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It Happened In Ohio by Carol Cartaino - On my very first trip to my local library here in my new home state of Ohio, I wandered up and down several shelves, including the section where one would find books on the history of the state. I picked up this easy-to-read overview of many of the events and people that have been important in Ohio's history.
Author Cartaino is herself a transplant to the state, having lived here since 1978. She admits in the Introduction that she knew very little about Ohio when she first arrived, and even "wondered . . . whether you could take a state with only four letters in its name seriously". Her research and the years spent here getting to know Ohio personally combine in the book with brief history lessons presented almost like a series of short stories. The history starts with a discussion of the Serpent Mound and other similar sites attributed to ancient Indians, and then jumps forward to the time of the French and Indian War. From there the stories march through Ohio's history touching on armed conflicts, founding of towns, westward migration, crime stories, and student and worker protests of various types. Sprinkled throughout are one-page biographies of famous Ohioans including Ulysses S. Grant, Jesse Owens, Paul Newman, and Erma Bombeck.
When I was partway through the informative book, I began to bemoan the lack of a map so I could see where all the historic sites are in relation to where I live. And then discovered, there is indeed a map in the front matter, but on the back side of one of the Table of Contents page, which is why I initially missed it. I would have appreciated a summary of museums and other sites that can be visited today, as that would save much of the guesswork. Overall, an interesting history in short chapters, all presented in a conversational and unbiased tone.
This title starts with the letter I (#5) for The 52 Book Club's 2023 Reading Challenge
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