There is so much history in Logan County. For anyone who love history knows about historical markers. We have about 50 historical markers just in Logan County! I recently set out with the goal to find all of these markers. I found it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. However we have found about 36 of the markers and have pictures of almost all 50 of them. I really do encourage you to go out and try to find them yourself and we are working on a geotagged map currently so hopefully it will be easier in the future. However if you can’t get out and see all of them we do have the descriptions of each one below!

ZANE-KENTON MEMORIAL--Route 5 at south edge of Zanesfield. The people of Zanesfield placed the first historical marker in Logan County when they unveiled the Isaac Zane-Simon Kenton Memorial on September 8, 1914. The monument is a 60 ton boulder that the people moved from Bristol Ridge near Zanesfield, and then placed bronze plaques on the rock honoring Zane and Kenton. The Isaac Zane plaque reads: In memory of Isaac Zane, the White Eagle of the Wyandots. Born in Berkley County, Virginia in 1753. Died at Zanesfield in 1816, aged 63 years. Captured by the Wyandot Indians in 1762 and carried to the valley of the Mad River. He grew to manhood among the Indians and married the daughter of Chief Tarhe. He was the first settler in the Mad River valley by nearly half of a century. His fort and cabin were the center of a new civilization and the town was named in his honor. His labors and influence for peace in behalf of the whites, and his service for his country was recognized and rewarded by the government. The captivity of the young Virginian and his union with the daughter of the Wyandots proved to be a blessing of the settlers of the valleys of the Mad River, the Miami and the great Northwest. 1753-1816.

The Simon Kenton plaque reads: In memory of Gen. Simon Kenton, born in Culpepper County, Virginia in 1755 and died in 1836, aged 81 years. Left his native county in early youth for a frontier life in the great Northwest. Captured by the Indians in 1778 and brought to Wapatomica, a Shawnee village near Zanesfield, where he was compelled to run the gauntlet, and later sentenced to death by burning at the stake, from which fate he was rescued by the intercession of his old friend, Simon Girty. He served his country on the frontier as a spy, scout, and soldier during the Revolutionary War and in many Indian conflicts. Elected Brigadier General of the Militia and did valuable service in the War of 1812. Settled in Zanesfield early in the 19th century, later moved to his farm three miles north, where he died, beloved by all who knew him. 1755-1836.

SLOAN LIBRARY--2817 Sandusky St., Zanesfield. Dr. Earl S. Sloan built a memorial in his own name that will perpetuate it long after it would have been forgotten, and gave it to the readers of Logan County. The beautiful Sloan Library (1914) stands in his hometown of Zanesfield as a fitting memorial to his liberal good will in the permanent welfare of his native community.

WORLD WAR I MEMORIAL--In 1919 the American Legion Auxiliary of Herold Kerr Post #173 erected a granite boulder with a bronze plaque on the northwest corner of the old Carnegie Library’s lawn in Bellefontaine (corner of Main St. and Sandusky St.). The plaque reads: To honor those of Bellefontaine, Ohio who answered their country’s call and gave their services for the great Cause of Liberty. 1917-1919.

PICKRELLTOWN WAR MEMORIAL was erected in their town square in 1921. The text reads: In memory of all Monroe Township in service, World War, 1917-1919. H.F. Bushong. Died in France, October 28, 1918, and Forest E. Dubbs, killed in Battle of France, June 9, 1918.

BLUE JACKET HOMESITE--In 1928 the Daughters of the American Revolution placed a small bronze plate on granite boulder along S. Detroit St. in honor of Chief Blue Jacket. It reads: This marks the site of the home of Blue Jacket, celebrated chief of the Shawnee Indians.

BLUE JACKET TOWN--The Revolutionary Trails Memorial Assoc. erected a sign on the northwest corner of the Courthouse lawn commemorating Blue Jacket. It reads: Here lived the famous Shawnee Chief who led the “Seven Nations” in their defeat at Fallen Timbers. He later was prominent in the making of the famous Treaty of Greenville.

WAPATOMICA--A sign at the junctions of roads 5 & 29, south of Zanesfield, reads: The site of the Shawnee village Wapatomica. Destroyed in 1786 by Gen. Logan. The home of Black Hoof. Simon Kenton ran the gauntlet here in 1778. General Council of Seven Indian Nations was held here in 1782.

