Politics and Ohio’s Economic Performance

Posted on September 1, 2025 by admin

For this post, I want to focus on politics and Ohio’s economic performance in relation to the party in power. There’s been much said over whether the economy does better under Republicans or Democrats at the national level, and I wanted to see if national politics played any role in the economic performance of Columbus and Ohio overall. Now, to put it simply, I really just looked at Bureau of Labor Statistics to see how the economy performed under different administrations. It’s not necessarily going to be a very deep analysis beyond that. In recent surveys, many user responses chose political content as something I should contribute to the site more often. While I do not want to make the site overtly political, I think there can be a balance by using a data-driven approach. This is what I used in past posts relating to politics, from Covid numbers to voting totals.

In any case, we have to determine what administrations we’re going to look at. First, the criteria is that they have to be completed adminisrations, as we will look at entire 4-year periods. The data for the BLS for Ohio goes back to 1976, but only to 1990 for Columbus itself. Therefore, for the state we will use Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush II, Obama and Trump for the state numbers, and Clinton, Bush II, Obama and Trump for city numbers. Will the state numbers follow the same patterns as the city, or not?

For this post, it’s all about Ohio.

Let’s look at the overall stats of each president. These will be Labor Force (people within the job market), Employment (people in the labor force with jobs), Unemployment (people in the labor force without jobs), and Unemployment Rate (percent of the labor force without jobs).

State of Ohio	Labor Force Data
President	Figure at Term Beginning	Figure at Term End	Net Change	% Change
Jimmy Carter (D) 1/1977-1/1981	4,781,086	5,085,673	+304,587	+6.37
Ronald Reagan (R) 1st Term 1/1981-1/1985	5,085,673	5,088,875	+3,202	+0.06
Ronald Reagan (R) 2nd Term 1/1985-1/1989	5,088,875	5,316,349	+227,474	+4.47
George H.W. Bush (R) 1/1989-1/1993	5,316,349	5,478,918	+162,569	+3.06
Bill Clinton (D) 1st Term 1/1993-1/1997	5,478,918	5,684,684	+205,766	+3.76
Bill Clinton (D) 2nd Term 1/1997-1/2001	5,684,684	5,802,000	+117,316	+2.06
George W. Bush (R) 1st Term 1/2001-1/2005	5,802,000	5,851,991	+49,991	+0.86
George W. Bush (R) 2nd Term 1/2005-1/2009	5,851,991	5,960,636	+108,645	+1.86
Barack Obama (D) 1st Term 1/2009-1/2013	5,960,636	5,705,642	-254,994	-4.28
Barack Obama (D) 2nd Term 1/2013-1/2017	5,705,642	5,791,153	+85,511	+1.50
Donald Trump (R) 1st Term 1/2017-1/2021	5,791,153	5,720,805	-70,348	-1.21
Joe Biden (D) 1/2021-1/2025	5,720,805	5,922,243	+201,438	+3.52

Total Labor Force Change by Entire Presidency
1. Bill Clinton: +323,082
2. Jimmy Carter: +304,587
3. Ronald Reagan: +232,676
4. Joe Biden: +201,438
5. George H.W. Bush: +162,569
6. George W. Bush: +158,636
7. Donald Trump: -70,348
8. Barack Obama: -169,483
Total by Party
Democratic: +659,624
Republican: +483,533

Next up, Employment.

State of Ohio	Employment Data
President	Figure at Term Beginning	Figure at Term End	Net Change	% Change
Jimmy Carter (D) 1/1977-1/1981	4,423,538	4,629,708	+206,170	+4.66
Ronald Reagan (R) 1st Term 1/1981-1/1985	4,629,708	4,633,809	4,101	+0.09
Ronald Reagan (R) 2nd Term 1/1985-1/1989	4,633,809	5,032,921	+399,112	+8.61
George H.W. Bush (R) 1/1989-1/1993	5,032,921	5,092,311	+59,390	+1.18
Bill Clinton (D) 1st Term 1/1993-1/1997	5,092,311	5,396,922	+304,611	+5.98
Bill Clinton (D) 2nd Term 1/1997-1/2001	5,396,922	5,577,863	+180,941	+3.35
George W. Bush (R) 1st Term 1/2001-1/2005	5,577,863	5,484,332	-93,531	-1.68
George W. Bush (R) 2nd Term 1/2005-1/2009	5,484,332	5,437,168	-47,164	-0.86
Barack Obama (D) 1st Term 1/2009-1/2013	5,437,168	5,279,345	-157,823	-2.90
Barack Obama (D) 2nd Term 1/2013-1/2017	5,279,345	5,489,730	+210,385	+3.99
Donald Trump (R) 1st Term 1/2017-1/2021	5,489,730	5,370,247	-119,483	-2.18
Joe Biden (D) 1/2021-1/2025	5,370,247	5,651,168	+280,921	+5.23

