University District in Columbus in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Ohio State University
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 31, 2008
1. The Ohio State University Marker
The Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College grew out of the Cannon Act of March 22, 1870. But let it be started, Governor Rutherford B. Hayes told the Legislature in 1873, with the intention of making it a great State University. The little college opened September 17, 1873 with a faculty of seven and twenty-four students. One academic building at first housed everything. The campus, remote from the city, was surrounded by some of the original forest. In May, 1878 the name was changed to The Ohio State University.
It was after 1900 before it really began to realize its educational potential, and its major growth occurred after World War II. By 1970, the Centennial Year, the university had more than met the hopes of its founders. A leading university with great manpower and physical resources, it had earned high standing in many fields covering a wide range of educational and research activities.
Erected 1970 by The Ohio State University and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 5-25.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Education • Roads & Vehicles.
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Location. 39° 59.882′ N, 83° 0.817′ W. Marker is in Columbus, Ohio, in Franklin County. It is in the University District. It can be reached from Neil Avenue. Marker is on The Ohio State University campus, near the east end of Mirror Lake, about fifty feet north of the Browning Amphitheatre. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Columbus OH 43210, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Scioto Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mirror Lake (a few steps from this marker); Browning Amphitheatre / The Outdoor Performance Center (a few steps from this marker); 2018 Restoration & Evolution (a few steps from this marker); The Underground Railroad on University Land (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Mirror Lake (within shouting distance of this marker); Bucket & Dipper Junior Class Honorary (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); NPHC at Ohio State (about 600 feet away); History of NPHC (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.
Also see . . . The Ohio State University website.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 31, 2008
2. The Ohio State University Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 31, 2008
3. The Ohio State University Marker
Looking west from the marker across Mirror Lake toward Pomerene Hall (left) and Campbell Hall (opposite side of lake).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 31, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 11, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,763 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 11, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
