Chillcothe’s annual downtown scarecrow decorating contest is underway. Of all that we saw Saturday, this one is my favorite.
It was made by the Daughters of the American Revolution to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Navy. Not only is it bright, happy and colorful, it’s a positive message and is simply well done.
If you find yourself in downtown, park your car and take a stroll to stop by some fun shops, grab a bite to eat, and soak in some of the town’s charm.
Patrons of the Carnegie Library in Chillicothe come and go every day under the watchful eye of an eagle. They read their newspapers and move through the stacks carefully choosing what next to read, perhaps without ever questioning why there’s an old metal weathervane hanging high on the wall beyond their reach.
That’s not just any old weathervane, the librarian says it’s the one that was installed over the first Ross County Courthouse in 1801. At some point, during the nation’s centennial year, it was displayed in the library on the top floor of the city building where it stayed until it was moved to above the circulation desk in the newly opened Carnegie Library in 1907.
The library has since been remodeled, the circulation desk moved and the weather vane has been moved to another wall in the original part of the library.
This weathervane is deeply intertwined in the library’s history as much as it is in the city’s history and in the state’s history as well. After all, this old eagle stood sentinel over Ohio’s first and third capital city for many years. That’s why it was exhibited at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus during the opening reception of a new Ohio Constitution display in 2018.
You have to wonder what it has seen over all these years.
There are many things in this world that once were common but that are now so rare I tend to stop and take note when I see them. Tail fins on cars, people who still play compact discs, a punch bowl at a party, and all around good manners make me look again. Another thing that tops my list is the humble payphone.
The payphone originated in the late nineteenth century, giving folks the opportunity to prepay for a call. This was handy if you were traveling or if you didn’t have a home phone and just needed to make a call. Young people may be skeptical when I say this but there was a time that a phone was a luxury rather than a right or necessity.
When I was a college student back in the nineties, I carried quarters as well as a prepaid phone card to call home from a pay phone. This went on until the day I got my first mobile phone – a giant black corded monstrosity inside a leather bag that was attached to an external antenna via about six feet of cord. It was bulky and not meant to be portable. Instead, it lived in my car, more or less turning my little Chevy Cavalier into a rolling phone booth.
As technology improved, that bag phone was traded in for a flip phone and then one with a pull out keyboard (that one was the bomb) before eventually embracing the iPhone, a decision I’ve been repeatedly told was an upgrade. I’m still not convinced about that given how intrusive it can feel.
I liked using the payphone because the upfront cost lent a certain kind of urgency to a phone call. If I had just a handful of quarters, I had an excuse to keep the conversation short. Not to mention, being tied to the wall in a public place where others might need the phone encouraged some brevity as well.
Unfortunately, the rise of mobile phone usage in America has nearly driven our faithful payphones into extinction.
Almost.
I remember when the City of New York got rid of the last of its public pay phones back in 2022. That was a small news story but one I saw as a profound marker in our society. That city was once home to more than 30,000 payphones attached to poles, inside public buildings and in phone booths across the city.
I have just one question. Where does Clark Kent change now? I mean, how does he transform into Superman on his way to fight crime and save the day if there are no phone booths?
Yet, you still see them around. You see them more in small rural towns where cell service is spotty or where the economy is such that not everyone can afford a cell phone. You also see them in neighborhoods near county courthouses and jails. After all, if you’re released from jail with only the possessions you took in, it’s possible you don’t have a working cell phone to call for a ride.
This little number pictured above is located in the vestibule of the Frisch’s Big Boy in Chillicothe, Ohio. It’s a bizarre place for a payphone given the lack of privacy and the constant risk of being smacked with an opening door.
At least it’s there.
Personally, I haven’t touched a payphone probably since college but they always make me feel nostalgic, not just for my own youth but for eras before me. When I was a young reporter at a regional newspaper, the rookie desk in the newsroom was next to a man named Roy Cross. He was elderly at the time and cherry picked the best feature stories. He had earned that right after spending a career chasing stories during the golden age of journalism.
Roy regaled me with tales of covering crime and courts as a young reporter. If there was no time to come back to the paper to write up a story after a long day sitting through a criminal court trial, calling in the story for someone to transcribe was the only choice. So he and competitors would jockey for courthouse phones and public payphones to do just that. The idea of Roy as a young man with a reporter’s notebook in hand, writing his story as he spoke it into the phone was basically the coolest thing I had ever heard. It was like something out of a black and white film like “It Happened One Night” or “His Girl Friday.”
Sentimental, maybe, but most people couldn’t do it and I loved the idea. By the way, Roy would absolutely have been played by Clark Gable.
So seeing a payphone isn’t really about the phone. It’s about the memories and about nostalgia for a time I’ll never know. And let’s be honest. Given how much I despise talking on the phone most of the time, it’s absolutely about those shorter calls!
My home is in the country. My hometown is a village just a few miles down the road but I’m about 30 minutes from Chillicothe, a small city with a commercial strip for shopping and eating as well as a charming downtown. Their downtown isn’t large but they’ve done a nice job of making it pedestrian friendly and revitalizing it as a place to spend time and money.
