Have you ever called Ohio the Buckeye State, or the Birthplace of Aviation? While Ashton writes a little love letter to her favorite state, she'll explain the meaning behind some of Ohio's nicknames.
Class Discussion Questions:
1) Think about your community. What nickname would be appropriate and why?
Read the Script:
Hmm, "Dear Honeybunny", no, too sweet. "Dear cutie", no, too mushy. Oh, hey guys, I'm just trying to write a little love letter to my favorite state. Not sure how to start there.
Oh, maybe with one of Ohio's nicknames! We've got a couple, like, The Buckeye State. Maybe you know that the buckeye is a tree common to Ohio. Its nuts look like the eye of a deer, hence the term buckeye. It is our state's tree, and it's also a nickname for Ohioans.
Its use dates back pretty far, to before Ohio was even a state. Some people think it originated from Colonel Ebenezer Sproat, who was one of the founders of Marietta, the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory in 1788. Sproat fought in the Revolutionary War and led the militia in Marietta during the Northwest Indian War. Plus, he was the very first sheriff in Ohio, serving Washington County for 14 years. Lore says Sproat was a pretty statuesque man, at six foot four inches tall, and he was called Big Hetuck by Native Americans, which means Big Buckeye.
From there, it's said the nicknames spread to others living in the area. In 1840, the nickname got a big boost from William Henry Harrison's run for president. He used the buckeye, and log cabins built from buckeye trees as symbols for his campaign. The name stuck, and now we're all about that buckeye life.
Speaking of William Henry Harrison, though, another nickname for Ohio is the Mother of Presidents. That's because we've had eight U.S. presidents come from right here. Of course, there was William Henry Harrison, our ninth president. He was born in Virginia, but he had deep Ohio roots. Then there was Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, William McKinley, William Taft, and, well, you get the point.
More acclaimed highlands led to another nickname, the Birthplace of Aviation. Brothers William and Orville Wright invented, built, and flew the world's first airplane. Being that Orville was born in Dayton, and the two men lived there and designed their planes here, we lay claim to their amazing invention. On December 17th, 1903, they took their first flight in North Carolina. Now, North Carolina likes to call themselves the state that's first in flight, but I mean, Orville was born here, so we're keeping our title.
Hmm, "Dear Birthplace of Aviation", doesn't sound quite right. Ah, perhaps "The Heart of it All"! That was our state's tourism slogan from 1984. Not only does it promote the diverse people and activities we have, but the shape of our special state. Yeah, that'll do just fine. "Love, Ashton".
Learn a little more...with a link!
Website Article: NETSTATE, Ohio | Learn more about Ohio’s nicknames.
Website Article: Wikipedia, List of City Nicknames in Ohio | What’s your town’s nickname?
Website Article: Ohio Division of Natural Resources, Ohio Buckeye | Can you identify our state tree & nickname namesake?