Does Ohio have a culture? What connects Ohioans, what events, foods, songs, experiences do they share in common? Are there places every Ohioan should visit? I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm new to the state, but Buckeye Stadium often comes up. Something about bags of fritos filled with chili? Are there other local (Cincy five way), state or regional foods that everyone knows about

 

How about bar culture? I was fascinated by the 'Steeler Nation' that gathered at bars across the US last weekend. What do people gather at bars to watch here? Do they drink anything special?

 

Thanks in advance...

Start with this thread

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,15376.100.html

 

Thanks for the link, but it's different from what I'm looking for. The inventions from Ohio are things that impacted how people around world; I'm more interested in what places, foods, etc. people who live in Ohio identify with most strongly.

 

Accent is another component of this; I have seen many discussions here about the 'Lake Erie accent' where short "I" becomes "EE".

 

But mostly, Im interested in places of 'pilgrimage' for Ohioans...can anyone think of any?

I agree - it really depends on what major metro you are closest to. 

Ohio is different not only by major city, but pretty much every corner of the state.

 

But Ohio does have a distinct culture and, frankly, that's the main reason I love it here.  Much of it is generic to the Midwest.  I kind of like to call it the WYSIWYG personality (for those not familiar with editing software, that's What You See Is What You Get).  Obviously, everyone is not the same, but there are less $30,000 millionaires and general pretentiousnous that exists in other parts of the country.  Rarely the first question you get when you meet someone is "where do you work?" a la the East Coast.

 

As far as places to go in Ohio, I will tell you what my wife (from Ft. Lauderdale) particularly enjoyed when I first started showing her around that are unique to Ohio (in no particular order).  This is going to be skewed from a Clevelander's point of view, so take that for what it's worth.

 

1.  Cedar Point:  No other amusement park has rollercoasters that compare.

2.  Lake Erie:  There's a lot to "Lake Erie", but most people don't realize the size of it.  Take a cruise on the Goodtime, head up to the Islands in Western Lake Erie, find yourself a fishing charter, get to Edgewater in the summer, etc...it might be Ohio's most unique feature.

3.  University Circle Museums:  The Natural History Museum is one of my favorites.  Museum of Art and botanical gardens are cool too.

4.  Attend any major sporting event:  Let's face it, Ohioans are passionate about sports.  And if you're from the west, it's a noticable difference.  I attribute this mostly to the fact that many who live in non-East Coast time zones are transplants so there isn't as much "generational" passion about a sports team as there is in Ohio, especially with football.  My wife is a University of Florida alum where everything that isn't SEC in regards to football is just second class (it's really hard to argue with her at this point, given the recent history of UF / OSU) but even she admitted when she first went to a home Ohio St game she'd never seen anything like it.  But both Progressive Field and Great American Ballpark are great places to watch ball games and the Cavs are playing some pretty good ball right now.

5.  Food:  Ohio is underated for food, but there have been some shows recently highlighting Ohio's food quality.  Anthony Bourdain came to Cleveland (featuring Sokolowski's, Hot Sauce Williams, and Lola's) and Man vs. Food went to Columbus (featuring Schmidt's Sausage Haus, Thurman Cafe, and Ohio Deli).  I've been to all 6 places and each is worth a visit.  I'd throw in Panini's and Buffalo Wild Wings too, even though their fare (and in the case of BW3) can be found around the country.  But they were founded in Ohio (although I think Primanti's in Pittsburgh was before Panini's).  Check out Cleveland Foodie's blog for other ideas of where to go in Cleveland...I enjoy her thoughts on local fare.

6.  Food 2:  Gotta get to the West Side Market.  My "make an event out of it" reccomendation:  Go Saturday morning, hit up the Market Cafe for breakfast, find something that looks awesome to be grilled for dinner (I dare you to just pick 1 item), then head across the street to Great Lakes Brewery for some beer/lunch after shopping.

7.  Tailgate for something:  I know I mentioned sporting events, but you could tailgate for a concert too...or just "tailgate" in your back yard.  But to make it "Ohio" esq, make sure you play cornhole and drink PBR or something else dirt cheap.

 

OK, I could go on, but this post is getting long and I have to attend to other matters!  Should be a good start anyway.

Rarely the first question you get when you meet someone is "where do you work?" a la the East Coast.

 

Or, on the W coast, "where do you live?" or "what kind of car do you drive?"  I remember wearing a pair of jeans I bought at KOHL's of all places to a mall out there and some girl in a shop saying to me, "Oh, what are those?" (meaning what brand of course).  I'm like, "they're JEANS."  LOL.

Yeah, Ohio is a bit different due to it having SO many different cultural differences in the state, there is virtually no "Ohio" identity.  Ohio to somebody in Marietta is a COMPLETELY different Ohio as somebody in Bryan.  I suppose the only thing that we ALL can agree on is the sport of football (not necessarily the team, but simply the sport).

