July 21st & 22nd, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

We spent 2 nights at Van Buren State Park in Ohio. It’s a two looped camping area, away from the main part of the park, but it does not lack on WOW!

Here is some history … The Van Buren State Park region was originally inhabited by the Shawnee tribe. Banished from their homeland in south-central Ohio, this was the last stronghold of the tribe before they eventually departed for lands west of the Mississippi River. Native American artifacts and relics can still be found on what used to be Indian Island, located in the northwest section of the lake.

The land comprising Van Buren State Park was originally set aside as a wildlife preserve. In 1939, a dam was constructed over Rocky Ford Creek to provide additional fish and wildlife resources. In 1950, the area was turned over to Ohio State Parks. It has been maintained as a state park ever since. The park was named for Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States.

Van Buren State Park lies in the rich agricultural plains of northwest Ohio. The plains, referred to as till plains, are named for the glacial debris, or till, which covers pre-glacial hills and valleys. Most hills in these areas are mounds of boulders and soil left by the retreating Wisconsinan glacier. Beneath the almost continuous cover of glacial deposits lies sedimentary bedrock which, in this region, is mostly limestone with a little shale. Much of this limestone is the magnesium-bearing form called dolomite.

Before settlement, the area was mostly woodland. Today, much of the vegetation consists of agricultural crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat. Today, a small remnant of the original woodland remains. Beech and sugar maple occupy a large portion of the park’s wooded area. Mammals found in the area include red fox, red squirrel, white-tailed deer, raccoon, skunk and opossum. Other animals found include eastern garter snake, spring peeper, eastern bluebird, eastern meadowlark, cowbird, woodcock and short-eared owl. Wildflowers abound in the fields and woodlands of the area. Dutchman’s breeches, spring beauty, thimbleweed, daisy fleabane and chicory are commonly found throughout the park.

What we found unique is one loop was for tents, campers and RV’s and the second loop was for equestrians. These sites either had a line to halter the horses to or a paddock or stall area to secure them in. There are ample riding and walking trails in the park and area.

The town of Van Buren is small, but holds lots of history! Located just north of the town of Findlay which was founded in 1821. In 1833, the Wyandot and Ottawa Indians roamed at will through this section, which was then an unbroken forest.  To the north was the great Black Swamp.  The only road was a trail cut out by Hull’s army on its march to the Maumee during the War of 1812.  This road was called “Hull’s Trace” and went directly through Van Buren.  It was merely a trail made by the cutting down of trees and brush to allow the gun carriages to go through.  Colonel Cass was sent to cut the trail to Maumee and it is said the engineers of this day could not have done a more complete job.  This trail hit Allen Township just south of Van Buren and passed through what was the Lewis Lyon farms on the west side of the Portage river then into Wood county.

The Village of Van Buren was laid out December 28, 1833, by John Trout and George Ensminger on the boundary of Portage and Cass Townships.  It was comprised of 53 lots surrounding a public square, and was named in honor of Martin Van Buren, a prominent national figure and the 8th President of the US. The village was incorporated in 1866 and Daniel Frick was elected the first mayor.  It was incorporated in June 1866.  Cyrus Hart located here in 1836 and Abraham Kempher, John Beeson and Samuel Huntington in 1837, Samuel Spitler in 1840 and Hugh McMurray in 1840.  The Overholt family came here in 1853 and John Cramer in 1859.  The May family came to Van Buren in 1842 and the Frick family came in 1856.  The Mummert family came in 1860. The first school was built in 1836, a log cabin one mile west of Van Buren. By 1870, the village had a population of 157.  The Toledo, Columbus, and Southern Railroad was completed through Van Buren in 1883. 

The development of the town was quite slow until the discovery of natural gas in the 1880s. A German physician named Charles Osterlen became convinced that an enormous reservoir of natural gas lay beneath the town of Findlay. He told of his belief and was scoffed at and regarded as a vain dreamer. But his patience and perseverance prevailed as he succeeded in organizing a stock company to drill for gas. The well was successful and spawned the growth of a great industry in Findlay. At one time, Findlay claimed the largest gas well in the world, with an output of 20 million cubic feet daily.

The first Post Office in Van Buren was established in 1837 when the mail was carried weekly on horseback between Bellefontaine and Maumee over the old Hull Trace.  Christopher Ensparger was appointed as the first Postmaster.  The present Post Office building was erected in 1927 with money left to the town by the will of Glenna Trout-Day, great- granddaughter of the founder of Van Buren. 

Among the lodges that spread friendship and goodwill are the Knights of Pythias, organized March 5, 1891.  The Pythian Sisters organized in 1907. These two were the only ones that had active memberships.  The Odd Fellows was a strong organization here for a number of years.  They then became affiliated with the Findlay Lodge.  The Rebekahs joined with the North Baltimore Lodge.  The modern Woodmen, the Maccabes and Lady Maccabees flourished for many years but are now extinct.

        

We enjoyed breakfast one morning at the Dark Horse restaurant in Findlay. Established in 2006, Dark Horse Restaurant is a family-oriented bar & grill in Findlay. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They know how to do breakfast right! It was delicious and was priced fairly. Coffee was only ninety-nine dents! They have an extensive lunch and dinner menu featuring pasta, steak, burgers, and salad. Desserts and a full bar are also available.

Near the restaurant is the town of Findlay’s water tower. In 2016, the City of Findlay took to honoring their servicemen and women in a big way! The flag city's newly painted North Water Tower features a patriotic painting and the message "Findlay salutes veterans."

Between Van Buren and Findlay there is a large Whirlpool factory and tons of windmills. For more than 50 years, Whirlpool's Findlay Operation has been producing dishwashers for a number of brands. The plant holds the honor of being the first one built by Whirlpool Corporation, as well as the first plant to utilize wind power. With more than 2,600 employees, it’s the top employer in Hancock County.

Stay tuned as we travel further west!