**Please note that Wapatomica is state owned and there is no trespassing.
MACKACHACK TOWN--A sign located at the intersection of roads 47 & 245, near the entrance of Castle Mac-A-Cheek, reads: Nearby stood the Shawnee village of Mackachack or Mac-A-Cheek. This village was the first of the Shawnee towns to be attacked by Gen. Benjamin Logan’s mounted Kentucky militia in the fall of 1786. In all, the American forces destroyed eight Shawnee towns in the Mac-O-Chee Valley. Simon Kenton was forced to run one of his nine gauntlets at Mackachack while a captive of the Shawnee in 1778.

KENTON’S FARM-- At the junctions of roads 2, 5, & 25 stood a roadside marker pointing towards Simon Kenton’s Farm. The sign read: Two miles north was the last home and farm of the famous pioneer, scout, and soldier, Simon Kenton. Here, after his long and active life in the interests of civilizations, he died in 1836. The sign is broken and no longer at this location.

ORIGINAL BURIAL PLACE OF SIMON KENTON--Kenton’s original burial place is up over the hills of roads 5 & 533 about a quarter of a mile north after crossing road 540 on a hilltop east of 533. The inscription on the stone reads: The original burial place of General Simon Kenton. Born in Virginia 1753. Died April 29, 1836.

**Please note that the original burial place is on private property.
CORNER STONE OF KENTON’S HOUSE--Nearby the burial site is a corner stone with the inscription: The corner stone of the house in which General Simon Kenton died April 29, 1836. Do Not Remove.

ZANESFIELD--The Revolutionary Commission placed a sign in 1930, along road 5 in Zanesfield, at the Sloan Library lawn. The sign reads: Zanesfield, site of three blockhouses, Robert Robitaille Trading Post built in 1793, the English fort by Co. Logan in 1786, and the graves of Isaac Zane and his wife Myeerah, daughter of Chief Tarhee.

FIRST CONCRETE STREET--In 1941, the Bellefontaine Junior Chamber of Commerce erected a monument on the north side of the Courthouse lawn that reads: This is the first Portland Cement Concrete street built in the United States. Constructed in 1891. Here started the better roads improvement, which has given our citizens from coast to coast swift and sure transportation. 1891-1941.

KITTY HAWK PYLON--In 1948 a replica of the Kitty Hawk pylon was erected on the Tanger Airport grounds about 100 feet from Columbus Ave. The pylons are now at the Bellefontaine Airport on N. 68. The senior Boy Scouts of Bellefontaine, who were organized as an Air Scout Squadron, dedicated it with a large public ceremony. Its three sides bear bronze plaques. One reads: Pylon dedicated by Bellefontaine Air Squadron Number 2, August 1, 1948 on the 36th anniversary of the first airplane flight made from this field. Another says: In recognition of Clarence H. Wissler, pioneer designer, and builder of airplanes since 1909. The third states: In recognition of Laurence Rausenberger, pioneer designer, builder of airplane engines. First flight from this field August 1, 1912.

FIRST PERMANENT SUNDAY SCHOOL--The South Union Mennonite Church erected a sign along U.S. 68 between Bellefontaine and West Liberty. The sign reads: The first permanent Sunday School in the Old Mennonite Church, founded by the authority of the church, was organized in the Amish Mennonite Church, now South Union Church, one and seven tenths miles northwest of this location, June 7, 1863 by Preacher David Plank, assisted by Bishop Jacob C. Kenagy with the counsel of the congregation. Erected October 13, 1963. 

LEWIS COUNCIL HOUSE--Erected by the Logan County Historical Society in 1947, this marker is located on Road 91 at the southeast edge of Lewistown. It reads: COUNCIL HOUSE. A few feet south stood the log Council House. Captain John Lewis, Shawnee Chief, for whom the village was named, lived 800 feet southeast with Polly Keyser, his captive wife drudge. The other side reads: COUNCIL HOUSE. The Maumee Rapids Treaty of September 29, 1817 granted the Shawnee and Seneca Indians a reservation of 40,300 acres surrounding this point. Here they lived until removed to the West in 1832.

