Places to go and things to see by Gypsy Bev

Posts tagged ‘Coshocton Ohio’

Clary Gardens Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Welcome to Clary Gardens in Coshocton, Ohio.

Visit Coshocton as Clary Garden Foundation celebrates its 20th year on their beautiful hillside landscape. The foundation began to encourage the community to develop a botanical garden that would be a place to learn more about horticulture, local history, and the arts.

A local florist, Elizabeth Clary, purchased the 20 acres to memorialize her late husband, Lawrence, in what was to become Clary Gardens. The Clary family had operated a greenhouse in Coshocton for over 100 years and were famous for sending their red roses by rail all over the United States. Over the years, Elizabeth added weeping redbuds, yellow magnolia trees, geraniums, tulips, and 30 varieties of roses to the developing garden.

Ohio Rose & Star quilt pattern can be found here as part of a Coshocton County Quilt Barn Tour.

In honor of the family’s rose business, the Clary Garden barn has become part of the Coshocton County Heritage Quilt Barn Tour. An Ohio Rose & Star quilt pattern has graced the side of their barn since 2003.

You know the place is special the minute you drive through the gate. The setting is beautiful and well maintained. There is no charge for visiting from 8 am to 7 pm daily. The garden is supported by the generosity of the Clary Garden Foundation members.

Spring blossoms add extra beauty early in the year.

“Under the Big Top” has been the theme for 2021 to celebrate their growth over the last 20 years. Floral displays were red, white, and gold – circus colors. There was even a Ringmaster and animals on-site to attract old and young alike.

In the summer months, they have a Nature Program for Children which includes a science adventure and outdoor activity. Grow your own garden! Learn about the plants in the woods.

Field trips teach children to explore and enjoy nature.

An assortment of trails makes it possible for people of all ages to find that special place for a walk in nature. Their half-mile Woodland Loop includes some fascinating geological features and is a local favorite. Your dog is welcome as long as you pick up after your furry friend.

These gates open to a scenic path that leads down to a beautiful amphitheater.

For a very reasonable price, you can have a guided tour of the facility from March through October 31. There are several possibilities on their 20-acre grounds depending on the amount of time and energy you have to spend. These include interesting topics like Time Travel Tour, Woodlands Rock, Stop and Smell the Roses, and the list goes on.

Follow the path through the Rose Garden or relax in the gazebo.

Follow the path through the rose garden or take a rest in the rose garden gazebo. Just below the rose garden, you enter that special amphitheater that has been voted the number one outdoor wedding venue in Ohio.

Theatre in the Ravine provides the perfect place for weddings and concerts.

The Theatre in the Ravine is a very popular spot at Clary Gardens. This sandstone amphitheater is built into the hillside, which overlooks a tranquil stream and wooded area. It’s a wonderful place for concerts, weddings, and theater presentations as it seats over 200 people and has electric hook-up on its natural stage. Two plays have already been scheduled for this summer.

Receptions and public events are held in the tent behind the Compton House.

Receptions and meetings are currently being held in a large tent beside the 1850s red Compton House with beautiful table settings available. This summer they plan to replace the tent by constructing an open-air pavilion on the stamped concrete pad for wedding receptions and other private events.

Choose the Garden House for your next private get-together. Built around 1850, the house has two main rooms separated by a kitchen and is available for rent during the season.

Relax at the Spring House as you listen to the sounds of soothing water as it flows from the historic Spring House. It’s a magical place near the Iris Pond and woodland trails.

The Children’s Garden features wooden balance beams, beanpole tipis, and a crawl-through tunnel that resembles a caterpillar. Children enjoy coming here to learn more about nature. They often take off their shoes and wade in the shallow creek learning to identify salamanders and crawfish.

Enjoy being surrounded by butterflies at the Traveling Butterfly Exhibit.

A special Traveling Butterfly Exhibit comes to the garden nearly every year and gives viewers a chance to walk among the live butterflies as they flutter about. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to have one land on you. Enhance your chances of having a butterfly landing by feeding them some nectar.

The gardens are in their early stages of development and every year sees new additions. Plans for the future include a walkway connecting Clary Gardens and the nearby Caldersburg Cemetery to historic Roscoe Village, which is very close by. This will lead more people to explore both places.

Before visiting the gardens, check out their schedule at www.clarygardens.org as the gardens are sometimes closed for part of the day during weddings and special events.

Clary Gardens holds beauty in nature each season of the year.

