Ohio Life

Wood engraving depicting the Ashtabula train disaster in an 1877 issue of “Harper’s Weekly” (illustration courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

How Ashtabula’s 1876 Train Disaster Changed American Railroads

On Dec. 29, 1876, a passenger train plunged into the Ashtabula River, leaving tragedy, unanswered questions and lasting reforms in its aftermath.

Clement Kunkle and Hallie Wallace at Cleveland Curiosities in Lakewood (photo courtesy of Cleveland Curiosities)

Clement Kunkle Talks About Collecting Oddities at Cleveland Curiosities

The co-owner of the Lakewood shop talks with us about expanding his educational and wonderfully strange spot.

A thirteen lined ground squirrel (photo courtesy of ODNR Division of Wildlife)

What Ohio’s Wild Animals Do in the Fall

Discover how some of our state’s creatures get ready for winter and where to witness their fascinating seasonal behaviors.

Illustration of Rod Serling in front of television (illustration by Ridge Rooms)

How Ohio Shaped Rod Serling’s ‘The Twilight Zone’

Rod Serling created his iconic television series after spending time in Ohio writing radio and television dramas that examined themes of human nature, morality and society’s deepest anxieties.

Ghostly fiddle, candles, horn, triangle and bells

Spirit Rooms, Seances and Ohio in the 19th Century

In the 1850s, Athens County farmer Jonathan Koons created a room where he claimed he could communicate with the dead, part of the burgeoning spiritualist movement that rippled across the nation.

More Ohio Life

Youngstown artist Mike Egan among his artwork and “DEATH” signage in his studio (photo by Ken Blaze)

Why Artist Mike Egan Makes Vibrant Paintings About Death

The funeral director turned artist has amassed a following in Ohio and beyond. We visited his Youngstown studio to learn why he creates vivid, colorful paintings about death and dying. READ MORE >>

“Lion in Autumn” article about Woody Hayes in October 1978 issue of Ohio Magazine (photo by Rachael Jirousek)

Backstory: Lion in Autumn

“The pressure I put on myself is always tougher than any put on me.” — Woody Hayes READ MORE >>

Exterior of Ross County Courthouse in Chillicothe (photo by Christopher Riley)

The History of 8 Iconic Ohio Courthouses

Ohio’s courthouses tell a story of our state’s growth and evolution but also one of the communities where they stand. READ MORE >>

Little girl sitting on man’s shoulders at Cincinnati’s March and Vote for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 (photo courtesy of Ohio History Connection)

Cincinnati’s 1963 March and Vote for Jobs and Freedom

In the fall of 1963, nine days before municipal elections, a march and rally at the city’s Fountain Square focused on the pivotal role Black voters played in the upcoming vote. READ MORE >>

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