Tuscarawas County, Ohio Convention & Visitors Bureau

Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition receives $150,000 to build 2.7 Miles of the Towpath Trail in Tuscarawas County

lisa — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:22:17 +0000

The Ohio Department of Natural Resource awarded the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition a grant of $150,000 to build 2.7 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, from the Village of Zoar to Zoarville in Tuscarawas County. This is an important section of the popular 101-mile multi-use Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The Tuscarawas County Towpath Trail project is a partnership with the Tuscarawas County Commissioners, Tuscarawas County Park Department, the Friends of Tuscarawas County Parks and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition.

As President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Rice noted, “We are very excited about this outstanding grant award from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This grant award will develop a critical section of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail in Tuscarawas County and brings us one step closer to completing this wonderful regional asset of the Ohio & Erie Canalway.” Of the 67 Recreational Trail Fund grant applications received, 24 were recommended for funding. As Tuscarawas County Commissioner Kerry Metzger noted, “The Tuscarawas County Board of Commissioners is extremely pleased about the $150,000 federal Recreational Trails Grant which will enable us to extend the Towpath Trail from the village of Zoar to State Route 800 which was envisioned in our County Trail and Green Space Plan developed in 2006. We want to thank the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for recommending this project for funding and especially express our gratitude to the Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition, under the leadership of President and CEO Dan Rice, for their efforts in helping to obtain this grant and working to make the vision of developing recreational trails here in Tuscarawas County into a reality.”

ODNR Division of Parks and Recreation administers federal grants including the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Non-Motorized Grants, which funds projects that encourages public use of recreational trails by improving access for people with disabilities, creating and maintaining trails and facilities, and educating the public about the environment and trail safety. “As we expand our network of trails, we hope to link communities by the development of trails across the state,” said Division of State Parks chief David Payne. “These projects will create safe and accessible recreation areas that families value and cherish.” The Recreational Trails Program is supported by funding from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and a portion of the federal motor fuel excise tax collected from non-highway recreational fuel use.

Women’s Contribution to Tuscarawas County

lisa — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:59:07 +0000

Wartime not only signifies men going off to battle it generates a spur of helping hands. Helping hands such as Lucielle Nussadorfer of Dennison and the local citizen’s committee who began the Dennison Depot Canteen. However, they were not the only women that have played pivotal roles within Tuscarawas County.

Fort Laurens, Ohio’s first and only Revolutionary War Fort, had a small group of women how stayed at the Fort to make sure that the men were able to keep their uniforms sewn and maintained, served as make sift nurses, help with the necessary cooking roles and basically followed the men in uniform wherever they needed to go. Eventually, the nomadic women of war received pay noting that their contributions were significant and worthy enough to receive monetary compensation.

During the Civil War the women of Tuscarawas County kept the home-front going and when Companies came back from the war they organized huge welcoming gatherings that feed entire regiments. They became teachers, collected donations to aid families of soldier’s, organized lectures and concerts for social entertainment, their aid efforts enhanced their visibility in the county and they were often commended. They faced terrible loss and hardship yet tried to maintain traditional family ties.

Women like Gertrude Walton Donahey were an inspiration to many in the county. She was born in Tuscarawas County in 1908. In 1970, she became the first woman to be elected to a statewide office when the voters of Ohio made her treasurer of state. Donahey served as treasurer until 1983 and was voted president of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers.

Dr. Alta Weiss has roots in several Ohio Counties. She was born and is buried in Berlin (Holmes County), grew up and retired in Ragersville (Tuscarawas County), practiced Medicine in Norwalk (Huron County), and Played baseball on an all-male team in Vermilion (Lorain/Erie County). She put Herself through medical school at Starling College of Medicine (later Ohio State University Medical College) with money she Earned playing ball. She was the only female in Her class to graduate with a medical degree! A Woman ahead of her time, she was both Exceptional and eccentric.There are SO many more women of Tuscarawas County that have made significant changes and contributions. During this Women’s History Month take the time to thank all the women in your life and inspire them to make great strides!

Let us know if you or a friend have made significant difference in Tuscarawas County by leaving a comment!

