Bowling Green

By historical accounts, in 1832, when settler Elisha Martindale was the first white settler to arrive in the area by means of an old native american trail. He claimed 40 acres of land near the site of the current Conneaut School on Haskins Road. During the first season, he camped on the land and was able to cut and stack two ricks of prairie hay. Returning to his claim the following spring to build a cabin, Martindale found his hay burned by some of the Native Americans that inhabited this. They could have been members of the Wyandot, Miami, or Ottawa tribes.

After Martindale and over the next decade more settlers arrived and built dwellings. In 1835 the first school was built. Commerce consisted mainly of farming, fur trading and lumbering.

The village of Bowling Green received its name in 1834 from an early postal carrier, Joseph Gordon, who previously lived and worked in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The current downtown commercial center originated in 1846 when L. C. Locke purchased land (today's 139 S. Main St.) to establish his home and a store, and he also built the area's first factory, an ashery. Other merchants opened establishments nearby to create the early business district.

In 1855 the settlement was officially incorporated as a village; John C. Wooster was elected its first mayor in 1856. In the mid-1870's the community received the sought-after designation of county seat for Wood County after a prolonged battle with neighboring Perrysburg. With the dawn of the 20th Century Bowling Green officially received city status in 1901.

The community gained prominence as an educational center when Ohio's legislature established the State Normal College (now Bowling Green State University) in 1910. Today's thriving community prides itself on a high quality-of-life for its residents, reflective of the hard work of our early pioneers who recognized the area's potential.

Black Swamp of Northwest Ohio

The Black Swamp was located in the northwestern part of Ohio. Native Americans refused to live in this foreboding region. It consisted of dense forests, and for much of the year, the land was flooded. This became a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other nasty insects. All combined it made traveling nearly impossible, much less farming. By 1820, most of Ohio was settled and no longer part of the frontier. The one exception: the Black Swamp area. Later in the 19th Century, Ohioans drained the swamp. This area now consists of some of the most fertile agricultural land in the entire United States.

Attractions

Snooks Dream Cars : Automobile history with cars from 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s displayed in period scenes