|
We have had what seems like weeks of weather with temperature and humidity
both in the 90s and that made forty percent humidity and temperatures no
higher that the mid-eighties just too much to resist. I decided to scrap
plans for a museum visit and put the day to use visiting some outdoor
sites that I'd been putting off. The first target was the site of the
Logan Elm near Circleville and this involved heading east on the familiar
part of OH-3/US-22. Just before Morrow, I snapped a picture of
Valley
Vineyards. I haven't been there in awhile and should try to work in
a visit. Maybe during the annual September wine festival. In the town of
Morrow, both the place where the trains used to stop and the path that
they traveled on have been recycled. This is the same bike trail that
appeared in the Little Miami
day trip and Morrow, like any respectable Little Miami River town,
offers canoeing.
|
|
A bit up the road and up the hill is the town of Roachester. Not much
there anymore except Papa's Diner where I enjoyed a good breakfast and
listened to the morning regulars give the waitress the typical hard time.
Of course she gave as good as she got. That concrete slab is all that's
left of the Rolling Hills bar. Before it burned, it hosted a lot of
volley-ball league action on the courts out back. The observation deck
that sat between the dual courts is still there but the sand is pretty
much hidden by weeds.
|
|
This is Wilmington, the seat of Clinton County. One of the town's
historic buildings, the 1918 Murphy Theater is still filled on occasion
but the General Denver, in spite of being ten years younger, sits empty
and for sale. The third picture is of the unusual domed courthouse a
block beyond the Murphy.
|
|
Here is the Washington Court House courthouse. Actually it's the Fayette
County courthouse but it is in the town of Washington Court House and
there is a smidgen of fun in saying Washington Court House Court House.
On the upper floor of the 1885 building are three 10 by 14 foot murals
by Archibald M. Willard. The Fayette County murals are titled Spirit of
the Telegraph, Spirit of Electricity, and Spirit of the U.S. Mail.
Although Willard's name is not all that well known, another
"spirit" he painted, the
Spirit of '76, is instantly recognizable to most
Americans. The court house also contains displays of military memorabilia
and photographs. The large carved frame shown here contains photographs
of the damage caused by a 1895 cyclone. Some uncommon and interesting
photos.
Washington Court House is where US 22 and OH 3 part ways. They have been
one since their beginning in Cincinnati but here OH 3 takes off for
Cleveland while US 22 heads for New York. The building that splits the
two routes is the
Fayette County Museum.
|
|
Pickaway County provides the last of today's trio of courthouses. It is
certainly impressive but was not the real reason for going into
Circleville rather than just heading south on US 23. When I mentioned my
idea of some day traveling the length of
US 22, my friend John (an
Rt66in99 cast member)
reminded me that we had surely done most of it on a 1975 road trip. As we
headed home from Long Island, we planned to stay on two lanes as much as
possible and we planned to have one beer at every bar we passed. Since all
of New York City stood between us and home, we wisely decided to delay the
bar hopping and then showed surprising restraint in revising the plan,
even with Manhattan behind us, to one bar in each town. But the routing
guide lines did not change. We may not have been entirely faithful to 22
but it definitely formed the bulk of our route west.
In Circleville, we found ourselves heading out of town without selecting a
tavern. We quickly turned around to stop at a place on the edge of town.
That place has ever since been known as "The Last Honky Tonk in
Circleville" and, with better focus and a lot more talent, we could
no doubt be living on the royalties from a country western hit by that
name. When I stopped today, a trick of memory made me think that the place
now called Pat's was the storied LHTiC and I entered it first. It now
seems likely that Mary's is the true location but I enjoyed visits to two
of the friendliest bars I've been in. In Pat's, Janey served my beer and
told me that the bar had been in operation since 1937 and that the owner,
Butch, had sold it several times on land contract but always managed to
get it back. When Pat and her husband bought the place, they shied away
from Butch's land contract offer and the bar has been theirs for 12 years.
Before Mary bought and renamed it in 1978, the LHTiC was known as Frank's.
Linda, the bartender, and a couple of friendly patrons filled me in on
some of the history. Mary sold a bar in Columbus when she moved to
Circleville and freed herself from tavern keeping headaches about 13 years
back. She is now in her 80s and her son, Tom, is the current owner. If you
are ever bar hopping home from Long Island or simply find yourself a bit
thirsty in Circleville, stop in to see Linda or Janey at the Last &
Next to Last Honky Tonks in Circleville.
|
|
Who is there to mourn
Logan's elm? Apparently not many more than were there
to mourn Logan in 1774. The gates to where the famous tree once stood are
locked and there is room for only a couple of cars to pull off the road
in front of them. But the park is mowed and otherwise maintained and
entry by foot is unhindered. The parking area was at capacity after I
pulled in but the other visitor was just leaving. We chatted a bit and he
told me he remembered picnicking there with his family as a child and
recalled visiting with his grandmother about forty years ago when the
last of the elm was clinging to life. The elm died in 1964. The eloquent
speech supposedly delivered here marked the end of the vengeance
triggered by the slaughter of Logan's entire family. In the
speech, Logan (Talgayeeta)
erroneously blames
Michael Cresap for the massacre although that
misunderstanding was later cleared up. In "That Dark and Bloody
River", Allan
Eckert attributes the deed to a party headed by Jacob and Daniel
Greathouse.
