Editing Sidney, Ohio (section)

== History ==
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[[File:People's Federal Savings and Loan.jpg|thumb|left|The 1918 Thrift Building, home to the [[People's Federal Savings and Loan Association]], is a 20th-century icon. Its oversized arch is a signature element of its architect [[Louis Sullivan]], who was mentor to [[Frank Lloyd Wright]].]]
Sidney, named after Sir [[Philip Sidney]], a well-known poet and member of British Parliament, was originally a {{convert|70|acre|m2|adj=on}} parcel of land located along the west side of the [[Great Miami River]]. This land was donated by Charles Starrett to be used as the site of a new town designated to be the county seat of Shelby County. The area around Sidney was once the richly forested hunting ground of the [[Shawnee people|Shawnee]] and [[Miami Indian]] nations. This fertile area was developed as agricultural lands over time.

The construction of the Miami-Erie Canal between 1825 and 1837 connected Sidney in a north–south direction with the major trade centers in Ohio. In addition to opening the first significant "outside" trade for Sidney, the construction of the canal attracted an influx of settlers to the area. From the 1840s to 1913, canal boats carried Shelby County's products to Cincinnati or Toledo. Sidney was crossed by the Miami and Erie Canal's Sidney or Port Jefferson Feeder Branch. Before railroads came to Sidney, the canal provided most transportation, as roads were unpaved and not usable in all seasons. Part of the canal remains south of Water Street.

As the influence of the canal declined, another transportation element, railroads, began to develop in Sidney. East–west rail began to be laid in 1851, followed by north–south rail in 1856. Sidney is still served by these railroad lines.

In the 1950s, the Interstate Highway contributed to the development of Sidney. It was named as "[[All-America City Award|All-America City]]" in 1964. Today, Interstate 75 connects Sidney with Canada to the north, and Florida to the south. Sidney has four interchanges with Interstate 75, providing access for both commercial and industrial users.

Sidney has an extensive parks and recreation system. When the city's first comprehensive plan was being developed in the mid-1950s, the city decided to have a park or recreation area within a half-mile of every residence. This goal has resulted in a system of 14 neighborhood parks, a baseball complex, softball complex, soccer complex, municipal swimming pool, and the {{convert|180|acre|km2|adj=on}} Tawawa Park, a nature and picnic area.

Sidney is the hometown of [[Paul Lauterbur]], a renowned scientist and Nobel Prize winner who helped develop the [[MRI]].

In 1984, President [[Ronald Reagan]] visited the city of Sidney on a train (the same train that President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] used during his visit to Sidney in 1944) while touring the country. President [[George W. Bush]] visited the town in 2004, eating at the Spot Restaurant in downtown Sidney. Republican presidential candidate [[Mitt Romney]] visited the Shelby County Fairgrounds in Sidney in 2012.

[[Sidney, Iowa]], derives its name from the community.<ref>[http://www.sidneyia.net/history.php Sidney History - sidneyia.net]</ref>

The town of [[Buckeye, Arizona]], was originally named after Sidney. Malin M. Jackson, who built [[Arizona]]'s Buckeye Canal, was from Sidney.<ref>[http://www.buckeyeaz.gov/index.asp?NID=107 Buckeye Valley History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923095003/http://www.buckeyeaz.gov/index.asp?NID=107 |date=2006-09-23 }}.  Official website of the Town of Buckeye, retrieved June 29, 2006.</ref>