SOLOMON TOWN--The Logan County Historical Society erected this sign along St. Rt. 39 between Cherokee and New Richland in 1947. The sign reads: SOLOMON TOWN. Its log huts were used by early settlers after the Indians moved North. Annual muster of Militia was held here for many years. John Stewart’s visit here in 1818 resulted in the Methodist taking over the Sandusky Mission. The other side reads: SOLOMON TOWN. Named for Wyandot Chief. Once home to Chief Tarhe. During the American Revolution was headquarters of renegade Simon Girty who brought Simon Kenton here after saving his life in 1778. Hull camped here in 1812.

DARBY CREEK--The Logan County Historical Society erected this sign along road 152 one mile north of Middleburg in 1947. One side reads: DARBY CREEK. First meeting house and graveyard in the county. Promoted by Job Sharp, first settler and Thomas Antrim, preacher. Quaker and Methodists alternated meeting until 1813 when the first Methodist Church was built two miles south. The other side reads: DARBY CREEK. Built in 1807 by Quakers after home meetings in 1804-1806. First overseer was Joshua Ballinger 1809. Granted a monthly meeting in 1811, which continued until Goshen became the head of the local Friends Societies in 1824.

MANARY HOUSE--The Logan County Historical Society placed this marker along route 117 north of Bellefontaine in 1947. It reads: MANARY HOUSE. On Hull’s Trail 400 yards west a stockade built in 1812 by James Manary for Ranger troops defending the frontier along the Greenville Treaty Line. Storage base for army and refuge for settlers in War of 1812. 

GUNN’S TAVERN/TRADING POST--This sign is located at the intersection of roads 1 (Ludlow Road) and 29 southeast of Bellefontaine. The Logan County Historical Society first erected this sign in 1947, but had to replace it in 1998 due to vandalism.  The sign reads: GUNN’S TAVERN, 5oo yards west. About 1797, John Gunn, a land agent from Canada, came to the head of McKees Creek to start a town. His two story log house, licensed as a tavern n 1805, became the county’s first hotel. Note that sign mistakenly says “country’s”. The other side reads: TRADING POST, 500 yards west. In 1793, Robert Robitaille established a trading post at Zanetown. He moved to Gunn’s Tavern in 1800 where he was buried. His wife, daughter of Myeerah Zane, was an Indian Princess. 

McKEE’S TOWN— First erected in 1947, and later replaced in 1996, this Logan County Historical Society sign is located on the southern edge of Bellefontaine on U.S. 68. The sign reads: McKEE’S TOWN, 500 yards east. A British-Indian Outpost was established in 1778 by the Tory, Alexander McKee, for trade with the Shawnees. It was destroyed by Logan’s Army in 1786, re-built, and used as a trading post for many years.

GREENVILLE TREATY LINE/INDIAN BOUNDARY--The Logan County Historical Society placed a marker along road 59 just west of road 23 in western Logan County, and a second on the eastern edge of the county along road 26 just east of road 124. Both signs read: Entering Logan County over the Greenville Treaty Line. Ohio lands east and south of this line were opened for U.S. settlement by Gen. Wayne’s defeat of Indian tribes under Chief Blue Jacket at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, August 1794. The other side reads: INDIAN BOUNARY. The treaty signed by Gen. Wayne and the chiefs of eleven Indian nations at Greenville, Ohio, established this line in 1795. Blue Jacket, Black Hoof, Reed, Tarhee and Buckongehelas had villages in present Logan County.

GENEVA COLLEGE--In 1948, the Logan County Historical Society placed a bronze plate on a boulder along route 638 at the edge of Northwood. The plate reads: Geneva College established here in 1848 by Dr. J.B. Johnston. Moved to Beaver Falls, PA in 1879.

SHAWNEE VILLAGE OLD TOWN/CURRY BLOCKHOUSE--The Logan County Historical Society erected this marker along Twp. Rd. 63 just north of Stony Creek in 1948, but vandals have since wrecked it. The sign read: SHAWNEE VILLAGE OLD TOWN, ¼ mile north of Stony Creek. Here the Indian uprising of 1806 under Tecumseh was averted by Simon Kenton’s arrival with ultimatum, “If you want to fight, we are ready.” The other side said: CURRY BLOCKHOUSE. Built by Hiram Curry for protection of the border settlers following the surrender of Gen. Hull in the War of 1812, it stood on the north bank of Stony Creek, opposite the Indian Village of Old Town. 

