Earth observations taken from Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-78 mission

STS078-726-000A (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Though the Space Shuttle program has been ongoing since 1981, few pictures have been taken from Earth-orbit that show the Toledo area featured in this 70mm frame from the STS-78/LMS-1 mission. The muddy Maumee River flows through Toledo into the west end of Lake Erie. Toledo is the seat (1835) of Lucas county, northwestern Ohio, and is a principal Great Lakes port, being the hub of a metropolitan complex that includes Ottawa Hills, Maumee, Oregon, Sylvania, Perrysburg, and Rossford. Fort Industry (1803-05) was located at the mouth of Swan Creek (now downtown Toledo), where permanent settlement was made after the War of 1812. Two villages, Port Lawrence (1817) and Vistula (1832), were consolidated in 1833 and named for Toledo, Spain. The united community was incorporated as a city in 1837. Its population in 1990 was 332,943. There are many smaller Ohio cities in the photo including Bowling Green, Findlay, Tiffin, Fremont, Fostoria, and Sandusky (right edge).