In 1880, Piqua Ohio was home to just over 6,000 residents. It was a bustling town situated on a major river and the Miami & Erie Canal, and a must-be place for industry. The drive to be more than it was is what helped the city "gentlemen" secure a contract to install the Piqua Edison Electric Illuminating Company. Piqua, set in a bucolic setting, thrived throughout the first half of the 20th Century. Unfortunately for many Midwestern towns, the 1970s, 80s and 90s brought changing economies as industry relocated, the population flat-lined, and the glory days of yesteryear were distant memories. Times are changing and so is the city of 20,500. Piqua has big plans to redevelop itself into a family friendly community and is working hard to transform the river district into a region of commerce, recreation and entertainment. The images below capture what life will be in the coming years. Once on the outskirts of the historic district, the Edison building is now front and center of the coming transformation. The first two renderings place the Edison building near the center, the third shows the rear of the building adjacent to a farm market, and the fourth has the building on the left side of the proposed canal walk way. The last three depict daily life right outside our front door.
More information on the happenings in Piqua can be found at the Imagine Piqua link at the bottom of the page.
PIQUA IN THE YEAR 2025