Ohio was and remains tailor-made for commerce, transportation, invention and manufacturing. Located between Lake Erie and the Ohio River, it was perfect for canals, railways and, ultimately, highways, which allowed coal, iron ore and oil into industrial centers such as Cleveland, Dayton, Akron, Youngstown and Cincinnati. These powerhouses fostered the ingenuity and practical inventiveness that made Ohio a mecca for manufacturing. Beyond heavy industry, the state also nurtured the growth of all-American goods and brands like Quaker Oats, Smucker’s jellies and jams, Diamond matches, Sherwin-Williams paints, the Etch A Sketch, Play-Doh and many more. Author Conrade C. Hinds places a spotlight on dreamers and builders in the Buckeye State.
Conrade C. Hinds was born in Nashville and graduated from Ball State University, where he studied architecture and industrial technology. He has lived in Ohio for forty years. A registered architect and a retired projects manager with the City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities, he is also a retired adjunct faculty member in the Engineering Technology Department at Columbus State Community College. He has published three other books: The Great Columbus Experiment of 1908, Columbus and the Great Flood of 1913 and Lost Circuses of Ohio.