MoreOhioTrivia
There's nothing more trivial than trivia, and here is some more trivial trivia from Ohio:
Highest Point in Ohio
Everyone knows that Ohio has no mountains, but do you know where the highest point in Ohio is located? When you visit the location, you really won't even seem like it's all that high, but with an elevation of 1,549 feet, you can say you've been high in Ohio if you visit 2280 SR 540, Bellefontaine, Ohio. There's a career center located there called Ohio Hi-Point Career Center. The name of the mountain is Campbell Hill.
Campbell Hill is named for Charles Campbell of Bellefontaine. He owned the land during the early 1900s. In 1900 a small marble stone was placed on the spot marketing it as the highest point in Ohio with an elevation of 1549.09 feet. From 1951 to 1969 the area and buildings located were part of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) and was used at times to track Santa Claus' movement throughout Ohio.
Shortest Street in America
McKinley Street in Bellefontaine is only 20' long and the folks that measure the streets and roads across America have determined that this little strip of pavement is officially the shortest street in the country. Whether that's true or not, Bellefontaine is going to lay claim to that title.
Oldest Concrete Road in America
While you're visiting the high point in Ohio, just down the road in Bellefontaine, you can also view a small section of the very first concrete road made in America. Poured over a hundred years ago, the road surrounds the Logan County Courthouse. The man responsible for the road was the inventor of Portland Cement, George Bartholomew, who moved to Bellefontaine in 1886. Five years later the road was made using his new "cement" product. Bartholomew founded the Buckeye Portland Cement Co. where he developed the formula for creating concrete. There's a marker honoring George nearby.
So if you ever get the chance to visit the Bellefontaine area, you can check off a number of high points on your list of trivia: the highest point in Ohio, the shortest street in America, and see what's left of the first, and oldest concrete road in America.
The White House Security Gates of Fremont
In Fremont Ohio at the former home of the oldest son of Rutherford B. Hayes and that is now the Presidential Library of R. B. Hayes, are the former gates used to protect the White House in Washington DC since the time when Ulysses S. Grant was president until 1921. In 1921 the gates around the White House had to be replaced when automobiles were becoming more popular around the country. The reason the gates had to be replaced is that they were too small.
When originally installed, horse & buggies were the norm. With the automobile, those old gates just didn't work, so Hayes son, Col. Webb C. Hayes petitioned then president Warren G. Harding to use the gates at the new library. Harding agreed, but in Washington DC, nothing is ever that simple. Congress had to approve the transfer of ownership which took Col. Hayes 6 years of dealing with Washington red tape before he gained possession. Today those 5 iron White House gates surround the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. The gate at top is located on the north entrance to Spiegel Grove. The close up at left is the main entrance to the estate and shows the Presidential Eagle, while the other gate depicts the Presidential Shield.
Rutherford Hayes was also the first president to use the Presidential Insignia and it was under his direction that this seal was created. It is strikingly different from the Seal of the United States' eagle which had the eagle's head pointed left as seen by the viewer. The Presidential Eagle's head pointed right, and remained this way until President Truman implemented a re-design of the Presidential Eagle by turning the eagle's head to the left as seen by a viewer.
What does all the left and right pointing signify? Not much. Tradition called for heraldic eagles to point to the left. Some myths have grown up that because the eagle contained arrows clutched in it's left talons, the big bird was looking towards war, instead of peace signified by the olive branch held in its right talon. More likely it was Hayes' wish to distinguish the White House as being a different segment of the federal government.
Fremont by any other name would still be Fremont
Fremont Ohio was not the original name associated with the town. Originally, the community was named Lower Sandusky. Now, Lower Sandusky is actually above, Upper Sandusky, which lies almost due south by about 40 miles. Plain old Sandusky is about 30 miles to the northeast. Plus, Fremont is the county seat of Sandusky County. Very confusing.
Rutherford B. Hayes, later, one of the most notable residents of Fremont, along with other Lower Sandusky residents brought about the name change to end the confusion in names.
In 1849, Lower Sandusky residents elected to change the village's name to Fremont, in honor of John C. Fremont, who had just captured California for the United States in the Mexican American War. After signing the peace treaty that ended the Mexican American War in California in 1847, John Fremont, who defeated the Mexican forces stationed in Santa Barbara, was appointed as the military governor of the area by Commodore Stockton. Freemont's superior officer, General Kearny, felt he, General Kearny should have been appointed to the position and arrested and had Fremont convicted for mutiny. President Polk quickly pardoned Fremont, and John Fremont became one of the first senators of California in 1856.
World's Longest Bar
According to the 1994 Guinness World Book of Records, there's a bar in the Beer Barrel Saloon in Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island that owns the record for being the longest bar in the world. It is 405' 10" long. There have since been other claims to that title, but at least it is still the longest bar in Ohio. The bar has 160 bar stools, has 56 beer taps and employs 20 bartenders on a busy night. By the way, if you could stand the bar on end, it would be taller than the nearby Perry's Victory Monument.
Ohio's Smallest Village
According to the 2000 US Census, the smallest incorporated community in Ohio is Miltonsburg located in southeastern Ohio, in Monroe County. Miltonsburg has a population of about 29 in 2000, but they estimate that number has now dropped to 28. The community was named for the son of David Pierson, who laid out the community. A onetime resident of Miltonsburg even created an informative web site about Miltonsburg, including its history. More about Miltonsburg >>
Oldest Traffic Light
Tucked away in the wonderful community of Ashville, is the world's oldest traffic light, and it is still working, even though it's now inside Ohio's Small Town Museum. According to the museum, the light was retired from active duty in 1982 only because color-blind people couldn't tell if it was green or red.
The space age looking traffic light has never stopped working since 1932 when it was installed at the corner of Main and Long Street in Ashville.
The museum is located at 34 Long St., Ashville, Ohio and open Monday - Friday 8a.m. - 3 p.m. and Saturday from 9 - 12.
Admission is free, but donations are accepted.
