Although geographically closer to the northeast, Ohio is the easternmost state of the U.S. region known as the Midwest.  I visited Ohio decades ago when I worked with newspapers around the country.  The experience did not top my favorites list. Maybe it was the time of year, or the newspaper staff, or the location, but whatever it was, I left there thinking I should give their state travel board the new slogan I had coined for them: “Ohio.  So?”  That was until a few months ago.

 Wes and I had planned a long weekend trip down to Biloxi, Mississippi to see comedian Bill Engvall perform on his final tour.  A family wedding required us to change that to another date/location, so we chose somewhere we had never visited–Lorain, Ohio.  I was excited about giving Ohio another try, and even more excited about visiting the Amish community of Holmes County.  Our friends Gregg and Nancy Jolly decided to join in, and we had a fabulous time.

 Because we only had a long weekend, we flew into Cleveland, rented a vehicle, and made the 30-mile drive west to the town of Lorain where we were staying. Lorain is located on the beautiful shore of Lake Erie.  It is known as “The International City,” because it is home to more than 70 different nationalities. Lorain is also sometimes referred to as “Steel City” because of its well-known steel mill, but I will always remember it as the home of the historic Lorain Palace Theatre.  The Palace was the venue where Engvall performed, and we loved seeing this antique gem. Opened in 1928, the Palace was the first motion picture theater in Ohio to show a talking motion picture.  It also still has its original Wurlitzer theatre organ, one of four remaining in Ohio.

 Two hours south of Lorain is Holmes County, Ohio, home to one of the largest Amish communities in the United States. Making up approximately half the population of Holmes County, an estimated 38,000 children and adults make this the highest concentration of Amish in any U.S. county and second in the world–only the Lancaster County settlement in Pennsylvania (spanning multiple counties) has more.

 About halfway to our destination, we drove through Chatham Township.  A community of about 2,400, Chatham is home to the Chatham General Store, founded in 1854.  We passed by, and because I was driving, we turned around to check out this historic gem. The building actually dates back to 1834 but has been a general store since 1854.  Signs on the porch for maple syrup and hunting gear evidenced this was an authentic general store.  Stepping onto the original, worn wood floors was like taking a step back in time.  From the vintage 1869 cash register to the local goods room featuring honey, soaps, artwork, and more, the store offers almost anything and everything.  We followed the smell of fresh coffee and baked goods to a front counter where we all found a little something for a snack. My selection was a couple of chocolate dipped graham crackers, but the mistake I made was not tasting them until we were in the car. Oh my! They were the best I had ever had!

 The Holmes County Amish communities are Millersburg (the largest), Walnut Creek, Berlin, Charm, and Sugarcreek.  We decided to spend the day in Berlin (pronounced Ber’lin), and as we made our way down the back roads, we took in the beautiful countryside and meandered our way past farm after farm.  Since Gregg is a retired agriculture teacher, he was in his element and able to answer some of the questions we had as we passed.

 When we arrived in Berlin, population 1,447 in the 2020 census, we drove around the little community to get an overview. We saw streets lined with craft stores, gift shops, antique malls, flea markets, theaters, bakeries, fabric stores, ice cream parlors, vintage clothing stores, and knew we were in for a fun day.   After getting the “lay of the land,” we decided it was time for lunch and headed to the Der Dutchman Restaurant a few miles down the road in Walnut Creek.  Situated on top of a hill overlooking the valley and beautiful farms, this alone was worth the trip. Known for their Amish Farm chicken, “always real” mashed potatoes, fresh salad bar and buffet, not to mention desserts, this restaurant is a favorite among tourists and locals alike.  We stopped in at the bakery next door to pick up a few souvenirs to take home…namely their Amish Peanut Butter spread, which is a delectable concoction of peanut butter and marshmallow crème.  Gregg is now addicted to their blueberry cream cheese fried pies and is currently in “talks” with them regarding shipments to Texas.  A couple of other unique food places we discovered were Coblentz Chocolate Company (they DO ship to Texas), and The Cracklin’ Pig.  Coblentz, a family-owned and operated business founded 35 years ago, makes delectable handmade chocolate confections.

The highlight of the trip was our visit to the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center.  The Center is the home to Behalt, a 10-foot-high by 265-foot-long oil on canvas circular mural painting illustrating the heritage of the Amish and Mennonite people.  The mural and the presentation that goes along with it highlight the history of the Anabaptist people from their beginnings in Zurich, Switzerland, to the present day.  Behalt means “to keep” or “remember.”  The mural is an inexpensive, but incredibly creative history lesson of the culture. It was an amazing work of art as well as a sobering reminder of the persecutions some have endured for their faith.  The Center also houses a museum, which is free of charge.  Featuring Amish apparel, artifacts, exhibits and rare books, the museum addresses and answers some of the most commonly asked questions about the Amish and Mennonite way of life.  Unfortunately, the Center was closing before we were able to see everything.  Maybe on the next trip we will get a chance to explore the One-Room School and Pioneer Barn!

 One of the most interesting things I picked up at the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center was a newspaper called The Diary of the Old Order Churches.  I didn’t know exactly what it was, but, probably because of my work, I tend to pick up any free publications around.  This publication is a contribution of work from Old Order church members all over the United States.  The goal of the publication is to “collect and preserve the historical virtues of the church.”  In its pages are listings of births, marriages, obituaries, and news of the individual church districts.  There are also some puzzles and poems submitted by readers (see this month’s Creative Corner for a poem from The Diary).  In spite of the fact this is a black and white publication with no photos and LOTS of words, I finally realized why I was so fascinated by it. It is a publication that shares community much like we do at Postcards.  While our community is closely geographic, their community is spread across the U.S., but because of this publication, I understood it a little better.

 As we left our day in Berlin, I reflected on the range of sights we had seen.  From the simplicity and solitude of farmhouses in Holmes County to the vibrant city of Cleveland–home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Progressive Field, and First Energy Field where major league baseball and NFL football teams play, Ohio offers much more than I first experienced.  I would look forward to the next trip…but only after another stop at the Chatham General Store.  Those chocolate graham crackers are calling our name.