Total Employment Change by Entire Presidency
1. Bill Clinton: +485,552
2. Ronald Reagan: +403,213
3. Joe Biden: +280,921
4. Jimmy Carter: +206,170
5. George H.W. Bush: +59,390
6. Barack Obama: +52,562
7. Donald Trump: -119,483
8. George W. Bush: -140,695
Total by Party
Democratic: +1,025,205
Republican: +202,425

Now Unemployment.

State of Ohio	Unemployment Data
President	Figure at Term Beginning	Figure at Term End	Net Change	% Change
Jimmy Carter (D) 1/1977-1/1981	357,548	455,965	+98,417	+27.53
Ronald Reagan (R) 1st Term 1/1981-1/1985	455,965	455,066	-899	-0.2
Ronald Reagan (R) 2nd Term 1/1985-1/1989	455,066	283,428	-171,638	-37.72
George H.W. Bush (R) 1/1989-1/1993	283,428	386,607	+103,179	+36.40
Bill Clinton (D) 1st Term 1/1993-1/1997	386,607	287,762	-98,845	-25.57
Bill Clinton (D) 2nd Term 1/1997-1/2001	287,762	224,137	-63,625	-22.11
George W. Bush (R) 1st Term 1/2001-1/2005	224,137	367,659	+143,522	+64.03
George W. Bush (R) 2nd Term 1/2005-1/2009	367,659	523,468	+155,809	+42.38
Barack Obama (D) 1st Term 1/2009-1/2013	523,468	426,297	-97,171	-18.56
Barack Obama (D) 2nd Term 1/2013-1/2017	426,297	301,423	-124,874	-29.29
Donald Trump (R) 1st Term 1/2017-1/2021	301,423	350,558	+49,135	+16.30
Joe Biden (D) 1/2021-1/2025	350,558	271,075	-79,483	-22.67

Total Unemployment Change by Entire Presidency
1. Barack Obama: -222,045
2. Ronald Reagan: -172,537
3. Bill Clinton: -162,470
4. Joe Biden: -79,483
5. Donald Trump: +49,135
6. Jimmy Carter: +98,417
7. George H.W. Bush: +103,179
8. George W. Bush: +299,331
Total by Party
Democratic: -365,581
Republican: +279,108

And finally, the Unemployment Rate

State of Ohio	Unemployment Rate Data
President	Figure at Term Beginning	Figure at Term End	Net Change
Jimmy Carter (D) 1/1977-1/1981	7.5	9.0	+1.5
Ronald Reagan (R) 1st Term 1/1981-1/1985	9.0	8.9	-0.1
Ronald Reagan (R) 2nd Term 1/1985-1/1989	8.9	5.3	-3.6
George H.W. Bush (R) 1/1989-1/1993	5.3	7.1	+1.8
Bill Clinton (D) 1st Term 1/1993-1/1997	7.1	5.1	-2.0
Bill Clinton (D) 2nd Term 1/1997-1/2001	5.1	3.9	-1.2
George W. Bush (R) 1st Term 1/2001-1/2005	3.9	6.3	+2.4
George W. Bush (R) 2nd Term 1/2005-1/2009	6.3	8.8	+2.5
Barack Obama (D) 1st Term 1/2009-1/2013	8.8	7.5	-1.3
Barack Obama (D) 2nd Term 1/2013-1/2017	7.5	5.2	-2.3
Donald Trump (R) 1st Term 1/2017-1/2021	5.2	6.1	+0.9
Joe Biden (D) 1/2021-1/2025	6.1	4.6	-1.5

Total Unemployment Rate Change by Entire Presidency
1. Ronald Reagan: -3.7
2. Barack Obama: -3.6
3. Bill Clinton: -3.2
4. Joe Biden: -1.5
5. Donald Trump: +0.9
6. Jimmy Carter: +1.5
7. George H.W. Bush: +1.8
8. George W. Bush: +4.9
Total by Party
Democratic: -6.8
Republican: +3.9