ZANE GRAVESITE/SITE OF FORT WAPATOMICA--Erected by the Logan County Historical Society in 1949 on the south edge of Zanesfield, about 100 feet east of route 5, the front plate reads: ZANE GRAVESITE. This monument erected in memory of Isaac Zane, White Eagle of the Wyandots, and his Indian wife, Princess Myeerah, who devoted their lives to bring peace and good will between the white and red races. The rear plate reads: SITE OF FORT WAPATOMICA. During the Revolution the Wyandot village here became a British war base called Wapatomica. Invasions against Bryant Station, Kentucky and Fort Henry of Wheeling, W. Virginia were planned and started from here. Fort erected in 1786 by Col. Logan, for whom the county is named

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD --The Logan County Historical Society erected this sign along road 28 just north of Pickrelltown. It says: UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. A name was given to a manner of piloting Negro slaves to freedom. Pilots of this area were largely Quakers, the most active were the Pickerals, Paxtons, and Williams. The other side says: UNDERGROUND RAILROAD STATION. At this point during slavery days, Henry Pickrell, Quaker, built his home with secret entrances to some rooms. These were used as havens of refuge for slaves enroute to freedom in the North. Sign was missing for many years. In 2019 Curtis Myers worked with LCHS (with financial support of the Historical Fund established by the Logan County Bicentennial Committee and the Logan Hills Festival Committee) along with support and guidance from the Friends of Freedom Society to erect a new marker on the same site honoring the Pickrells and the Underground Railroad. The marker was an Eagle Scout project for Curtis. Text reads: PICKRELL UGRR STATION – The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 increased the punishment for abolitionists and rewards to those whom facilitated their capture and return to owners. The led to the routes to the East and West being more difficult to navigate from Columbus and Cincinnati to Lake Erie Stations. Thus, often “middle” routes were established to help evade pursuers. This entire community and specifically Henry and his son Mahlon Pickrell acted as conductors and station operators in keeping with the Quaker mission: “For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit.” CURTIS MYERS T121 EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT – LOGAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY LOGAN HILLS FESTIVAL-LOGAN COUNTY BICENTENNIAL COMMITTEE. Other Side reads: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD – The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad, but a system of loosely connected safe havens where those escaping the brutal conditions of slavery were sheltered, fed, clothed, nursed, concealed, disguised, and instructed during their journey to freedom. Although this movement was one of America’s greatest social, moral, and humanitarian endeavors, the details about it were often cloaked in secrecy to protect those involved from the retribution of civil law and slave catchers. Ohio’s history has been permanently shaped by the thousands of runaway slaves passing through or finding permanent residence in this state. MARKER SPONSORED BY THE FRIENDS OF FREEDOM SOCIETY, INC.

CHEROKEE--The Logan County Historical Society placed a marker on the east edge of Huntsville at the junction of roads 39 and 274. One sign reads: CHEROKEE. Location of the county’s most thriving early village. Surveyed 1832 on lands of Robert Edminson, Dr. S.A. Morton, and Alexander Thompson. Following the building of the N.Y. Central Railway and the founding of Huntsville in 1846, it began to decline. 

NANCY STEWART SECTION/GREENVILLE TREATY LINE--The Logan County Historical Society placed a sign at the intersection of roads 69 & 215, east of the Bloom Center Bridge. One side says: NANCY STEWART SECTION. Land granted Nancy Stewart and Margaret Moore, her mother, the wife of Blue Jacket. Shawnee Chiefs Black Hoof, Wolfe, Butler, Snake, and Pow-aussay living at Wapak-oneta, and Captain Lewis and Panatha at Old Town signed this grant, 1813. The other side reads: GREENVILLE TREATY LINE. North of this line 640 acres of land was given to Nancy Stewart, daughter of Chief Blue Jacket by Shawnee Chiefs in council at Wapak-oneta, May 22, 1813. Approved in treaty of 1818 by the United States Government. 

LUDLOW LINE/LUDLOW ROAD--The Logan County Historical Society erected a sign on C.R. 1, north of Ohio Caverns, in 1949. The marker reads: LUDLOW LINE. A line surveyed by Israel Ludlow 1804. This line and Little Miami River on the west, paralleling the Scioto on the east, enclosed the Virginia Military survey; lands held by Virginia for her Revolutionary soldiers. The other side says: THE LUDLOW ROAD. You are entering Logan County over a road built after a strip of timber 40 feet wide had been cut to establish a line between the headwaters of the Little Miami and the source of the Scioto River.

