Athens County

Book excerpt: Athens County, Ohio, came out of the pioneer spirit of a new nation expanding westward after the Revolutionary War into the Northwest Territory. Upon declaration of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the Ohio Company of Associates bought millions of acres of land to sell to land-hungry easterners. In 1788, the first boat of new settlers arrived in Marietta, Ohio. By 1797, wars with the Native Americans had ended and more land became available. When they got here, settlers found some rich farmland, but more importantly they discovered salt, coal, clay and a need for industry to provide for the needs of the people. Opportunities abounded to make fortunes in other places from the resources readily available locally. Central to the development of Athens County was the vision people had years before the first settlers arrived; they dreamed of and made provisions for a university in the new territory. Today, more than 200 years later, Ohio University thrives in the city of Athens.