Piqua

Town in Miami County, western Ohio, on the Great Miami River, 40 km/25 mi north of Dayton; population (1990) 20,600. Once a major port and canal centre, Piqua is now chiefly an industrial hub; its products include steel and iron, aeroplane and vehicle parts, paper, aluminium, and wood and metal items. The Piqua Historical Area, situted 4 km/2.5 mi north of the town, was once the site of American Indian Miami and Shawnee villages, and a 1748 trading post; it was also the scene of several battles during the French and Indian War (1756–63). Piqua was founded in the 1790s.