Ohio Time - Buckeye Lake to Hamilton - 23rd to 25th August

I've been anxious to visit Hamilton Ohio again and catch up with my cousin, Bill Peacher, and his wonderful wife, Judy.  Always the gracious hosts, Bill and Judy serve a wonderful lunch, fried chicken, corn-on-the-cob, fresh tomatoes, and slaw.  Judy has also baked a wonderful cake and Bill serves it with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

After the full stomach of delicious food, Bill and I take a trip down memory land.  I share with him a number of photos of homes of our family's past.  We also look at photos of the families of William and Ethel Peacher, our uncle and aunt.  We then settle in for an evening of golf on tv and off to bed.

We wake the morning of the 24th and enjoy a great breakfast of chip-beef-gravy on toast, eggs, sausage, coffee cake, coffee, and orange juice.  A full stomach of delicious food again.  Bill suggests a trip to the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. Sounds like fun, a museum in the old Cincinnati Union Station.  I'm always up for anything railroad.

 

 

View as we arrive

 

 

Inside the rotunda

 

The first exhibit we see is the "Cincinnati In Motion" - A model of the city of Cincinnati from 1900 through the 1940s with working trains, streetcars and inclines, as well as interactive computer stations that bring Cincinnati's history to life. The detail was amazing and the model was extensive. 

 

 

Downtown Cincinnati

 

Riverboat on the Ohio

 

Another view of downtown

 

Union Station - note the cars and busses passing right through the terminal to drop off or pick up train passengers

 

Cincinnati buildings

 

Roebling bridge across the Ohio

 

Early Red's stadium - the detail was amazing

 

Coney Island amusement park.  The roller coaster really flew.

 

 

 

From the layout of Cincinnati we stop for a brief talk about the history of the Cincinnati Red's and baseball.

 

The next exhibit is "From Settlement to 1860" - We experienced life in early Cincinnati through historically accurate scenes, music and letters, and words from people living in the area. We learned about historical figures from the time—from an early settlement woman, to a steamboat captain docked at the Cincinnati Public Landing. Discover Cincinnati’s role during the Civil War in our Jos. Brown Boat Yard exhibit. Learn about the “Brown Water” navy and how the western rivers were of strategic and logistical importance to the Union. We saw the Early Settlement, Regional Capital and then on to La Belle Riviere before ending up in Queen City of the West!

 





 

 

The Queen of the West

 

Learning about early printing

 

A view inside an early store.

 

Cincinnati Goes to War - We walk ahead through time and see scenes from Cincinnati during World War II

 

A Crosley in a scene from the period

 

Cincinnati Union Terminal - Cincinnati Union Terminal was a significant development in the history of Cincinnati transportation. One of the last great train stations built, Union Terminal has become one of the iconic symbols of the city and one of the most widely regarded examples of the Art Deco style. Since its opening in 1933, Union Terminal has had a long and storied history, from the exciting times of World War II to being the home of three museums.

 

 

A sketch of the terminal from the museum web site

 

 

Beautiful tiled mural showing the changes in transportation at the top and Cincinnati workers through time.

 

A wonderfully tiled ice cream shop - we sampled great hot fudge sundaes

 

We'd love to go back in time and ride a classic steam passenger train

 

Bill waiting to board the next train

 

 

The board room

 

The president's office

 

 

Beautiful artwork outside one of the lounges

 

One of the areas for dining

 

The view of the rail yards from the station tower

 

The board used by the dispatcher to control traffic into and out of the terminal

 

Winton Station

 

Back in the day Winton Station, just outside of Cincinnati was the station where we would arrive from Maryland to visit Uncle Victor and Aunt Marie, Bill Peacher's wonderful parents.  The trip on the B&O Diplomat was always a special treat for me.

 

It was a wonderful day with Bill at the museum and I thank Bill for another wonderful memory.  Back to Hamilton and Judy and Raven for more food and an evening watching golf and football and then off to bed.  Tomorrow, all to quickly, its time to pack and go.  Raven and I are off to Ft. Wayne Indiana and more genealogical research and Bill and Judy are off to Lake Erie for fun times with their friends.  Thank you Bill and Judy for another wonderful visit.  See you in the spring.

 

 





 

Varysburg New York to Buckeye Lake Ohio 20 - 23 August

After leaving the Jae's home and wonderful hospitality on the morning of the 20th, Raven and I hit the road for Ohio.  Part of my grand adventure has been to continue my genealogical research on my Peacher ancestors.  John Peacher Sr. made his way from Harpers Ferry to Franklin County Ohio sometime around 1810.  He met and married Lydia Mollihon on the 15th of April 1811 in Franklin County.  On the 9th of may John purchased six quarter square mile pieces of property in Groveport, Madison Township in Franklin and Pickaway counties in Ohio.  He remained in Ohio until sometime in 1815 or 1816 when he sold his Ohio real estate and returned to the Harpers Ferry area. 

 

On the evening of the 20th Raven and I arrived at our campground at Buckeye Lake and settled in for the evening.  Early to bed and early to rise.  We're headed to the Ohio State Archives at the Ohio Historical Society the next morning.

 

The Historical Society is adjacent to the Ohio State Fairgrounds.  It brought back memories of a trip many years ago when Frank Tighe invited me and my roommates, from the Westinghous/Johns Hopkins class of 1964, to his parents farm in Findlay Ohio.  It happened that while we were there the Ohio State Fair was underway.  His parents took us to the fair.  The Ohio State Fair has to be one of the best in the country.

