Morgan Twp. Driving Tour (Okeana)

As mentioned already in two previous posts on this blog, last Friday for date night the lovely Robin and I set out on a self-guided driving tour of historic Morgan Township with the help of a dandy booklet created by the Morgan Township Historical Society. We had already seen many interesting stops on the tour when we made our way into historic Okeana, the geographic center of Morgan Township. From the booklet: "Okeana was named in honor of a local Native American princess, the daughter of Chief Kiatta....There has been an operating post office in the village since 1828 under the names Tariff and Okeana. In 1868 the Walking and McClain Liniment was manufactured here, which was good for man and beast."

The Okeana Methodist Church (above) is built on land purchased in 1904. The structure was completed in 1908 at a cost of about $7,000. "Of special beauty," says the tour guide, "are the large tinted glass memorial windows."

The Old Township Hall (above) was constructed at a cost of $650 in the mid-nineteenth-century. The historic marker in front reads:

COPPERHEADISM IN BUTLER COUNTY. By the early summer of 1863, many Ohioans had become dissatisfied with what seemed a protracted Civil War. They opposed the administration of President Abraham Lincoln and the policy of a national military draft and were alarmed by what they saw as an invasion of their civil liberties. This was in part fueled by the arrest of Clement Vallandingham, future Democratic candidate for Governor, for publicly criticizing the war. He was convicted of sedition by a military commission and exiled by the President. On July 17, 1863, those unfriendly to the Civil War (Copperheads) from Morgan, Ross, Reily, and Hanover townships met at the Morgan Township House to organize the Butler County Mutual Protection Company. Copperheads from Franklin County, Indiana, joined the company to protest the draft and the president's handling of the war. The company was short-lived, however, as similar antiwar organizations flourished in the region.

We also stopped at the Okeana Bank (above). The bank was organized in 1909 as the First National Bank of Okeana. From the guide: "Francis Earnshaw, who sold 250 one-hundred-dollar shares of stock to the local farmers and businessmen of the area, established it. He was just 20 years old and had to wait until he was 21 before he could open the bank." It has previously been a Citizens Bank & Trust and Society Bank (later named Key Bank). Today it is a branch of the Lebanon Citizens National Bank.

The photo above is of a large black-and-white mural on the side of the bank, depicting the structure as it appeared when it was new (apparently before any signage or furnishings were installed).

Morgan Twp. Driving Tour (Governor Bebb Preserve)

As mentioned in yesterday's post, last Friday for date night the lovely Robin and I set out on a self-guided driving tour of historic Morgan Township with the help of a dandy booklet created by the Morgan Township Historical Society. After the metropoli of Auburn, Isis, St. Charles, and Scipio, we made our way to the Governor Bebb Preserve and Pioneer Village, located southeast of Scipio on Cincinnati-Brookville Road (Rt. 126). It is amazing to me that, having lived in Butler County now for twenty years, we have never previously visited this lovely place.

The park was dedicated on June 17, 1961. It is named for William Bebb, nineteenth governor of Ohio (1846-1849). The 1850 covered bridge pictured above, one of two remaining covered bridges in the county, was moved from the Oxford area and rebuilt at the park entrance in 1970.

The beautiful pioneer village on the grounds includes six authentic log cabins moved to the park and reconstructed to form a representative early Midwestern settlement. The log house below was the birthplace and boyhood home of Governor Bebb.

The park's 264 acres of woods, meadows, fields, streams, trails, campgrounds, and shelters are free to Butler County residents. All others (suckas!) are supposed to have a permit.

The parameters of our date night didn't allow us enough time here, so we will definitely be returning. In slightly cooler weather, we'd love to explore the trails.

The park is open daily 8:00 am until dark.

Morgan Twp. Driving Tour (St. Charles and Scipio)

Sometime in the past several years, I came across a nicely-produced little booklet offering a self-guided driving tour of historic Morgan Township, created by the Morgan Township Historical Society. I've long wanted to do this, so this past Friday I twisted the lovely Robin's arm and we headed out for dinner and a driving tour for our date night.

We drove through the tiny towns of Auburn (once known as Skinnersburg and Roberts Corner) and Isis (previously called Gandertown, Mount Auburn, Houck, and Selkirk) on our way to tiny St. Charles, where the above schoolhouse was built in 1892 (it has since also housed an I.O.O.F. Lodge, a library, and post office). St. Charles has also been called Stewart's Corner and Ragsdill's Crossroads at various times.

