The Toledo War

[Patriotic Voter]

In honor of the Ohio State/Michigan college football rivalry, known as "The Game" in capital letters, I am posting articles about how it all started: with a war over where southern Michigan ends and northern Ohio begins.

Impact of the Toledo War on Michigan and Ohio – Military History of the Upper Great Lakes

ss.sites.mtu.edu

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Toledo vs. “The UP”​

Toledo is the fourth largest city in Ohio. (11) Were it in Michigan it would rank as the second largest city in Michigan (behind Detroit). However, having Toledo in Michigan vs. the Upper Peninsula would still decrease the overall population of Michigan, since the Upper Peninsula has more than 40,000 more residents living in it.

The main draw for gaining Toledo is that it sits on Lake Erie, very close to the Erie Canal. As stated above, the Erie Canal is one of the main reasons Michigan and Ohio fought over the region as much as they did, since it would give each state closer access to the canal. However, also as stated above, Detroit was and is far more capable of controlling shipping in the Great Lakes area than Toledo.

Toledo also cannot even begin to compete with the vast amount of resources that the Upper Peninsula gave to Michigan. Michigan produced 8.722 billion pounds of copper between 1845 and 1935, (8) and while the copper and lumber industries are in decline in present day, they are still producing revenue for Michigan.

 

[Bodi]

LOL... huh?

 

[ataraxia]

Holy Toledo!

I remember growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the golden days of the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry- the days of Bo Schembechler vs Woody Hayes. Man, when Ohio state was coming to town, the excitement was palpable in the air! Streets would be shut down, everyone would be dressed up in their Maize and Blue, stores would be closed, etc... It was like a national holiday. And then everyone in school would be talking about the game for weeks afterward.

Good times. A lot of nostalgia for those days.

 

[Fearandloathing]

In honor of the Ohio State/Michigan college football rivalry, known as "The Game" in capital letters, I am posting articles about how it all started: with a war over where southern Michigan ends and northern Ohio begins.

Impact of the Toledo War on Michigan and Ohio – Military History of the Upper Great Lakes

ss.sites.mtu.edu

_________________________________________________________________________________

Toledo vs. “The UP”​

Toledo is the fourth largest city in Ohio. (11) Were it in Michigan it would rank as the second largest city in Michigan (behind Detroit). However, having Toledo in Michigan vs. the Upper Peninsula would still decrease the overall population of Michigan, since the Upper Peninsula has more than 40,000 more residents living in it.

The main draw for gaining Toledo is that it sits on Lake Erie, very close to the Erie Canal. As stated above, the Erie Canal is one of the main reasons Michigan and Ohio fought over the region as much as they did, since it would give each state closer access to the canal. However, also as stated above, Detroit was and is far more capable of controlling shipping in the Great Lakes area than Toledo.

Toledo also cannot even begin to compete with the vast amount of resources that the Upper Peninsula gave to Michigan. Michigan produced 8.722 billion pounds of copper between 1845 and 1935, (8) and while the copper and lumber industries are in decline in present day, they are still producing revenue for Michigan.

Ah.....

I am confused. Michigan is bounded by water....four of the five Great Lakes all of which lead to the Erie Canal. Shipment could and were loaded in Lake Michigan and transported to the Eria Canal routinely

It is much less costly to sail goods to buffalo to offload than to drag them to Toledo overland and then sail the goods to Buffalo.

What changed that was the Welland Canal on the Niagara Peninsula.

I am told there is a area or a town known as Reno Beach near Toledo. It was said to be a departure point of the Underground railway for a time; sailing escaped slaves to the Village of Kingsville.

 

[Chomsky]

Holy Toledo!

I remember growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the golden days of the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry- the days of Bo Schembechler vs Woody Hayes. Man, when Ohio state was coming to town, the excitement was palpable in the air! Streets would be shut down, everyone would be dressed up in their Maize and Blue, stores would be closed, etc... It was like a national holiday. And then everyone in school would be talking about the game for weeks afterward.

Good times. A lot of nostalgia for those days.

From the outside-looking-in, the Michigan / Michigan State rivalry always looked pretty lively too.

 

[Patriotic Voter]

From the outside-looking-in, the Michigan/Michigan State rivalry always looked pretty lively too.

That is nothing compared to the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry. The intrastate battle is played every year because they are both Big Ten East teams. But even if Ohio State was in a different conference, it would still be "The School Down South" to Michiganders.

 

[Chomsky]

That is nothing compared to the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry. The intrastate battle is played every year because they are both Big Ten East teams. But even if Ohio State was in a different conference, it would still be "The School Down South" to Michiganders.

Haha! "Down South"!

I'm tellin' you, I love the Upper Midwest & Great Lakes! There's just a unique combination of attributes in the populace & geography that has a great appeal. There's a "real-ness" involved, with everything important - people/geography/weather.