Timeline of Columbus, Ohio

City history timeline

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

## 18th century

[edit]

* 1797: Lucas Sullivant founds Franklinton, Central Ohio's first permanent white settlement and the oldest Columbus neighborhood.[1]

## 19th century

[edit]

* 1803
* Ohio becomes the first state formed from the Northwest Territory.[1]
* Franklin County is formed from Ross County.[1]
* 1805: Postal service is established in Franklinton, and the settlement acquires its first preacher.[1]
* 1806: The first schoolhouse is built, a 16-foot-square log building.[1]
* 1811: The first church is constructed, by the present-day Old Franklinton Cemetery.[1]
* 1812
* Columbus is founded.[2]
* Population: 300.[2]
* Foundations for High Street laid out.
* 1813: Columbus's first post office is established.[1]
* 1814
* William Ludlow is named "director of the town of Columbus" to supervise its construction.[1]
* The first market house, later known as Central Market, is constructed.[1]
* The first newspaper is established, The Western Intelligencer, after it moves from Worthington.[1]
* 1816
* Columbus becomes the capitol of Ohio and the legislature meets in Columbus's first statehouse.[1]
* The Village of Columbus is organized, with Jarvis W. Pike elected as the first mayor.[2][1]
* 1817
* James Monroe visits Columbus, the first U.S. President to do so.[1]
* The Ohio State Library is headquartered in Columbus.[3]
* 1824: The seat of Franklin County moves from Franklinton to Columbus.[1]
* 1826: The first public schools are opened in Columbus and Franklinton.[1]
* 1831: Columbus is connected to the Ohio and Erie Canal through the Columbus Feeder Canal.[2][1][4]
* 1832: The Ohio School for the Deaf is established.
* 1833
* National Road in operation.[2]
* A cholera epidemic kills 100 residents and causes 1,000 to move away.[1]
* 1834
* Columbus chartered as a city, population: 3,500.[1]
* John Brooks becomes mayor.[1]
* Ohio Penitentiary begins operating.[2]
* 1837: Ohio State School for the Blind established.[2]
* 1840: Population: 6,048.[5]
* 1845: Columbus Public Schools established.
* 1849
* State Convention of the Colored Citizen held in city.[6]
* Green Lawn Cemetery established.
* 1850
* The Columbus and Xenia Railroad begins operating,[2] and the first passenger train arrives in the city.[1]
* Development of Franklin Park began.[4]
* Population: 17,882.[5]
* 1851
* Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad begins operating.
* Union Station operates from 1851 to 1977.
* 1853
* Saint Patrick Church founded.
* Columbus Athenaeum founded.[3]
* 1857: The Ohio Statehouse opens to the public and begins use.
* 1861
* Ohio Statehouse fully completed.[2][4]
* Camp Chase is established (1861).[1]
* 1862: Fort Hayes is established.
* 1865: Abraham Lincoln's funeral procession stops in Columbus.[1]
* 1868
* St. Mary's of the Springs school opens.[2]
* Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway in operation.
* 1870
* Columbus annexes 4,052 acres (1,640 ha), including Franklinton.[1]
* The Ohio State University is founded, as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College.
* Columbus Circulating Library organized.[3]
* 1871
* The Daily Dispatch newspaper begins publication.[7]
* Public water system first set-up.[1]
* Population: 32,000.[1]
* 1872: Public Library & Reading Room established at Columbus City Hall.[3][8]
* 1873: The Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College opens.[2]
* 1874: The Ohio State Fair is permanently established in Columbus, after being held in cities throughout the state each year.[1]
* 1875: Union Station rebuilt.
* 1878
* St. Joseph Cathedral building completed.
* Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts and Ohio State University Marching Band established.
* 1879: Columbus Art School and Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery[2] established.
* 1880: Population: 51,647.[5]
* 1887: Franklin County Courthouse built.[2]
* 1890: Population: 88,150.[4]
* 1894: "Ugly law" approved.[9]
* 1895: Franklin Park Conservatory opens.
* 1898: First Neighborhood Guild organized.[10]
* 1899
* Columbus Citizen newspaper begins publication.[7]
* Masonic Temple built.
* Hocking Valley Railway operates from 1899 to 1930.[4]
* 1900
* Godman Guild House built.[10]
* Population: 125,560.[5][4]

## 20th century

[edit]