On our trip in Hawaii, we ran into people from every corner of the globe, from every background, etc. After just a few moments of banter whatever bars, we instantly bonded with others from the Great Lakes region and the most common trait was a certain "cut the crap"/down-to-earth approach to life. That's something I've come across while traveling, but it was VERY apparent in Hawaii.

^ ain't that the truth!

 

as far as food goes, the one big thing that ties all of ohio together is ice cream. every region has their own and they are ridiculously passionate about it. more unsung, but rhubarb pie is another thing that is definately a particular ohio specialty.

 

the only things i can think of that are pretty much totally unique ohio foods are cincinnati chili and cinci's goetta. love it or hate it you just won't see those anywhere else. also, although it's pizza, dayton-style pizza is also kinda unique. even amish trail bologna too. i wish pierogies were as ubiquitous as they are around cleveburbia and that i could get any great lakes fish at all. i get terrible cravings for stuff like this on occasion!

 

as for ohio pilgrimages, around NE ohio i'd say every clevelander needs to do a chargin falls stroll and a geneva-on-the-lake visit in the summer and in the winter to hit the chalet for tobaggoning and skiing at brandywine/boston mills. add in grade school fieldtrips to hale farm, lake erie beaches and yes cedar point too of course.

 

i hope this is helpful? there is plenty more to add, but thats a start!

 

Music is part of culture too.  If Ohio has one defining sound, it's probably the hippie jam band style that came out of Columbus in the early 90s.  Many bands in other Ohio cities have adopted the sound, and outside of maybe Pittsburgh, I don't think it's as prevalent elsewhere.  You won't find much in Detroit, for example, as they have their own unique style up there. 

 

The Ohio-style jam band tends to use more instruments than the typical jam band, and more eclectic ones.  It has more jazz fusion than a DMB or Greatful Dead sound, and it's closer to bluegrass than to anything else.  The lead singers tend to be in a lower register. 

 

Examples include Ekoostik Hookah, the Recipe, and the Shantee from central Ohio; Good Brother Earl, and Jones for Revival from the Youngstown area.  Obviously, Ohio has tons of bands spanning all styles, but this one seems to be the most typical. 

I'm surprised no one has said Put in Bay yet, or any of the Lake Erie Islands....this should be a pilgrimage for all Ohioans!  Truly unique.

 

I would also agree that Ohio is very diverse...depending on where you live there will be different things that people MUST see:

 

Here are mine for NorthEast Ohio:

 

1) Lake Erie (islands included)

2) University Circle/Little Italy

3) Panini's stuffed sandwiches

4) Metroparks! (Rocky River Reservation is a favorite)

5) Towpath/Cuyahoga Valley National Park (many don't know Ohio even has one)

6) Amish Country

7) Lake/Ashtabula Wine Country

Here are a few of my fave places to visit:

 

1.  An ethnic festival, such as one of the great Greek festivals in Cleveland or Feast of the Assumption, an Italian festival in Cleve's Little Italy area.

2.  Malabar Farm.  Louis Bromfield was a famous author and this was part of his home.  Bogey and Bacall were married at one of the buildings in the complex and the farm itself is not only still a working farm, but is nearly entirely a self-sustaining farm with a lot of eco-friendly leanings, true to Bromfield's desires.  There are volunteer opportunities as well.

3.  Hocking Hills.  Rent a cabin or room at a B&B, explore the caves, hike, etc.

4.  Cleveland Metroparks; great place to picnic and hike

5. Kingwood Center in Mansfield in the spring draws visitors from all over the world to see their famous flower displays.

6.  Mohican.  A vast, beautiful area where you can do anything from canoe to picnicking to hiking to learning about Ohio's Native American history.  There are lots of parks and places to stay in and around Mohican.  I like to make a weekend of the Native American pow-wow that comes to Mohican every year, combined with a stay at a B&B or at Mohican lodge and then canoeing the next day.

Growing up in Cincinnati my whole life, I would have to agree with many of the other posters here that Ohio doesn't really have one culture.  Rather, each of the major cities/regions have very distinct culture that is completely different than the other end of the state.  Cincinnati and Cleveland are almost nothing alike.  Cincinnati's provincialism has caused a local culture that absolutely in unexplainable to someone who didn't grow up there.

 

As for pilgrimages, I would say that the other cities are the real state wide pilgrimages Ohioans should take.  Like I said, I've lived in Cincy my whole life until I went off to school, and I have been to Cleveland once when I was maybe 13 or 14, and it was for a the Reds/Indians series. I've never been to Toledo, and I've only been to Columbus for a summer program at OSU, a few OSU football games, and one weekend trip with the family. I've been to the Airforce Museum in Dayton on a field trip, and my highschool tennis team would play 2-3 Dayton teams a year, and I've been up to UD to party, but I've never really been around Dayton as a city.  Of course there are a list of pilgrimages I would say in Cincinnati, but I would say statewide, the pilgrimages would be to the other cities.

