b'plateau (the northern and western partwhere the glaciers had been) and theunglaciated plateau (the southern andeastern part where glaciers neverreached). The glaciated part has someproductive farmland. However, theunglaciated part is so hilly and ruggedthat farms cannot be developed easily,except in river valleys. It is an area withhardwood trees, rivers, hills, and valleys.Ohios first settlers lived in this region.A very small region, known as theLexington Plain, is also unglaciated. It isTopographical map of Ohio Graphic (K) in southern Ohio.for a long time. The Black Swamp area Even today, Ohio is shaped by whatwas covered by water much of the time the glaciers did[see graphic (K)] . The ruraland thick forests grew there. People did (farming) areas of the state lie in thenot settle in this area until the late flat regions of the northwest and the1800s, when the land was drained and hilly regions of the southeast. Diagonallyused for farming. Then it became some from the southwest corner (nearof the most fertile land in Ohio and the Cincinnati) to theNUnited States. northeast corner The Allegheny Plateau is actually (near Cleveland), Ohio W Emade up of two regions: the glaciated has many large cities.SAlong the Ohio TrailThe buckeye tree wasnt just anordinary tree for early settlers. Theydidnt make their houses out of buckeyewood, but they did make other important things.The wood was very easy to work with. People madechairs, benches, cradles, and even bowls frombuckeye wood.The wood from the buckeye tree wasso popular that at one time the species of treealmost vanished from Ohio. Can you think of other items settlerscould make from the wood they found in Ohio Country?page 4'