Ohio State Fair hot air balloon   Save
Ohio Department of Economic and Community Development
Description: This photograph shows a hot-air balloon on exhibit at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus, ca. 1963-1983. The balloon bears the image of a cardinal, the state bird of Ohio since 1933. Text on the base of the balloon reads: “State of Ohio” and “Your passport to Ohio.” Visible in the photograph’s bottom is a sign titled “State of Ohio” that lists the name of the governor (James A. Rhodes). Passersby are stopping to look at the balloon. A woman appears to be sitting inside an enclosure surrounding the base of the balloon. The origins of the Ohio State Fair date back to the 1840s. In 1846 the Board of Agriculture was formed. The first state fair was scheduled for 1849, but it was delayed for a year by an outbreak of cholera. After another year-long delay, the fair was held in Cincinnati. Originally the fair was held in a different location every year, due to the difficulty in traveling long distances. In 1874, Columbus was chosen as the state fair’s permanent site because transportation around the state had become much easier. Only rarely has the fair been cancelled (the only examples being a few years during World War II, when the fairgrounds was being used by the U.S. military). After 1945, the state fair resumed its annual schedule. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06669
Subjects: Hot air balloons; Ohio State Fair (Columbus, Ohio); Birds--Ohio; Cardinals (Birds); Tourism; Ohio state symbols
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)