I agree with Coldayman, one thing that sticks out regarding what ties people in Ohio together is football. At UC, my friends from Northern Ohio knew of all the local high school teams that played at the the football stadium. People in Ohio are very attuned to high school and college football on a state level.

 

I think the down to earth thing is a small town mentality - which is great. That's something I noticed in Pittsburgh much more than Cincinnati though. Even though Cincinnati is known as 'the biggest small town', the only solidarity is within people in their own neighborhood. The city is too ghettoized for people to be friendly towards outsiders. I'd say it's true for Columbus though. That's one thing that also struck me in Pittsburgh. Everyone in downtown Pittsburgh was soooo friendly. They'll come up to you while you're taking pictures and talk to you about the object you're photographing. I can't speak for Cleveland or Toledo since I'm not as familiar with them but I'd imagine they're more like Pittsburgh than Cincinnati in that regard.

Anyway, Ohio's statewide cultural ties ain't pretty:

 

1. Culture of decline. You see it everywhere, in every corner of the state, from boarded up factories and warehouses, to mass demolitions, to brownfield sites, to urban prairies, to rundown housing, to rampant escapist suburban sprawl, etc., etc. Ohio is a state ready for the apocalypse, not a healthy future.

2. Alcoholism. This is one of the heaviest drinking states in the nation, period. Any state that produces something as absurd as OU can be assumed to have a drinking problem. It's probably a coping mechanism for the culture of decline.

3. Football. Yep, no other sport is as popular statewide as football, regardless of team. Ohioans love football, and I guess it makes sense since this state has a lot of "firsts" in that sport.

4. Negativity. It's everywhere. Ohio is unfortunately not like Urban Ohio. Most people don't see two sides to the story of our cities. They don't see a reason to support or take pride in their cities. They hate them. This is the same issue regardless of whether you're in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, etc. This is of course tied to mass out-migration. It's a vicious cycle that our state can't get out of.

 

Oh please. Those are not "ohio" things. If you wanna single out alcoholics, you better call out Wisconsin, not Ohio. And culture of decline? ...Welcome to the Midwest period.

Welcome to Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Please, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin do not have the same culture of decline as our part of the Midwest. Ohio and Michigan are the absolute worst in the nation in terms of economic decline.

 

Wisconsin is alcoholic too. Ohio and Wisconsin are two of the heaviest drinking states in the nation, if not the two heaviest. Binge drinking is tied to the Midwest in general, but there are some more extremes in certain parts of the Midwest. Typically speaking, cold weather states do have a worse drinking culture.

 

Are there any reference materials to cite?  Are you drinking now?

^I haven't had a drink in months.

 

Good for you!

^I haven't had a drink in months.

 

America's heaviest drinking cities

 

1. Austin, TX

2. Milwaukee, WI

3. San Francisco, CA

4. Providence, RI

5. Chicago, IL

6. Seattle, WA

7. Cleveland, OH

8. St. Louis, MO

9. Boston, MA

10. Cincinnati, OH

11. Pittsburgh, PA

12. Virginia Beach, VA

13. Portland, OR

14. Jacksonville, FL

15. Detroit, MI

 

*the only state with two on this list.

 

http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/07/alcohol-drinking-cities-forbeslife-drink08-cx_de_avb_0807hard.html

 

 

why not?

 

^I haven't had a drink in months.

 

America's heaviest drinking cities

 

1. Austin, TX

2. Milwaukee, WI

3. San Francisco, CA

4. Providence, RI

5. Chicago, IL

6. Seattle, WA

7. Cleveland, OH

8. St. Louis, MO

9. Boston, MA

10. Cincinnati, OH

11. Pittsburgh, PA

12. Virginia Beach, VA

13. Portland, OR

14. Jacksonville, FL

15. Detroit, MI

 

*the only state with two on this list.

 

http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/07/alcohol-drinking-cities-forbeslife-drink08-cx_de_avb_0807hard.html

 

 

why not?

 

 

This is a Forbes article.  You know there "lists" are biased and ridiculous and many times they don't actually do research.

Now that I live in NYC, NY will start creeping up that list.

Now that I live in NYC, NY will start creeping up that list.

I think the entire NE will catch up.

 

Especially when the research shows:

• you need to earn between 110-125k per household to be considered middle class in NYC
  
• 5-7% of the population left NYC/8-10% of the region left in 2007
  

^I haven't had a drink in months.

 

America's heaviest drinking cities

 

1. Austin, TX

2. Milwaukee, WI

3. San Francisco, CA

4. Providence, RI

5. Chicago, IL

6. Seattle, WA

7. Cleveland, OH

8. St. Louis, MO

9. Boston, MA

10. Cincinnati, OH

11. Pittsburgh, PA

12. Virginia Beach, VA

13. Portland, OR

14. Jacksonville, FL

15. Detroit, MI

 

*the only state with two on this list.

 

http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/07/alcohol-drinking-cities-forbeslife-drink08-cx_de_avb_0807hard.html

 

 

The list is bunk. They look at number of bars which comes down to liquor licenses per capita. You want a real indication, get info from local rehab centers.