Presidents Ranked by Ohio Performance Overall Per Average Rank Position
1. Bill Clinton/Ronald Reagan: 2.0
2. Joe Biden: 3.75
3. Barack Obama: 4.25
4. Jimmy Carter: 4.5
5. Donald Trump: 6.0
6. George H.W. Bush: 7.0
7. George W. Bush: 7.5

It seems pretty clear based on this that Ohio does significantly better when Democrats are in the Oval Office. They produced 5x the number of jobs and moved the unemployment rate down by an average of -1.7 points, while Republicans moved it up by an average of almost 1 point. Every single metric measured by the BLS did better under Democrats. Only Reagan really stood out for Republicans while even Carter- regularly derided as a terrible president- did better than all 3 other Republicans on the list. In regards to the two most recent presidents from both parties, Biden clearly had much more favorable numbers than Trump did in his first term.

Now, does this trend translate to the more local level? In an upcoming post, I will examine how the Columbus Metro performed

Strange Columbus- 1955 Nuclear Test Fallout

Posted on June 4, 2025 by admin

From 1945 until an atmospheric test moratorium in July, 1962, atomic bomb testing in Nevada was so common that Las Vegas tourists would hold parties just to watch the tests from their hotel rooms. Little was known, at least in the beginning, about the effects of nuclear fallout, or just how far it could actually spread.

On April 18, 1955, during what was known as Operation Teapot, the Columbus Dispatch reported that radiation from the testing site had reached Columbus.

The radiation had come from the MET test which occurred on April 15, 1955. The bomb was 22 kilotons in size. The video above is from the MET test itself.

Events like this happened several times as the jet stream carried radioactive fallout across the country, and the 1955 nuclear test fallout wouldn’t be the last. It’s unclear whether this fallout had any substantial health impacts long-term, locally or otherwise, but today we understand that even relatively low doses of radiation increase one’s risk for developing cancers down the road. Luckily, these increased levels tended to last a day or two only.

2024 City Population Estimates

Posted on May 15, 2025 by admin

The US Census has released 2024 city population estimates. These estimates are for all incorporated places.

First, let’s look at the top 25 largest Ohio cities on July 1, 2024.
Purple cities moved up in the ranking since 2020 and red moved down.

Rank	City	2020	2023	2024
1	Columbus	905,939	920,569	933,263
2	Cleveland	372,626	364,276	365,379
3	Cincinnati	309,561	312,703	314,915
4	Toledo	270,877	265,798	265,638
5	Akron	190,408	189,142	189,664
6	Dayton	137,677	135,936	136,346
7	Parma	81,121	79,310	79,,350
8	Canton	70,743	69,230	69,211
9	Lorain	65,218	65,413	65,751
10	Hamilton	63,393	63,516	63,953
11	Youngstown	60,047	59,195	59,123
12	Springfield	58,644	58,041	58,138
13	Kettering	57,860	57,035	57,028
14	Elyria	52,668	53,181	53,604
15	Middletown	50,986	51,882	52,291
16	Newark	49,970	51,162	51,424
17	Cuyahoga Falls	51,116	50,865	50,979
18	Lakewood	50,940	49,564	49,517
19	Dublin	49,315	49,292	49,456
20	Euclid	49,689	48,439	48,421
21	Beavercreek	46,562	47,327	48,012
22	Mansfield	47,530	47,676	47,593
23	Mentor	47,442	47,000	47,113
24	Delaware	41,327	45,364	46,521
25	Strongsville	46,487	45,719	45,768

Columbus gained 12,694 residents July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024. This was the 14th highest numeric change of all US cities at or above 20,000 in population. In doing so, it became Ohio’s all-time largest city by population in history, surpassing Cleveland’s historic high of 914,80 in 1950.

