Posted August 23, 200420 yr I was just wondering about the origins of the names of big cities in Ohio. I know Cleveland was named after Moses Cleaveland, who helped establish the city or somthing like that. I know Cincinnati is named after Cincinnatus, and Columbus, well that's pretty obvious. But other than the three C's, I still wonder about the other names. I think Toledo, my hometown, is perhaps the most bizarre. It's not even known who named the city for sure. Historians around here say that two of the founders heard Toledo, Spain was a beautiful city (they never actually saw the place), and that was the only reason our city in Ohio got its name. It's really weird. I mean how many other cities in the Midwest (or all of the north for that matter) have Spanish names? And what about Dayton and Akron? Does anyone know their origins? I'm just a little curious and like to brush up on my Ohio knowledge. -Also, for those who wonder about the phrase "Holy Toledo!" That too remains somewhat a mystery. I actually researched a little a while back at the Toledo library, and found some possible origins. First, and most likely, "Holy Toledo!" has its origins in the gang culture that ran the city in the early 1900's. Toledo was considered a safe-haven by gangsters hence they called it "Holy Toledo." Another possibel origin is related to Toledo's abundance of churches. THis is highly unlikely though, considering most older cities have a ton of churches. Also, Toledo in Spain has a ton of old cathedrals and once was the capital of Spain and always was a religious center, hence a holy city. The only problem with this theory is that "Holy Toledo!" wasn't really heard in America until Toledo, Ohio became a major city. I personally am betting on the gang connections, considering our proximity to Canada as a source of alcohol in prohibition days.
August 23, 200420 yr dayton was named after jonathan dayton, revolutionary war guy and signed the declaration. akron translate from greek meaning at the top, just like summit county means it too. akron sits at the top of the ohio and erie canal i would imagine alot of the names are named after the settlers of the place or after other cities
August 23, 200420 yr mansfield was named for the famous war general Cpt. Adolphus Mansfeildio (he was an italian expatriate)
August 23, 200420 yr Didn't John Dayton own all the land where the city of Dayton stands today? Is that where the term Holy Toledo came from? I don't remember where I heard that term. Did they used to say it in a cartoon?
August 23, 200420 yr Canton, Ohio: "The question is often asked, "Where did Canton get its name"? An Irish trader by the name of Captain John O'Donnell purchased a plantation in Baltimore and named it "The Canton Estate" in commemoration of the fact that he had transported the first cargo to arrive at Baltimore from Canton, China." Bezaleel Wells was living in Baltimore at the time, and Captain O'Donnell was a hero to him and the other young men of the town. Six weeks before Mr. Wells recorded the plat of Canton in New Lisbon, news of Captain O'Donnell's death reached Steubenville. Therefore, when Mr. Wells recorded the plat and named it, he called it "Canton". " Lima, Ohio: "The town was named after Lima, Peru, the source of the "quinine bark" used for the treatment of "swamp fever" or malaria in pioneer days." Defiance, Ohio: "In August 1794, Anthony Wayne ordered the construction of Fort Defiance at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers. Wayne surveyed the land and declared to Gen. Scott; "I defy the English, Indians, and all the devils of hell to take it.""
August 24, 200420 yr Shaker Heights for its Shaker settlement and its located in the heights above Clee-burg. Also the van sweringers thought it sounded catchy.
August 31, 200420 yr Dayton: Jonathan Dayton, a New Jersey senator, was just one of the land owners, and never set foot in the state. The other owners were, Governor Arthur St.Clair, Israel Ludlow and Brigadier General James Wilkinson. Dayton's name was chosen as the most pleasing of the four owners. The others had major streets named for them.
