Ohio Village -- Dickens of a Christmas

Ohio Village – Dickens of a Christmas
Columbus, Ohio

During December the Ohio Village at the Ohio Historical Society is open for a Dickens of a Christmas. The Ohio Village is a reconstruction of a town from the mid-1800’s. For this event the various homes and businesses are decorated to give a taste of a Victorian Christmas.


Do you know what flummery is and how it was made? Do you know the origins of the Christmas tree and how it became a popular tradition? Do you know how many plums are in the plum pudding? By joining in the Dickens of a Christmas celebration you will learn all these things.

Children and adults will enjoy stringing popcorn, creating paper chains and Chinese lanterns, tasting plum pudding and learning hands-on how Christmas was celebrated 150 years ago. Many of the activities are geared for children, but adults will find it interesting as well.

At the Lodger House, the couple that "lives" there gave excellent explanations of their lives and their Christmas celebrations. It is fascinating to watch the people not only dress the part but also submerse themselves so that the visitors believe they have stepped back in time. The town is lit by gaslight and the homes have fires in the fireplace and oil lamps for light. The lighting is not as bright as we are used to today. Families might want to bring a flashlight if necessary.

Charles Dickens himself makes an appearance at the church and gives a talk that includes magical tricks, singing and story telling. On the street you may see a ghost, encounter some Christmas carolers and buy roasted chestnuts from a vendor. There are many more things to see and do, and all ages will enjoy this celebration of Christmas.

When I went it was nippy with a cold wind blowing so wear warm clothes with hats and gloves. The buildings are heated so the only time I really was cold was when standing in line to enter Ohio Village. You will also want to get there early because there is so much to do that it will take at least two or three hours to see and do it all.

Upcoming Events at Ohio Village –

Dickens of a Christmas
December 12-13, 2008
December 19-20, 2008
December 21, 2008
Valentines by Candlelight
February 13 and 14, 2009
From the Pubs of Ireland
March 13-14, 2009
Glorious Fourth: Independence Day Celebration
Saturday, July 04, 2009



Age Appropriateness –
Young Children –medium-high
School Age Children – high
Teens –medium-high
Adults – medium-high
Senior Friendly – high

Physical vs. Mental –
The only physical part is walking in the cold through the streets of Ohio Village.

Time to Allow for Visit –
2 to 3 hours


Additional Information –
Gift Shop – There is a shop at the General Store.
Food – There are food and beverages for sale at the American House Hotel.
Picnic – no
Multilingual – no

Approximate Travel Times –
Cincinnati – 2 hours
Cleveland – 2 ½ hours
Columbus – ¼ hour

Handicapped Accessibility –
Walking along the paths is wheel chair accessible. Some locales are small so maneuverability may be limited.




Volunteer Opportunities –
There are several opportunities to volunteer and participate in Ohio Village activities. If interested visit the OHS Volunteer website at http://www.ohiohistory.org/about/vol.html.

Helpful links:
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/c11/
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/calendar/2008dec.cfm

Buffington Island

Buffington Island
Portland, Ohio

Buffington Island is the site of the only Civil War battle in Ohio. Today it is a park with markers to commemorate the event that took place July 19, 1863. The park is very small compared to the acreage that contained the battle. After raids on Ohio towns, over 2000 Confederate cavalry troops were pursued by the Union army to this site. Most of the Confederates were captured and relegated to serving the rest of the war in prison camps.

This trip was a pilgrimage of sorts for me because of my family history. Two of my ancestors, a great-grandfather and a great-great-grandfather, were involved in this battle. To make it interesting one is from my mother’s family, and the other is from my father’s family. To make it even more interesting one is Confederate and one is Union. Who knows if they actually came in contact with one another, but luckily one did not shoot the other – otherwise I might not be around today!

Joseph Benjamin Ward was an 18 year-old private in the 12th Kentucky Cavalry for the Union Army. He survived the war and was discharged August 1865. James Thomas Yount served under General John Hunt Morgan in the 8th Kentucky Calvary, Co. C., as a private. He was captured July 19, 1863 at Buffington Island and spent the rest of the war interred at Camp Douglas near Chicago, Illinois. I have included the only images I have of these men – photographs taken many years after the Civil War.

July 19, 1863 is the date of the battle, but it began July 2 with General John Hunt Morgan’s raid into Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio and continued until July 26 when the remaining soldiers were captured. The Confederates frequently did raids into Union territory to terrorize the citizens and disrupt Union troop movements. For this raid Morgan’s Raiders may have stayed too long in the northern territory and were trapped at Buffington Island. Due to high water at the Ohio River, the cavalry was stranded on the Ohio side and unable to cross the river and escape back to the South. Capturing Morgan’s Raiders was a blow to the Confederacy, and the capture of General Morgan was a plus for the Union.

A monument to Daniel McCook is on the site. Daniel McCook, aged 65, died as a result of wounds from the battle. He is the father of the “Fighting McCooks” who served as generals in the Union army during the Civil War. The McCook home in Carrollton, OH is also an Ohio Historical Society site.

The park contains an Indian Burial Mound. There are stepping-stones so people can walk up to the top. I am not used to being allowed to do that as most mounds have signs indicating stay off. Going to the top of the mound gives a better view of the area. The park is in Portland, Ohio, consisting of a few buildings. Cornfields surround the park itself.