They have the things you would expect like gift shops, trendy women’s clothing stores and florists but they also have a number of specialty stores that are not commonly found in small cities these days. Most places are fortunate to have a bookstore OR a sewing shop but they don’t have both. I’m always surprised that their downtown business and tourism organizations don’t seem to tell that story. I think it’s worth noting so here are a few specialty businesses you might find interesting and that make their downtown different than most.
You know that my favorite place is the bookstore. Wheatberry is a small independent bookseller that packs a ton of books into a very small space while keeping it light and bright with an uncluttered air. They love readers here and are enthusiastic for every book you buy.
My second favorite store is Apollo Records, an old school music store that’s filled with new and used records of a variety of prices. My entire collection of rare Flying Burrito Brothers albums came from here and I almost always find something special.
I haven’t been in yet but Grounded Plant Bar allows patrons to pot their own arrangements. The History Store has an enormous selection of specialty military and civilian miniatures along with books, maps, prints and local history gifts. Maggie’s Farm Aromatics uses natural ingredients to make custom items like candles and body scrubs smell pretty.
Then there’s Rivers Bend Bicycle Shop, a traditional bike shop where you can buy your bikes and supplies and where they will work on your bikes too. E.M. Smith Jewelry is a high end local jeweler that’s been family owned since 1948. In addition to traditional jewelry sales, they offer repairs and even custom designs.
If you sew, Old Town Fabric Shop sells everything you need for your next project. Chillicothe Sewing Center sells and repairs sewing machines – a lost art in these ultra disposable days we live in.
If you’re artsy, Bernie and Maxx Stained Glass Studio can teach you how to make stained glass. They can also sell you supplies and even repair your stained glass pieces. They have a nice selection of locally made pieces you can just buy if you don’t wish to make your own. Plus, Nellie Dog Pottery and Paints allows you to paint your own pottery and canvas art.
There are a few antique stores including Chillicothe Antique Emporium. In addition to selling antiques from a fabulous building, they have an old fashioned soda counter where you can pause for a treat AND there are pinball machines you can play!
Next door, Globe Furniture has been selling furniture, mattresses and home decor for well over a century. They also are family owned and have a long tradition of selling quality merchandise in an era when everyone else sells prefab stuff from a box.
A music store did relocate from downtown to another part of the city. It’s pretty awesome because they sell instruments and music and even connect you with teachers for lessons. I interviewed the owner once and he talked about people buying instruments like guitars online only to learn they have to be assembled. BBB Music Center can do that for you. Better yet, just buy the instrument from them in the first place.
If you need a snack, Grandpa Joe’s Candy Store is one of the few chains you’ll find in downtown. Here you’ll be delighted by craft sodas, fudge, imported candies, and novelty games along with your favorite contemporary treats. Across the street, High Five Cakes is like stepping into a little pastel dollhouse filled with baked goods. Get a treat and sit in the window to people watch. Then go back to the counter and order a lovely little box of treats to take home.
There are a few places to eat but I’m partial to Carl’s Townhouse, a vintage diner with a counter as well as table service. Soups, burgers and homemade pies are popular items here.
Clearly, I’m not telling you about everything you’ll find in downtown Chillicothe but these are stores that you won’t find anywhere else. The fact they all exist within a few blocks of each other is uncommon and delightful. If you would like to explore Chillicothe, there’s a lot more to the area than just downtown shopping. The outdoor drama Tecumseh, museums, the historic Majestic Theater and the newest UNESCO World Heritage Site are right here! If you want to discover this place for yourself, click here for details.
Yesterday was errand day but I tried to make the best of it. While out buying groceries and looking for new work gloves, I hit a thrift store and browsed the library. There, I meandered through the non fiction, choosing the Fodor’s guide of Savannah, a Patsy Cline documentary and a Whole 30 cookbook.
Despite the mundane nature of the necessary chores, I still chose the scenic route. Here’s a view of an old tunnel that I passed through.
And a closer look at some of the graffiti.
Given how busy this country road is, I can’t imagine how anyone has the time to create graffiti art here without being caught.
Even though we sometimes have to face responsibilities, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the journey, browsing things we like and taking the scenic route. These small acts are the things that make life worthwhile.
Chillicothe, Ohio is home to a number of locally owned specialty shops. These businesses represent areas that are increasingly hard to find in mom and pop shops anywhere. There’s a terrific independent bookseller, a bike shop, a plant shop, a record store and a music store.
The fact this town has so many specialty shops is pretty rare. Most are downtown but BBB Music Center outgrew their downtown space and moved to another location. They sell instruments, music, lessons and all the other things a musician might need. I had the pleasure of interviewing the owner once so it is gratifying to see his business grow.
On the back of the store you’ll find this fun mural. It goes a long way to beautify the area and to bring a smile! I appreciate businesses that go the extra mile to improve the appearance of their corner of the world.