|
|
The
Leo Petroglyphs predate Logan's speech by at least several hundred
years. The current thinking is that these rock carvings were done by the
Fort Ancient culture (1000-1650 AD). In addition to
viewing the petroglyphs, a visitor can follow a marked trail into the
neighboring sandstone gorge.
|
|
Serpent Mound contains no artifacts so identifying its creators is
not particularly easy. A burial mound near this giant effigy has been
connected to the
Adenas (800 BC-100 AD) and the
Fort Ancient culture also had a presence here. Because
of the burial mound, an Adena origin for the serpent was accepted for many
years but the Fort Ancient group seems to have the most support at
present.
|
|
We have had what seems like weeks of weather with temperature and humidity
both in the 90s and that made forty percent humidity and temperatures no
higher that the mid-eighties just too much to resist. I decided to scrap
plans for a museum visit and put the day to use visiting some outdoor
sites that I'd been putting off. The first target was the site of the
Logan Elm near Circleville and this involved heading east on the familiar
part of OH-3/US-22. Just before Morrow, I snapped a picture of
Valley
Vineyards. I haven't been there in awhile and should try to work in
a visit. Maybe during the annual September wine festival. In the town of
Morrow, both the place where the trains used to stop and the path that
they traveled on have been recycled. This is the same bike trail that
appeared in the Little Miami
day trip and Morrow, like any respectable Little Miami River town,
offers canoeing.
A bit up the road and up the hill is the town of Roachester. Not much
there anymore except Papa's Diner where I enjoyed a good breakfast and
listened to the morning regulars give the waitress the typical hard time.
Of course she gave as good as she got. That concrete slab is all that's
left of the Rolling Hills bar. Before it burned, it hosted a lot of
volley-ball league action on the courts out back. The observation deck
that sat between the dual courts is still there but the sand is pretty
much hidden by weeds.
This is Wilmington, the seat of Clinton County. One of the town's
historic buildings, the 1918 Murphy Theater is still filled on occasion
but the General Denver, in spite of being ten years younger, sits empty
and for sale. The third picture is of the unusual domed courthouse a
block beyond the Murphy.
Here is the Washington Court House courthouse. Actually it's the Fayette
County courthouse but it is in the town of Washington Court House and
there is a smidgen of fun in saying Washington Court House Court House.
On the upper floor of the 1885 building are three 10 by 14 foot murals
by Archibald M. Willard. The Fayette County murals are titled Spirit of
the Telegraph, Spirit of Electricity, and Spirit of the U.S. Mail.
Although Willard's name is not all that well known, another
"spirit" he painted, the
Spirit of '76, is instantly recognizable to most
Americans. The court house also contains displays of military memorabilia
and photographs. The large carved frame shown here contains photographs
of the damage caused by a 1895 cyclone. Some uncommon and interesting
photos.
Pickaway County provides the last of today's trio of courthouses. It is
certainly impressive but was not the real reason for going into
Circleville rather than just heading south on US 23. When I mentioned my
idea of some day traveling the length of
US 22, my friend John (an
Rt66in99 cast member)
reminded me that we had surely done most of it on a 1975 road trip. As we
headed home from Long Island, we planned to stay on two lanes as much as
possible and we planned to have one beer at every bar we passed. Since all
of New York City stood between us and home, we wisely decided to delay the
bar hopping and then showed surprising restraint in revising the plan,
even with Manhattan behind us, to one bar in each town. But the routing
guide lines did not change. We may not have been entirely faithful to 22
but it definitely formed the bulk of our route west.
Who is there to mourn
Logan's elm? Apparently not many more than were there
to mourn Logan in 1774. The gates to where the famous tree once stood are
locked and there is room for only a couple of cars to pull off the road
in front of them. But the park is mowed and otherwise maintained and
entry by foot is unhindered. The parking area was at capacity after I
pulled in but the other visitor was just leaving. We chatted a bit and he
told me he remembered picnicking there with his family as a child and
recalled visiting with his grandmother about forty years ago when the
last of the elm was clinging to life. The elm died in 1964. The eloquent
speech supposedly delivered here marked the end of the vengeance
triggered by the slaughter of Logan's entire family. In the
speech, Logan (Talgayeeta)
erroneously blames
Michael Cresap for the massacre although that
misunderstanding was later cleared up. In "That Dark and Bloody
River", Allan
Eckert attributes the deed to a party headed by Jacob and Daniel
Greathouse.
The
Leo Petroglyphs predate Logan's speech by at least several hundred
years. The current thinking is that these rock carvings were done by the
Fort Ancient culture (1000-1650 AD). In addition to
viewing the petroglyphs, a visitor can follow a marked trail into the
neighboring sandstone gorge.
Serpent Mound contains no artifacts so identifying its creators is
not particularly easy. A burial mound near this giant effigy has been
connected to the
Adenas (800 BC-100 AD) and the
Fort Ancient culture also had a presence here. Because
of the burial mound, an Adena origin for the serpent was accepted for many
years but the Fort Ancient group seems to have the most support at
present.