March 3, 200520 yr If I may get excessively local and do some of the Dayton suburbs... Fairborn, as discussed recently in another thread, is a combination of the names of Fairfield and Osborn, two villages that merged in 1950. Kettering was "named for its most outstanding citizen" when it incorporated from Van Buren Township in 1952. Xenia, in the words of the city website, was named thus: "[Joseph C.] Vance [who had surveyed and laid out the town, then bought the site] called a town meeting to discuss possible names. The committee had considered several suggestions without reaching any decision. Then the Rev. Robert Armstrong proposed the name 'Xenia', meaning hospitality in Greek, because of the fine hospitality extended to him in this friendly community. When a tie developed, Laticia Davis, wife of Owen Davis, was invited to cast the deciding ballot. She plunked for 'Xenia'." Huber Heights is named for its developer. Bellbrook is named for one of its founders, Stephen Bell. Miamisburg, Moraine, Riverside, and Beavercreek are of course named for geographical features (I assume). If anyone knows anything about other places around Dayton (in particular West Carrollton or Vandalia), I'd love to hear it!
March 3, 200520 yr Cincinnati's original name was "Losantiville": The name Losantiville is a combination of Latin, Greek, French and Delaware Indian meaning "town opposite the mouth of the Licking River"
March 3, 200520 yr C-Dawg, Ohio also has a Madrid, a Seville and a Santa Fe (not a spanish city, but spanish). Besides Spanish cities we have a Milan, Florence, Parma, Palermo, 5 Romes, a Sicily (all Italian) 3 Berlins, a Potsdam, a Versailles, a London (OK, I won't do all the British names), a Palestine, 3 Jericos, an Athens, a Corinth, a Congo, and 2 Cubas, a Cork, 2 Cairos and an Alexandria, 2 Amsterdams, a Dresden, a Ghent, 2 Glasgows, 2 Lisbons, 2 (yes 2) Limas, a Mesopotamia, an Orient, 2 Macedonias, and I am sure, many others. Some fun Ohio place names: Pigeon Run Pigeye Pigtown Pansy Storms Stingtowns-10 count 'em 10 of them Soaptown Socialville (sounds fun) Success (and obviously it was one) Teegarden The Bend The Eastern 210 Row (an actual town name) Liar's Corner (don't believe it) Coolville Sulpher Lick (yum) Whigville Viking Village Victory Camp Sodom Corners Knockemstiff Lickskillet Good Hope Happy Corners Hardscamble (not one, but two of them) Hells Corners Jug Run Jumbo Hills and Dales (I like that one, actually) ....and again, I am sure there are many more. Of course, most of these area just dots on a map, with maybe a few little houses and an intersection.
March 3, 200520 yr there's a center of the universe just outside of warren, not sure why the name though
March 4, 200520 yr There is also a center of the universe in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. As well as a statue of Lenin, a giant troll, and a rocket. Interesting place.
March 5, 200520 yr Mason: On June 1, 1803, Revolutionary War veteran William Mason paid $1,700 at auction to purchase 640 acres of land in what is now downtown Mason. In 1815, he platted 16 lots on this land and named the village "Palmira." In 1832, 2 years after the death of William Mason and according to his will, over 40 more lots were platted on the north, south, and west of Palmira. When the plat was officially recorded, the name of the village was listed as "Palmyra." In 1835, a petition was sent to the federal post office to correct the name of the town. It had been listed as Kirkwood, possibly an error because the postmaster at the time was William Kirkwood. When village officials were informed that there was another Palmyra in Ohio, the name was officially changed to "Mason." Mason remained a small farming community for another 125 years. In 1970, a year before the town was incorporated to become a city, there were fewer than 5,700 residents. Today, the City of Mason covers over 11,200 acres and is home to nearly 28,000 people and approximately 500 businesses http://www.imaginemason.org
March 6, 200520 yr a few more: avon/avon lake, and sheffield/sheffield lake: a combo of england and suburban real estate developers? elyria: combo of greek and heman ely of massachusetts the founder lorain: lorraine in france, named by elyria's judge heman ely who spent time in lorraine and also its french explorer history -- originally canesadooharie and then charleston amherst: england by way of massachusetts fairview park: yes ---and to put an end to the great debate--- olmsted falls: In 1829 Charles Olmstead agreed to exchange his library, approximately 500 books, for the privilege of having the community name changed from Lennox to Olmstead. This library was said to be the first one established west of the Alleghenies. --versus-- north olmsted: In 1829 the village was renamed after early settler Aaron Olmstead; in time the 'a' was dropped from the name. thats all for now!
