Columbus is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest after Chicago, and the third-most populous U.S. state capital after Phoenix, Arizona and Austin, Texas.

Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County; it also extends into Delaware and Fairfield counties. It is the core city of the Columbus metropolitan area, which encompasses ten counties in central Ohio. It is the largest metropolitan area entirely in Ohio and 14th-largest city in the U.S.

The city has a diverse economy based on education, government, insurance, banking, defense, aviation, food, clothes, logistics, steel, energy, medical research, health care, hospitality, retail and technology. The metropolitan area is home to the Battelle Memorial Institute, the world’s largest private research and development foundation; Chemical Abstracts Service, the world’s largest clearinghouse of chemical information; and the Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the United States.

Take a look at these amazing photos to see what street scenes of Columbus looked like in the 1900s.

High St. south from Chestnut St., Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900s

A view of the southeast corner of East Long and North Pearl Streets in downtown Columbus, Ohio, 1900

Broad & High Streets looking northeast, Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900s

City Hall, E. State St. and Pearl Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900s

High St. at night, Arch City, Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900s

High St. north from State St., Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900s

Hotel Star, 227 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900

Looking north toward State Street, one sees the Thomas Shirt Co., and the Goodale Hotel, S. High Street, Columbus, Ohio, 1900

N.E. corner, High and Broad Sts., Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900s

S. High St. looking north from around Fulton St. Court House area, Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900s

Savings and Trust Building, Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900s

South High Street looking south from Broad Street Columbus, Ohio, circa 1900

The Schmidt Building at S. High St. and Fulton St. Engine House No. 2 is the building in the background, Columbus, Ohio, 1900

Chittenden Hotel, Columbus, Ohio, 1904

E. Long and N. High Streets, Columbus Ohio, 1904

Electric arch frames along S. High Street and Town Street, Columbus, Ohio, 1904

N. High St. Viaduct looking north from Naghten St., Columbus, Ohio, 1904

Northeast Corner of West Broad and North Front Streets Columbus, Ohio, 1904

Ohio Statehouse, South High St. at State St., Columbus, Ohio, 1904

Union Station, North High St., Columbus, Ohio, 1904

Busy Bee Restaurant and Candy Kitchens Building, S. High St. at W. State St., Columbus, Ohio, circa 1905

Great Southern Hotel at 310 S. High St., Columbus, Ohio, 1905

North High Street looking north from Lynn Street, Columbus, Ohio, 1915

The McCune Block located at the corner of Gay and North High Streets, Columbus, Ohio, 1915

North High Street looking south from Hickory Street, Columbus, Ohio, 1906

West Broad St. looking west from May St. in Columbus, Ohio, July 17, 1906

N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio, 1908

North High Street looking north from Vine Street, Columbus, Ohio, 1908