Chillicothe was the first capital when Ohio became a state in 1803. Situated on the Scioto River, it was somewhat easy to travel up and down the river to get to the Ohio River. Also, it was on the Ohio and Erie Canal. Later the capital was moved to Lancaster, but that location was too difficult to travel to, and a political compromise returned the location to Chillicothe. The capital was moved back to Chillicothe before finally settling in the final one, Columbus. Of historical note, the Chillicothe area was also the home of Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief, who rallied to defeat the encroachment of the white man.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org