Ohio Life

“Ohio’s Real Life Cowboys” feature from May 1982 issue of Ohio Magazine (photo by Rachael Jirousek)

Backstory: Ohio’s Real-Life Cowboys

Rodeo! It’s what keeps the East Sparta Gang thirsty for beer, aching with pain, hungry for glory and happy with life.

Amusement park preservationist Troy Parsh in roller coaster car from Geauga Lake at Grafton home (photo by Ken Blaze)

Meet the Man Who Collects Relics of Ohio’s Bygone Amusement Parks

Troy Parsh is the keeper of countless memories. He pieces together the past at his Lorain County home and once a year invites the public to see his collection.

Songwriter Ernest Ball playing piano in 1952 (photo courtesy of Cleveland Public Library)

How Forgotten Songwriter Ernest Ball Rose to Fame

He isn’t a household name these days, but it’s estimated that the Cleveland native penned over a thousand songs, including Irish-themed standards that are still sung each Saint Patrick’s Day.

Maureen Gatewood of the Buckeye Trail Association (photo courtesy of the Buckeye Trail Association)

Maureen Gatewood Carries On Her Great-Grandmother’s Outdoor Legacy

The great-granddaughter of Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, the first woman to solo hike the entire Appalachian Trail, shares how she got involved with the Buckeye Trail.

Ohio Magazine’s July 1985 feature “The Boy of Summer” about Pete Rose (photo by Rachael Jirousek)

Backstory: The Boy of Summer

Charlie Hustle, Ty Cobb and the great American game.

More Ohio Life

Birds found by Lights Out Cleveland volunteers laid out with identification tags (photo by Matt Shiffler)

How Lights Out Cleveland Is Helping Save Birds

Glowing city skylines are an alluring sight, especially if you're a migrating bird. But an epidemic of collisions with buildings has led groups across Ohio, including Lights Out Cleveland, to form rescue squads and help raise public awareness about the problem. READ MORE >>

Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Beaver Marsh in Cuyahoga Falls (photo from iStock / PapaBear)

Ohio’s National Park: How the Cuyahoga Valley Was Saved

In 1974, the federal government protected a serene stretch of nature now known as Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It was part of a movement to bring parks to people and set in motion work that continues today. READ MORE >>

Bigfoot investigator Dusty Ruth of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (photo courtesy of Dusty Ruth)

Bigfoot Investigator Dusty Ruth on Hunting Cryptids

The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization member leads groups on several Ohio expeditions throughout the year in search of the elusive creature. READ MORE >>

Exterior of RiverRock House in Willoughby (photo by Erik Drost)

How a Mother and Daughter Built Frank Lloyd Wright’s Last Home in Ohio

The legendary American architect’s final home design was sitting on his drafting table at the time of his death. More than six decades later, Debbie and Sarah Dykstra put it on the Lake County property where it was always intended to go. READ MORE >>

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