BUYING HISTORY:

TRENDS IN OHIO
HISTORICAL MARKERS

Nicole Slaven
Duquesne University
Grading Process

Historical Significance: Arguably the most important category, historical

significance considers whether a marker is worthy of existing. This category also
looks at the importance of a subject on a local, state, and national scale.

Historical Integrity: This category considers the longevity of a site or historical

content, and whether the site has lasting historic value.

Context: This category looks at the contextual information in the historical marker
as well as the marker’s surroundings. E.g. can one understand the importance of
the historical marker without any previous knowledge on the subject?

Mechanics: The final category looks at the nuts and bolts of the marker. This
includes grammar, spelling, word choice, sentence structure, numbering errors, and
similar basic issues.
Fig. 1 (Nicole Slaven, Fig. 2 (Nicole Slaven,
2019) 2019)
 MARKER #127-18
“LEWIS FIELD
HISTORIC
DISTRICT”

Historical Historical Context Mechanics Total

Significance Integrity Score

2 1 1 2 6

Image: RemarkableOhio.org
 MARKER #43-31

WILLIAM
HOWARD
TAFT/ROBERT
ALPHONSO TAFT
Historical Historical Context Mechanics Total
Significance Integrity Score

10 10 9 9 38

Image: RemarkableOhio.org
 CASE STUDY:
MAHONING
COUNTY

Image: Wikipedia Image: Struthers Historical Society

Image: WYTV

Image: hfinster.de
Fig. 3 (Nicole Slaven, Fig. 4 (Nicole Slaven,
2019) 2019)
 Population1 Median Number of Marker to
Household Markers Resident
Income2 Ratio
Youngstown 64,958 $26,295 13 1:4,997

Canfield 7,234 $69,118 14 1:577

1
Population numbers were acquired via the United States Census Bureau using the 2018 population estimate.
2
Median household income data was acquired via the United States Census Bureau using the 2013-2017 American Community Survey.
 Average Marker Grade Median Household Income
by Locality by Locality

Fig 5 (Nicole Slaven, Fig. 6 (Nicole Slaven,

 Marker
Score Map
of the
Green in
Canfield

Fig. 7 (Nicole Slaven,

 Image:
1465orBust.com

“There are many topics that go

‘unmarked’ because no one submits
applications for them. Many states are
hamstrung by lack of funding and are
somewhat at the (topical) mercy of
sponsors. In this sense, history is
written by those willing to write it.” 1

1
Survey with West Virginia Archives & History, September 2019.
 BEST PRACTICES
Text
➔ Sources
➔ Length (100-130 words)
➔ Fun Facts (short, easily digestible, memorable, and effortless to regurgitate)
➔ Avoid definitive words (e.g. “first”, “now”, “currently”, “only”, etc.)

Location
➔ Contextual Location
➔ Permission from property owner(s)
➔Pull-offs and signage
➔Avoid busy roads and hectic intersections
➔Reconsider placing markers in areas that already have a large concentration of Ohio Historical Markers

Alternatives
➔County markers (e.g. Carroll County)
 Further Information on Ohio Historical
Markers
OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION
www.OhioHistoryConnection.org

REMARKABLE OHIO
www.RemarkableOhio.org

1,465 OR BUST
www.1465orBust.com