 

 

A day at the archives yielded copies of maps of Groveport Township and the original survey descriptors of John's land.  I had also been researching John's wife, Lydia's family.  Her father was born either in St. Mary's county Maryland or in the Dumfries, Prince William county area in Virginia.  His name was Raleigh Molohan.  His father was found dead in 1760 while Raleigh was still underage.  He was bound out as an indentured servant to learn the shoe making trade.  He married his wife Sabina and had at least six children. Sometime around 1789 he moved with his family to Fauquier Virginia and again to Hampshire County Virginia, now West Virginia in 1796.  The last record for Raleigh was in 1806 in Hampshire County.  His wife and family are in Franklin County Ohio by 1808 with no evidence of Raleigh.  I've been trying to find out if he died before, on the way, or after arriving in Ohio.  Research so far has not answered that question.

 

It's now the evening of the 21st and Raven and I trek to southern Franklin County to see the land that John had purchased and worked.  It appeared to be great agricultural land.

 

 

 

 

 

John's land as it looks today.

 

 

A night of rest and we're off for a second day of genealogical research.  This time we go to the Ohio State Genealogical Society Library in Bellville Ohio.  We finish mid day, go have an early dinner and turn in for an afternoon and evening of rest.  In the morning we head to Hamilton Ohio for a visit with my cousin Bill Peacher and his wonderful wife Judy.

 

I hope I haven't bored you too much with the genealogy thing.  I'm planning to write a book on the Peacher family.  There's lots of interesting and rich material to work with.

17 - 20 August Harpers Ferry to Varysburg New York via Washington Pennsylvania

After a wonderful morning in Harpers Ferry, Raven and I hit the road to visit Jason and Emily (my niece, Kathy's daughter) Buri.  Emily met me in the driveway.  First order of business was a meet and greet between Raven and Emily's pet family.  All went well, a little shyness between some to start but everyone got along.

Like a lot of my visits this summer, Emily and I were soon off to get something to eat.  I managed to loose 20 pounds between Seattle and Kentucky but ever since I've been eating my way from visit to visit with my friends and family.  I did manage to get in lots of Maryland crab cakes and lots of country ham.  Seems like most of you share my love of ice cream.  I think I've gained all of the 20 pounds back.  Emily introduced me to the most delicious chocolate cake with a peanut butter icing.  So yummy.

From an early dinner it was an evening to the local KOA and a rest from the drive.

Next morning was more food, a delicious breakfast at Cracker Barrel, more food, more calories and a great conversation and time with both Emily and Jason.  I'm so blessed to have so many wonderful family members.

 

Emily, Kim (looks like I just got out of bed), and Raven.  Note, we're next to an ambulance.  Guess they were afraid I might have eaten too much.

 

To soon it was back on the road, off to Varysburg New York to see Bob and Bonnie Jae.  We've been in touch over the last several years but hadn't seen each other since I left the U.S.S. Guadalcanal, LPH7 in Athens Greece in May of 1972.  Bob and I served together on the Guadalcanal for several years.  As I left Bob was in charge of the Electronics Shop Radar Team and I was in charge of the Electronics Shop Communications Team.

 

Periodically I check the GPS to see what kind of attractions may be in the area.  Guess by now you all know I have a love of the steam era of our great American railroads.  Greenville Pennsylvania has a small railroad museum.  Beautiful day, steam locomotive, what more could a guy ask for?

 

 

Greenville Railroad Park - a great place to stretch my legs

 

 

 

Union Pacific's 304 - built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1936

 

 

The fireman's view

 

The engineer's view inside

 

UP304 looking forward from the right side

 

It was time to feed the RV and myself so I stopped in East Aurora New York.  Who knew, Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the US, had lived in East Aurora.

 

 

Millard Fillmore's home in East Aurora New York

 

 

We arrive for our reservation at Dream Lake KOA campgrounds at Warsaw New York. 

 

 

It's been a long day.  Raven and I settle in for the evening, looking forward to our visit with Bob and Bonnie tomorrow.  After a good night's sleep, we're off just down the road to Varysburg.  Bob is home and Bonnie is out running errands.  Bob and I spend the morning catching up on what life has been like for each of us over the last forty years.  Bonnie returns and Bob grills some great burgers.

 

After lunch Raven snuggles close to Bonnie for the afternoon.  We spend some very pleasant time with Bonnie describing the photo's from her mission work in Africa.  What an amazing experience.  Bob had mentioned that he had been elected a town Judge for Sheldon in Wyoming County New York.  He's invited me to visit his courtroom.  It was an interesting experience watching him preside over several cases.  The sun is setting so it's back to the campground to settle in for the evening.

 

The next morning it's back to the Jae's for the morning.  Bob takes me on a tour of the local area. The first site are the wind mills dotting the countryside.

 

 

 

First stop was at a local farm where they produce wonderful New York State Maple Syrup.  We are given samples of maple candy, yummy.  Next stop the church where Bob and Bonnie were married.  I was honored by being invited to stand for Bob.

 

 

 

 

We passed Attica State Prison, site of the riots on 21 August 1971. Approximately 2,200 inmates took 42 of the staff hostage.  It took four days to negotiate a resolution.  Of the 39 persons killed, at least 10 were staff and civilians.

 

 

From Attica to lunch and then back to the Jae's.  The time had passed too quickly but it was time to hit the road.  After saying goodbye, Raven and I hit the road for Columbus Ohio.