Right next to the schoolhouse in bustling downtown St. Charles is the Methodist Church. The cemetery next to the church was laid out in 1814 and the Methodist Society was formed in 1819. The current church structure was built in 1886.

Further down the road, just this side of the Ohio/Indiana border is the town known as Scipio on the Indiana side and Philanthropy on the Ohio side. A Union Church was established in 1860 by four different denominations. The present Baptist church was built in 1885. The cemetery next to it was laid out in 1868.

Near the church is the Beard Home, a brick house built in 1852 by James Beard, Jr. The log cabin it replaced had been the residence of William D. Jones, the first Philanthropy postmaster, from 1832-1836.

From there, we set out for the Governor Bebb Preserve and Pioneer Village, which I will relate in tomorrow's post.

Miami Meadows Park, Milford, OH

The lovely Robin and I spent this afternoon at the Rae Rae Reed Memorial Picnic at Miami Meadows Park in Milford, east of Cincinnati. It's a beautiful big park, with vast stretches of meadows (maybe that's where they got the name). The park also boasts a large playground, numerous ball fields, a skate park, "bark park," paths, and a pond.

It was great to renew fellowship with our dear old friends, Judi (above, with Robin), Butch (below), and their grownup children Josh and Korrina.



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Pinch Me Places: Giza

The latest installment in this series of "Pinch Me Places" on this blog is from my trip in 2010 with the lovely Robin to Egypt. It's Giza, the site of the pyramids


We rode camels. We actually ENTERED the #2 pyramid, all the way to the burial chamber (pretty taxing most of the way, going down a long ways bent in half, then up again bent in half before getting there...then back again!). Well, I did; because of her back, Robin had to turn back after just a few moments in the cramped entryway.

We also viewed the Sphinx and the ancient temple:


Breathtaking. Mind-boggling. Photos don't do it justice. Even having been there, I still find it hard to believe. It's definitely a "pinch me" place.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Hamilton, Ohio

Another part of the lovely Robin's and my July Fourth celebration today was a visit to Hamilton, Ohio's Soldiers and Sailors Monument, an imposing stone edifice on the banks of the Great Miami River. Until today we had only driven by the striking monument, though I have often wished to see the inside. So, since it was open in celebration of the Fourth, we took the time to visit.

Built of Indiana Limestone, is near the center of the site of Fort Hamilton, built in 1791 and named in honor of Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury in President George Washington's cabinet.

The inside is surprisingly spacious, and chock full of historic memorabilia, including a scale model of Fort Hamilton, which once stood on the site.

Etched on the walls are the names of soldiers and sailors from Butler County who served in our nation's wars, from the Revolutionary War up to the present day.

The building features beautiful stained-glass windows, like the above, featuring the Great Seal of the State of Ohio. Two large windows also recognize the contributions of Butler County women during the Civil War.

A large, stately marble staircase leads to the second floor, where the displays continue, including cases of period military uniforms and weaponry.

One of the items on display (above) is a portion of a tree trunk in which two cannonballs were embedded. The placard above the tree says only that it was from a Southern battlefield, presumably from the War Between the States.

The museum is open to the public free of charge from 10-4 Monday through Friday and 11-3 on Saturdays.

The Old Log Building at Fort Hamilton

After all these years (nearly seventeen) that the lovely Robin and I have lived near Hamilton, Ohio, we finally made it today--on the Fourth of July--to a couple of the historic sites in the area.

Our first stop was at the "Old Log Cabin" on the site of Fort Hamilton, which was named for Alexander Hamilton, and build in 1791 and 1792 by General St. Clair and General "Mad Anthony" Wayne.

The 1804 cabin was moved there, however, from Rossville, the village across the river from Hamilton. It previously stood on the south side of Boudinot Street (now Park Avenue) between Second and Third Streets (now C Street and D Street). It was owned over the years by fifty-seven different owners and was discovered inside a larger building in 1964. It was donated to the Butler County Park District, was moved to its current site, and was dedicated on December 18, 1964,

It has been furnished with period pieces to evoke the pioneer spirit and lifestyle of the time in which it was built (our guide, pictured above, welcomed us warmly and offered interesting insights, including the oven embedded in one of the cabin's two stone fireplaces).

The cabin, a plaque in front, and the statues in the yard are intended to honor the strength and character of the earliest pioneers who settled in this area when the region was still untamed wilderness.