March 6, 200520 yr Hold on, they're named for two different Olmsteds? Are they at least related? How many Olmsted's can there be?
October 18, 200519 yr If anyone knows anything about other places around Dayton (in particular West Carrollton or Vandalia), I'd love to hear it! Vandalia was named vandalia because of Vandalia, IL. The National Road Ends in Vandalia, IL and someone decided to stop before they got to the end of the road. They named their city after their intended arrival city.
October 18, 200519 yr Middletown - the middle town between cincy and dayton, except now its a city so they should change it to Middlecity. City of Middletown is kind of funny.
October 18, 200519 yr If anyone knows anything about other places around Dayton (in particular West Carrollton or Vandalia), I'd love to hear it! Vandalia was named vandalia because of Vandalia, IL. The National Road Ends in Vandalia, IL and someone decided to stop before they got to the end of the road. They named their city after their intended arrival city. Cool, thanks for the info. I looked at the city web site for Vandalia, Ill. and it says: The origin of the name is uncertain, but the name probably is derived from the Germanic Vandal tribe. Other explanations of the name hold that it is a latinization of a Dutch family name or that it refers to a small Indian tribe of the early 19th century.
October 18, 200519 yr Zanesville: Col. Ebeneezer Zane who blazed the first trail through the Ohio Territory. The Zanes Trace went from Wheeling W.Va. to Maysville Ky. Zane was awarded land and was to set up a settlement at every river crossing. Lancaster is included in this land. In Zanesville U.S. 22 follows the Zanes Trace which is why 22 through the south end of town is called Maysville Pike, and a lot of businesses have taken the Maysville name. The school in South Zanesville, which has a Zanesville address, is called Maysville H.S. The original name for Zanesville was suppose to be Westbourn, but when they applied to be incorporated, the papers came back Zanesville.
October 18, 200519 yr Call Larry Miller. Evidently he knows enough about our town names to write a book on them. http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=0253329329
January 25, 200619 yr Towns in the Firelands region (including all of Erie County and Huron County, and small portions of Ashland County and Ottawa County) get their names primarily from Connecticut, where their towns were burned during the Revolutionary War (Norwalk, New London, Greenwich, New Haven, North Fairfield, Plymouth, Groton, Ridgefield, Danbury etc.). Some places are also named after other English-sounding places (Oxford, Richmond, Berlin, Norwich) as well as the people who owned the land (Perkins, Margaretta, Sherman). Towns and villages in this area often have many resemblences of New England. I'm a local history dork, so I'm going to give you all of the names of the townships in the Firelands! Ashland County Ruggles Twp Erie County Margaretta Twp Perkins Twp Huron Twp Vermilion Twp Florence Twp Berlin Twp Milan Twp Oxford Twp Groton Twp Huron County Lyme Twp Ridgefield Twp Norwalk Twp Townsend Twp Wakeman Twp Clarksfield Twp Hartland Twp Bronson Twp Peru Twp Sherman Twp Norwich Twp Greenfield Twp Fairfield Twp Fitchville Twp New London Twp Greenwich Twp Ripley Twp New Haven Twp Richmond Twp Ottawa County Danbury Twp
January 25, 200619 yr The name Mentor originated in Greek literature — Mentor was the tutor of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. Other place names in the Western Reserve, including Solon, Euclid and Macedonia, were also inspired by the early Americans' fascination with the ancient world.
January 26, 200619 yr Middletown: middle city between Cincinnati / Dayton and also the name of a city in New Jersey home of the city's founder. How original!
January 26, 200619 yr Gallipolis = Latin for City of the Gauls (French) which refers to the original settlers who were French. Gallipolis still uses a lot of French icons (Fleur-de-leis) around the city despite the fact that most of the original French settlers left Gallipolis soon after they arrived. The funniest billboard that I've seen in Ohio is the one on US-35 that you can see as you head west out of Gallia County which says "Au Revoir!" in big letters. :laugh:
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