Columbus is an interesting place and there is a lot you may not know about Ohio’s capital city. So Rewind 103.5/104.3 and the Ohio History Connection have teamed up to bring you a list of fun and fascinating facts about our hometown! Check back frequently for more facts about Columbus as our list continues to grow!
- Forty-eight percent of Americans live within 600 miles of Columbus. Major cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and New York City are less than a day’s drive away.
- After the National Hockey League awarded a franchise to Columbus on June 25, 1997, a region-wide “name the team” contest was held. Out of more than 14,000 entries, the Columbus Blue Jackets was picked. The name stems from the fact that, during the Civil War, Columbus manufactured thousands of blue uniforms for Union troops. Ohio also provided more soldiers to the Union forces than any other state.
- At the turn of the 20th century, elementary schools in Ohio taught kindergarten through 10th grade and only 7 percent of Columbus students went on to get their high school diplomas. To increase the number of graduates, administrators opened America’s first middle school, Indianola Junior High School, in 1909, to teach 7th through 9th grades.
- Four businessmen from Franklinton, a small town in North Carolina, provided 20 acres (8.09 ha) of land for free. This area was selected as the site of Ohio’s new state capitol on February 14, 1812. In 1816, Columbus became a city.
- In an effort to fight typhoid fever outbreaks, Clarence and Charles Hoover designed the world’s first water filtration facility, right here in Columbus. The same facility design and treatment protocols are still used all over the world. The Hoover Dam near Westerville is named after the two brothers.
- Until 1914, Columbus used wooden arches that spanned streets to provide streetlights and power streetcars. This gave the city its nickname – “Arch City.” In 2002, metal arches were installed in the Short North to pay homage to the historic arches.
- From 1850 to 1977 the Union Station served railroad passengers in Columbus. Three different buildings served as the station. At its peak, the station handled 112 passenger trains per day. The only remnant of the stations is one arch, part of the third station, that stands today on Nationwide Boulevard across from Nationwide Arena.
- The world’s first cargo flight landed in Columbus. It carried two packages of silk from Dayton in a Wright Model B airplane and was flown to Pilot Philip Parmalee.
- Sitting next to the Ohio Judicial Center in the middle of a beautiful reflecting pool in downtown Columbus is the world’s largest gavel. It was created by Andrew Scott in 2008.
- The average age of Columbus, Ohio residents has hovered between 30-33 years old for nearly 10 years, making our city one of the top ten youngest cities in the U.S.!
- Columbus ranks in the top five U.S. cities for craft beer production. We love our sports, and what goes better with sports than craft-brewed beer?
- The National Football League was headquartered in Columbus from 1927 until 1939. They worked out of one of the first skyscrapers built in the city. In fact, Columbus even had an NFL team, the Columbus Panhandles, who were the first team in the NFL to play against another NFL team!
- We once had our very own Playboy club: Back in 1982, multi-millionaire Hugh Heffner built the Playboy Club in east Columbus. The club was reportedly incredibly lavish, with a massive grand staircase where Bunnies would strut their stuff. The club closed in 1985, but it certainly left a lasting impression.
- We have a few strange laws. Especially when it comes to whales…. You will be surprised to learn that it is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday in Columbus. So if you are lucky enough to spot a whale in Columbus, just make sure it’s not Sunday.
- Legendary AC/DC frontman Bon Scott played the final US concert of his life at St. John Arena on October 21, 1979.