I do enjoy seeing ghost murals and find that the alley side of an old building is often the best places for spotting them.
This one is in Bedford, PA just a few doors down from Rebellion Books, a bookshop that took a lot of my money in exchange for a wonderful book shopping experience.
Bedford is a neat little town filled with history, fun shops, and charm. I have nothing but fond memories of this place and only regret we didn’t have more time.
I am plotting a return someday because we only hit the highlights like this historic tavern and the big coffee pot. I want to see more of what’s hiding along the side streets and alleyways. After all, it’s usually off the beaten path where we find the real magic happens.
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?
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.