 

Wisconsin is a haven for alcoholics. I guess if I had to live in Platteville or Eau Claire, I would be too.

 

I'm pretty sure SF is on this list because it's such a tourist destination and a dining place. Alcoholics don't drink glasses of wine at restaurants. They buy their wine in boxes.

I know we're talking about states, but I can't think of any place I've lived in or visited in the US that begins to compare to drinking in England.  I've never seen any people drink more often or in higher quantities than the British.  We're like conservative tee-totalers compared to them.  Until I see similar consumption here, I'm not going to worry about it (and IMO, the temporary terrible-ness of college-aged, peer-pressured binge drinking does not count as it IS temporary and an anomaly, not people's typical drinking habits before or after college).

 

I thought people in LA drank a LOT more than anyone here in OH.  By that I mean quantity.  With the exception of a couple of people I've known, most people I hung out with when I was drinking and hitting the bars were people who drank in a more social way than those I'd consider to have a serious drinking problem.  Whereas in LA, 4 people might go out for dinner and EACH consume an entire bottle of wine with dinner, then go out for cocktails after.  JMO, of course.

I know we're talking about states, but I can't think of any place I've lived in or visited in the US that begins to compare to drinking in England.  I've never seen any people drink more often or in higher quantities than the British.  We're like conservative tee-totalers compared to them.  Until I see similar consumption here, I'm not going to worry about it (and IMO, the temporary terrible-ness of college-aged, peer-pressured binge drinking does not count as it IS temporary and an anomaly, not people's typical drinking habits before or after college).

 

I thought people in LA drank a LOT more than anyone here in OH.  By that I mean quantity.  With the exception of a couple of people I've known, most people I hung out with when I was drinking and hitting the bars were people who drank in a more social way than those I'd consider to have a serious drinking problem.  Whereas in LA, 4 people might go out for dinner and EACH consume an entire bottle of wine with dinner, then go out for cocktails after.  JMO, of course.

 

Europeans drink a lot, but it's more social/culturally acceptable. 

 

RNR, my experience with the Eastcost is similar to yours on the left coast.  I worked with someone who was a functioning alcoholic for 2 years, before I realized what was up.

CDawg just hijacked another thread. You're an internet terrorist!

From what I recall Wisconsin was a heavy beer drinking state, with a lot of small town and crossroads village bars.  My father used to tell me stories about it (well, he still does tell me stories).

 

I do think Cedar Point and "The Islands" is a rare Ohio commonality as it is popular down here as it is (i suspect) up north, even though we also have Kings Island.

 

 

And I guess those "Buckeye" chocolate/peanut butter things, which I never heard of outside of the state.

Having lived in Cincy, Toledo, and Cbus and dated a couple people from NE Ohio, I would say that Columbus is actually an interesting sort of distillation of the various divergent cultures present in the state. It thus feels different, but I'm not it actually has its own culture. A super basic version is that Cleveland has a lot of East Coast in it, Cincinnati has a lot of the South, but is really a city-state that barely acknowledges the outside world, Toledo is part of SE Michigan. SE Ohio is part of the KY-WV-VA culture, and western Ohio is like NW Germany.

And I guess those "Buckeye" chocolate/peanut butter things, which I never heard of outside of the state.

I went to a rib fest last summer with a coworker, and we were looking at the flavors at a little ice cream stand for desert.  One of the flavors was "Buckeye", and we commented to each other that this would probably be really good.  The guy behind us thought it sounded awful.  It turned out that he was from North Carolina.

 

I agree with everyone else who says Ohio is very different from area to area.  I think the Canton/Massillon area is sort of like Cleveland's culture, but more heavily German.  I mean, we have a pizza chain called Kraus' Pizza where: "Frau Kraus says 'Das Good!'" :)

Thank you all for posting! The thread kind got bigger, faster than I expected...

 

I'm doing some preliminary research (I'm an academic) on how cultures take root or reference particular places. I'm particularly interested in how people use places for religious or 'religious' worship. Because most Ohioans are Christian, Muslim or Jewish, for example, they likely do not see their religion rooted in Ohio. Christians for example, do not travel to Ohio to see sacred shrines. Muslims very clearly turn toward Mecca to pray EVERY day. There is really no local reference point. I know there is a Mormon Shrine near Cleveland, which is likely one of the most 'rooted' of religious sites in Ohio. Meaning, they look at that particular place with some reverence, not just as a building that can transport one (psychologically) to the Holy Land.

 

In terms of Ohio, the one place that comes up more often than any other is Buckeye Stadium. People make plans to visit there on certain days, take part in certain rituals (food, drink) and then enjoy a collective experiences of victory (hopefully). Cedar Point might be another example, but I think it's more of a rite of passage place than a place of pilgrimage. People from all over Northern Ohio (and some from other places) come there to spend a day being rolled around.

