An excursion along Route 83 through Medina, Wayne and Holmes counties is a tour of Americana, a slice of life embodying the spirit of the nation itself in its energetic farmers, its bold entrepreneurs, its monuments to experience and faith, and its historical treasures. From sightseeing to shopping, Route 83presents a gift to those who pass by - the fruit of the country's labors displayed in its villages, its metropolises and its vast farmlands, all of which touch the boundaries of this scenic highway.
A drive down Route 83 from Wooster through Millersburg offers the tourist a look at layered hillsides of farmland that change with the seasons, an exploration of wetlands, and an opportunity to sample the wares of cottage industries that are expanding into thriving enterprises.
At the edge of Holmes County is a wetlands area maintained by the Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, which is part of the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area not only permits public hunting and fishing, but gives tourists a topographical experience beyond forest and pasture land, which exist in abundance along Route 83.
Near the wildlife area is a landmark typifying the American spirit and its dedication to preserving freedom: American Legion Melvin McClure Post 55 in Holmesville. That dedication is symbolized by the post's Army tank, a familiar sight to a traveler of this highway.
The Amish Trading Co., located north of Millersburg's commercial district, is an example of America's pride in workmanship and industry. Situated in a hillside with a backdrop of towering pines, the Trading Co. features oak and cherry furniture - curio cabinets, hutches, dining room sets, deacon benches, roll-top desks, entertainment centers and more - hand-made by Amish craftsmen. Tables are constructed with gear tracks for easy opening and closing, while table leaves are equipped with locking mechanisms and table legs have leveling adjusters. Furniture finishers can match any stain. The Amish Trading Co.'s cedar chests are shipped all over the world as wedding, house-warming and graduation gifts.
The showroom itself exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit, as its owners have worked hard to transform it from a pole barn without heat and air conditioning to a showplace not only for furniture, but a variety of figurines and gift items, including a Classic Pooh collection.
Although it is not for sale, a lighted grapevine and honeysuckle bower wreath gracing the ceiling above the customer service desk is likely to become a new craft and gift sensation.
Located in Holmesville, just off of Route 83 on Township Road 562, Jake's Handcrafted Oak is another stop for Amish-crafted furniture. It, too, features a wide selection of dining room furniture, entertainment centers and roll-top desks, along with bedroom furniture, pie safes, curios and many other unique hardwood furniture items designed for every room in the house.
Quirk's Art Gallery, located inside Baker Ridge Glass Co. in downtown Millersburg, is a cottage industry turned into a commercial studio and shop. Operated by Lynn Craft - who said her name destined her for some kind of artistic endeavor - the shop is the most non-Amish place in Amish Country. Still, her work in stained glass demonstrates the same careful workmanship for which the area Amish are respected.
According to Craft, the big era for the art of stained glass was the late 1800s.
Now it is coming back into vogue, she said.
Stained-glass pieces - especially windows - crafted during the 19th century are in need of releading, sparking what Craft called a resurgence in restoration.
Craft, who can be observed practicing her art in her public studio, primarily works on custom-designed windows.
Some designs come from pattern books, she said. A lot of them we do ourselves.
Craft, who has put at least 400 hours into a fish design window for competition, learned from Dorothy Kallenberg, a retired Winesburg craftsperson who was one of the leaders in the field of stained glass.
Most people start making (stained-glass pieces) for friends and family and it snowballs, Craft said.
Craft also makes cool, fabulous cabinet doors; teaches evening art classes; and constructs decorative stepping stones from scrap glass.
Baker Ridge Glass Co. also features unique jewelry, paintings, wood turning (one piece of wood carved inside and out), pottery and cullets (remelted glass in suspended form).
Given the area's long history and tradition, antique establishments understandably dot the landscape along Route 83, with the Antique Emporium, located in nearly adjacent locations at 113 and 155 W. Jackson St. in downtown Millersburg, one of the biggest. Victorian and country furniture, glassware and china, books, toys, jewelry, bottles and a treasure trove of collectibles can be found in both shops.
All along Route 83 a blend of old and new is evident, from the century-old Holmes County Home to the modern Sunset View nursing home, from offices in older homes to the new Millersburg medical facility, from massive old barns to up-to-date ranches, and from century-old pioneer homes to recent housing developments.
Even the Antique Emporium exhibits the trend, as newer collectibles, such as Boyd's Bears and candles, smoothly coexist with the remainder of the stores' much older inventory. In April, Antique Emporium will open a craft mall, offering primitives to correspond with the antiques. Tin pieces and baskets will be among the featured items.
Millersburg is home to a number of must-see historical sites. One of the most well-known is the Holmes County Historical Society's Victorian House, located at 484 Wooster Road (Route 83). Open Tuesday through Sunday from May through October, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been featured in Victorian Homes magazine. Built by Cleveland industrialist L.H. Brightman in 1900, it was restored in 1972.
The Queen Anne-style mansion is highlighted by a white oak staircase with 78 hand-turned spindles and carved acorn finials imported from Europe and four imposing fireplaces featuring tiles from England and cast-iron interiors, each one different from the other. The 28 rooms are furnished with antiques donated by area residents.