* 1903: Columbus, Delaware and Marion Railway operated 1903 to 1933.
* 1904: Governor's Mansion and Franklin County Memorial Hall[2] built.
* 1905: Indianola Park (amusement park) in business.
* 1906: Columbus Public Library building constructed.[2]
* 1910
* Streetcar strike.[2]
* Population: 181,511.[4]
* 1912: Woman Suffrage parade takes place.
* 1913: The Great Flood of 1913[2]
* 1914: The Columbus City Charter is adopted.
* 1917: Women are granted the right to vote in municipal elections.[1]
* 1919: The Spring Street YMCA opens.[11]
* 1920
* Planning begins for buildings in the Columbus Civic Center.[1]
* Population: 237,031.[5]
* 1922: Ohio State University's Ohio Stadium built.[2]
* 1924: Central High School is completed, the first building completed in the new Columbus Civic Center.[1]
* 1927: The American Insurance Union Citadel is completed, becoming the fifth-tallest building in the world at the time.
* 1928
* Columbus City Hall is completed, replacing the Old City Hall destroyed by fire in 1921.[1]
* Ohio Theatre opens.
* 1929
* The present-day John Glenn Columbus International Airport is established.[1]
* Battelle Memorial Institute founded.
* 1933: Ohio State Office Building constructed.[2]
* 1934: U.S. Post Office and Courthouse built.[2]
* 1936: White Castle restaurant chain headquartered in city.
* 1937: Spanish–American War Memorial dedicated.
* 1940: Population: 306,087.[5]
* 1947: National Auto Theatre (drive-in cinema) in business.[12]
* 1952: Ohio State University's Mershon Center for International Security Studies established.
* 1954: Black Baptist Pastors' Conference organized (approximate date).[13]
* 1954-1958: Columbus annexes numerous parcels, growing from 40 sq mi (100 km2) to 84.9 sq mi (220 km2).[1]
* 1955
* Franklin Heights High School founded.
* Columbus begins planning its interstate highways along with state and federal agencies.[1]
* Sister city relationship established with Genoa, Italy.[14]
* 1959: The Columbus Citizen-Journal newspaper in publication.
* 1960: Population: 471,316.[5]
* 1964
* Northland Mall in business.
* Bank One Tower built.
* 1969: First Wendy's founded by Dave Thomas.
* 1970
* Columbus Free Press begins publication.
* Columbus surpasses Cincinnati in population.
* 1974: Rhodes State Office Tower built.
* 1975: Columbus Monthly magazine begins publication.
* 1976
* Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center established.
* Union Station demolished.
* 1977
* QUBE television begins broadcasting.
* One Nationwide Plaza built.
* Clippers begin playing in Columbus.
* 1978: Community Development Task Force formed.[15]
* 1980: Sister city relationship established with Tainan City, Taiwan.[14]
* 1982: Columbus surpasses Cleveland to become the largest city by population in Ohio.
* 1984
* Huntington Center built.
* Ohio Penitentiary closes.
* 1985: Catco theatre company founded.
* 1987
* King Arts Complex active.
* Union Station mural painted.
* 1988
* Vern Riffe State Office Tower and Three Nationwide Plaza built.
* Sister city relationships established with Hefei, China; Odense, Denmark; and Seville, Spain.[14]
* 1989: Columbus City Center (shopping mall) in business.
* 1990
* The Other Paper begins publication.
* William Green Building constructed.
* Population: 632,910.[5]
* 1991
* City government computer network begins operating.[16]
* Carriage Place Movies 12 (cinema) in business.[12]
* 1992: Sister city relationship established with Dresden, Germany.[14]
* 1996
* Columbus Crew begins play with the newly established Major League Soccer.
* Sister city relationship established with Herzliya, Israel.[14]
* Chamber of Commerce city portal online.[17][18]
* 1998: City government website online (approximate date).[19][chronology citation needed]
* 1999
* The Columbus Crew moves to newly-built Columbus Crew Stadium.
* Easton Town Center opens.
* Columbus Ohio Temple built.
* 2000
* Michael B. Coleman begins his first term as mayor of Columbus.
* Nationwide Arena opens, hosting the newly founded Columbus Blue Jackets.
* Population: 711,470.[20]

## 21st century

[edit]

* 2001
* Columbus Underground begins publication.[21]
* Miranova Condominiums built.
* Arena Grand cinema[12] and Polaris Fashion Place (shopping mall) in business.
* 2004: The Northland Mall on Morse Road, which closed in 2002, is demolished to make way for a new commercial development,[22] ultimately to be called Northland Village.
* 2008: Sister city relationship established with Ahmedabad, India.[14]
* 2009: Huntington Park opens in the Arena District, replacing Cooper Stadium as the home of Columbus Clippers baseball.
* 2010
* Population: 787,033.[23]
* Columbus City Center demolished.
* 2011
* Columbus Commons opens.
* Steve Stivers becomes U.S. representative for Ohio's 15th congressional district.[24]
* 2013
* Population: 822,553.[25]
* Joyce Beatty becomes U.S. representative for Ohio's 3rd congressional district.
* 2014: Sister city relationship established with Curitiba, Brazil.[14]
* 2016
* Columbus surpasses Indianapolis to become the second largest city in the Midwest.
* Andrew Ginther begins his first term as mayor.
* 2018: Columbus surpasses San Francisco to become the 14th-largest city in America.
* 2020
* The COVID-19 pandemic is introduced to Columbus.
* George Floyd protests take place in Columbus and most major U.S. cities.
* Population 905,748.
* 2021: Lower.com Field, the new Columbus Crew stadium, opens.
* 2023:Columbus Crew wins its third MLS Cup, its second in four years.