Now let’s look at all incorporated places within the Columbus Metro Area, their rank on July 1, 2024, and their total population change July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024.
Blue places moved up in the rankings since 2020, while red moved down.
1. Columbus: 933,263 +12,694
2. Newark: 51,424 +262
3. Dublin: 49,456 +164
4. Delaware: 46,521 +1,157
5. Grove City: 44,019 +875
6. Reynoldsburg: 42,897 +1,386
7. Lancaster: 41,671 +191
8. Hilliard: 38,832 +1,202
9. Westerville: 38,612 +119
10. Upper Arlington: 36,140 +96
11. Gahanna: 35,544 +86
12. Marysville: 29,276 +821
13. Pickerington: 25,814 +546
14. Whitehall: 19,940 +41
15. Pataskala: 18,493 +113
16. Worthington: 14,649 +31
17. Powell: 14,613 +50
18. Circleville: 14,433 +210
19. Bexley: 12,793 -97
20. New Albany: 11,604 +179
21. Heath: 10,822 +70
22. London: 10,743 +193
23. Canal Winchester: 10,060 +213
24. Sunbury: +1,324
25. Grandview Heights: 9,184 +275
26. Obetz: 7,306 +287
27. Logan: 7,142 -33
28. Granville: 6,308 +23
29. Groveport: 5,867 +11
30. Johnstown: 5,356 +31
31. West Jefferson: 4,943 +454
32. Ashville: 4,758 +77
33. New Lexington: 4,463 +7
34. Plain City: 4,374 +23
35. South Bloomfield: 3,747 +241
36. Mount Gilead: 3,543 +18
37. Commercial Point: 3,221 +51
38. Baltimore: 3,089 +35
39. Lithopolis: 2,859 +143
40. Buckeye Lake: 2,575 +12
41. Richwood: 2,575 +78
42. Hebron: 2,406 +15
43. Crooksville: 2,401 -1
44. Cardington: 2,203 +102
45. Utica: 2,131 +12
46. Mount Sterling: 2,070 +35
47. Minerva Park: 1,961 +3
48. Roseville: 1,744 +0
49. Bremen: 1,520 +9
50. Somerset: 1,483 +9
51. Hanover: 1,351 +35
52. Ashley: 1,350 +25
53. Ostrander: 1,227 +25
54. Thornville: 1,093 +2
55. Galena: 1,021 +9
56. Williamsport: 1,016 +17
57. Urbancrest: 1,013 +4
58. Millersport: 993 +15
59. Pleasantville: 954 +8
60. Shawnee Hills: 939 +18
61. Milford Center: 932 +26
62. New Holland: 831 +13
63. Junction City: 723 +3
64. Amanda: 678 +1
65. Marble Cliff: 663 +30
66. Valleyview: 653 -1
67. New Straitsville: 649 +1
68. Thurston: 610 +3
69. Riverlea: 580 -1
70. Stoutsville: 580 +3
71. Buchtel: 519 +3
72. Laurelville: 505 -5
73. Shawnee: 503 +1
74. Carroll: 501 +0
75. Alexandria: 497 +2
76. Corning: 484 +1
77. Kirkersville: 479 +2
78. Edison: 443 +2
79. Hartford: 413 +2
80. Sugar Grove: 408 +0
81. St. Louisville: 365 +1
82. Murray City: 335 -4
83. South Solon: 330 +2
84. Harrisburg: 314 +3
85. Rushville: 305 +1
86. Magnetic Springs: 302 +9
87. Marengo: 281 +1
88. Midway: 273 +2
89. Tarlton: 266 +5
90. Fulton: 251 +3
91. Unionville Center: 235 -3
92. Lockbourne: 232 +0
93. Gratiot: 217 +1
94. Chesterville: 200 +5
95. Darbyville: 189 +2
96. West Rushville: 164 -2
97. Glenford: 163 -2
98. Hemlock: 147 +0
99. Sparta: 123 +0
100. Brice: 101 +9

90% of Columbus metro places were either steady or saw outright growth 2023-2024. These numbers are much improved from the Covid era where many places were seeing population declines, especially the larger cities and suburbs.

Columbus’ growth represented 73% of Franklin County’s total growth 2023-2024 and 84.1% of the county’s growth 2020-2024. Additionally, Columbus alone repesented 41.8% of the metro’s growth 2023-2024 and 31.6% of the metro’s growth 2020-2024.

To see the original estimates from 2023, visit 2023 Population Estimates of Columbus Area Places

Winter 2024-2025 Review

Posted on May 13, 2025 by admin

Winter 2024-2025 was the 4th season in a row in which snowfall was well below normal. Only a single winter in the past 10- 2017-2018- has had above normal snowfall, and only just. Two others- 2018-2019 and 2020-2021- had near normal snowfall, though still slightly below the 30-year average, and the other 7 have been significantly below normal. Average winter snowfall for the past decade has been just 17.8″, more than 10″ below the 1991-2020 average. Additionally, the 2024-2025 season lacked a 6″ snowfall, either daily or in any single event. There has been no 6″ snowfall since February 22, 2015, the second longest such period since records began.
The December-February period was colder than normal, and it was the coldest heart of winter since 2014-2015. This was thanks largely to January, which also featured the majority of the season’s snowfall.

