Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital and the largest city of the American state of Ohio. Named for the famed explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. The city has a diverse economy based on education, insurance, healthcare, and technology. Acknowledged as the 8th best large city to inhabit in the US by Money Magazine, it is also recognized as an emerging global city. Residents of Columbus are usually referred to as Columbusites.

In 2005 Columbus was ranked as the United States 15th largest city, with 730,657 residents, and is the country's 32nd largest metropolitan area. Located near the geographic center of the state, Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County, although parts of the city also extend into Delaware and Fairfield counties.

The name Columbus is often used to refer to the Columbus Metropolitan Area, which includes many other municipalities. According to the US Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 1,725,570, while the Combined Statistical Area (which also includes Marion and Chillicothe) has 1,953,575 people.

Though evidence exists of an ancient Indian mound building culture, the first explorers of central Ohio found natives of the Miami, Delaware, Wyandot, Shawnee, and Mingo nations. In 1797 surveyor Lucas Sullivant laid out the town of Franklinton on the west bank of the Scioto River. Named after Benjamin Franklin, the name still exists as a neighborhood in Columbus. Political infighting in the new state of Ohio resulted in the state legislature moving the capital to the center of the state opposite Franklinton. The Borough of Columbus was officially established on February 10, 1816. In 1831 the National Road (US Route 40) reached Columbus followed by the Ohio and Eire Canal that brought a boom of prosperity to Columbus and an influx of Irish and German immigrants. The city of Columbus was chartered on March 3, 1834. In 1850 the Columbus and Xenia Railroad became the first railroad to reach Columbus which increased to eight railroads by 1875. Ohio’s present day statehouse was finally completed in 1857 after eighteen years of construction. During the Civil War, Columbus was the home base for 26,000 troops and 9,000 Confederate prisoners of war. Ohio State University was founded under the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. In the late nineteenth century Columbus was known as the “Buggy Capital of the World” and was a major manufacturer of steel products and castings. On the side of labor, Samuel Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor in 1886 at Druid's Hall, and in 1890 the United Mine Workers of America at the old City Hall. At the turn of the century Columbus received the nickname “The Arch City” because of the dozens of metal (formerly wooden) arches that spanned High Street and provided illumination and electrical power for the streetcars. Though they were only used through 1914, recently new arches were added to the Short North historical district. On March 25, 1913, Franklinton was inundated by a flood leaving over ninety people dead and thousands of West Side residents homeless. The Army Corps of Engineers recommended the widening of the Scioto River through downtown and constructing a retaining wall along its banks. The post-war economy resulted in a construction boom in the 1920s that included a new Civic Center, the Ohio Theatre, the American Insurance Union Citadel, and the new Ohio Stadium. The Great Depression had less effect on the people of Columbus due to its diversified economy which prospered during World War II. Columbus’ post-war growth was mainly the result of the annexation of neighborhood communities which wanted to share in the utilities and services offered by the capital city. By the 1990’s census Columbus had grown to become Ohio's largest city in both land area and in population.