When planning your trip, the directions on the OHS site are not as clear. Use Mapquest go to Portland, Ohio, and the site is in the town on OH-124, the scenic route along the Ohio River.

The park makes a nice picnic location. Because of the autumn foliage and falling leaves, it was a beautiful 70-degree day when I visited. I had brought my picnic and enjoyed the quiet while I ate. It may seem that this was a long trip for a picnic, but I enjoyed the opportunity to experience some history that involved my ancestors.


Upcoming Exhibits and Events –
Groups are usually at the site on July 19 for memorial services. If interested in visiting Buffington Island the time to go would be on the anniversary of the battle.


Age Appropriateness –
Young Children – medium
School Age Children –medium
Teens – medium
Adults – medium
Senior Friendly – medium

Physical vs. Mental –
This site will not challenge physically or mentally.

Time to Allow for Visit –
Reading the monuments can take 15 minutes so bring a picnic and enjoy the facilities.

Additional Information –
Gift Shop – no
Food – no
Picnic – yes – including a covered shelter
Multilingual – no

Approximate Travel Times –
Cincinnati – 3 ½ hours
Cleveland – 3 ¾ hours
Columbus – 2 ½ hours

Handicapped Accessibility –
The park is grass covered level ground, but there are no paved pathways.


Helpful links:
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/se03/
http://www.longestraid.com/main.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Buffington_Island
http://meigscohistorical.org/
http://listsearches.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/OHMEIGS/2005-03/1111410086
http://www.civilwarhome.com/buffington.htm
http://www.sojournchronicles.com/2008/07/19/jhmt-battle-of-buffington-island-morgan-escapes/
http://www.equilt.com/morgan.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_McCook

Armstrong Air & Space Museum

Armstrong Air & Space Museum
Wapakoneta, Ohio

Where were you July 20, 1969? If you are old enough to remember this date then you were probably glued to the television fantasizing about walking on the moon yourself. If this is before you were born you may take the act of walking on the moon as something not that amazing. This museum shows the awe the world felt when Neil Armstrong placed his left foot on the surface of the moon.

Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio and the museum details his story alongside the history of man’s advent into space. Armstrong was one of the first civilian astronauts in the US space program and was the commander of Apollo 11 – the mission that put the first man on the moon.

Joining me on this trip was a family with a six-year-old and a two-year-old. The six-year-old has an interest in space and stars so the museum was fascinating for him. He loved the hands on opportunities and listened to his father explain how the astronauts did their jobs. The two-year-old had a shorter attention span, but she enjoyed the hands-on displays and loved walking around the museum.

The first part of the museum consists of displays on the early days of the space program. On exhibit are spacecraft, tools and even food that was developed. In addition to the equipment and scientific achievements are photos and brief bios of the astronauts during this time.

At the end of this section of the museum, there is a tunnel that leads into the theater. There is a chance to rest in comfortable theater seats where a multi-media presentation is shown every half-hour. The movie we saw was of the original Apollo 11 moon landing and its impact.




Upon exiting the theater there is more museum, but this shows more recent accomplishments with the space shuttle and space stations. There is another display of the food astronauts take with them now – including Pepsi and Coke! Can the children compare the food of the early astronauts to the food now used? Which would they rather eat?

The museum contains models of spacecraft, some of which children can go in and play at being the astronaut on a mission. There is an actual Gemini space capsule flown by Neil Armstrong on display.

The children enjoyed working spacecraft controls and using the tools in the displays. Use the weight machine and compare your earth weight to what you weigh on the moon. The 6-year-old found his earth weight of 50 pounds would be 8 on the Moon and 20 on Mars.

The museum does a fine job of showing the history of the space program and showing how Ohio contributed. Most people know how Florida, Alabama and Texas are important to the space program, but several astronauts and technology research has been from Ohio. This museum will be interesting to anyone of school age and up. Even the toddler that went with me enjoyed herself. Maybe this will be the stimulus that gets her interested in becoming the first woman to walk on the moon?
Upcoming Exhibits and Events –
Please check the OHS calendar at http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/calendar/




Age Appropriateness –
Young Children –medium-low
School Age Children –medium-high
Teens – high
Adults – high
Senior Friendly – high


Physical vs. Mental –
This is a museum that will excite your thinking on space travel.

Time to Allow for Visit –
Allow an hour to tour the museum and an additional 20 minutes for the multi-media presentation in the theater.


Additional Information –
Gift Shop – There is an extensive gift shop with toys and several books of space interest.
Food – no
Picnic – There are a few picnic tables scattered outside the museum.
Multilingual – no



Approximate Travel Times –
Cincinnati – 1 ¾ hours
Cleveland – 3 hours
Columbus – 1 ½ hours

Handicapped Accessibility –
The museum is completely accessible.

Volunteer Opportunities –
If interested please contact R. Macwhinney at 1-800- 860-0142.











Helpful links:
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/nw01/
http://visitnaha.com/armstrong.htm
http://www.artcom.com/Museums/vs/mr/45895.htm
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/whos_who_level2/armstrong.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/bios/neilabio.html
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo11/