Thurman, Ohio today is just a few short streets next to a four lane highway. It was once someone’s booming town. Sometimes I detour through specifically to admire this old store. The window used to say Ruff’s Grocery, established 1907 but that window is clear now.
That Coca Cola sign still advertises groceries and cigarettes. Look at the trim work and picket fence. It’s charming!
It makes me wonder what these walls would say if they could talk. Generations of folks walked through those doors, picked up their mail, and bought their necessities. How many tall tales shared among the local farmers? Recipes shared? How many tots left here with pockets full of penny candy?
Oh, to be a time traveler!
County fair season is upon us and folks in rural communities take that event seriously. Many people in my region grew up in 4-H. They paid for school clothes with livestock sale proceeds and learned so many life skills that they still use today.
I was never in 4-H but think the program is amazing. That’s why I was excited to see this fair themed mural in downtown Washington Court House, Ohio Saturday.
Isn’t it wonderful?
The artist is Eric Henn whose work can be viewed here.
Hollywood legend James Dean hailed from rural Indiana. Fairmount still celebrates the legend and tells the stories of the young man behind the persona.
He was born in Marion, Indiana and lived in California for a while until his mother died. His father sent him back to Indiana to live with relatives in Fairmount.
Here he lived on a farm with an aunt and uncle who doted on him and their young son who he thought of as a little brother.
James, or Jimmy as they call him around town, graduated from Fairmount High School before moving back to California to live with his father and stepmother. Believe it or not, he enrolled in Santa Monica College to study pre-law before transferring to UCLA to study drama. He eventually dropped out of college entirely to pursue acting.
But I think Jimmy always considered Fairmount his home and he certainly was the town’s favorite son.
There’s the James Dean Gallery, located in a historic home and filled with movie memorabilia, clippings and some rather unusual artifacts. Then there’s the Fairmount Historical Museum with an outstanding collection of James Dean’s personal possessions that have been given to them by that young cousin who he thought of as a brother. That little boy is now an elderly man who still lives on his family’s farm. It is a working farm but he still welcomes visitors to stop for pictures.
Close to the farm is the motorcycle shop where Jimmy hung out, the Quaker church where he worshipped with his family and the cemetery where he is laid to rest.
There are sign murals like the one pictured above and a remnant of his high school – the old stage where he first discovered acting. He’s even on the water tower.
Agriculture, rails, patriotism and small town spirit are alive and well in this town of about 2,900. I really liked it there because it’s quaint and small and hasn’t succumbed to the commercialism some other places might embrace in favor of making a buck off their legendary former resident.
And make no mistake, people do come – both young and adult James Dean fans come looking for more about the screen legend who died too young.
I’m going to break up my day in Fairmount in a few stories because there’s a lot more to say than meets the eye.
Tomorrow we begin at the beginning with the family farm he called home.
At first glance. I thought it was a church or perhaps an old school. On closer inspection, it’s actually the town hall.
Whatever it is, it’s a nice focal point in Lewisville, Ohio, a town of just over 200 residents. I caught a glimpse one fine summer day in 2020 when in I took a scenic drive through the Wayne National Forest.
Remember, fellow adventurers, sometimes you just need to hop in the car and go for a drive down a road you do not know. Find some lunch or a great milkshake and just go see what’s out there. Trust me. You’ll love it.
The last big stop on this road trip adventure was in Oakland, Maryland. On Monday afternoon, I grabbed lunch to eat while traveling along mostly two lane highways from Luray Caverns and through western Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.
Being Columbus Day, a lot of Oakland businesses were closed but I was really there on a reconnaissance mission. You see, we think that some of my family came from this area. I had started working on my genealogy years ago but had to give up the effort when college, career and life got in the way.
Thanks to Ancestry.com this kind of research is much simpler than it was twenty years ago so I’m planning to buy myself a membership for Christmas and unravel some mysteries.
Meanwhile, I just wanted to see the town. And since I’ve seen it, I’m plotting a trip back in the spring when the weather is better. It’s about five hours from here – perfect for a long weekend.
The town is built into a mountain and has a commercial strip lined with all the non-descript fast food and retail you see in small towns. But the downtown is adorable. There’s a gorgeous old courthouse and it seems like even the plainest buildings have some kind of fun twist, even if it’s just artful displays of flowers outside.
I felt an attachment to one particular church for some reason. It was frustrating to photograph because of power lines and disappointing to see a modern door on the front. However, time marches on and modern doors are often a necessity.
I looked it up online and found images of beautiful wooden doors on the front of St. Matthews Episcopal Church. I’ve never done this before, but will pack dress clothes and plan to attend a service here on my return. I circled back to this church a few times before leaving town.
There are several retail shops downtown including a few antique stores. I ventured into one for a couple of fun bargains including a travel themed cardboard hat box destined to be part of my vintage suitcase collection. Their prices were more than reasonable and the owners were thrilled to have an out-of-town visitor.
The town also has three history museums, all of which were closed by the time I arrived. This area is a popular four season destination with a large lake for water sports as well as popular areas for skiing. This was the leg of the journey where I most needed my trusty atlas and where I spent a fair amount of time behind campers and trucks on two lane roads in the mountains.
But that was just part of the fun!
I reluctantly left town and headed toward Clarksburg, West Virginia where I spent the night before heading westward early Tuesday morning. The trip out of Oakland was beautiful as the sun began to set over the lake. The trees, with their changing colors, shown in the brilliant autumn light.
Honestly, I hated to leave.
We still have a few small things to discuss about this trip in the coming days. Come back for more!