 

Shared food culture is one that Ohio does not seem to have. You have all mentioned regional, cultural, ethnic and economic differences in food that suggest there is no "ohio dish". The closest thing I can think of to a state cuisine is New Mexico; most Americans don't identify with regional foods like in Europe and Asia. Pierogies (sp?) might approach that up in Northern Ohio; I sense they are both regional and seasonal.

 

Language is another area where Ohio is split. I've talked with about fifty people about this so far (informally), and most notice the 'National Road' line between north and south, though that line sometimes is place around US 30. I am really starting to notice the Lake Erie Whine; the other day I opened the door for a woman and she said "THEEENK YEEEEEU". Piercing. CDawg mentioned Carty Finkbeiner in another thread; he certainly has it.

 

I'm interested too in 'non majority' cultures in Ohio. How about for Black Ohioans? Are there places one has to visit? Special foods? Particular dialects, etc? Amish? I think the Amish are a very interesting case of a rooted culture in Ohio, minus their religions.

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions, and if you think of more, keep them coming!

Mormonism is very rooted in Ohio (Kirtland), and I think there are other Protestant branches that may have started here.  There is an argument you can find online regarding Mormonism and Ohio that Mormons might not like.  Google Solomon Spaulding. 

 

Ohio has an abundance of Methodists.  This isn't their home base, but they aren't common in many other states.  The United Church of Christ is based in Cleveland.  There is a case to be made for Techmseh being a homegrown Ohio prophet-- he was alleged to have predicted the last major midwest earthquake, among other things. 

Catholic Ohio actually has a number of pretty popular shrines - Carey and Maria Stein being the most prominent (NE Ohio might have one too as I recall). I'd add the historic Catholic Churches in Cincy, Cbus, Cleveland, Toledo, and Dayton as other continuing sources of identity. I think saurkraut might be an 'Ohio' dish - considering it's ubiquity amongst most ethnic groups in the state. I would think Oberlin and to a lesser extent the Methodist colleges might serve as a sort of identity creating place for old-line Protestants in the state. There is an older residual culture that goes back to the abolitionist and a sort of Social Gospel progressivism that has attached itself to those communities - though they have been overrun in terms of culture force since the 1920s by the Catholic/Orthodox, white Appalachian and African-American cultures.

The Jewish community in Ohio has been ravaged by the forces of cosmopolitanism though Plum Street Temple in Cincy is about as much of a religious shrine as Jews have in the U.S. - neighborhood change and all.

 

African-American Ohioans certainly are distinct culture, though I know less about shrines and such. I'd Kings Island as a parallel to Cedar Point for southern Ohio.

 

For African-Americans and white Appalachians/Southern migrants - Ohio has never been 'home' rather it is/was a place to go get work, to make a better life. In those cases, I'd argue that their native land is their touchstone more so than Ohio itself.

Catholic Ohio actually has a number of pretty popular shrines - Carey and Maria Stein being the most prominent (NE Ohio might have one too as I recall).

 

There is a pretty popular shrine just south of Bellevue as well, the Shrine of the Sorrowful Mother.....I was a product of K-12 Catholic Schools, so we utilized that place quite often.

 

 

And I guess those "Buckeye" chocolate/peanut butter things, which I never heard of outside of the state.

 

Agreed.  The people I've encountered in Illinois kind of gave me a blank stare when I said you can eat Buckeyes lol.

 

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Also, I thought this was an Ohio thing but the more I looked into it and have asked around over the years, I believe it is just a Sandusky-area thing.  Every New Years (and only at that time of year), local bakeries (I believe only 1 still does it) would bake giant sweet-bread pretzels.  They are larger than a frisbee and have more of a bread-texture (rather than hard/crunchy pretzel) and also have a sweet glaze.  I always had this growing up, and I just assumed it was a statewide thing.  Apparently it's a unique Sandusky tradition.....and unfortunately, this tradition is fading away  :-(

 

I found this article on the pretzels:

http://sanduskyhistory.blogspot.com/2006/12/new-years-pretzel.html

 

I'm curious. Anyone here ever heard of this?!

For African-Americans and white Appalachians/Southern migrants - Ohio has never been 'home' rather it is/was a place to go get work, to make a better life. In those cases, I'd argue that their native land is their touchstone more so than Ohio itself.

 

Much of Ohio is Appalacian and always has been.  Southern and eastern Ohio were settled first, and that's because Appalacia was already populated.  Ohio wasn't very populated in pre-American times, and many of the tribes encountered by whites had just gotten here a couple generations prior.  I wouldn't say Appalacians are "native" to Cleveland, but who really is?  That goes for all of Ohio.  Any area of Cleveland proper that's ever been called the south side (there really isn't a south side) has had Appalacians in it for ages.  Unfortunately the more recent arrivals all like the Steelers. 