What to do this weekend?

lisa — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:14:39 +0000

Tuscarawas County is a happening place! Check out these fun things to do this week an weekend:

March

29                           NJC Annual Silent Auction & Recognition Program, St. John’s Church of Christ, Dover
29-May 4              Spring Plant Sale, Norma Johnson Center, Dover
31                           Uhrichsville Clay Museum Queen’s Tea, Uhrichsville Clay Museum, Uhrichsville
31                           A Little Bit Country/A Little Bit Rock & Roll Music Revue, TBA
31                           11th Annual Pissocra Mathias Realty Community Easter Egg Hunt, Tuscora Park, New Philadelphia
31                           Spring Lecture, J.E. Reeves Victorian Home, Dover
31                           Historic Schoenbrunn Village Lantern Light Dinner, Carlisle Inn of Sugarcreek, Sugarcreek
31                           President McKinley: Visitor to the Zoar Hotel, Zoar Village Town Hall Museum, Zoar
31                           Health & Safety Expo, West Elementary, Newcomerstown
31-Apr 1                Tuscazoar Maple Days, Camp Tuscazoar, Zoarville

April

1                              Easter Carnival, Schoenbrunn Amphitheatre, New Philadelphia
1                              Dover Rotary Run for Your Life, Crater Stadium, Dover
3                              “Ghost Stories and Legends of Tuscarawas Valley”, Kent State University at Tuscarawas – Founders Hall Auditorium, New Philadelphia
3                              Ohio’s Titanic Connections, Dover Public Library, Dover
4-5                          Riverdance, Performing Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas, New Philadelphia
5                              TCCAC Open House, Tuscarawas County Child Advocacy Center, New Philadelphia
7                              Free Admission for Stark & Tuscarawas County Residents, Historic Zoar Village, Zoar
7                              “John Parker, Underground Railroad Conductor” Saturdays in Zoar Speaker Series, Historic Zoar Village – Schoolhouse, Zoar
7                              Summer Music Series: Max Hardesty, Yellow Butterfly Winery, Newcomerstown
7                              Egg Hunt, Breakfast and Pictures with Easter Bunny, Kent State University at Tuscarawas, New     Philadelphia
8                              Moravian Easter Sunrise Service, Historic Schoenbrunn Village, New Philadelphia

If you will be staying here another weekend and will be looking for something to do, make sure that you visit our calendar for a complete listing of all events.

National Register of Historic Places Program: Women’s History Month Feature 2012: Pennsylvania Railroad Depot and Baggage Room, Dennison, Ohio

lisa — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:56:32 +0000

We are so proud that Dennison, as a community accomplished great things. The woman of the region rightfully deserve their recognition through the Depot’s National Historic Landmark status! Here is the article from the National Park Service:

National Register of Historic Places Program: Women’s History Month Feature 2012: Pennsylvania Railroad Depot And Baggage Room, Dennison, Ohio

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Depot and Baggage Room in Dennison, Ohio, was famous during World War II for its canteen, where an estimated 1.3 million American service men in the armed forces were served food and drinks on their way to training bases and disembarkation for distant fronts overseas. Nearly 4,000 local volunteers, primarily area women, staffed the canteen, and funds were collected to purchase food, coffee, and other supplies. Every troop train on the Panhandle line stopped at Dennison, located between Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Free refreshments were offered to the servicemen at any hour of the day or night. The canteen became so well known and appreciated nation-wide that the town was popularly known among the military forces as “Dreamsville.”

Dennison’s depot is nationally significant for its role in World War II as a canteen, serving members of the American armed forces. After Pearl Harbor, America’s railroads mobilized in sustained, all-out support of the nation’s war effort. By the end of the war in 1945, in addition to normal civilian traffic, 90% of all military freight and more than 97% of all military personnel in organized groups were moved by train. This included more than 113,000 troop trains, as total U.S. forces expanded from about one-half million in the late 1930s to over 10 million by 1945. At the height of the war, a special troop movement started somewhere in the United States every six minutes. In cities and stations throughout the nation, canteens and USO lounges were opened to provide refreshments and relief to servicemen on their long journeys to training camps and embarkation points.

