LEBANON — The Auglaize County Historical Society announces that the destination for its Sept. 27 bus trip will be Lebanon and Warren County in southwest Ohio.
The itinerary for the day includes a stop at Fort Ancient. The most spectacular and well-preserved of the Hopewell-era hilltop enclosures, Fort Ancient encloses over 100 acres high above a narrow gorge of the Little Miami River.
Here, Hopewell era builders moved massive amounts of earth to create complex and monumental spatial effects. Early settlers, astonished by the place, decided it must be a fort. Yet no fort ever had 67 gateway openings or a moat on the inside.
Today Fort Ancient and other hilltop enclosures like it are thought to have been places of special ceremony, their elevation perhaps signaling their relationship to the sky. The excellent museum and visitors center provides an overview of the site and Ohio’s Indian cultures through the time of European contact. A garden and reconstructed Hopewell era house help visitors envision everyday life for the earthwork builders.
A step-on guide will then join the group to reveal more about Warren County.
After a half-hour tour, the bus heads to The Golden Lamb for lunch. When Jonas Seaman traveled from New Jersey to Ohio in 1803 and spent $4 for a license to operate a “house of Public Entertainment” on Broadway in the newly-founded village of Lebanon, he could never have imagined that more than 200 years later his establishment would still be offering food and lodging for travelers.
Seaman’s establishment got its name from the sign hung outside the business – an image of a golden lamb. At the time, it was not uncommon for a business to be associated with symbols as many were unable to read. Since 1803, the Golden Lamb has been a community gathering place for neighbors, travelers, statesmen, presidents, families and friends. It is Ohio’s longest continually operated business.
After lunch tripgoers will hop on board the Lebanon Mason & Monroe Railroad to travel through the countryside of Warren County.
The group will then visit the Glendower Historic Mansion. Located on a hill overlooking downtown Lebanon, Glendower is one of the finest examples of residential Greek Revival architecture in Ohio. This home was constructed in 1845 and given the name “Glendower” by its original owner, John Milton Williams, to honor the Welsh prince and hero Owen Glendower.
The end-of-day stop is the Village Ice Cream Parlor, located in the heart of historic Lebanon. The parlor has even appeared in the movies Harper Valley, PTA, and Milk Money. The cost for the trip is $88 for county historical society members, and $98 for non-members.
The group will depart from Wapakoneta at 7 a.m., and return at approximately 8:30 p.m.
Those who wish to obtain more information or who would like a registration form should contact the Auglaize County Historical Society at [email protected] or 419-738-9328. The form is also available on the society’s Facebook page.
Founded in 1963, the Auglaize County Historical Society collects, preserves, interprets, and shares the history of Auglaize County, enriching lives by connecting people and communities to the past and to each other.