 

The divisions you mentioned are definitely there though, and you describe the big picture very well.  One side of my family is that old-line protestant set and the other side is from eastern Kentucky.  Some people from the latter set follow something that barely resembles modern Christianity at all.  It has all that river business, along with what might be African and Native American elements.  These elements may also have survived from pre-Christian Europe.  My dad went to a funeral of that nature recently. 

 

I know how to find water.  No one has any idea how it works, and you're more than welcome to not believe me.  It's something that is taught in that culture.  If you're trying to grow food in rough territory, it helps to find water. 

For places that one should go if you live here I'd have to say make a point to visit; the  3 Cs with their various urban neighborhoods, a handful of our vibrant college towns since they're all over the state and are numerous, the Lake Erie Islands of course, and for inland nature there's Hocking Hills and Cuyhoga National Park, Amish country (the largest in the world, which ties into unique cultures within Ohio), and historical sites like Serpent Mound and any number of presidential sites.

 

As for Columbus non-mainstream culture; King-Lincoln is the heart of the black community. The Lincoln theatre which has been empty for decades is re-opening this year. Bexley has a sizeable Jewish population as does Berwick just to the south. Columbus is known for being the most gay-friendly city in the state. Typical mainstream gay culture is easy to find. The Hilltop and far-west side has seen a large influx in Hispanic residents, many from Mexico. One of the largest Somali populations resides on the north-east side. Old North Columbus is home to a large numbers of hipsters. The south-side feels much more like small town Ohio than one of the largest cities in the country. Franklinton has a good amount of Appalachia.

Catholic Ohio actually has a number of pretty popular shrines - Carey and Maria Stein being the most prominent (NE Ohio might have one too as I recall). I'd add the historic Catholic Churches in Cincy, Cbus, Cleveland, Toledo, and Dayton as other continuing sources of identity. I think saurkraut might be an 'Ohio' dish - considering it's ubiquity amongst most ethnic groups in the state. I would think Oberlin and to a lesser extent the Methodist colleges might serve as a sort of identity creating place for old-line Protestants in the state. There is an older residual culture that goes back to the abolitionist and a sort of Social Gospel progressivism that has attached itself to those communities - though they have been overrun in terms of culture force since the 1920s by the Catholic/Orthodox, white Appalachian and African-American cultures.

The Jewish community in Ohio has been ravaged by the forces of cosmopolitanism though Plum Street Temple in Cincy is about as much of a religious shrine as Jews have in the U.S. - neighborhood change and all.

 

African-American Ohioans certainly are distinct culture, though I know less about shrines and such. I'd Kings Island as a parallel to Cedar Point for southern Ohio.

 

For African-Americans and white Appalachians/Southern migrants - Ohio has never been 'home' rather it is/was a place to go get work, to make a better life. In those cases, I'd argue that their native land is their touchstone more so than Ohio itself.

 

Thanks a lot for all of these. It's interesting to hear about the religious 'shrines' across Ohio, in part because it adds another interesting layer of identity that remains very fractured in the industrial Midwest. But I can see where Oberlin is a strong center of Protestant and liberal (?) identity in Ohio; I knew of Oberlin very early in life as a great place to study music. Now that I live in Ohio, people often reference the town/college as a symbol of progressivism and tolerance (both signs for our age). Kirtland fascinates me too; I havent been there but will make a trip over one of these days. Mormonism is a very rooted religion in Utah and surrounding states; I recall seeing documentaries about young Mormons who make the trip from Independence Mo (?) overland to Salt Lake.

 

I have very little knowledge about Jewish history in Ohio, though I have heard that most major cities have strong populations.

 

Islam has a longish history in Ohio; I learned recently that there are five masjids (mosques) in Toledo. One chose a very prominent place in Perrysburg to build a large building, which welcomes you to Toledo on the south. Many Toledoans visit that place to learn about Islam (even superficially), and a particular class of local Muslims are there mostly to teach others, but also to lay claim to a rightful place in Toledo. Lebanese food is served, and English and Arabic are both used there.

 

I heard today that the Reagan Library is the most visited of any. Are there any other political sites that are important in Ohio? I'm thinking something either linked to a person, or to an event (say, like Gettysburg or the World Trade Center)? I can't think of any. Interestingly, I heard recently of people making trips to the South Side of Chicago to see Obama's 'places'. I think places associated with him could become ritualized in some form, if he doesn't blow it.

 

How about pro sports? The old Cleveland Stadium had an aura around it, but losing and a new stadium can do weird things. Riverfront in Cincy was also probably a kind of 'hallowed ground' in the 1970s, but the Reds don't seem to have the same following these days. Ohio is clearly divided in its pro sports allegiances. I'm sure you've seen these:

 

http://www.commoncensus.org/sports.php

 

Appalachian Ohio is very interesting, and thanks to 327 for sharing about Appalacia. I'm from the north/south 'border' region in Indiana, so I feel I was raised in both. I don't recall many unique rituals associated with either though, because in many ways the border I grew up in created a new 'culture' of its own that I still don't really get. Aren't there a group of "native americans" south of Columbus? I've heard a bit about them, but can't recall any information about them.