The canteen at Dennison was covered nationally in newspapers and magazines. It was featured in an article in the December 20, 1943 issue of Time magazine and described in a United Press wire service article. The UP article stated that the Dennison canteen “offers a service to men in the armed forces that rivals New York’s Stage Door Canteen and Chicago’s Service Center.” Most of all, the hospitality and generosity of the volunteers serving the canteen were remembered through letters and postcards sent to the canteen from soldiers from soldiers and civilians who had passed through he depot. Many were quoted printed by the canteen during its operation. One such letter read:

“I was able to get only one sandwich for breakfast and the rest of the day I had nothing till we came to Dennison, where a miracle happened. With people behind us we can do only one thing, and that is come out victorious.”

Another letter stated: ”We have been through your town several times, at all hours of the day and night, and you were always there with your hot coffee and lunch. We know you are doing your share, and we will do ours.”

Lucielle Nussadorfer of Dennison came up with the idea of reviving the canteen that had operated at the depot for American serviceman during World War I. Her vision of the Serviceman’s Canteen at Dennison was carried out by Captain and Mrs. Edward Johnson of the Dover Salvation Army, and operated from March 1942, through April 1946, under the direction of the Salvation Army and a local citizens’ committee that included Mrs. Nussadorfer. The canteen operated out of the depot’s restaurant with the food and other items carried on large wooden trays by the volunteers. At first the volunteers boarded the trains but eventually the procedure changed to the soldiers disembarking and being served on the station platform.

The large number of American women volunteering to help in the war effort, and working in jobs while the men went to fight overseas, changed the fabric of American society. Historian Donna Grave, who served as Project Director for the Rosie the Riveter Memorial (located in the Rosie the Riveter–World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California), wrote in her essay Tending the Homefront: The Many Roles of Bay Area Women During World War II (which can be found at the National Register Travel Itinerary World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area :

As growing numbers of men left for military service in the Second World War, government, industry and civic organizations used patriotism, guilt and the prospect of new opportunities and skills to recruit women to the domestic war effort. Woman power was the critical weapon in FDR’s [President Franklin Delano Roosevelt] “Arsenal of Democracy,” which was designed to overwhelm the enemy through superior industrial output. Approximately 12 million women worked in defense industries and support services across the Nation, including shipyards, steel mills, foundries, warehouses, offices, hospitals and daycare centers. Throughout the war, women from all backgrounds, and from all over the country, worked at jobs such as welding, riveting and operating cranes while maintaining their traditional duties as mothers and homemakers.

The women who served at the canteen in the Pennsylvania Railroad Depot were doing their part, volunteering to aid the U.S. service men before they were sent overseas to the distant theaters of war against Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan and their allies. The great social movement in the lives of women during World War II, whether working as volunteers or in war factories and related jobs for the war effort, brought about changes to American society. Donna Grave stressed in the above essay,“many women welcomed the renewed emphasis on their central role in the family, others were not so eager to reclaim domestic responsibilities and prewar conditions.”

The railroad facilities at Dennison included car and locomotive shops, a blacksmith shop, boiler shop, tin shop, carpenter shop, a roundhouse, brass foundry, lumber and coal yards. The passenger depot as constructed sometime between 1844 and before 1900. Today the Pennsylvania Depot, acquired by the village, is the only former railroad structure still standing in Dennison. The Pennsylvania Railroad Depot at Dennison is basically a rectangular, one and one-half-story, gable roofed building. It is located on the north side of the tracks, just northwest of the site where the railroad’s shops and roundhouses formerly stood.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Depot And Baggage Room was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 8, 1976 and due to its national significance, was designated a National Historic Landmark on June 17, 2011. The Pennsylvania Railroad Depot and Baggage Room, once the third most active canteen in the United States, is now the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum.

Compiled from Jeff Brown, Pennsylvania Railroad Depot and Baggage Room NRHP Nomination, Ohio SHPO May 23, 2007, and Donna Grave, Tending the Homefront: The Many Roles of Bay Area Women during World War II (essay).

Find out more by visiting the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum: http://dennisondepot.org/

New Towne Mall to Host Second History Patriot Rally

chrissy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:39:38 +0000

The second T-County History Patriot Rally for kids is scheduled for Saturday, February 25th from 10am to 4pm at New Towne Mall in New Philadelphia.

Last year’s event was a great success with over 2,000 in attendance. This special family free event was planned to get kids inspired about history, and the Steering Committee is excited for the second rally with a theme of “Make Fun of History.”

Last year, attendees celebrated the theme “Rock Your History” with a dazzling flash mob performance by New Philadelphia and Dover High School Choir students singing ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’. There will again be a surprise performance at the Rally this year back in the food court!

