Local Industries
Up until the mid
1830s, pioneer manufacturing largely
centered in/around the home; for the most part, the farmer and his family were
self-sufficient. This would change dramatically with the advent of transportation, communication
and industrialization.
"Ohio," commented a visitor after traveling
throughout the state and viewing various communities, "already rich in raw
materials, and commanding unrivaled facilities for carrying those materials from place to
place, perceives the advantages of its location at the gateway of the Middle West, and,
[is] adding industry upon industry."
While bigger cities such as Cincinnati and Cleveland led the state in manufacturing
throughout the 1840s/1850s, during the Civil War period, Dayton and Springfield also developed rapidly.
By the turn of the century, the primary industries in Ohio (and some in Shelby
County) included lumbering, furniture, flour/feed, brass casting, printing, cigars/tobacco,
harness/leather, glassware, engines, ink, oil and paint.
Industry segment
written in January, 1998 by Rich Wallace
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