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Originally named "Washington" after the nation's first president, the town's name was changed to Piqua in 1816. Much of Piqua's early history centers around Col. John Johnston. Johnston was a federal Indian agent who settled north of Piqua in the early years of the 19th century. He is credited with keeping the region safe during the War of 1812 by persuading the Indians of the area to remain peaceful. Johnston was also a successful businessman, and
his large brick home, finished in 1814, still
stands today as the centerpiece of the Piqua
Historical Area. The Johnston Farm
also is the location for the annual
Ohio
Wilderness Frontier: Piqua Heritage
Festival, held every Labor Day Weekend. A
section of the Miami-Erie canal that runs behind
the farm is used as a living exhibit to transport
visitors on a full-sized, recreated canal boat.
A group of freed slaves settled in a part of Piqua known as Rossville in the 1840s. The black cemetery there is one of the oldest in the area, and one of the original houses has been turned into the Rossville Museum. The museum honors the original freed slaves and their descendants. Piqua was known for a time as the "Atomic City," since it was one of the first cities in the nation to have a nuclear power plant. That early plant has long since closed. Today, Piqua is home to many home grown business large and small, including the fan and propeller manufacturer, Hartzell, and the French Oil company, which makes bean oil presses. Larger companies include Evenflo, a maker of childcare products. |
In
the early and mid-1800s, the city grew to become
the largest in Miami County, and only recently lost
that designation to Troy . When residents lost out
to Troy in their bid to become the county seat,
they responded by building the city's most famous
landmark -- the Fort Piqua Hotel. Finished in 1891,
for years it was a luxurious hotel that hosted
presidents and famous figures in the entertainment
industry.