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum Director Wendy Zucal shares that this event was specifically developed to create awareness and enthusiasm in kids for local history. “The overall guiding mission is to get kids engaged in history and to create stakeholders in our youth who will grow up to protect our precious historic attractions for posterity.”

The Rally will feature living history, demonstrations and historical displays from over 25 museums. The popular scavenger hunt will once again be back that leads children through activities at each museum station and ultimately enters them in to a drawing for many prizes, including an iPad sponsored by Tuscarawas Valley Heritage, Inc.

“You can’t walk away from the T-County Patriot Rally without being charged up and excited about history,” said library director Michelle McMorrow Ramsell. “We are excited to join in the historical celebration at the library’s booth.”

The Tuscarawas County Public Library will have craft stations featuring dream catchers and rag dolls. In honor of the nineteenth century traveling photographers, the library will have two vintage photo booths where kids can take home a souvenir vintage photo of themselves dressed in period costumes. Historical photographer Matthew Brady will visit with kids and share stories of his life as a traveling photographer. The library’s booth will feature interactive iPad stations loaded with historical apps and a matching game where kids will be challenged to match Facebook posts to the historical characters who posted them.

Other historical characters expected to attend the Patriot Rally include Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Clara Barton and Dennison’s WWI hero Private Bulldog Bing!

There will be reenactors from the Revolutionary War era, Civil War, and both WWI and II as well. Demonstrations include butter churning, corn grinding, wood carving, Moravian Star making and more!

New this year will be two contests for kids to participate in: The Historical Look-a-Like Contest and The History Catch Phrase Game. Both contests will be broken into two age groups: fourth through eighth grade and ninth through twelfth grade with prizes awarded at each level.

To participate in the Look-a-Like Contest, kids can simply dress up as their favorite historical character and register to win at the Rally. No advance registration is required. Awards will be given for Best Single Character, Best Couple and Best Historical Moment. A historical moment can include a scene, speech, or song that portrays the historical character. Information on this Contest is available at both the Depot or Tuscarawas County Public Library in New Philadelphia. Judging for the Contest will be at 11 at the Rally.

For Historical Catch Phrase, teams of two can sign up first-come, first- serve at the Rally. Only twenty teams will play, ten in grades fourth through eighth, and ten in grades ninth through twelfth. Information for these contests will also be available at the Depot and Library. Judging for this contest will be at 2pm.

The first 500 kids to arrive at the Rally will receive free backpacks sponsored by First National Free filled with greats for the kids. T-shirts, cookies and crafts are other items children will receive, in additional to the prize opportunities. All can participate in a Scavenger Hunt that has a multitude of activities provide by each museum as well as giveaways at the tables.

New this year will also be gift bags for the first 100 school teachers as well as field trip grant information at the Tuscarawas Valley Heritage Table that will be located in the center of the mall near Kitchen Collection. Teachers can also participate in a special Basket Raffle of School Prizes.

Zucal also shared “it is our great hope that teachers will encourage students to participate. We have prepared special certificates for extra credit that will be given when the scavenger hunt is completed and we hope most teachers will honor them.”

The event is FREE and made possible through the support of corporate sponsors including WTUZ Radio, the First National Bank of Dennison, Tuscarawas County Public Library System, Dominion, Kent State University, Tuscarawas Campus and New Towne Mall.

The Dennison Depot received an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2011 from the Ohio Local History Alliance which recognized the Patriot Rally an outstanding event in Ohio for youth and model for other museums to copy.

For more information, families and kids are encouraged to contact the Depot at 740-922-6776 or email director@dennisondepot.org. Any organization wishing to participate and reach out to our area youth is also encouraged to contact the Depot.

Kids can also get involved and receive updates by joining the T-County History Patriots Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TCountyPatriots. For children not permitted to use Facebook, they can receive information as well by using the email address above.

Ernest “Mooney” Warther Family Honored as 2012 Tourism Ambassador of the Year

chrissy — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:50:03 +0000

The Ernest "Mooney" Warther Family

From the very beginning, even before tourism was a buzz word, the Warther Museum stood as a testament to the love and life of “Mooney” Warther. Carving in his spare time, Mooney began the family’s journey into not only tourism and hospitality but into one of community service.

