“Produced for the Ohio statehood bicentennial, this film tells the story of the first official settlement in Ohio. The Ohio Company of Associates, a stock company headed by Revolutionary War hero Rufus Putnam, built forts and established the community of Marietta at the mouth of the Muskingum River in the late 1780s. The program's 12 "chapters," which run from 6 to 20 minutes each, discuss the company's dual objectives of making a profit and spreading democracy in a model settlement, the competing goals of and eventual warfare between the settlers and the Native Americans they displaced, the hardships the settlers faced, and the importance of the Northwest Ordinance as a template for American settlement of the West. The male narration is supplemented with narrated quotes and extensive commentary from historians, Native American tribal leaders, and descendents of settlers. Visuals include location footage, period art and illustrations, computer generated images that recreate the countryside and settlement buildings as they might have looked in the 1780s, and historically correct reenactments. The CD contains 25 selections of authentic period music. While the program will be of the greatest interest to students of Ohio history, it does offer viewers a glimpse into life on the frontier and the often‑overlooked settlement of the Northwest Territory and explains its importance as a model for the settlement of the western United States. The chapter format allows for maximum classroom flexibility, making it a good additional choice for secondary collections.”

School Library Journal, Dec. 2004; page 71