About noon we ventured into downtown Columbus to visit the State House, as the Capitol is called here. It's a Greek Revival structure smack in the middle of town, with high rise office buildings all around it, providing a counterpoint to the "peoples business". The State House does not have a traditional exterior dome, because that was not part of Greek architecture. It does, however, have an interior dome.
We started our tour in the Crypt, or basement, in the center of the building, joining a group of Boy Scouts.
Our first stop, on the second floor, was the House Chamber. With 99 full time legislators, this is The House of the People. The balcony on the right and center are galleries for visitors during sessions.
The elegant Speakers Platform is the same one used by President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 when he was on his way to Washington to assume the Presidency of the United States. In fact, he received a telegram while speaking that verified his election by the electoral college. President Lincoln's funeral cortege retraced that journey, stopping in all the places that Lincoln had stopped. His body lay in state for 48 hours, with 50,000 people filing by to pay respects.
As we crossed over to the Senate side we got a view of the Rotunda floor. Done with thousands of different size and tapered tiles, it draws the eye to the center of the floor from every point in the room'
The interior dome is positioned directly over the center compass rose in the tile floor.
The Senate chamber is a bit more subdued, more stately if you will, as befits the senior branch of government. Composed of 33 full time legislators, the body meets in a much smaller room, with imposing doors and pediments.
Stairs in the Capitol are of marble or limestone, as are some of the walls, but the woodwork is all poplar or pine faux painted to look like oak.
In the downstairs museum, we found two things that really appealed to us. The first is a part of a tree that originally grew near the site of a Civil War battle. There is a cannonball embedded in the log, and several holes where smaller rounds were removed.
The other item of interest was the story of Annie Oakley, one of Donna's far distant cousins. Annie was a very resourceful woman, learning to trap and hunt to support her siblings and widowed mother. Her skill stood her in good stead as she won many local shooting contests. In 1875, the Baughman and Butler shooting act performed in Cincinnati. Frank Butler bet $100 that he could beat any local fancy shooter. After missing his 25th shot, Frank lost the contest and Annie walked away with a staggering sum of money. Frank began courting Annie and they were soon married. They never had any children.
Frank and Annie joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West in 1885, and Annie was given the name "Little Sure Shot" by Sitting Bull. Annie was five feet tall.
Annie left Buffalo Bill in 1902 after a bad train accident that left her temporarily paralyzed. She began a quieter career on stage in a play written for her called "The Western Girl". Annie promoted women's rights through quiet philanthropy and other causes. On a comeback effort, Annie hit 100 clay targets at the age of 62, however her plans were not to be. A debilitating auto accident later in 1922 left her wearing a brace on her leg, and fragile health. She died at the age of 66 in Greenville, Ohio, on November 3, 1926.
On the 3rd street side of the State House, the home of the Columbus Dispatch announces it's presence in a large manner!
One last look at the State House before heading home.
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