December-February
Traditional winter numbers, 1991-2020 departures from normal where relevant, and overall winter rankings.
Rankings are accurate as of the time of the post.
Average High: 38.1 (-1.7) 44th Coldest
Average Low: 23.6 (-0.9) 45th Coldest
Mean: 30.8 (-1.4) Tied for 39th Coldest
Coldest High: 11 on January 20th
Coldest Low: -3 on January 22nd
Coldest Mean: 5.5 on January 21st
# of 32 or Below Highs: 29 (+3.2) 21st Most
# of 32 or Below Lows: 72 (+3.2) 17th Most
Warmest High: 65 on February 3rd
Warmest Low: 51 on December 28th
Warmest Mean: 57 on December 28th
Precipitation: 8.11″ (-0.43″) 59th Wettest
Snowfall: 14.6″ (-13.6″) 46th Least Snowy
Average Daily Snow Depth: 0.6″ (-0.2″) Tied for 7th Lowest
Maximum Snow Depth: 5″ on January 6th and 11th.
Largest Snowstorm: 4.4″ on January 5th-6th.
1″+ Snowfall Events: 7 Tied for 8th Fewest
# of Measurable Precipitation Days: 37 (-2.1) Tied for 13th Fewest
# of Measurable Snowfall Days: 15 (-6.4) Tied for 11th Fewest
Highest Average Daily Wind Speed in MPH: 19.2 on December 5th
Highest Wind Gust in MPH: 55 on December 5th
# of Clear Days: 4 4.44%
# of Partly Cloudy Days: 39 43.33%
# of Cloudy Days: 47 52.23%

Entire Cold Season: October-April
Average High: 52.7 9th Warmest
Average Low: 34.1 18th Warmest
Mean: 43.4 9th Warmest
Precipitation: 18.66″ 56th Wettest
Snowfall: 14.8″ 29th Least Snowy
Average Snow Depth: 0.3″ Tied for 4th Lowest
Largest Snowstorm: 4.4″ on January 5th-6th
# of 32 or Below Highs: 30 Tied for 21st Fewest
# of 32 or Below Lows: 96 Tied for 17th Fewest
# of Measurable Precipitation Days: 74 Tied for 9th Fewest
# of Measurable Snowfall Days: 17 Tied for 8th Fewest
Highest Average Daily Wind Speed in MPH: 19.2 on December 5th
Highest Wind Gust in MPH: 59 on April 29th
# of Clear Days: 34 16.04%
# of Partly Cloudy Days: 90 42.45%
# of Cloudy Days: 88 41.51%

High Temperature Records Set
11/1/2024- A record warm high of 78 was set for the date, breaking the old record of 77 set in 2022.
11/5/2024- A record warm high of 79 was set for the date, breaking the old record of 77 set in 2022.
2/3/2025- A record warm high of 65 was set for the date, breaking the old record of 63 set in 1890.
3/14/2025- A record warm high of 79 was set for the date, breaking the old record of 78 set in 1990.

Low Temperature Records Set
10/30/2024- A record warm low of 59 degrees was tied for the date, matching the previous record set in 2004.
11/5/2024- A record warm low of 62 was tied for the date, matching the old record set in 2022.
3/29/2025- A record warm low of 63 was set for the date, breaking the old record of 59 set in 1977.

Precipitation Records Set
None set.

Snowfall Records Set
10/15/2024- A record 0.1″ of snowfall occurred for the date. It was the first recorded instance of measurable snowfall for the date.

Forecast for what would be Columbus’ largest snowfall of the season.

Highest Daily Precipitation by Month
October 2024: 0.12″ on the 15th
November 2024: 0.97″ on the 14th
December 2024: 1.03″ on the 29th
January 2025: 0.24″ on the 18th
February 2025: 1.15″ on the 16th
March 2025: 0.65″ on the 30th
April 2025: 1.88″ on the 3rd

Highest Daily Snowfall By Month
October 2024: 0.1″ on the 15th
November 2024: 0.1″ on the 21st
December 2024: 0.3″ on the 11th
January 2025: 2.4″ on the 6th
February 2025: 1.9″ on the 16th
March 2025: Trace on multiple days.
April 2025: Trace on the 6th and 7th

Deepest Snow Depth By Month
October 2024: 0″ on all days.
November 2024: Trace on the 29th
December 2024: Trace on the 12th and 13th
January 2025: 5″ on the 6th and 11th
February 2025: 2″ on the 17th and 18th
March 2025: Trace on the 17th
April 2025: 0″ on all days.