GARWOODS MILL SITE/HOME OF JOHN GARWOOD--The Logan County Historical Society placed a marker along road 152 at the east edge of East Liberty in 1952, but was later knocked down and placed in the lawn of the East Liberty’s library. The sign reads: GARWOODS  MILL SITE. East 50 yards stood a mill built in 1808 by John Garwood. During pioneer days this mill was the most important center in this part of Ohio. First post office established there was known as Garwoods Mills. The other side reads: HOME OF JOHN GARWOOD. In 1805 the John Garwood family of thirteen children located their home near this spot. Their activities here were responsible for the town of East Liberty. The village laid out in 1834. Post Office renamed in 1836.

HULL’S TRACE/MOLUNTHA--The Logan County Historical Society placed a sign along St. Rt. 68 in West Liberty in 1952. One side reads: HULL’S TRACE. A trail over which General Hull’s army marched to Detroit in 1812. At this point a company of scouts, recruited by Captain Wm. McColloch of Zanetown joined Hull’s army. The other side reads: MOLUNTHA. Chief Moluntha, Grand Sachem of the Shawnees lived near this place. His wife, the Grenadier Squaw, was a sister of Chief Cornstalk. In 1786 Col. Logan destroyed the town, and Moluntha was murdered by one of the soldiers.

FIRST CHURCH AND SCHOOL IN RUSHCREEK TWP/QUAKER MEETING PLACE--This sign is northeast of Bellefontaine along road 9, about halfway between 47 and 25. One side says: SITE OF FIRST CHURCH AND SCHOOL IN RUSHCREEK TWP. This Friends Meeting House was also used for a school for Quaker children. Later it became the first public school in the township. The other side says:  QUAKER MEETING PLACE. This cemetery marks the location of a Quaker meeting house built before 1820. Wm. Reames, a Revolutionary soldier and Thomas Stanfield were promoters and members of the Society.

SENECA COUNCIL HOUSE/INDIAN RESERVATION--The Logan County Historical Society set this marker in 1952 on the east side of road 54, southeast of Santa Fe. One side reads: SENECA COUNCIL HOUSE. Near this spot on the east bank of Much-I-nippi Creek stood a council house of the Senecas, being a log structure 20 x 40 feet, without windows, floor or chimney. Later it became the Reservation Council House. The other side says: INDIAN RESERVATION. This reservation of 40,500 acres was set aside for the Indians by the U.S. Government. Following the treaty with the Indians in 1817 Seneca and Shawnee tribesmen occupied the land until they were moved to the West in 1832.

PIGEON TOWN/SHAWNEE VILLAGE SITE--This marker, erected in1952 and later replaced, stands along road 30 east of DeGraff. One side reads: PIGEON TOWN. This town was established after the destruction of the Machachack towns in Dunmore’s War in 1774. It was named after a wild pigeon roost nearby. Colonel Logan’s army destroyed in 1786. The other side reads: SHAWNEE VILLAGE SITE. The Shawnees were a five-division nation which included 17 gens. At an early date they allied themselves with the British. General Wayne defeated them at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.

MYEERAH TRAIL/HISTORIC LOGAN COUNTY--Co. Rd. 10 has duplicate markers. One is on the east edge of Bellefontaine and the other on the west edge of Zanesfield. The signs read on one side: MYEERAH TRAIL.. Former Indian trail connected Blue Jacket’s Town (site of Bellefontaine) and Zanetown (now Zanesfield). The highway was named by the county commissioners in honor of Princess Myeerah, daughter of Chief Tarhee and wife of Isaac Zane, the White Eagle of the Wyandots. The other side reads: HISTORIC LOGAN COUNTY. Highest point in Ohio, site of ten Indian towns, Wap-a-tomica, Blue Jacket, Mackachack, Moluntha, Lewis, Old, Zane, Solomon, McKee and Buckon-gehelas,. Zane-Kenton Monument, Squaw Rock, Fort Wapatomica, Kenton’s Grave. Here first organized Methodist Mission Movement began in 1819.