 

And Cleveland natives...I have many students who come from Cleveland, and they notice a few differences between Toledo and Cleveland, but most of the discussion about Ohio cultural differences comes south to north. Cleveland seems to have a subtle culture; some folks have mentioned accent (particularly the clear diction of Cleveland broadcast media types) and foods.

 

Anyone know about the Amish? They are a mystery to me...

 

 

 

 

How about for Black Ohioans? Are there places one has to visit? Special foods? Particular dialects, etc?

 

Special foods, perhaps locally Dayton's broasted chicken comes to mind but that's simply regional, not state-wise.  Dialect, nah, most of the state (black-wise) speaks with the same accent.  I suppose the Freedom Center in Cincinnati, the Afro-American Museum in Dayton (area), and the Karamu House in Cleveland all come to mind.

How about for Black Ohioans? Are there places one has to visit? Special foods? Particular dialects, etc?

 

Special foods, perhaps locally Dayton's broasted chicken comes to mind but that's simply regional, not state-wise.  Dialect, nah, most of the state (black-wise) speaks with the same accent.  I suppose the Freedom Center in Cincinnati, the Afro-American Museum in Dayton (area), and the Karamu House in Cleveland all come to mind.

 

Agree.

 

I've always thought that Ohio represented a pretty good micro-cosm of America. It seems to just be a little bit of everything...southern, northern, appalachian, urban metropolises, small rural towns, the rust belt, fortune 500 companies, Amish country, seasonal weather, a major river, a great lake, large universities, small colleges, diverse, etc.

 

Excellent response.

 

 

 

 

There's a Shawnee State University, way south of Columbus, but that's a regular college and there's no native population around there now that I know of.  Ohio has no reservations anywhere.  Some Shawnee from Oklahoma have made claims recently, in conjunction with casino proposals, and they've all been denied.  The Shawnee capital moved around but the biggest one was in Xenia, near Dayton. 

 

There wasn't much native activity in the NE part of the state.  The Erie tribe had been there but was mostly wiped out before white settlement.  It was a genocide and most tribes in the Great Lakes region participated.  Stragglers were assimilated by the Iroquois.  The Eries were supposedly cannibals and used poison arrows, both of which everyone else considered taboo.  One line of thought is that they were killed because they didn't reflect well on the rest of native civilization, at a time when PR was becoming important.

 

Ohio did have a thriving prehistoric civilization, or several.  All of their mounds should be on the visit list, especially the serpent south of Columbus and the collection in and around Newark.  There are lesser known sites around southern Ohio and in Ashtabula County.  Also check out Black Hand Gorge near Zanesville.  It has waterfalls, old growth forest, a scary deep canyon, and some awesome rock formations.

 

There is also a lot of Ohio culture to be found at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park on any summer weekend.  All the Ohio you'll ever need.  You can jump off a 30' cliff and swim to an island.  Talk to as many people there as you can, you'll meet some characters rural and urban.         

I've always thought that Ohio represented a pretty good micro-cosm of America. It seems to just be a little bit of everything...southern, northern, appalachian, urban metropolises, small rural towns, the rust belt, fortune 500 companies, Amish country, seasonal weather, a major river, a great lake, large universities, small colleges, diverse, etc.

 

that is it exactly. the heart of it all is a fitting moniker. ohio has something representative of almost anywhere in america. at least more so than any other states. all of that is within easy reach too so any ohioan can experience it.

 

"Micro-cosm of America" ...you sound like Sarah Palin speaking on Alaska  :laugh:

 

That's probably true though. There is a lot of immigrants in some parts of most of our cities. We're also a swing state.

As to Native Americans - Ohio likely had a pretty substantial population pre-1500 but it never fully recovered during the colonial period. Ohio is actually one of the few states to have no native populations left, it has a lot to do with what Americans thought about the future of Native Americans and their rights as the state was being settled.

 

Gnadenhutton (sp?) is probably another significant Native American location - Moravian Native Americans were massacred there. In terms of Presidents and the like, William Howard Taft has his birthplace as a museum in Cincinnati. Rutherford B. Hayes has a library and house in Fremont. There is a William Henry Harrison something at North Bend near Cincinnati. Grant's birthplace (is/was) a museum in Point Pleasant along the Ohio. There are lots of schools named after these folks as well.

 

I was mostly thinking of the cities in terms of the Appalachian/Southern populations. Clearly, SE Ohio is a part of Appalachia.

 

Cincinnati also has a prominent mosque along I-75. Toledo has one of the oldest Muslim communities in the U.S. - it's deeply connected to the Detroit Arab/Muslim/Lebanese communities - though there are plenty of Arabs and Lebanese that are Christian in Detroit and Toledo.

 

Cincinnati is one of the founding cities of Reform Judaism - Hebrew Union College remains the dominant seminary. Cleveland was more of Conservative/Orthodox Jewish town and Rabbi Silver was quite famous in the 30s. Cincinnati's Jewish community is no longer as prominent as it once was, though there is a nascent Russian Jewish community that has formed in the last 25 years or so.

