. 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_B10F04_013_001
Subjects: Trees; Parks--Ohio--Cincinnati; Little Miami Valley (Ohio); Trails--Ohio; Geography and Natural Resources
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1930-1943, this photograph shows two boys sitting by a pond, with a note on the reverse which reads "People at work or play." This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. 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_B10F08_015_001
Subjects: Ponds; Trees; Boys; Parks Ohio; Geography and Natural Resources; Nature
Places: 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. This photograph shows LaBelle Boulevard in Steubenville, Ohio, covered with flood water. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched thousands of relief workers from the Works Progress Administration to rescue flood victims and restore affected cities. 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_015_001
Subjects: Steubenville (Ohio)--History--Pictorial works; Ohio River; Floods; Natural disasters; Works Progress Administration; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Steubenville (Ohio); Jefferson County (Ohio)