VANCE BLOCK HOUSE--Erected in 1955, and later replaced, this marker stands along St. Rt. 47 on the eastern edge of Logansville. One side says: VANCE BLOCK HOUSE. Built during the War o f 1812 about a mile east by an independent rifle company commanded by Joseph Vance. Two 20 foot square buildings connected at the second story, and well provided portholes. Vance later became governor. The other side reads: VANCE BLOCK HOUSE. After General Hull’s defeat at Detroit, the U.S. Government sent soldiers to protect colonists from Indians favorable to the British. Block houses were built along the Greenville Treaty Line. Manary, McPherson, Curry, Zanetown, and Vance.

SECOND CHURCH/FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE--One mile east of Zanesfield at the intersection of roads 153 and 28 stands this sign. One side reads: SECOND CHURCH in the county, a double log house built about 1808 by Quakers from North Carolina. Named “Mad River” until 1819, then changed to Goshen Friends. The other side reads: FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE. Logan County’s first school house, a small log cabin was at this site for the education of Quaker Children, and replaced by brick in 1823. It became the first free Public School in the county. 

HISTORICAL HOMESITE/GENERAL SIMON KENTON--This marker is on C.R. 153 east of Zanesfield. One side reads:
HISTORIC HOMESITE. Home of Simon Kenton. Here in a 20 foot square, one door, three window log cabin the old scout lived from 1819 to1828. The home was built by his children, stood on 65 acre tract of forest land. The other side reads: GENERAL SIMON KENTON. A soldier, a scout, a guide. History places him among the strong and the brave. Pathfinder for the midwestern civilization. Fate used him as an instrument to open the door of an empire state. 

OLDEST CONCRETE STREET--This sign was erected on the Court House lawn in 1968. The sign reads: OLDEST CONCRETE STREET IN AMERICA. America’s first concrete streets were those which surrounded this court house. Concrete was first used in 1891 to provide an 8-foot strip along Main Street where horses were hitched. Two years later Court Avenue was paved with concrete made from native marl supplied by the Buckeye Cement Company, 8 miles northeast. This marker was erected in 1968 on the 75th anniversary of the paving of Court Avenue.  Logan County Historical Society. Ohio Historical Society.

JUDGE WILLIAM H. WEST--The West family erected this marker on the Court House lawn in 1998. The sign reads: JUDGE WILLIAM H. WEST (1824-1911). Judge William H. West of Bellefontaine led a distinguished career in law, public service, and politics. In 1854 West helped found the Republican Party in Ohio and six years later he participated in Abraham Lincoln’s nomination for the presidency. West served in both houses of Ohio’s General Assembly from 1857 to 1865 and was elected the state’s attorney general at the end of the Civil War. He became an Ohio Supreme Court justice in 1871 and in 1877 was his party’s nominee for governor. After losing his sight, Judge West retired from the court but continued to practice law. At the Republican Party’s convention in 1884, the “Blind Man Eloquent” nominated James G. Blaine as the G.O.P.’s presidential candidate. Defining Republicans as a party for “union, freedom, humanity and progress,” the judge’s nomination speech sparked a celebration that historian David McCullough described as “one of the most memorable events n the whole history of national political conventions.

MILLS BROTHERS--The Logan County Historical Society, the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, and the Longenberger Legacy Initiative erected this sign at the amphitheater at Southview Park in Bellefontaine in 2000. The marker was moved to Brown Park on Sandusky Ave. in Bellefontaine (next to First Christian Church) in 2008. The sign reads: THE MILLS BROTHERS. Born in Piqua, Ohio, the Mills Brothers grew up and attended school in Bellefontaine. The brothers—John Jr., Herbert, Harry, and Donald Mills—were the first African-American vocal group to perform on a national radio broadcast and achieve commercial success. Enjoying worldwide fame throughout their career, the Mills Brothers, popularized such hits as “Tiger Rag,” “Paper Doll,” and “You Always Hurt the One You Love.” After the death of John Jr., in 1936, the remaining brothers were joined by their father, John Sr. In all, the Mills Brothers recorded over 1,200 songs. 

FLATWOODS SCHOOL— The Logan County Commissioners, the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, and the Longaberger Legacy Initiative erected this sign at the Veterans Park in West Mansfield. The Flatwoods School was saved from destruction in 1999 by the efforts of teacher Kris Swisher and her Enrichment Opportunities Program students at Bellefontaine Middle School as a problem solving project. The students raised money to have the school moved to Veteran’s Park in West Mansfield and for some of the restoration. Richard & Jean Carpenter donated the building to the Logan County Historical Society. The society has restored the school building and will operate it as a living history museum for field trips and other special events.  The sign reads: FLATWOODS SCHOOL. Descendants of slaves, who may have reached Ohio through the Underground Railroad, and other African Americans, formed the community of Flatwoods in the southwest part of Bokescreek township. This one-room schoolhouse was built circa 1868 for African American children of Flatwoods and remained open until 1923. Remnants of past lessons remain inscribed on the chalkboard. The schoolhouse was threatened with demolition in 1999 and later moved to Veterans Park. The Logan County Historical Society owns and maintains the site as a living history museum.