 

For baseball - the reach of 700WLW pretty much determines whether one follows the Reds or not - it is radio station that carries the games.

 

Toledo doesn't have the ego that Cleveland does. It feels itself to have a more precarious culture.

As to Native Americans - Ohio likely had a pretty substantial population pre-1500 but it never fully recovered during the colonial period. Ohio is actually one of the few states to have no native populations left, it has a lot to do with what Americans thought about the future of Native Americans and their rights as the state was being settled.

 

For baseball - the reach of 700WLW pretty much determines whether one follows the Reds or not - it is radio station that carries the games.

 

Toledo doesn't have the ego that Cleveland does. It feels itself to have a more precarious culture.

 

For clarification: I think there might be some splinter tribes who still claim Ohio as home, but they are smaller and often more integrated that Western tribes.

 

Interesting that you identify the Reds' reach as contiguous with the radio station. Do you think that still holds today? Do many people still listen to radio broadcasts of the Reds?

 

What makes Toledo's culture 'precarious'? Is it being so close to Michigan and Detroit? I notice quite a bit of Michigan news up here, which makes sense since the television stations claim three or four counties to the north. I wonder if anyone up there pays attention to the Toledo media, or if they all watch Detroit stations.

"Micro-cosm of America" ...you sound like Sarah Palin speaking on Alaska  :laugh:

 

That's probably true though. There is a lot of immigrants in some parts of most of our cities. We're also a swing state.

 

I've also read that Ohio has 'no culture' because it has everything. Parts of Northwest Ohio feel like they could be Iowa or Nebraska; parts of Southeast Ohio to me feel like Tennessee. Northeast Ohio still identifies with the Northeast/MidAtlantic. Southwest Ohio: Texas with rain. :)

 

So, does that mean that American Culture is rooted, mirrored, miniaturized, etc in Ohio? What does it mean for Ohio to be in "The Heart of It All"?

 

I heard the term 'civic religion' again last night, watching a CSPAN program on Lincoln. The historian touring the Lincoln sites talked about exactly what I mentioned earlier: pilgrimages, pseudo religious sites, myths, and so on. That's an interesting example spreading across Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. I grew up along the "Lincoln Heritage Trail" between Kentucky and Springfield. It's a pilgrimage path. Are there many of those in Ohio? I know of the Scenic Byways, but are there mapped trails related to historical figures here?

 

 

 

C-Dawg basically summarized what I meant by precarious. I'd add that this is a long-term thing. The city was a boom town in the Great Depression and then got hit hardest of anywhere in the country once it hit. The 60s and early 70s were pretty good to Toledo, even the late 80s and late 90s weren't too bad, but otherwise the culture of that part of the state is far more aware of the boom-bust nature of life. The contrast is with SE Ohio which doesn't have the fleeting connections to prosperity that Toledo does. It's just poor. Cleveland is still in shell-shock about it's decline, while Youngstown is becoming more like SE Ohio and less like the three C's. Dayton is probably in shell-shock but it has lots of federal money that make it different than northern Ohio and it is slowly being swallowed up into SW Ohio culture that includes Cincy and to lesser extent Cbus.

The city was a boom town in the Great Depression and then got hit hardest of anywhere in the country once it hit. The 60s and early 70s were pretty good to Toledo, even the late 80s and late 90s weren't too bad, but otherwise the culture of that part of the state is far more aware of the boom-bust nature of life.

 

Bingo.

 

Speaking of a boom/bust culture in Toledo, what do you think accounts for the 'entrepreneurial' culture of Columbus, particularly related to retail?

Dayton is probably in shell-shock but it has lots of federal money that make it different than northern Ohio and it is slowly being swallowed up into SW Ohio culture that includes Cincy and to lesser extent Cbus.

 

Dayton has been in shell-shock since NCR closed down (mostly) in the 1970s.  To be honest I see nothing in this city that is local anymore.  No local foodways (like goetta and chili), no trad ethnic neighborhoods like Little Italy or Lagrange.  No "new immigration" areas either, like Clevelands Chinatown, or homegrown urban bohemias like Short North.  Not even a survival like that sausage place in German Village (the one that makes those Bahama Mamas).

 

It's really sad and depressing to...as if the soul has been stripped from the city and nothing has replaced it except commercialized mass cutlure one finds everywhere.

 

Not even a survival like that sausage place in German Village (the one that makes those Bahama Mamas).

 

 

Schmidt's? I love that place.

 

 

Speaking of a boom/bust culture in Toledo, what do you think accounts for the 'entrepreneurial' culture of Columbus, particularly related to retail?

 

What do you mean by "Entrepreneurial culture"?

No local foodways (like goetta and chili),

 

Dayton-pizza and Dayton broasted chicken are two that come to mind though it's not as pronounced as, say, Cincy-chili.