## See also

[edit]

* Bibliography of Columbus, Ohio
* History of Columbus, Ohio
* List of mayors of Columbus, Ohio

Other cities in Ohio

* Timeline of Cincinnati
* Timeline of Cleveland
* Timeline of Toledo, Ohio

## References

[edit]

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "Highlights of Columbus History". The Columbus Dispatch. October 14, 1962. pp. 154–156. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Federal Writers' Project 1940.
3. ^ a b c d Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
4. ^ a b c d e f g Britannica 1910.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, US Census Bureau, 1998
6. ^ "Conventions by Year". Colored Conventions. P. Gabrielle Foreman, director. University of Delaware, Library. Retrieved May 30, 2015.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: others (link)
7. ^ a b "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
8. ^ American Library Annual, 1917-1918. New York: R.R. Bowker Co. 1918. pp. 7 v. hdl:2027/mdp.39015013751220.
9. ^ Susan M. Schweik (2010). The Ugly Laws: Disability in Public. New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-8361-0.
10. ^ a b Peterson 1965.
11. ^ Nina Mjagkij (1994). Light in the Darkness: African Americans and the YMCA, 1852-1946. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-2801-3.
12. ^ a b c "Movie Theaters in Columbus, OH". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
13. ^ Alex-Assensoh 2004.
14. ^ a b c d e f g "Greater Columbus Sister Cities International". Retrieved December 30, 2014.
15. ^ Rimmerman 1985.
16. ^ "NII Awards 1995". USA: National Information Infrastructure Awards. Archived from the original on January 2, 1997.
17. ^ "Columbus Supersite". Archived from the original on December 23, 1996 - via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
18. ^ "Columbus Supersite Makes its Internet Debut", Columbus Dispatch, July 10, 1996
19. ^ "City of Columbus, Ohio". Archived from the original on November 11, 1998 - via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
20. ^ U.S. Census Bureau, "Mini-Historical Statistics: Population of the Largest 75 Cities: 1900 to 2000" (PDF), Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2003
21. ^ "Ohio". CJR's Guide to Online News Startups. New York: Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
22. ^ "Northland Mall demolition to begin". Business First of Columbus. January 23, 2004. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
23. ^ "Columbus (city), Ohio". State & County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
24. ^ "Ohio". Official Congressional Directory. Government Printing Office. 2011. ISBN 9780160886539.
25. ^ "The 15 Cities with the Largest Numeric Increase from July 1, 2012 to July 1, 2013" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 2014. "Vintage 2013 Population Estimates"

### Bibliography

[edit]

* "Columbus (Ohio)" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). 1910. pp. 746–747.
* Craig Rimmerman (1985), "Citizen Participation and Policy Implementation in the Columbus, Ohio CDBG Program", Public Administration Quarterly, 9 (3): 328–341, JSTOR 40861102
* Federal Writers' Project (1940), "Columbus", Ohio Guide, American Guide Series, New York: Oxford University Press - via Open Library`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
* Jon A. Peterson (1965), "From Social Settlement to Social Agency: Settlement Work in Columbus, Ohio, 1898-1958", Social Service Review, 39 (2): 191–208, doi:10.1086/641739, JSTOR 30017591, S2CID 143963893
* Yvette M. Alex-Assensoh (2004), "Taking the Sanctuary to the Streets: Religion, Race, and Community Development in Columbus, Ohio", Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 594: 79–91, doi:10.1177/0002716204264781, JSTOR 4127695, S2CID 145330315

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to History of Columbus, Ohio.

* Columbus Metropolitan Library. Local History
* "Columbus, Ohio". Ohio History Central. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio History Connection.
* Digital Public Library of America. Items related to Columbus, Ohio, various dates

* v
* t
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History of Columbus, Ohio

Historical timeline

Significant events|

* 1910 streetcar strike
* Great Flood of 1913
* AmeriFlora '92
* COVID-19 pandemic

Historic sites|

* National Register listings
* Columbus Register listings

Notable former
landmarks|

* Alfred Kelley mansion
* Central Market
* Chittenden Hotel
* Christopher Inn
* Columbus Auditorium
* Columbus City Hall (1872–1921)
* Columbus City Prison
* Columbus State Hospital
* Deshler Hotel
* Elijah Pierce Properties
* 1840 and 1887 Franklin County Courthouses
* Hartman Building and Theater
* Kahiki Supper Club
* Lucas Sullivant House
* Neil House
* Ohio Institution for Feeble-Minded Youth
* Ohio Institution for the Deaf and Dumb
* Ohio Penitentiary
* Ohio State University Armory and Gymnasium
* Park Hotel
* Peruna Drug Manufacturing Company Building
* Santa Maria Ship & Museum
* Union Station

Organizations|

* Ohio History Connection
* Columbus Historical Society
* Columbus Landmarks

Museums|

* Central Ohio Fire Museum
* Kelton House Museum and Garden
* Ohio History Center
* Ohio Village

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