What was Columbus like in the mid-20th Century?
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Look closely at the photograph to the left. How many differences can you identify between Columbus in the mid 1900s and Columbus today? Compare the buildings, businesses, transportation and anything else you find in the photograph.
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Between the years 1930 and 1970, the population of Columbus grew from almost 300,000 to about 539,000. Columbus was booming, in part because World War II created a demand for manufacturing equipment and supplies needed for the war. Just at the Defense Supply Center alone, there were 10,000 employees!
Columbus was at the center of major transportation routes from the beginning. Up until this time, it had been part of the canal routes, the railroad, and the National Road. With the Interstate Highway Act of 1956, Columbus became even more central to transportation in Ohio as construction of two of the major interstates (I-70 and I-71) would bring millions of people right through the city. |
Here is a picture of the east side of Columus as I-70 was constructed through it. Notice where the interstate ends right in farmland. Why do you think the highway makes such a turn to the south?
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The freeway system in Columbus made it easier for people who worked downtown to commute farther distances. So, many families began moving out of the downtown area and out into the suburbs, such as Westerville, Grove City, and Gahanna.
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This suburbanization had many effects. Since more people were living in the suburbs, more stores and restaurants and roads had to be built. Columbus had one of the first shopping malls in the country, the Town and Country Shopping Mall, which was built on East Broad Street. At the time, the location was described as "just outside the city." Look at the map. Would this be considered "outside the city" now?
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During this time, a lot of new and exciting things were happening in Columbus. Besides the building of malls and the development of suburbs, Columbus was expanding its boundaries, making it much larger in land size. COSI opened in 1964 as the Center of Science and Industry. The first Wendy's restaurant opened in 1969.
