1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons
Ohio ranks sixth among states and provinces with markers in this database. Ohio is a state in the United States of America located in the American Midwest. It is also in the Great Lakes region. Ohio is some 45 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 11.5 million people. The state is divided into 88 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Ohio we have discovered historical markers in 1,001 cities and towns lying in 908 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 7,405 historical markers in Ohio, by our count. We have cataloged 7,338 historical markers and 2,220 war memorials—each individually presented on 9,253 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 3.5% of our total. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another 67 historical markers in Ohio that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Ohio marker in the database, Bank of the Alexandrian Society, was added February 27, 2006. It was photographed in Granville in Licking County and was erected in 1990. The last one added was submitted on April 16, 2024, and titled Adena. It is in Chillicothe in Ross County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Ohio was erected in 1838. It was this one: Indiana - Ohio State Line Monument, and one of our correspondents found it near Elizabethtown in Hamilton County on March 20, 2015.
Ohioans don’t want to forget their Settlements and Settlers history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Ohio about Settlements and Settlers—1,348 of them—than about any other historical topic. A close second is Industry and Commerce with 1,343 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Settlements and Settlers topic was The Bicentennial Legacy Monument, added April 13, 2006. It had been erected in 1999 in Zanesville in Muskingum County. The last one submitted was submitted on April 9, 2024, and titled Log Smoke House - Dammeyer. It had been erected in Wapakoneta in Auglaize County. The earliest marker erected with the Settlements and Settlers topic that we have listed was erected in 1862. It is Nathaniel Leggett, found in Wauseon in Fulton County on November 17, 2020.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Ohio? What we know is that Morgan’s Raid is the most viewed entry in the database from Ohio since it was added in 2006. It is located near Salineville in Carroll County. This year so far, the most viewed Ohioan entry is located in Fort Loramie in Shelby County. It is St. Patrick Catholic Church.
Counties, Cities and Towns
The Ohio county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Montgomery County, with 748 of them. It is followed by Franklin County with 588 markers. The Riverside area of Montgomery County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 458. In Franklin County the area with the most markers, 308, is Columbus.
Checking the database for the city or town in Ohio with the most markers we again find Riverside at the top of the list with 458 markers in or near it. And Columbus also shows up again in next place, with 308 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 45431 at the top of the list with 462 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 45431 is assigned to Dayton OH including the Beaver Creek, Beavercreek, Beavercreek Township, Beavercrk Twp, Riverside, and Wpafb delivery areas.) It is followed by ZIP Code 43420 with 173 markers. (43420 is assigned to Fremont OH.)
Historical Markers Near These Ohio Cities and Towns
Getting back to Montgomery County, the first marker added to the database from there, Erma Bombeck, was added July 13, 2007. It was erected in 2003 in Dayton. The last one submitted was uploaded on January 29, 2024, and is titled Charles F. Kettering, in Dayton. The earliest marker erected in Montgomery County that we have listed was erected in 1884. It was Montgomery County Civil War Memorial, found in Dayton on April 1, 2009.
By J. J. Prats, April 14, 2024
Latest Entry from Ohio “Adena”
And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Columbus. The first: The Ohio State Fair, was added August 11, 2007. It had been erected in 2003. The last: Summit Station added on June 10, 2023. It had been erected in 2023. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1890: Franklin County Civil War Memorial, added on October 20, 2009.
Who Puts Up Historical Markers?
