Ohio
The Buckeye State is known for corn, industry and football – definitely not necessarily in that order. Hard to believe now but a couple hundred years ago the state once had so many trees it was said a squirrel could climb a tree on the shores of Lake Erie, travel the entire length of the state, and not touch ground until it got to the Ohio River.
But here, I think, is the really strange bit of news about Ohio: While there a number of rivers throughout the state, there isn’t one natural lake. Not one in the entire state. Oh, there are plenty of lakes but they’re all manmade.
Here’s an even more bizarre piece of trivia. Ohio may not really be a state. Here’s the story in a nutshell. The history books claim Ohio was admitted to the Union in 1803. But in 1953 when Ohio was about to celebrate 150 years of statehood, it was discovered Congress had failed to formally admit Ohio into the Union in 1803.
So in 1953 Congress finally passed a bill that formally admitted Ohio to the United States. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it so Ohio officially became a state in 1953, retroactive to 1803. And there’s the rub. Because some contend, technically, such a bill that’s retroactive is unconstitutional. So is Ohio really a state?
Well, here’s a look at the capitol building in Columbus, the state capitol building. Enough said.
In any case Ohio has a rich history, including a long railroad history. And as I travel the state I see plenty of potential scenery possibilities.