Bowling Green, Ohio

===Industrialization===
This period was followed by an expansion of the [[automobile industry]]. In late 1922 or early 1923, [[Coats Steam Car]] moved to the area and hired numerous workers. It eventually went out of business as the industry became centralized in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. 

Bank robbers [[Pretty Boy Floyd]] and [[William Miller (criminal)|Billy the Killer]] encountered police in Bowling Green in April 1931. Their armed confrontation resulted in the death of Billy the Killer.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Jan Larson |title=Wood County had its share of murders & robberies in 'wild west' past – BG Independent News |url=https://bgindependentmedia.org/wood-county-had-its-share-of-murders-robberies-in-wild-west-past/ |access-date=11 November 2019}}</ref> 

During World War II Italian and German [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] were held nearby. They were used to staff the [[Heinz Tomato Ketchup]] factory in town.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Bee Gee News June 15, 1944 |url=https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/701/ |journal=BG News (Student Newspaper) |access-date=24 November 2019 |date=15 June 1944}}</ref> The ketchup factory closed in 1975.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The BG News April 2, 1975 |url=https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/3087/ |journal=BG News (Student Newspaper) |access-date=25 November 2019 |date=2 April 1975}}</ref> 

A runaway freight train carrying hazardous liquids passed through Bowling Green in 2001, in what is known as the known as the [[CSX 8888 incident]]. It traveled more than 65 miles south of Toledo before being stopped by a veteran railroad worker near Kenton; he jumped into the train while it was moving. No one was hurt and there was no property damage in the incident.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Claiborne |first1=William |last2=Phillips |first2=Don |title=Railroad Worker Jumps Into, Stops Runaway Train |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/05/16/railroad-worker-jumps-into-stops-runaway-train/8048b577-f0b8-4137-9a73-e09dc6824914/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=12 November 2019 |date=16 May 2001}}</ref>