Highest Wind Gust by Month in MPH
October 2024: 46 on the 13th
November 2024: 43 on the 20th
December 2024: 55 on the 5th
January 2025: 38 on the 16th
February 2025: 43 on the 28th
March 2025: 53 on the 30th
April 2025: 59 on the 29th

Clear Days by Month
October 2024: 18 58.06%
November 2024: 3 10.0%
December 2024: 0 0.0%
January 2025: 3 9.68%
February 2025: 1 3.57%
March 2025: 4 12.9%
April 2025: 5 16.67%

Partly Cloudy Days by Month
October 2024: 12 38.71%
November 2024: 11 36.67%
December 2024: 12 38.71%
January 2025: 13 41.94%
February 2025: 14 50.0%
March 2025: 17 54.84%
April 2025: 11 36.66%

Cloudy Days by Month
October 2024: 1 3.23%
November 2024: 16 53.33%
December 2024: 19 61.29%
January 2025: 15 48.39%
February 2025: 13 46.43%
March 2025: 10 32.26%
April 2025: 14 46.67%

Strange Columbus- Earthquake of May, 1897

Posted on May 10, 2025 by admin

The earthquake of May, 1897 struck on the 31st at around 1PM. It had an epicenter near Pearisburg, Virginia, right on the West Virgina state line. The earthquake was estimated to have had a magnitude of 5.8-6.0, with a Modified Mercalli Scale (MMI) maximum rating of VIII. All of Ohio felt this earthquake, though southern and eastern sections felt it most strongly. Shaking strength was estimated to be in the MMI range of III-V across much of the state.

A MMI of V occurred at Cincinnati during the earthquake of May, 1897. A V is described as the following:
Felt by all, frightens some. Pictures and lighting sway, a few objects fall from shelves or are overturned. A few instances of cracked plaster or windows.
The Times-Star in Cincinnati made the following report the following day:
Felt “here and in the suburbs…. The printers ran out of the Times-Star office. The occupants of other buildings were alarmed, and at Coney Island, Chester Park, the Zoo gardens, and elsewhere there was consternation among the holiday crowds. At the Lagoon, on the Kentucky side, there was a panic among several thousand people on the grounds. The waters in the Lagoon were so rough that the life-saving crew went to the relief of those out on the electric pleasure boats.”

Zanesville experienced an MMI of V. It was reported that the Courier Building, “experienced decided vibrations” to such an extent that “the employees on the fourth and third floors deserted their posts, greatly frightened.”

In other places, where the exact MMI is not known or estimated, there were reports of light damage and general panic.

In Pomeroy, it was reported to The Columbus Dispatch that, “This city was considerably shaken up by an earthquake at 1:30 yesterday. Buildings were badly shaken, dishes knocked from shelves and several persons on the streets were stunned, almost to insensibility.”

In Nelsonville, the Dispatch reported, “An earthquake shock was plainly discernible here at 1 o’clock yesterday. In one house, a lamp was shaken from the table. Many persons were frightenend.”

At Batavia, it was reported that, “Quite a perceptible earthquake shock was felt here yesterday, about 1 o’clock and lasing for a full minute’s duration. Windows rattled, and in a number of cases, dishes were thrown down and broken.”

In Jackson, the report was that, “At the county infirmary, situated about two miles east of this city, the earthquake shock on Monday was very violent. The terrified inmates ran screaming from the buildings. Upon examination it was found that the shock had cracked the walls in many places. Window panes were also broken.”

In Columbus, the earthquake likely registered at a III at most. Many people did not feel it at all. The Dispatch reported that a “Mr. King, in his room in the Neil House, detected the earthquake the instant of its occurrence, took note of the time, reported the facts at the office, and was laughed at good naturedly by the clerks, but when The Evening Dispatch brought his vindication they cheerfully admitted that Mr. King knew an earthquake when he felt it.”

Near the epicenter in Western Virginia, the quake damaged many buildings, felled many chimneys, and even a train was derailed due to area landslides.

The epicenter in Giles County, Virginia.

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2024 City Population Estimates

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Winter 2024-2025 Review

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Strange Columbus- Earthquake of May, 1897

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