Today the family keeps this “must see destination” alive and growing, both to honor their grandfather’s work, but also to tell the story of genius, ingenuity, and Mooney’s love of the steam locomotive. The 64 working ebony and ivory models, are “priceless works of art” that both the Smithsonian and the Ohio Historical Society say “will never be duplicated and never replicated”. But the story isn’t necessarily the carvings, although the museum has gone through numerous growth spurts to better showcase the carvings, journals and family memorabilia; the real story is the family….

From Mooney’s carvings and his vision of the pliers tree and Frieda’s love of buttons; Florence’s painstaking work in the Swiss style flower gardens; Dave ‘s meticulous attention to detail for repairs and his wife Joann’s never ending work in the shipping department and gift shop; and the grandchildren working with knife making, museum operations, travel show development, marketing and customer service.

Mark can often be seen carving pliers for guests at the museum or at travel shows and is well known by tour operators. He is an advocate for the Ohio Railway Tourist Association along with Carol working in the gift shop selling knives or keeping the finances of the museum on track, Dan using a lathe to make hand carved bells for the gift shop, Lisa while living in the area performed marketing for the museum, Dave Jr. a carver himself, and until his death, Dale could be seen making and sharpening knives day in and day out.

Today, eight great-grandchildren work in the museum to help carry on Mooney’s vision…a vision of trains surrounded by family…or is it family surrounded by trains?

For their tireless efforts to market Tuscarawas County as a destination for millions of visitors, the 2012 Tuscarawas County Tourism Ambassador Award goes to the entire “Ernest ‘Mooney’ Warther Family” and the Warther Museum and Gift Shop.

Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition receives $150,000 to build 2.7 Miles of the Towpath Trail in Tuscarawas County

chrissy — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:07:23 +0000

Of the 67 Recreational Trail Fund grant applications received, 24 were recommended for funding. As Tuscarawas County Commissioner Kerry Metzger noted, “The Tuscarawas County Board of Commissioners is extremely pleased about the $150,000 federal Recreational Trails Grant which will enable us to extend the Towpath Trail from the village of Zoar to State Route 800 which was envisioned in our County Trail and Green Space Plan developed in 2006. We want to thank the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for recommending this project for funding and especially express our gratitude to the Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition, under the leadership of President and CEO Dan Rice, for their efforts in helping to obtain this grant and working to make the vision of developing recreational trails here in Tuscarawas County into a reality.”

“As we expand our network of trails, we hope to link communities by the development of trails across the state,” said Division of State Parks chief David Payne. “These projects will create safe and accessible recreation areas that families value and cherish.”

The Recreational Trails Program is supported by funding from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and a portion of the federal motor fuel excise tax collected from non-highway recreational fuel use.

So what’s the deal with all those “hi” signs?

chrissy — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:08:20 +0000

If you’ve visited our Facebook page in the past few months, you’ve probably noticed and increasing amount of photos posted by us featuring a mysterious red and white circular sign.

This sign is part of the Ohio Tourism Division’s new marketing campaign to say “hi” to Ohio and we want to share the enthusiasm this campaign creates with our entire local community. As our staff ventures out of the office and you see us with the sign, feel free to ask us to have you say “hi”. We’d be glad to take your photo and maybe you’ll become our next Facebook star or even featured on our home page!

Autumn adventures abound in Tuscarawas County and Ohio

chrissy — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:38:03 +0000

Thinking of taking a trip this month to see fall foliage? Tuscarawas County, Ohio is a great destination where the beautiful, fiery reds, oranges and browns of autumn create a spectacular backdrop to your visit.

Many special events occur during October and include autumn-themed festivals such as:

Apple Butter Days in historic Gnadenhutten
Fall Fest at the Norma Johnson Center between Dover and Sugarcreek
Oktoberfest at Heini’s Gourmet Market in Sugarcreek
Ohio & Erie Canal Coalition’s Bike & Brew at Historic Zoar Village

Our region also hosts many farmer’s markets, corn mazes and apple orchards perfect for a day outing for the entire family.

Looking to see when the colors will be at or near peak conditions? Visit the Ohio Tourism Division’s Autumn Adventures micro-site at http://consumer.discoverohio.com/autumnadventures/ for up-to-date color forecasts from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as well as various driving tours with perfect scenery to enjoy.