Though it may be remembered these days only by those who knew a world before the internet, CompuServe was the gateway to the World Wide Web for hundreds of thousands of us in the early 1990s. And that gateway was opened right here in Ohio — Upper Arlington, to be exact.

In recent weeks, the building that housed CompuServe’s headquarters was given a historical marker.

“This may be the first historical marker about the internet. Most history is not recognized and celebrated in your lifetime, but this is, and it’s really special,” Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said at the dedication event, according to WOSU. “Today we have a vibrant, growing tech economy in the state of Ohio. And it began right here.”

From 1973 to 2006, CompuServe operated what the New York Times once labeled “the most international of the Big Three” tech companies of the 1980s. It did so from the heart of the Buckeye State — pioneering commercial internet services, online forums, message boards, data file transfers … even the GIF.

Other tech giants later overshadowed CompuServe, but not before it quite literally changed the world.

That kind of far-reaching innovation is possible in Ohio. Just look at the Wright Brothers — historical markers regarding their life and work are scattered all over part of Dayton.

So what comes next? As we look to this new year knowing Intel may be just the start and Ohio officials are striving to make our state truly the Silicon Valley of the Midwest, the potential is nearly limitless.

State, county and municipal officials must continue to do the work of ensuring our communities are ready for growth — and that growth really does occur in a way that puts every Ohioan within commuting distance of a large employer. If we’re ready for them (and can otherwise get government out of their way), the next CompuServe might be just over the horizon.