The till plains region of Ohio is the state’s top place to grow crops because of its outstanding soil quality. During the Ice Age, glaciers retreated north toward Lake Erie and left behind till. Till is a mixture of sand, clay, and small rocks great for growing corn, soybeans, and grain.
Class Discussion Questions:
1) Compare and contrast the soil in the Till Plains to the Bluegrass region.
2) How did glacial activity help agriculture in the Till Plains?
3) What impact did the Ohio River have on Cincinnati's growth?
Read the Script:
Ready to dig in? Good, because today we're talking about Ohio's top spot for growing crops, the till plains.
The till plains region covers almost the entire west side of the state. It is lucky to have our state's most fertile soils. Fertile means that it is able to produce lots of crops.
Why is this so fertile? It has to do with the glacier that covered Ohio during the Ice Age. As the glacier retreated towards what is now Lake Erie, it left behind a mix of sediments known as till. This mixture of sand, clay and small rocks is great for growing grains and soy beans and of course, corn.
Ohio's till plains are actually the start of the corn belt, which stretches across the Midwest. Ohio's till plains are also better suited for farming because the glacier basically smoothed out the land.
Still, the highest point in Ohio lies within this region in Logan County. Campbell Hill is as high as you can get in the whole state at about 1550 feet above sea level. Not quite Mount Everest.
Turns out, the lowest spot in the state is also in the till plains. That would be an area not far from Cincinnati on the banks of the Ohio River at about 450 feet above sea level.
Speaking of Cincinnati, the till plains aren't just a good spot for farming. They also hold some of our biggest cities. Cincinnati was founded here way back in 1788 and at the time was named Losantiville. But two years later, Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory, renamed the spot Cincinnati.
Because of its excellent location on the banks of the Ohio River, the city grew to be a hub of manufacturing and a gateway for early settlers heading west. In the early 1800s, the city was known for its meat packing business and was nicknamed Porkopolis.
Today, Cincinnati is home to some major companies, including Proctor & Gamble and the E.W. Scripps Company, which owns dozens of news outlets, including broadcast stations and newspapers.
Our state capital also calls the till plains home. Columbus was designed in 1812 with the explicit purpose of being the State's Capital. The spot was chosen by legislators for its central location in the state.
As the city developed, it too became a manufacturing hub and a cultural hub with several large universities, which included the Ohio State University, which is the largest public university in the state and one of the largest in the nation.
So you can see, whether you're a city mouse or a country mouse, the till plains in Ohio are a great place to call home.