Clary Gardens at 588 W. Chestnut Street in Coshocton is a place to enjoy peace and harmony with nature. Every season creates a different view so you might want to return throughout the year.

Clary Gardens are located in Coshocton, Ohio at 588 W. Chestnut Street just around the bend south of Roscoe Village. Watch for the entrance sign on the right-hand side.

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Gardens, History, Nature, Ohio, Uncategorized

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Road Trippin’ in the USA at McPeek’s Mighty Maze

If you want to get lost, McPeek’s Mighty Maze is the perfect place with Roadtrippin’ USA as the theme of their corn maze for 2020. Located at the Coshocton KOA Campground on County Road 10, it’s more than just a maze. They have many activities that those young at heart from 0 – 99 will enjoy.

This all began in 2015 after Ryan McPeek had purchased a campground near Coshocton and was trying to create something extra that campers and area residents would enjoy. A corn maze came to mind.

That first year was a learning year and a busy one for Ryan as he married Camille in August. They spent their honeymoon at McPeek’s Mighty Maze! This was a new experience for both of them as they had never created a corn maze before.

The entire Mighty Maze is shown in this overhead view.

The maze is more difficult to create than you might think. First, Dave Phillips of Maize Quest draws the maze for the year. After the corn is planted by Brian Mason in the spring, about July 4 the maze is created while the corn is knee-high, young, and tender making it easy to cut down.

Climb the steps to the platform for a great view of the maze.

Tim Day of Maize Quest then arrives with his tractor, rototiller, and GPS unit. Phillips’ Road Trippin’ USA maze is placed into the GPS and the tractor cuts out the maze in a few hours. Day is very busy as cuts about sixty corn mazes each year around the country.

Maize-O-Vision glasses help you see a special map of the maze.

Since the pandemic has made traveling on vacations a bit more difficult this year, the maze takes the shape of Road Trippin’ USA . You can take a fun road trip right here in Coshocton. The Route 66 logo is in one corner of the maze. Another section features a camper and you’ll find a few mountains along the edge.

Along the way, you’ll find stations to help you explore the USA.

At the end of August, holes were drilled to set up nine game stations. Colored ribbons were placed along the miles of pathways inside to help people find their way. Each section has a different color ribbon to help people know where they are. While at this giant corn maze you will learn a bit of history as you play the games and travel through the cornstalks for answers. Play Word Game and learn about 18 different National Parks.

Enjoy the challenge of the Rat Wheel – similar to what a hamster might use.

There’s also a Kid’s Corn Maze for little ones who don’t want to get too lost. Cornelius M. Quest’s Picture Find has children discovering nine Ohio animals hidden at picture stations inside the maze.

McPeek’s Giant Corn Maze is the best place to get lost in the stalks for the 6th season. Enjoy a tasty treat from their three food carts – mini donuts, ice cream, and special favorites like hot dogs and french fries or lumpia and chicken fried rice.

The Jump Pad is the perfect place to use up some extra energy.

There’s all kinds of Fall Fun available as well as the maze. Their giant Jump Pad will have you bouncin’ for joy. Or you might try your luck in a Rat Roll, which is similar to a hamster wheel. Even adults have fun with these! There’s also a Barrel Train ride for the youngsters. Don’t forget all the pumpkins.

Ryan McPeek enjoys driving the tractor for the hayrides.

A hayride winds through the corn maze as it heads to the top of Mt. Everest. Seating will be limited for each ride to assure social distancing. Some traditional events will not be held this year due to pandemic guidelines. The corn box is closed as well as the playground.

Have a different kind of experience at Flashlight Night, which was held earlier this season. Imagine the darkness surrounding you as the cool night breeze moves the cornstalks with eerie sounds. Be sure to pick up a map so you don’t get lost for the night. Take a Glow Hayride that same evening. You’ll have to come back another year for all the fun!

The barrel train ride is great fun for youngsters.

McPeek’s Mighty Maze will be open four weekends in October on Saturday and Sunday from 12 – 6 so plan ahead for a time of family fun roadtrippin’ through the corn or maybe gettin’ lost in the stalks.

Ryan and Camille will help make your adventure a memorable one. Check their website for further information and additional events at www.mcpeeksmightymaze.com or visit them on Facebook.

All ages enjoy the Duck Race to see whose duck will win the water race.

Admission at the gate is $10 per person with children under 2 free. If you register online ahead of time, admission is $8 per person. Staying at the KOA Campground in Coshocton gets you free admission to the Mighty Maze and a chance to enjoy the night air sitting around a campfire.