CAMPBELL HILL, THE HIGHEST POINT IN OHIO—  The Treaty Lands Chapter Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio, the Ohio Historical Society, Ohio Bicentennial Commission, and the Longaberger Legacy Initiative erected this sign at Campbell Hill located on the campus of the Ohio Hi Point Joint Vocational School at 2280 St Rt 540. The sign reads: CAMPBELL HILL THE HIGHEST POINT IN OHIO. Campbell Hill is named for Charles D. Campbell of Bellefontaine, who owned this land from 1896 to 1937.  A marble stone marker atop the hill, set in 1900 by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, marks it as the highest point in Ohio at an elevation of 1549.09 feet.  In 1951, the federal government established the 664th Aircraft Control and Warning (AC&W) Squadron here as part of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD). Its military and civilian operators used sophisticated radar and computer equipment to locate and identify aircraft as friendly or suspicious, and relayed information to a central site in Battle Creek, Michigan. This Cold War site operated until 1969. It was converted to civilian use as a vocational education center in 1974.

THE HONORABLE WILLIAM LAWRENCE— The Lawrence family erected this marker at the site of the former Bellefontaine National Bank on the northeast corner of Main Street and Columbus Avenue in 2003. The sign reads: The Honorable William Lawrence (1819-1899) Born in Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, William Lawrence moved to Bellefontaine shortly after graduating from Cincinnati Law School in 1840. Lawrence was prosecuting attorney for Logan County (1845); a member of the Ohio Legislature (1846, 1847, 1849-51, 1854); Judge of the Common Pleas and Third District Court (1857-1864); colonel, Eighty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Voluntary Infantry, Civil War; United States Congressman (1865-1871, 1873-1877); Founder and President of Bellefontaine National Bank (1871); First Comptroller of the United States Treasury (1880-1885); and original owner of Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve, Hardin County. Judge Lawrence was instrumental in helping Clara Barton found the American Red Cross and served as the first vice president and Chairman of the Executive Board.
Descendants of William Lawrence, The Ohio Historical Society, 2003 

SANDY BEACH AMUSEMENT PARK--The Logan County Historical Society, the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, the Longaberger Legacy Initiative, and the Ohio Historical Society will erected and dedicate this sign in the summer of 2004 near the site of the park in Russells Point. The sign reads: SANDY BEACH AMUSEMENT PARK- Nicknamed “Ohio’s Million Dollar Playground” or “Atlantic City of the Midwest,” Sandy Beach Amusement Park opened here on May 29, 1924. The park at Indian Lake featured a 2,000-foot long roller coaster and other popular rides, a boardwalk, and the Minnewawa Dance Hall. The Minnewawa and its succeeding dance pavilions hosted the greatest names of the Big Band era, and thousands of people came from all over Ohio to listen and dance to these popular entertainers. Societal turmoil and rioting in the 1960s affected the popularity of the park. Diminishing crowds, plus competition from larger theme parks such as Cedar Point and Kings Island, led to the park closing in the early 1970s. The lone remnant of the park is the steel arch bridge that spans the harbor.

FREE SERVICEMEN’S CANTEEN, 1942-1946 –In 2007 the Logan County Historical Society erected an Ohio Historical Marker commemorating the WWII Free Servicemen’s Canteen that was operated the wives of local railroad workers. All the food and goods served to the soldiers were free of charge. The marker is located on West Columbus Ave. just east of the railroad tracks (please note that the actual canteen was located on the west side of the tracks) The sign reads:  Representative of the patriotic spirit of the homefront during World War II, the Big Four Route Veterans Association Women’s Auxiliary No. 3 operated a free canteen service for troops in a small white building on the platform of the New York Central Railroad. Staffed and funded entirely by volunteers, donations came from ten counties. The 170 volunteer ladies met servicemen with welcoming words, thousands of sandwiches, desserts, fruits, drinks, and cigarettes, despite federal government rationing restrictions. Approximately 702,779 soldiers, sailors, and marines were fed on their trips to and from the European and Pacific theaters of war. This was one of the few known canteens known to serve all nationalities and races. Margaret Clingerman, who started the canteen, influenced the establishment of six other canteens in Ohio.

