Uncovering America's Heritage... Coin by Coin

Ohio Quarter

Peter the Mint Eagle here, to get our Ohio celebration off the ground!  Not only is Ohio's quarter coming out this month, but it was also in March that Ohio joined the Union as the 17th state!  The date was March 1, 1803—that makes this month Ohio's 199th anniversary.

Since the earliest days of our westward expansion, Ohio has been one of America's great crossroads.  Major highways, railroads, and waterways like Lake Erie and the Ohio River make it a great place for all kinds of people to bump into each other.  Its rich farmland and its growing industry make it a great place to settle as well.

Ohio gets its name from the Ohio River, probably an Iroquois word that means either "great" or "beautiful river."  It's the home of buckeye trees and no less than seven U.S. Presidents.

But Ohio's quarter focuses on flying—one of my own specialties!  From the first airplane to the first man on the moon, Ohio has been home to flying machines and their pilots.  For example:

• In 1903, two brothers who lived in Ohio invented and flew the first practical airplane in North Carolina.  They later worked on the design to make the aircraft better and tested it on their field near Dayton, Ohio.  Do you know their names?
• In 1962, Ohio's John Glenn flew in the first manned American spacecraft that orbited the earth.
• In 1969, Ohio's Neil Armstrong took man's first steps on the moon.