In 1885, a group of leading citizens met to form the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society to preserve
the state's past and address concern that the state's past was being lost entirely or sent away to museums and
libraries in other states and countries. Today, that organization is called the Ohio Historical Society, and its
activities reach into every part of the state.
Throughout the 20th century, the Society acquired a growing network of historic sites and museums, collected and
preserved hundreds of thousands of museum objects and gathered millions of documents in its Archives/Library
collections. In recent years, the Society's diverse activities include online access of its collections and programs,
coordination of the National History Day in Ohio program, outreach to local history groups, historic preservation
activities such as Building Doctor clinics and educational programs for adults and young people.
Headquartered in Columbus, the Ohio Historical Society is one of the largest state historical organizations in the
country. It operates the nation's largest state-supported network of historic sites and museums, with 60 sites, 300
buildings and 4,800 acres of land. Its archives/library holds more than 50,000 cubic feet of documents and photographs,
including significant collections on the Civil War, the Underground Railroad and U.S. presidents from Ohio. The
Society has administered the Ohio Historical Markers program for 50 years, growing the network of historical markers
to nearly 1,100 by December 2005.
Thanks for joining us on your journey through Ohio history.
The Ohio Channel
The Ohio Channel is a service of Ohio's public broadcasting
stations. A new concept in public affairs programming, the Ohio Channel combines
Statehouse coverage with locally produced PBS programs to give a statewide perspective on issues that affect the lives of all Ohioans.
Using live Statehouse programming supplied by Ohio Government Telecommunications and distributed by eTech, and
packaging this programming with Ohio PBS station public affairs programming and documentaries, the Ohio Channel provides the most comprehensive coverage of state
government issues.
Coverage of Statehouse activities is
unedited and is commentary-free to give you an unbiased and open perspective on government activities. The Ohio House and Senate as well as the
Ohio Supreme Court are covered gavel to gavel, in addition news conferences and meetings are broadcast across the state.