SHAWNEE NATION IN LOGAN COUNTY – In 2009 the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma erected a marker telling the history of the Shawnee tribe in what is now Logan County. This area was the site of numerous Indian villages, including several Shawnee towns in the late1700 and early 1800s. The marker is erected at the Y-intersection of U.S. 68 and Co. Rd 189 in West Liberty. The sign reads: From the 1770s until 1832, the Logan County area was the homeland to much of the Shawnee Nation. Ten villages known as the Upper Mad River towns included the homes of influential leaders Moluntha, Black Hoof, and Blue Jacket. The West Liberty area contained three villages: Moluntha’s Town, Wapakoneta, and Mackachack. To the northeast stood Wapatomica, the Shawnee’s political center and site of several intertribal councils. To the north sat Blue Jacket’s Town, Kispoktha Town, and Reed Town. To the west were Pigeon Town and Stony Creek, site of one of Tecumseh’s first pan-Indian confederacy councils. From 1817 to 1832, many Shawnees were relocated to Indian Territory, which in 1907 became the state of Oklahoma. These Shawnees are now the Eastern Shawnee of Oklahoma. 
Side B : “Shawnee Villages in Logan County” Map of Shawnee Villages in Logan County

Railroad in Logan County/Big Four YMCA – In 2010 the Levi W. Lile and Nancy Nicholl Lile and family erected a marker on the site of the old Big Four/New York Central YMCA on corner of W. Columbus Ave. and Elm St. One side of the sign reads: THE RAILROAD IN LOGAN COUNTY – Bellefontaine was a railroad town from the 1890s to the 1950s. The city was the site of one of the largest roundhouses and repair centers on the Big Four/New York Central Lines and trains stopped here to have steam engines serviced and to switch crews.  Up to ninety freight trains and over forty passenger trains came to Bellefontaine each day.  The railroad was a major employer in Logan County.  Over two hundred employees worked at the roundhouse and shops at any one time and many others were members of train crews.  Bellefontaine’s importance as a railroad center waned in the 1960s with the increased use of diesel engines, newer technology, and other modes of transportation.  Yet, the railroad and its workers left an indelible mark on the history of Bellefontaine. The other side reads: RAILROAD YMCA – Bellefontaine’s significance as a railroad town brought many railroad workers to the area. The workers who did not live here needed a place to stay and eat while they waited for their next shifts. In 1901 the Big Four Railroad opened its first YMCA in Bellefontaine and in 1923 built a larger building at this site to house and feed its transitory employees.  The building contained forty-nine small bedrooms, a restaurant, and was a social center for railroaders.  Nearly 8,000 workers used the Railroad YMCA each year.  It was a second home for many and a symbol of Bellefontaine as a railroad town.  The building was razed in 2009.

GENERAL ROBERT PATTERSON KENNEDY- Mr. John (Jack) Chance erected this marker on the northeast corner of Chillicothe and Detroit Streets.  The marker reads:  Distinguished citizen, legislator, public servant, and historian born in Bellefontaine, January 23, 1840. A Civil War hero, he was promoted to brigadier general at only 25 years of age. Admitted to the bar in 1866, he practiced in Bellefontaine until 1878 when President Hayes appointed him Collector of Internal Revenue. He was then elected Lieutenant Governor of Ohio in 1885 then served two terms in Congress from 1887 to 1891. Following the Spanish-American War, he was appointed by President McKinley to serve as head of the Insular Commission to establish the new government of Puerto Rico. In 1903 Kennedy published Historical Review of Logan County. Kennedy started the Bellefontaine Tree Commission. Gen. Kennedy’s home was on this site and later served as the Bellefontaine City Building. General Kennedy died on May 6, 1918.  LT. COLONEL JOHN CHANCE LOGAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY THE OHIO HISTORICAL SOC
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Logan County has a large number of historical markers found within its borders. This number will continue to grow as the Logan County Historical Society, and other organizations and individuals place new markers commemorating the special people, places and events that have left indelible marks on the county’s history.    ​