TOLEDO, OH – Bison, once abundant in Ohio, were driven to extinction in the state due to the arrival of pioneers and settlers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
According to Ohio History Connection, these newcomers brought advanced hunting technologies, cleared large areas of forest, and introduced diseases that affected the local bison population.
The bison quickly became a valuable resource, with their meat and leather fueling a booming trade. Even their bones were harvested for use as fertilizer.
During the 19th century, over 50 million bison were slaughtered across North America, pushing the species to the brink of extinction. In Ohio, commercial hunting and the increasing demand for bison products led to their local extirpation, according to Ohio History Connection.
The last known bison in Ohio was killed in 1803 in Lawrence County, marking the end of the species’ presence in the state, according to Ohio History Connection.
By that time, bison had disappeared from lands east of the Mississippi River, a grim reminder of the species’ tragic decline in the face of human expansion.