Two Small Towns in Ohio
on a Rainy Sunday
While I was in Lancaster, Ohio (my birth city) last April I decided to take a drive on the Sunday I was there. It was drippy, but not pouring rain, so I grabbed my camera and headed for Sugar Grove, Ohio. My mom's sister, Marie, was married to Clarence Bauer and they had a farm in the Sugar Grove area. Marie died early, at age 53, so she isn't in the picture below which was taken at a family reunion in the 1970's.
Clarence Bauer & Marie Darling Bauer about 1930
Adults in the back row from left to right: Donald E Bauer & his wife Nellalou Awalt, the young man is John Bauer's son Michael, Clarence Bauer, Joanne DeLong & her husband John Bauer. In front of John Bauer is his daughter Mollie Jo Bauer. The other three children belong to Don & Nellalou and are named Brian, Greg and Jason but I do not know which is which. Donald & John are Clarence and Marie's boys.
Except for John Bauer, who visited me in SF in the 1960's, this reunion was the only time I was with this family. Clarence was quite old, but spry and was the epitome of a gnarly old farmer. John & his family live in his father's farm and Don has a farm in the area.
Sugar Grove is a sleepy little village right off Route 33, South of Lancaster. Population 448 in the year 2000.
Coming into town an old gas station catches my eye. Antique dealers would love the old pumps and signs.
A little further down, a local landmark, Stoneburner's Grocery. I lightened it up so the neat Coca Cola signs are visible.
Brick Sidewalk down the main street.
Lots of houses like this one.
Well, didn't take much time to drive through Sugar Grove, Ohio a couple of times. At least I can say I've been there. Mom talked about her sister Marie & Sugar Grove and now I have been. There were a couple neat barns in the area - these following two in Sugar Grove.
That took all of 20 minutes so I headed south on Route 33 again to find the road that would take me to Revenge, Ohio. A few miles south and I connected up with County Rd 116, which takes me through the Clear Creek Nature Preserve. On this wet, drippy, day everything looks fresh and clean. The road runs along Clear Creek. Just as I turned this wonderful barn and silos jumped out at me so I did what anyone would do and stopped and stood in the road while I took a picture.
Some pictures from the drive through the nature preserve.
Next we roll into Revenge, don't blink. Revenge is in Madison Township at the intersection of County Rd 69 and County Rd 26. For all practical purposes, Revenge no longer exists. There are no town markers and I saw no buildings with the name of the town. Here is an article that relates the history of this ghost town. Not much of interest to take pictures of, but here are a couple -
Very pretty farmland
Most of the dwellings looked like this
An Old covered bridge that has been moved - see article for more info.
Yes, I messed with the sign picture...
The ghost town of Revenge attracted my attention because of the Born family. Mom's grandfather, Gottlieb Darling (Deierling) lost his first wife Margaret Wyman when she was only 33. He subsequently married Margaret "Maggie" Born, who was the daughter of Joseph Born and Elizabeth Presler of Madison Township, Fairfield county, Ohio. Gottlieb & Maggie's son, Edward William Darling, was my grandfather. The Born family came from Switzerland and it has been difficult sorting them out because they are all named Jacob. Or so it seems. It is also difficult searching for information because every time you enter Jacob Born.....you get all the Jacobs who were ever "Born".. Anyway, the Borns are buried in Old St Thomas Church Cemetery near what used to be Revenge, Ohio.
From an arbitration record regarding the disposition of Joseph's property. The year of his death was 1888.
Love that Gottlieb Darling is Gattvel Dyarling. I think Dyarling is probably how the original name of Deierling sounds. There seems to have been a dispute over Joseph's property. Delilah & her husband William Cruise were living on the farm at the time of Joseph's death and the arbitration was about how the property was to be divided. Delilah wanted it all. The court awarded equal shares to all the children. Sorry, Delilah. I can't find record of Delilah and William in the 1900 census. I hope they didn't go away mad.
Unfortunately I did not find the old cemetery. There was a turnoff from Revenge Rd but I missed it and my phone wouldn't work where I was at (really in the boonies) so I could check. Plus it started to rain. So, I continued until I found a place to pull over and check my map - YAY, Revenge Road had turned into B.I.S Rd which ended up back in Lancaster...Oh, hi officer. Uh, I'm just checking my map. No, didn't realize I was parked by a prison and had become suspect....Bye. Nothing like a prison to perk you up on a rainy day.
I did find this internet site about the old cemetery - Old St Thomas Church & Graveyard....so, I don't have to be in a rush to go back past the prison, down Revenge Rd and down a dirt road. On the other hand, if I am in the area again on a rainy Sunday I just might.
