was discovered in the N.W. in 1884; in 1883 the output was only
47,632 barrels, four years later it was 5,022,632 barrels, and in
1896 it was 23,941,169 barrels, or 39% of the total output in the
United States. For the next ten years, however, there was a decrease,
and in 1908 the output had fallen to 10,858,797 barrels, of which
6,748,676 barrels (valued at $6,861,885) was obtained in the Lima
district, 4,109,935 barrels (valued at $7,315,667) from the south-east
district, and 186 barrels (valued at $950), suitable for lubricating
purposes, from the Mecca-Belden district in Trumbull and
Lorain counties. Natural gas abounds in the eastern, central and
north-western parts of the state. That in the E. was first used
in 1866, the N.W. field was opened in 1884, and the central field
was opened in 1887. The value of the state’s yearly flow increased
steadily from $100,000 in 1885 to $5,215,669 in 1889, decreased
from the latter year to $1,171,777 in 1897, and then increased to
$8,244,835 in 1908. Some of the best sandstone in the United States
is obtained from Cuyahoga and Lorain counties; it is exceptionally
pure in texture (about 97% being pure silica), durable and evenly
coloured light buff, grey or blue grey. From the Ohio sandstone
known as Berea grit a very large portion of the country’s grindstones
and pulpstones has been obtained; in 1908 the value of Ohio’s
output of these stones was $482,128. Some of the Berea grit is also
suitable for making oilstones and scythestones. Although the state
has a great amount of limestone, especially in Erie and Ottawa
counties, its dull colour renders it unsuitable for most building
purposes. It is, however, much used as a flux for melting iron
and for making quick lime. The quantity of Portland cement
made in Ohio increased from 57,000 barrels in 1890 to 563,113
barrels in 1902 and to 1,521,764 barrels in 1908. Beds of rock
gypsum extend over an area of 150 acres or more in Ottawa county.
There is some iron ore in the eastern and south-eastern parts of the
state, and the mining of it was begun early in the 19th century;
but the output decreased from 254,294 long tons in 1889 to only
26,585 long tons (all carbonate) in 1908. Ohio, in 1908, produced
3,427,478 barrels of salt valued at $864,710. Other valuable
minerals are clay suitable for making pottery, brick and tile (in
1908 the value of the clay working products was $26,622,490) and
sand suitable for making glass. The total value of the state’s
mineral products in 1908 amounted to $134,499,335.
Manufactures.—The total value of the manufactures increased from $348,298,390 in 1880 to $641,688,064 in 1890, and to $832,438,113 in 1900. The value of the factory product was $748,670,855 in 1900 and $960,811,857 in 1905.[1] The most important manufacturing industry is that of iron and steel. This industry was established near Youngstown in 1804. The value of the products increased from $65,206,828 in 1890 to $138,935,256 in 1900 and to $152,859,124 in 1905. Foundry and machine-shop products, consisting largely of engines, boilers, metal-working machinery, wood-working machinery, pumping machinery, mining machinery and stoves, rank second among the state’s manufactures; their value increased from $43,617,072 in 1890 to $72,399,632 in 1900, and to $94,507,691 in 1905. Flour and grist mill products rank third in the state; the value of the products decreased from $39,468,409 in 1890 to $37,390,367 in 1900, and then increased to $40,855,566 in 1905. Meat (slaughtering and packing) was next in the value of the product, and increased from $20,660,780 in 1900 to $28,729,044 in 1905. Clay products rank fifth in the state; they increased in value from $16,480,812 in 1900 to $25,686,870 in 1905. Boots and shoes rank sixth; their value increased from $8,489,728 in 1890 to $17,920,854 in 1900 and to $25,140,220 in 1905. Other leading manufactures are malt liquors ($21,620,794 in 1905), railway rolling-stock consisting largely of cars ($21,428,227), men’s clothing ($18,496,173), planing mill products ($17,725,711), carriages and wagons ($16,096,125), distilled liquors ($15,976,523), rubber and elastic goods ($15,963,603), furniture ($13,322,608), cigars and cigarettes ($13,241,230), agricultural implements ($12,891,197), women’s clothing ($12,803,582), lumber and timber products ($12,567,992), soap and candles ($11,791,223), electrical machinery, apparatus and supplies ($11,019,235), paper and wood pulp ($10,961,527) and refined petroleum ($10,948,864).
The great manufacturing centres are Cleveland, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Toledo, Columbus, Dayton and Akron, and in 1905 the value of the products of these cities amounted to 56·7% of that for the entire state. A large portion of the iron and steel is manufactured in Cleveland, Youngstown, Steubenville, Bellaire, Lorain and Ironton. Most of the automobiles are manufactured in Cleveland; most of the cash registers and calculating machines in Dayton; most of the rubber and elastic goods in Akron; nearly one-half of the liquors and about three-fourths of the men’s clothing in Cincinnati. East Liverpool leads in the manufacture of pottery; Toledo in flour and grist mill products; Springfield in agricultural implements; Cincinnati and Columbus in boots and shoes; Cleveland in women’s clothing.
