| Up until the mid
1830s, pioneer manufacturing largely
centered in/around the home; for the most part, the farmer and his family were
self-sufficient. This would change dramatically with the advent of transportation, communication
and industrialization. "Ohio," commented a visitor after traveling throughout the state and viewing various communities, "already rich in raw materials, and commanding unrivaled facilities for carrying those materials from place to place, perceives the advantages of its location at the gateway of the Middle West, and, [is] adding industry upon industry." While bigger cities such as Cincinnati and Cleveland led the state in manufacturing throughout the 1840s/1850s, during the Civil War period, Dayton and Springfield also developed rapidly. By the turn of the century, the primary industries in Ohio (and some in Shelby County) included lumbering, furniture, flour/feed, brass casting, printing, cigars/tobacco, harness/leather, glassware, engines, ink, oil and paint. [Back]
[Next] [Up] [New Search]
|
|
|