Ohio History Connection is currently in charge of the familiar brown and gold official historical markers found all over the state. You will also find official markers erected by the Ohio Historical Society, a predecessor. They erected their first marker in 1957, and we have 1,895 of their markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
By Rev. Ronald Irick, May 12, 2017
A Ohio History Connection Historical Marker
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Ohio have been marked with history. Check out Pike County, Noble County and Holmes County. We've only found, respectively, 19, 18, and 16 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Ohio might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Ohio ranks sixth among states and provinces with markers in this database. Ohio is a state in the United States of America located in the American Midwest. It is also in the Great Lakes region. Ohio is some 45 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 11.5 million people. The state is divided into 88 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Ohio we have discovered historical markers in 1,001 cities and towns lying in 908 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 7,405 historical markers in Ohio, by our count. We have cataloged 7,338 historical markers and 2,220 war memorials, each individually presented on 9,253 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 3.5% of our total. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another 67 historical markers in Ohio that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Ohio marker in the database, Bank of the Alexandrian Society, was added February 27, 2006. It was photographed in Granville in Licking County and was erected in 1990. The last one added was submitted on April 16, 2024, and titled Adena. It is in Chillicothe in Ross County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Ohio was erected in 1838. It was this one: Indiana - Ohio State Line Monument, and one of our correspondents found it near Elizabethtown in Hamilton County on March 20, 2015.
Ohioans don’t want to forget their Settlements and Settlers history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Ohio about Settlements and Settlers, 1,348 of them, than about any other historical topic. A close second is Industry and Commerce with 1,343 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Settlements and Settlers topic was The Bicentennial Legacy Monument, added April 13, 2006. It had been erected in 1999 in Zanesville in Muskingum County. The last one submitted was submitted on April 9, 2024, and titled Log Smoke House - Dammeyer. It had been erected in Wapakoneta in Auglaize County. The earliest marker erected with the Settlements and Settlers topic that we have listed was erected in 1862. It is Nathaniel Leggett, found in Wauseon in Fulton County on November 17, 2020.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Ohio? What we know is that Morgan’s Raid is the most viewed entry in the database from Ohio since it was added in 2006. It is located near Salineville in Carroll County. This year so far, the most viewed Ohioan entry is located in Fort Loramie in Shelby County. It is St. Patrick Catholic Church.
Counties, Cities and Towns.
The Ohio county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Montgomery County, with 748 of them. It is followed by Franklin County with 588 markers. The Riverside area of Montgomery County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 458. In Franklin County the area with the most markers, 308, is Columbus.
Checking the database for the city or town in Ohio with the most markers we again find Riverside at the top of the list with 458 markers in or near it. And Columbus also shows up again in next place, with 308 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 4 5 4 3 1 at the top of the list with 462 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 4 5 4 3 1 is assigned to Dayton OH including the Beaver Creek, Beavercreek, Beavercreek Township, Beavercrk Twp, Riverside, and Wpafb delivery areas.) It is followed by ZIP Code 4 3 4 2 0 with 173 markers. (4 3 4 2 0 is assigned to Fremont OH.)
Getting back to Montgomery County, the first marker added to the database from there, Erma Bombeck, was added July 13, 2007. It was erected in 2003 in Dayton. The last one submitted was uploaded on January 29, 2024, and is titled Charles F. Kettering, in Dayton. The earliest marker erected in Montgomery County that we have listed was erected in 1884. It was Montgomery County Civil War Memorial, found in Dayton on April 1, 2009.
And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Columbus. The first: The Ohio State Fair, was added August 11, 2007. It had been erected in 2003. The last: Summit Station added on June 10, 2023. It had been erected in 2023. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1890: Franklin County Civil War Memorial, added on October 20, 2009.
Who Puts Up Historical Markers?.
Ohio History Connection is currently in charge of the familiar brown and gold official historical markers found all over the state. You will also find official markers erected by the Ohio Historical Society, a predecessor. They erected their first marker in 1957, and we have 1,895 of their markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path.
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Ohio have been marked with history. Check out Pike County, Noble County and Holmes County. We've only found, respectively, 19, 18, and 16 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Ohio might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Ohio ranks sixth among states and provinces with markers in this database. Ohio is a state in the United States of America located in the American Midwest. It is also in the Great Lakes region. Ohio is some 45 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 11.5 million people. The state is divided into 88 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Ohio we have discovered historical markers in 1,001 cities and towns lying in 908 different ZIP Codes. 
