Columbus, Ohio

Elevated view of High Street in Columbus, Ohio looking north from Broad Street, ca. 1910-1920.

Columbus is both the capital of Ohio and the county seat of Franklin County.

The city was first laid out in 1812 and incorporated in 1816. Columbus was not the original capital, but the state legislature chose to move the state government there after short periods in both Chillicothe and Zanesville. Columbus was chosen as the site for the new capital because of its central location within the state and access to transportation routes (primarily rivers) at that time. The legislature chose it as Ohio's capital over a number of other competitors, including Franklinton, Dublin, Worthington, and Delaware. Prior to the state legislature's decision in 1812, Columbus did not exist. The city was designedfrom the first as the state's capital, preparing itself for its role in Ohio's political, economic, and social life.

In the years between first groundbreaking and the actual movement of the capital in 1816, Columbus grew significantly. The town was surveyed, and various city lots were put up for sale. By 1813, a penitentiary had been built, and by the following year the first church, school, and newspaper had been established. The statehouse was built in 1814 as well. Columbus grew quickly in its first few years, having a population of seven hundred people by 1815. It officially became the county seat in 1824. By 1834, the population of Columbus was four thousand people, officially elevating it to "city" status. In that year, Columbus residents elected John Brooks as