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The David and Clarissa Harroun family migrated to Sylvania in 1835 and built their home, and in 1858 the barn, on this site. Four generations of this Harroun family called this property home, from 1835-1938. While here, David, Clarissa, and their son Edwin became involved in aiding fugitive slaves across the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada. David secretly transported the runaways from Maumee to Sylvania in his lumber wagons. The fugitives were covered in hay, and the wagons were driven at night to avoid detection. Once on Harroun’s property, they were hidden in the attic of the home or the hayloft of the barn. The Lathrop family, who lived on a farm to the west, helped the Harrouns by hiding fugitives in the basement of their home. From Sylvania, the runaways were taken to Bedford, Petersburg, or Monroe in Michigan where they were then transported toward Detroit for their crossing into Canada.
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Toledo State Hospital opened in January 1888 as the Toledo Asylum for the Insane. Originally located immediately south of this cemetery, the hospital was designed to function as a self-contained community for 650 people. Patients lived in large cottages, surrounded by a post office, church, library, male and female hospital, strong wards, bakery, and dining hall. People were admitted with mild to severe forms of mental illness, and a variety of other disabling conditions, including developmental, medical or neurological, as well as for addictions, injuries, and old age. Work became a form of treatment, with patients involved in construction, farming, laundry, and other jobs to help maintain the hospital. Patients could also participate in recreational activities from gardening to playing in the hospital band. The State Hospital became home for many, as hospitalization could last a lifetime, often spanning decades. (continued on other side)
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Toledo State Hospital opened in January 1888 as the Toledo Asylum for the Insane. People were admitted with mild to severe forms of mental illness, and a variety of developmental, medical and neurological conditions, as well as for addictions, injuries, and old age. Originally built to house 650 people, by the 1950s its campus had grown to accommodate over 3,000. Growing access to new medications and treatments then began a gradual decline in patient population. Eventually, most of the buildings were razed, and much of the hospital’s property was transferred, later becoming the site of The Medical College of Ohio. This transfer included the two Toledo State Hospital cemeteries, with documented burials (as of 2009) totaling 1,994 persons. Toledo State Hospital New Cemetery was opened in 1922, when the Old Cemetery (1888-1922), located .5 miles to the northeast, reached capacity. (continued on other side)
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According to fellow World War II veteran and U.S. Senator Bob Dole, Roger T. Durbin was “the public persona—the beacon—of the drive to build a National World War II Memorial in our nation’s capital.” It started with a conversation between Mr. Durbin and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur at a local fish fry in February 1987. Enlisting Kaptur’s support, the work to create the memorial began. Described as a “gentleman with a square jaw, twinkling eyes, and churlish grin,” Mr. Durbin committed himself to serving others. He was a rural letter carrier, Richfield Township trustee, and coached Little League baseball. He was a veteran of the Tenth Armored (Tiger) Division and saw action at the Battle of the Bulge. The National WWII Memorial was dedicated May 29, 2004. Although Mr. Durbin did not live to see that day, his determination is the reason it stands.
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Alexander Albert Drabik was born here, in a log cabin, on December 28, 1910 to John Drabik and Frances Lewandowski, Polish immigrants from Szymborze, Germany, now Poland. Alex, youngest son of 14 children, attended Door Street School. A meat cutter, he enlisted in the United States Army in October 1942. Drabik fought in the Ardennes, Central Europe and Rhineland Campaigns of World War II. He received a Purple Heart during the Battle of the Bulge. On March 7, 1945, Sergeant Drabik led 10 Company A soldiers of the 27th Armored Infantry Battalion of the 9th Armored Division across the Ludendorff railroad bridge from Remagen, Germany to the Rhine River east bank. (Continued on other side)
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Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927) had a dream that young women could be independent, help others in need, and be responsible leaders in their communities. Low founded Girl Scouts of the United States of America with 18 girls on March 12, 1912 in her native Savannah, Georgia. On May 6, 1917, Low signed the charter making the Toledo Council the first official Girl Scout Council in the nation. There were about 550 Girl Scouts in Toledo at that time. Over 50 million girls, women, and men have been members of Girl Scouts of the USA in the last century.
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On the night of January 3, 1894, Toledo’s largest fire broke out in the massive King-Quale grain elevators. A westward wind from Maumee River drove flames toward the center of Toledo’s business district. The blaze destroyed several buildings including the Chamber of Commerce and the West and Truaz building. Despite the best efforts of city firefighters using horse-drawn steam pumpers, the fire continued until a serendipitous shift in the winds allowed the firefighters to contain the conflagration.
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In 1931, the France Stone Company ceased operations. Robert Burge leased 19 acres of the site for recreational swimming and opened Centennial Quarry in 1934. Five years later, Burge and associates opened Centennial Terrace, whose centerpiece was “Dancing Under the Stars,” an outdoor, 10,000 square-foot Terrazzo dance floor. Centennial Terrace was a regular stop for many big bands of the 1940s and ’50s. In 1969, the complex was donated to Lucas County and local band leaders kept the people dancing from 1971 to 1993. In 1994, the City of Sylvania leased the facility and renovated and reopened the quarry. The Sylvania Area Joint Recreation District purchased the complex in 2007 and made further improvements to insure that Centennial Terrace and Quarry remains a popular recreation destination.