Photograph by Department of Forestry: Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Forestry Image Collection

In 1915, the Ohio General Assembly appropriated $10,000 for the purchase of land to be used for establishing the state forest system in Ohio. A year later, 221 acres were purchased at a cost of $9.00 per acre in Athens County, leading to the creation of Waterloo State Forest (today a wildlife research area). 1,500 acres were purchased at a cost of $4.50 per acre in Lawrence County to create Dean State Forest.