Sounds like Roadtrippin’ USA could be great fun for everyone at McPeek’s Mighty Maze. Get lost in the stalks!

​McPeek’s Mighty Maze is located at the Coshocton KOA Campgrounds on County Road 10 just east of Coshocton. You can’t miss their signs!

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Family Fun, Just for Fun, Ohio, Uncategorized

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Flag Day is Every Day at Annin Flagmakers in Coshocton

Flags- Sign on Door

This sign appears on all doorways at Annin Flagmakers.

Annin Flagmakers have been making the flag of our country since 1847. The sixth generation of this family now owns and operates the business. Here workers make over three and a half million 4’x6′ flags each year in addition to many other sizes, including stick flags.

   Alexander Annin had been making flags for merchant ships on the waterfront in New York City for several years before beginning Annin Flags in Lower Manhattan on what was called “Old Glory Corner”. Eventually, headquarters was moved to New Jersey with factories in Coshocton, Ohio and South Boston, Virginia.

Flags Headquarters

One branch of Annin Flagmakers remains in Coshocton.

   These flags are Made in America of the highest standards by experienced flag makers. They have learned what long-lasting domestically made fabrics to use and what inks hold their color the longest. Fabrics include everything from nylon and cotton to polyester, with nylon holding up best outside.

Flags - workplace

This view greets your eyes upon entering the work area.

   State, military, national and international flags are made by Annin. However, the Coshocton facility basically makes US flags with a specialty now and then. When visiting, they were also making golf pin flags.

   Local history shows that the Coshocton branch of Annin Flagmakers was started by a family from Newcomerstown in 1968. Vane and Barbara Scott had been in the business of decorating floats for parades all over the country but were ready to settle down back home.

Vane Scott First Flag

Eugene and Francis Waller with owners, Barb and Vane Scott, proudly display the first flag made by Colonial Flag Company in 1968.

   A man with a flagpole company suggested they bid on a contract for 10,000 American flags…and they won! They purchased six sewing machines and a strip cutter to cut the stripes. That was the beginning of Colonial Flag Co. By 1970, they had moved their business to a larger building in Coshocton.

   When the 1976 bicentennial rolled around, Colonial Flag Co. had difficulty keeping up with orders so decided to sell the company. There were two stipulations to the sale: keep the business in Coshocton and keep Vane and Barbara on as managers. Annin Flagmakers purchased the business at that time. The reason there is a flag company in Coshocton today is due to the determination of the Scott family to keep jobs locally.

   Vane and Barb served as plant managers of Annin Flagmakers in Coshocton until 1991. Then Vane III, or Bud as he is often called, served as manager until 2002 when he retired.

Flags- rolls of stick flags

These rolls of stick flags are ready to be processed.

   Over the years, Annin has made flags for many important national events including:

  • 1849 – Inauguration of Zachary Taylor as President
  • 1851 – Queen Victoria’s Great Exhibit in London
  • 1860 – All wartime flags for the Civil War
  • 1969 – NASA’s Apollo II mission to the moon.

flags-dave-manager.jpg

Dave Rogers, DIrector of Operations, is proud to be part of Annin Flagmakers.

   At Annin Flagmakers headquarters, I had a chance to talk with Dave Rogers, Director of Operations, and learn a little more about the way flags are made today. They employ 150 people full-time and also hire temporary workers during their busiest season. Everyone wants the flags to be in their stores for Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July.

Flags - Strips being cut

The digital fabric cutter is prepared to cut white stripes for the flag.

   One popular flag is a 3’x5′ sewn nylon flag. They make around 35,000 of them each week. One of the first tasks is to cut the large rolls of fabric into stripes and place them in rolls of various colors. They can cut up to six different sizes at one time on their digital fabric cutter.

Flags- cakes of color strips

The colored stripes are then placed into rolls before heading to the seamstress.

Flags- adding the field of blue

Janet, a 22-year employee, adds the field of blue to the stripes.

   The stripes are then sewn together with six long stripes and seven short stripes. Once they are together, the field of blue is added. Star Field prepares the embroidered star field where the polished white thread gives sparkle to the stars on the field of blue.

Flags- cutting the edges

A 25-year employee, Anita, makes the edges straight.

   These workers take pride in their product. Three of the ladies together had in 88 years at Annin so worked with speed and precision. Everything has to be perfectly straight and their quadruple-stitched fly hem makes them extra durable.

