Ai, Ohio facts for kids
Ai is a small community located in Fulton County, Ohio, in the United States. It was first settled around the year 1843. Ai is known for having one of the shortest place names in the country!
Contents
Discovering Ai
Ai is a quiet place that has an interesting history. It's not a big city, but it's a part of Ohio's past. Understanding its story helps us learn about how small towns grew and changed over time.
Where Did the Name Come From?
The name of Ai has been a bit of a mystery! There are two main ideas about how it got its name.
- Some people believe it was named after a city called Ai mentioned in the Bible.
- Others think it was named after one of its founders, a man named Ami Richards. The story goes that people dropped the 'M' from his name to make the town's name sound stronger.
A Brief History of Ai
Like many small communities, Ai had a post office in its early days. This was an important place for people to send and receive letters.
The Post Office and the Railroad
A post office opened in Ai in 1846. It served the community for many years. However, it closed down in 1903. During the 1850s, a new railroad line called the Northern Indiana Air Line was built nearby. This railroad brought changes to the area. Many businesses and people started to move to a town called Swanton, which was closer to the new railroad. Because of this, Ai's population slowly became smaller.
