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Restored in 1963, the Germantown Covered Bridge on East Center Street, spanning Little Twin Creek, was 93 years old and is reputed to be the only existing covered bridge of its kind in the world. For 41 years this unique inverted bow string truss covered bridge spanned Little Twin Creek on the Dayton Pike in Germantown, Ohio. In 1911 it was removed to its present location where it has been restored and beautified as a link with Ohio’s early history. It is a symbol of individual initiative in America’s early history.
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The Cranberry Prairie, southwest of this marker, is a part of Ohio’s natural history. The place was named for the cranberries that grew in a swamp here prior to drainage of the area. The Cranberry Prairie was created by centuries of peat accumulation in a late Ice Age lake that formed at the base of St. John’s Moraine. Paleo-Indian or Early Archaic peoples probably killed the elk whose skeleton was dug up here in 1981. This elk was dated at approximately 7400 B.C. By the 1860s, immigrant German farmers had begun transforming the swamp into fertile farmland. “Wild Bill” Simison, a legendary inhabitant, lived in the swamp and settlers respected him for his knowledge of the area. By the turn of the nineteenth century, Granville Township School #7, St. Francis Catholic Church, and Bertke’s Store stood at the edge of the Cranberry Prairie.
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After Gen. William Hull’s surrender at Detroit early in the War of 1812, most of the Michigan Territory came under British and Indian control. To prevent a possible invasion of Ohio, Gen. William Henry Harrison, commander of the Northwestern Army, called up the Kentucky and Ohio militia. Rather than moving troops and supplies across the Black Swamp, he chose to use the Auglaize and St. Marys rivers. In November 1812 Harrison ordered Lt. Col. Robert Pogue of the Kentucky Mounted Militia to construct a supply depot at this site, previously an Ottawa village. Pogue, a veteran of the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, named the post Fort Amanda after his 12-year-old daughter, Hannah Amanda. (continued on other side)
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Lt. Col. Henry Bouquet with 1500 British regulars and American militia penetrated the Ohio wilderness to crush Chief Pontiac’s Indian conspiracy. Here at the forks of the Muskingum River during October and November, Bouquet subdued the Delawares, Senecas, and Shawnee without firing a shot, secured the freedom of every colonial captive, and obtained promises of peace–a feat unequaled in colonial American history.
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One of the 69 charcoal iron furnaces in the famous Hanging Rock Iron Region. Extending more than 100 miles from Logan, Ohio to Mt. Savage, Kentucky this area contained all materials necessary to produce high grade iron. The industry flourished for over 50 years in mid-nineteenth century during which time the area was one of the leading iron producing centers of the world. The charcoal iron industry was responsible for the rapid development of southern Ohio and the romance of the Hanging Rock Iron Region forms a brilliant chapter in the industrial history of the Buckeye State.
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One of 69 charcoal iron furnaces in the famous Hanging Rock Iron Region. Extending more than 100 miles, from Logan, Ohio, to Mt. Savage, Kentucky, this area contained all materials necessary to produce high grade iron. The industry flourished for over fifty years in the mid-nineteenth century, during which time the area was one of the leading iron producing centers of the world. The charcoal iron industry was an important factor in the development of southern Ohio, and the romance of the Hanging Rock Iron Region forms a brilliant chapter in the industrial history of the Buckeye State.
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A pioneer furniture manufacturer and philanthropist, Erie J. Sauder (1904-1997) was born and reared on a farm in Archbold. With the help of his wife Leona, he began woodworking in their town barn in 1934. Crafting tables and church pews, the Sauder Woodworking Company grew quickly. Sauder’s 1951 invention of an easily shipped table kit heralded the modern ready-to-assemble furniture industry and firmly established the company as one of Fulton County’s primary employers. In 1976 Sauder founded the Sauder Village to interpret nineteenth century rural lifestyles in the Black Swamp region.
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Waterloo was home to the legendary Waterloo Wonders. Coach Magellan Hariston and his Wonder Five captured consecutive Ohio state high school Class B basketball championships in 1934 & 1935, winning 94 out of 97 games, and defeating many Class A and college teams. The 91st Ohio House of Representatives honored the Waterloo Wonders with a resolution following their second Class B State Championship win. The Wonders, known for their colorful passing show, entertained fans with their scoring ability, defense, trick passes, and hardwood antics. Hailing from a small village with a school male enrollment of only 26, the Waterloo Wonders were considered one of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled on the Ohio high school athletic scene. After high school, four of the Wonder Five played professionally as the Waterloo Wonders, ranking among the best basketball squads in the country.