Ohio could be a major player beyond the ballot box alone in 2016. The biggest cities in Ohio, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus, are all making a push to lure the GOP Party to present its 2016 presidential candidate there. Cleveland and Columbus also competed for the chance to host the 2016 Democratic convention before Philadelphia landed it.
If they succeed, it means that these cities will earn a greater share of the spotlight in 2015 and 2016. Here are some things you need to know about them and how they help define the identity of the Buckeye State:
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1. Columbus: The Arch City is the state capital and also Ohio's most heavily populated city. It is the third largest Midwestern city in the United States with a population of 822,553 according to 2013 estimates. Columbus is home to the Ohio State University, which is the state's flagship institution of higher education. It is also a noted hub for independent art.
2. Cleveland: On the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland is a destination for legions of music lovers. It houses the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a museum that showcases the history of that music genre along with notable past and present rock and roll musicians. Cleveland is also the birthplace of Standard Oil. John D. Rockefeller founded his company there in 1870. It has remained an important manufacturing center since that time.
3. Cincinnati: The third largest city in Ohio was the first American city founded after the Revolutionary War, in 1788. Less than a century later, it earned the distinction of being the first place to establish a pro baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, in 1869. Cincinnati was once known as the Paris of America because of historic architecture dating back to the 1800s.
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4. Toledo: The Glass City earned its namesake after it emerged as the center of the glass industry in the early 20th century. Many large glass companies started in Toledo and the Toledo Museum of Art houses a collection of all different types of glass. The city became iconic in popular culture as a result of the TV Series M*A*S*H* in the 1970s and early 1980s. Corporal Maxwell Klinger, played by actor Jaime Farr, was a Toledo resident in the series before being drafted into the Korean War.
5. Akron: Much like the glass industry defined Toledo, the rubber industry has defined Akron. Ohio's fifth largest city became the Rubber Capital of the World in the early 20th century after several large tire companies set up headquarters and opened manufacturing plants within the city. Akron has had an influence on what people eat for breakfast as well as transportation. The forerunner to the Quaker Oats Company, F. Schumacher Milling Company, was founded in Akron in the 1880s.
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