Several rooms of the home are furnished to acquaint visitors with turn-of-the-century law and medical offices, Civil War memorabilia, Victorian apparel, children's toys and musical instruments.
Tourists can experience Victorian life firsthand as guests at the White House Bed and Breakfast on Washington Street in Millersburg, a structure built in 1883. The Hotel Millersburg, which was built in 1847, continues to provide fine dining, lodging and entertainment.
The Holmes County Courthouse, a massive 19th-century building dominating the square in Millersburg, is worth visiting even without official business. Its antique furniture, staircases and dome take visitors back to a more formal and elaborately decorative place in time. In the foyer is a statue of the Goddess of Justice, blindfolded and balancing the scales of judgment.
On the Courthouse grounds is an equally impressive veteran's memorial that honors men who gave their lives in service of their country during the Revolutionary War, the War of Rebellion, the war with Mexico and the War of 1812.
Adjacent to the Courthouse is the Old Jail, which has been renovated as an office building. The Courthouse itself is undergoing professional restoration.
Seeking refreshment in Millersburg leads visitors to two spots where locals hang out, one of which is Birdies Family Restaurant, located three blocks west of the square and renowned for broasted chicken dinners, sandwiches, soups and pies. Unlike many Holmes County establishments, it is open seven days a week. Individuals with room for dessert often head over to The Grocery Bag on nearby Clay Street, which is the home of large, hand-dipped cones. Practically no one leaves Millersburg at any time of the year without sampling one.
Golf enthusiasts can take advantage of a new 200-acre course five miles south of Millersburg and adjacent to Lake Buckhorn. A driving range is scheduled to open in April, with the first nine holes to open May 28 and the last nine to open in mid-September.
Owner Bud Eppley said the golf course has been structured to follow the natural lay of the land, preserving both trees and wetlands. With 22 to 23 acres of ponds and lakes, bent grass fairways, four sets of tees and two clubhouses, it is scheduled to be featured in Golf Digest this fall.
We've been trying to take our time and do it right, Eppley said. It's a real pretty golf course.
At the hub of Route 83 going south to Millersburg and north to Medina County is the metropolis of Wooster, the county seat of Wayne County and a trip in and of itself. On what is known as Madison Hill, across from the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, is Birds of a Feather.
Birds of a Feather advertises itself as a place where gifts, antiques and collectibles flock together for the feathering of one's own nest. That nest would have to be pretty large to contain even a fraction of the items this establishment has to offer in its 7,300-square-foot showroom. It encompasses several distinct rooms, including Gifts of Distinction, Antique Market, The Terra Cotta Shed, The Toy Box, Amish Collection, Bath and Body Luxuries, and Gourmet Food Pantry. Several additional unique features are the Nest Area, a place for children of all ages to play and relax; one-of-a-kind gift wrap; custom gift baskets; in-house floral design; and mouth-watering food samplings every weekend.
Located at the north end of Wooster on Route 83 in quick succession are two unique, locally owned businesses, Sugars Variety Store and Quailcrest Farm.
Owned by Ray Carathers and Sally Sigler, Sugars, which is known for its wide variety of collectibles, is expanding into the area of lawn furniture and sculptures.
We sell lawn furniture and concrete lawn ornaments up until Christmas, Carathers said.
Quailcrest Farm, operated by the Bruch family, reopened for an extensive season March 16. The business has expanded by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1975, when Libby Bruch began planting bare-root perennials in the fall and selling them in the spring.
The Quailcrest complex now encompasses several buildings filled with herbs, perennials, flowering shrubs, eclectic gifts and unusual garden accessories. Also on the grounds are display gardens, a picnic pavilion and a restored brick building that is available for meetings. Quailcrest holds workshops and hosts seasonal events, including a garden fair and a barbecue and kite day.
Just a few miles north of Wooster, at the important juncture of Interstate 71, lies a relatively new shopping sensation, Prime Outlets at Lodi, an outlet mall featuring dozens of stores, including Nike, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Carter's, Nautica, Mikasa and Ralph Lauren.
Again, the old blends with the new on Route 83, as a village abuts Prime Outlets on both sides. South of the complex is Burbank, which is home to several antique establishments. The Burbank Variety Store features rest and refreshment the old-fashioned way, as locals enjoy chatting and visiting with one another over a cup of coffee or lunch and picking up a few grocery essentials before leaving.
Lodi, the oldest settlement in Medina County, is an example of small-town life with big-town amenities. This is reflected in its up-to-date education and research services in an old elementary school and library.
Along Route 83 from Wayne through Medina County are commercial farms demonstrating a working America that values the land and makes use of its natural resources. Lining the route are farms where cattle and alpacas graze and where industrious farmers, in addition to breeding livestock, sell mulch, compost, topsoil, fill dirt and Christmas trees. Also for sale along the way are pomeranian pug dogs and mini-lop rabbits.
The little villages of Chatham and Litchfield at the outer edge of Medina County, where it adjoins Lorain County, bring the visitor back to the traditions of the American small town, symbolized by its church steeples, its brick country schoolhouses and its general stores.
Linda Hall is a Wooster-based freelance writer. In addition to Amish Heartland, her work has appeared in Ohio Family, the North Central Business Journal and the Orrville, Ashland and Barberton community guides. (April 1999 Edition)