Flags - Memorial Wall

Their lobby displays flags that were brought back after foreign service.

   When a local young man or woman went off to the war in Iraq, Annin gave them two flags. They asked them to return one flag telling where they had taken it, and the other was for their personal use. A display in the lobby shows several of those flags that were returned to Annin.

Flags - Ohio Visitors Bureau

Get your flag locally at the Coshocton Visitors Bureau in Roscoe Village.

   You can find Annin Flags at the Coshocton Visitors Bureau in Roscoe Village, Walmart, Target, Krogers and many other places. The friendly staff at the Visitors Bureau will take special orders for you and show you the large selection available there.

Flags- Walmart display

This display of Annin Flags is ready to ship to Walmart.

   Show your pride in America by displaying its flag and honoring it with a flag made right here in the U.S.A.

Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

~Francis Scott Key The Star-Spangled Banner

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History, Ohio, Uncategorized

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Historic Roscoe Village – America’s Canal Town

We Bring History to Life

Roscoe Visitor Center

Roscoe Village Visitors Center is the perfect place to begin your tour.

Welcome to yesterday! Life 200 years ago was quite different from what we experience today. While we can’t turn the clocks back to that era, we can visit Roscoe Village in Coshocton to catch a glimpse of life on the Ohio and Erie Canal during that time.

Roscoe Oldest House

Weaver Daniel Boyd, his wife, and four children lived in the oldest house in the village from 1825-1835.

   Back in 1816, James Calder laid out the port town that was to become Roscoe. He followed a hunch that farmers would rather do business at Calder’s General Store along the Muskingum River than pay twenty-five cents to take the ferryboat to Coshocton.

   He named the town Caldersburgh, but it was later renamed Roscoe, in honor of William Roscoe, an English historian and leading abolitionist. Roscoe never visited America and probably never knew he had a town named after him.

Roscoe Ohio Erie Canal

Enjoy a smooth horse-drawn canal boat ride on the Ohio-Erie Canal.

   When the Ohio and Erie Canal was constructed in the 1820s, business in the village expanded and the golden age of Roscoe began. The first canal boat, the Monticello, landed at Roscoe on August 21, 1830. Roscoe was one of the largest wheat ports along the 350-mile canal that went from Lake Erie to the Ohio River.

Roscoe weaver

Rami demonstrated weaving techniques on her 200- year-old American Barn Loom.

   Roscoe thrived until the 1860s when the canals gave way to railroads. The canal boats continued to operate on a smaller scale until the disastrous flood of 1913, which swept away the port of Roscoe.

Roscoe One Room School

Natalie, the schoolmarm, told about teaching in a one-room school.

   Today the restored Roscoe Village is a reminder of Ohio’s canal era thanks to the dedication of prominent Coshocton industrialist, Edward Montgomery and his wife, Frances. A painting, “Canal Days”, which depicts the Roscoe area and can still be seen in the Chase Bank building at 120 S. Fourth Street, captured the imagination of the Montgomerys.

Roscoe Toll House

The Toll House is the restored home of James Welsh, toll collector on the canal.

   Their role began back in 1961 when they purchased the 1840 Toll House and decided to create “a living museum” on the banks of the Muskingum River. They endeavored to revive, restore and reclaim the then-burgeoning port town to a time when the Ohio and Erie Canal bustled with boats and barges.

Roscoe Dr. Dee

Dr. Dee in Dr. Johnson’s Office explained the tonsil guillotine.

   When you visit Roscoe Village today, you can stroll through the gardens, visit their many historic buildings, and take a horse-drawn canal boat ride on a portion of that old Ohio and Erie Canal. You’ll feel like you’re living a chapter of American history.

Roscoe Hotel

The Roscoe Hotel was a canal era hotel used as a stagecoach stop.

   Begin your tour at the Visitors’ Center where you can view a film, “Ditches of Destiny”, which describes those early days on the Ohio and Erie Canal. Then take a self-guided tour of the village to see costumed interpreters in historic buildings describing what life was like in those old canal days. Stop at the restored 19th-century buildings, which house The Famous Shops of Roscoe Village. Most businesses are open seven days a week throughout the year.

Roscoe Johnson Humrickhouse Museum

Learn more local history at the Johnson-Humerickhouse Museum. Yes, that’s Bigfoot in the shadows.

