Ohio

The Underground Railroad remains one of America's most ennobling true stories, and the people of Ohio played their part in this heroic endeavor. Suffering a crisis of conscience, Presbyterian minister James Gilliland left his South Carolina home for Red Oak, where he became one of the state's earliest and strongest abolitionists. Peru Township's Richard Dillingham died helping the enslaved escape bondage. In Alum Creek, three generations of the Benedict family risked life and limb doing the same. Quakers Jane and Valentine Nicholson of Clinton County carted many a fugitive to freedom, as did Wilmington Quaker Abraham Allen with his trusty Liberator wagon. Drawing on decades of research, author Tom Calarco uncovers the real tales of our nation's quest for freedom and equality for all.

Lake Shore Cemetery evolved as a burial ground of necessity rather than intention. The cemetery's first interments were French fur trappers and Native Americans, but as migrating settlers began populating Lake Erie's shore and a community emerged, the need for a recognized burial site arose. The diminutive graveyard, also known as Avon Lake Cemetery, claims less than one-third of an acre abutting the shoreline cliff. It holds the remains of a Revolutionary War soldier, sailors wounded in the Battle of Put-in-Bay during the War of 1812, Civil War and World War I soldiers, and a World War II Flying Tigers crewman. Within this cemetery, pillars of the community and successful farmers share sod with a court-adjudicated drunkard, an alleged lunatic, and several who spent their last days in the county's poorhouse. Recognized as a historic landmark by the Avon Lake Historic Preservation Commission in 2013, all burial sites within Lake Shore Cemetery's grounds are claimed. The colorful stories of its permanent residents reveal the diverse nature of the community in which they lived and died.

Nadine McIlwain and Geraldine Radcliffe reveal the celebrated legends, unsung heroes and historic firsts of African Americans residing in the Canton community.

From Canton's earliest days, the black population has contributed to the city's, and even the nation's, prominence and prosperity. During World War II, nineteen-year-old Harold White joined the famed Tuskegee Airmen of the Ninety-Ninth Fighter Squadron. Only a few years later, Dorothy White persevered through prejudice to become Canton's first black teacher, paving the way for a long line of dedicated teachers stretching to the present day. Renowned R&B group the O'Jays formed in Canton, and professional golfer Renee Powell is just one of many local athletes to reach the heights of her profession.

Founded in 1788 along the Ohio River, Cincinnati was the major city  in the Northwest Territory for several decades. As it has developed into  its third century, Cincinnati's innovations, service, manufacturing, arts,  and athletics mark it as a place with a vibrant and varied heritage. The  contributions of interesting and unique personalities add to the city's  dynamism: William Holmes McGuffey and his creation of a nation's  textbooks; civil rights activists Ted Berry, Fred Shuttlesworth, and Marian  Berry; iconic personalities like baseball star Pete Rose and silent film actress  Theda Bara; grocery entrepreneur Barney Kroger; cooperative education  creator Herman Schneider; polio vaccine pioneer Albert Sabin; Joseph  Strauss, the design engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge; Paul Brown, one of  the NFL's greatest coaches; Henry Heimlich, whose Heimlich maneuver has  saved countless lives; and Benadryl inventor George Rieveschl. But it is also  the philanthropists and business leaders; the cultural and political figures;  the teachers and community workers; and even the intriguing characters  and everyday citizens who make Cincinnati an interesting place on the map.  This book tells their stories.