Transportation and Commerce.—The most important natural means of transportation are the Ohio river on the S. border and Lake Erie on the N. border. One of the first great public improvements made within the state was the connexion of these waterways by two canals—the Ohio & Erie Canal from Cleveland to Portsmouth, and the Miami & Erie Canal from Toledo to Cincinnati. The Ohio & Erie was opened throughout its entire length (309 m.) in 1832. The Miami & Erie was completed from Middletown to Cincinnati in 1827; in 1845 it was opened to the lake (250 m. from Cincinnati). The national government began in 1825 to extend the National Road across Ohio from Bridgeport, opposite Wheeling, West Virginia, through Zanesville and Columbus, and completed it to Springfield in 1837. Before the completion of the Miami & Erie Canal to Toledo, the building of railways was begun in this region, and in 1836 a railway was completed from that city to Adrian, Michigan. By the close of 1850 the railway mileage had increased to 575 m., and for the next forty years, with the exception of the Civil War period, more than 2000 m. of railways were built during each decade. At the close of 1908 there was a total mileage of 9,300·45 m. Among the railways are the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St Louis, the Baltimore & Ohio, the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, the New York, Chicago & St Louis, the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St Louis (Pennsylvania), the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago (Pennsylvania), the Nypano (Erie), the Wheeling & Lake Erie, the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton, and the Norfolk & Western. As the building of steam railways lessened, the building of suburban and interurban electric railways was begun, and systems of these railways have been rapidly extended until all the more populous districts are connected by them.
Ohio has six ports of entry. They are Cleveland, Toledo, Sandusky, Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, and the value of the foreign commerce passing through these in 1909 amounted to $9,483,974 in imports (more than one-half to Cleveland) and $10,920,083 in exports (nearly eight-ninths from Cleveland). Of far greater volume than the foreign commerce is the domestic trade in coal, iron, lumber, &c., largely by way of the Great Lakes.
Population.—The population of Ohio in the various census years was: (1800) 45,365; (1810) 230,760; (1820) 581,434; (1830) 937,903; (1840) 1,519,467; (1850) 1,980,329; (1860) 2,339,511; (1870) 2,665,260; (1880) 3,198,062; (1890) 3,672,316; (1900) 4,157,545; (1910) 4,767,121. In 1900 Ohio ranked fourth in population among the states. Of the total population in 1900, 4,060,204 or 97·6% were white and 97,341 were coloured (96,901 negroes, 371 Chinese, 27 Japanese and 42 Indians). Of the same total 3,698,811 or 88·9% were native-born and 458,734 were foreign-born; 93·8% of the foreign-born consisted of the following: 204,160 natives of Germany, 65,553 of Great Britain, 55,018 of Ireland, 22,767 of Canada (19,864 English Canadian), 16,822 of Poland, 15,131 of Bohemia, 11,575 of Austria and 11,321 of Italy. In 1906 there were 1,742,873 communicants of different religious denominations, over one-third being Roman Catholics and about one-fifth Methodists. From 1890 to 1900 the urban population (i.e. population of incorporated places having 4000 inhabitants or more) increased from 1,387,884 to 1,864,519, and the semi-urban (i.e. population of incorporated places having less than 4000 inhabitants) increased from 458,033 to 549,741, but the rural (i.e. population outside of incorporated places) decreased from 1,826,412 to 1,743,285. The largest cities are Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus (the capital), Dayton, Youngstown, Akron, Springfield, Canton, Hamilton, Zanesville and Lima.
Administration.—Ohio is governed under the constitution of 1851 as amended in 1875, 1883, 1885, 1902, 1903, and 1905. An amendment may be proposed at any time by either branch of the General Assembly, and if after being approved by three-fifths of the members of both branches it is also approved at a general election by a majority of those voting on the question it is declared adopted; a constitutional convention may be called after a favourable two-thirds vote of the members of each branch of the Assembly and a favourable popular vote—a majority of those voting on the question; and the question of calling such a convention must be submitted to a popular vote at least once every twenty years. Under the constitution of 1802 and 1851 the suffrage was limited to “white male” citizens of the United States, but since the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution (1870), negroes vote, though the constitution is unchanged. Since 1894 women who possess the usual qualifications required of men may vote for and be voted for as members of boards of education. The constitution requires that all elections be by ballot, and the Australian ballot system was adopted in 1891; registration is required in cities having
- ↑ The statistics of 1905 were taken under the direction of the United States Census Bureau, but products other than those of the factory system, such, for example, as those of the hand trades, were excluded.
