A History Buff’s Getaway

Start in Ashville at Ohio’s Small Town Museum, 34 Long St. Housed in a former silent movie theater called The Dreamland, this volunteer-run museum punches well above its weight. Ashville’s connections to Roy Rogers, the cast of The Wizard of Oz, the Muppets, the world’s oldest working traffic light, and driverless cars are all documented here. It is one of those places that makes you rethink what a small town is capable of.

Before leaving Ashville, head to Jackie Ray’s Grill & Pub for dinner. The building itself is part of the story — built in 1905 as the electric generation building for the Traction Line Railroad, the exposed brick and industrial bones are still very much intact. It is a fitting way to end a day that started in a former movie theater.

Head into Circleville for the evening. Take a slow drive or walk through the historic district around Main and Court Streets. The Pickaway County Courthouse, City Hall, and the surrounding streetscape are all part of the National Register Historic District. Look at the street layout as you go – markings on Court and Main Streets still show where the original 1,100-foot Hopewell earthwork circle once stood. The circle is still there. You just have to know where to look.

Start the day at Joyhouse Coffee, 202 N. Pickaway St. The building has been standing since 1850 and sits near the corner of Pickaway and Franklin – historically one of the last spots where traces of Circleville’s original earthwork mound were still visible before the town was squared. You are having coffee on top of ancient Ohio.

Walk a few blocks to Lindsey’s Bakery for a pumpkin donut. Lindsey’s has been a Circleville staple for decades and the pumpkin donut is the one to get.

Head to 133 W. Main St., home to the ArtsaRound Gallery. The building is one of the only surviving pie-shaped properties left from when Circleville’s streets radiated outward in a circle. The wedge shape is a physical remnant of what the whole town once looked like. Step inside and take it in — then stop at Wittich’s Fine Candies before you leave. Wittich’s has been a Circleville institution since 1838, and it was G.F. Wittich – the original candymaker – who drew the only known sketches of Circleville before it was squared, creating the historical record that tells us what the town looked like in the first place.

Drive south to Logan Elm State Memorial, 4500 State Route 361. This quiet park carries a lot of weight. It marks the area where Mingo Chief Logan – a man who had advocated for peace between Native Americans and white settlers – refused to attend Lord Dunmore’s 1774 peace conference after his family was murdered, instead sending a speech that was later called one of the most powerful in American history.

The park holds multiple monuments honoring the Native leaders connected to this land – Chief Logan, Chief Cornstalk, and Non-hel-e-ma (Grenadier Squaw), Cornstalk’s sister and a peacemaker who spoke four languages. Take your time here.

Head back into Circleville and wrap up with lunch at Goodwin’s Family Restaurant. It is a community staple – the kind of place locals have been coming to for years. After two days of stories, it is a good place to sit, settle in, and talk about everything you just saw.

A few of Pickaway County’s best history stops are only open Tuesday through Friday, which makes a mid-week trip worth considering.