Ada in Hardin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Ohio Northern University
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 7, 2010
1. Ohio Northern University Marker
Henry Solomon Lehr founded Ohio Northern University in 1871 as the Northwestern Ohio Normal School. Its purpose was to train teachers and to provide higher education to the people of Northwest Ohio. In 1885, the school became Ohio Normal University. The new name recognized that the institution drew students from all over Ohio and the nation, and offered courses in many disciplines, including literature, music, business, telegraphy, and law, as well as teacher training. Beginning with 131 students, the institution's enrollment grew rapidly during its first thirty years of existence. Buildings on the early campus included Dukes Memorial (left), built in 1905; the Normal School Building, built in 1871 and demolished in 1915 to make way for Lehr Memorial (center); and Hill Building (right) finished in 1879. The Methodist Episcopal Church (predecessor to the United Methodist Church) assumed control in 1899. Ohio Normal University became Ohio Northern University in 1903. On June 3, 1910, President William Howard Taft delivered that year's commencement address near this spot.
Erected 1998 by The County Connection Club, Ohio Northern University, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 14-33.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education
this page online
Location. 40° 45.933′ N, 83° 49.4′ W. Marker is in Ada, Ohio, in Hardin County. It is at the intersection of Main Street (Ohio Route 235) and College Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 525 S Main Street, Ada OH 45810, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Till Plains. 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: A different marker also named Ohio Northern University (within shouting distance of this marker); Davis Grove (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Henry Solomon Lehr (about 500 feet away); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Memorial Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Liberty National Bank Of Ada (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ada Civil War Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ada Passenger Depot, 1887 (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ada.
Also see . . .
1. Ohio Northern University. Wikipedia
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 7, 2010
2. Ohio Northern University Marker
2. Ohio Northern University. University website homepage (Submitted on March 23, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Additional commentary.
1. Dukes Hall at Ohio Northern University
Dukes Hall was donated to Ohio Northern University by Louis Dukes, brother of Eli Dukes, my husband's great great grandfather, in 1902.
— Submitted April 3, 2011, by Donna McLean Young of Springfield, Ohio.
Photographed by Joel Seewald, August 25, 2025
3. Ohio Northern University Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 7, 2010
4. Ohio Northern University Marker
Looking south.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 7, 2010
5. Dukes Hall, Ohio Northern University
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 7, 2010
6. Lehr Hall, Ohio Northern University
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 7, 2010
7. Hill Building, Ohio Northern University
Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 23, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,221 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 23, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 3. submitted on October 20, 2025, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on March 23, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