   Don’t forget to visit the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum where you will learn interesting facts about Ohio history. Here displays tell you stories of the American Indians, Ohio artifacts, and Decorative Arts. There’s also a wonderful collection of East Asian artifacts that were collected by the owner.

Roscoe Blacksmith

Carl, the village smithy, made leaf hooks as a blacksmith demonstration.

   Stroll through the Gardens that Frances Montgomery lovingly left for visitors to enjoy. Meander down its paths to see the beautiful blossoms and herbs that have been popular for ages. Beauty blooms in the gardens every season of the year.

   A ride down the Ohio and Erie Canal is the smoothest ride you can imagine drawn by two strong horses on the towpath. You’ll hear stories of how people traveled the canal in those early days. Some are quite unusual and exciting.

Roscoe Doctor's house and office

Stroll the streets of this quiet village any time of the year.

   Stop by Roscoe Village this summer and join in their 45th Anniversary. We need to remember the history of our area and how those early settlers developed a foundation for the world we live in today.

   Perhaps Captain P. R. Nye, who operated a canal boat at Roscoe’s Lock Twenty-Seven, says it best: “The Silver Ribbon – the Ohio Canal – was the best of life a man ever had.”

Historic Roscoe Village is located at 600 N Whitewoman Street in Coshocton, Ohio. From I-77, take exit 65, which is US-36 W. Follow 35 West to Whitewoman Street approximately 18 miles. It will be on the right-hand side of the road.

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History, Museums, Ohio, Uncategorized

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Henry David Thoreau’s Thoughts Still Meaningful Today

Chautauqua in Coshocton on a rainy evening

Chautauqua in Coshocton on a rainy evening

An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.

Ohio Chautauqua always brings informative and interesting characters to the stage. A recent performance in Coshocton was no exception as Kevin Radaker, professor of English at Anderson University in Indiana, portrayed Henry David Thoreau, one of the greatest writers of American Literature. Even though Thoreau wrote from 1817-1862, his thoughts still influence and inspire countless people today. The audience sat mesmerized during his lecture…you could have heard a text message beep.

Banjo player entertained before the main speaker.

Banjo player, Jerry Weaver, entertained before the main speaker.

Thoreau was born and raised in Concord, Massachusetts and chose to reside there his entire life. Two sisters and a brother rounded out the Thoreau family where his father ran a pencil factory, and his mother had strong views as an abolitionist. He worked for a while in his father’s pencil factory and as a carpenter, but said he was just so-so at carpentry. However, he did become a devout abolitionist for the rest of his life, following in the footsteps of his mother. He considered himself a writer by profession, a mystic and philosopher.

After graduating from Harvard, Thoreau became friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson, who encouraged him in his writing and introduced him to Transcendentalism, which emphasized the spiritual matters over the physical world. Thoreau felt that every seventh day should be a day of work, while the rest of the week be treated as the Sabbath.

Thoreau holds his favorite drink - water.

Thoreau holds his favorite drink – “Water is the only drink of a wise man.”

His best know masterpiece, Walden, was written while Thoreau lived for two years in a small cabin at the edge of Walden Pond, not far from Concord, on property owned by Emerson. His daily walks in the woods are best described in his own words: “There is nothing so sanative and so poetic as a walk in the woods and fields.” He compared the value given him by his walks to what others get by going to church. Walden Pond was his greatest adventure.

Even though Thoreau spent most of his live in Concord, he did venture to other places. Cape Cod and Maine helped him picture in words the wrath of the sea, yet capture the vigor and health of Nature. He felt national preserves should be created, not for recreation but re-creation of the wilderness, his main fascination.

He was a great fan of travel, but a slightly different kind than what we might presume. His mystical travel required an inward journey, which is accomplished by using our imagination and intuition. Through these inward journeys, Thoreau came to realize what the ancient Orientals meant by contemplation and forsaking work. Sometimes he loved to sit on his porch for the entire day, while his neighbors scoffed at his poor work ethic.

Thoreau relaxes on stage.

Thoreau relaxes on stage.

Perhaps he liked to read some of his favorite books as he sat on the porch for a day. Those would include: The Bible, Hindu’s Mahabharata, and Chinese teachings in Four Books of Confucius. He felt that all these similar teachings should be written side by side for better comparison.

Thoreau encourages his readers to take an inward journey, pointing out that it may very well be more difficult than being on a ship with hundreds of other people crossing the ocean.

What he wrote a hundred and fifty years ago is still relevant today.

 

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History, Ohio, Uncategorized

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