It seems like I am unable to read the calendar these days. I wrote that I would draw one name from the list of those who posted a comment on my last My Town Monday post, which I did. I also wrote that I would select a name on Thursday, May 30, which doesn’t exist this year. So here it is Friday, May 30.
Using the high-tech method of numbers in a hat, I drew Sam’s name. She is the first member of the Peninsula Python Posse, and she wins this week’s prize.
Come back next week for more great Peninsula stories, and you, too, will be eligible to wind a fabulous Peninsula prize!
The Village of Peninsula, built by the hands and hearts of generations; gently resisting change since 1837.
So the story goes like this: back in the summer of 1944, a traveling circus came through Bath Township, which is a short distance from the Village of Peninsula. There was an accident in the local cemetery, and two large snakes escaped. One was found dead, and the other disappeared—for a short while.
Farmer Clarence Mitchell was tending his corn field. He reported that his dogs were mighty nervous for a couple of days; then they refused to go near his field. Mr. Mitchell looked up and said that he saw the biggest snake he had ever seen, sliding along the ground in plain site. Local historian Randy Bergdorf, of the Peninsula Library and Historical Society writes:
Multiple sightings of the serpent were reported during that summer of 1944; the mayor organized the local Civil Defense organization into posses. Folks with loaded guns responded to reports of the wayward snake. The then director of the Cleveland Zoo, Fletcher Reynolds, pleaded for the life of the snake. He asked that anyone finding the reptile stay calm and phone him with the snake’s location, so he could come and take him alive. Locals came up with plans to capture the snake, from box traps, to clotheslines and sticks, to music.
By this time radio newscasters, and reporters from the United and Associated Presses were regularly reporting on the escapades of the snake that had become the Peninsula Python. The story was reported in the media that was sent to American troops abroad during WWII. Letters from soldiers came into the Village’s post office. Robert Bordner, a reporter from the old Cleveland Press was one of those who wrote about the snake; one of his stories was published in the Atlantic Monthly, in November, 1945.
Sightings of the reptile decreased; some folks wondered if the entire story was a hoax concocted by Bordner. Those who saw the snake stand by their stories.
What do you think?
Enter a comment and I will put your name in a drawing for the first in a series of Peninsula giveaways. The winner will be selected on Thursday, June 30.
Travis Ervin, over at One Word, One Rung, One Day, is the Mastermind and Chief Marauder of My Town Monday. Wander on over there and see who else is writing about his or her town this week.
Over at Seize A Daisy, fellow blogger and NE Ohioan, Larramie, posted about The Truth of Consumer Consequences. She explores “the question of how sustainable is America’s current lifestyle? ”
Linking to the Consumer Consequences game, Larramie asks some important questions. I found my answers sobering. We live pretty simply; however, our very old house is an energy hog, and we live too far from most places to use alternative transportation options. We grow much of our produce in season; we have chickens for eggs, and compost as much as possible. Our county has a central processing facility for recyclables, so we recycle most everything we can. That being said, it would take 2.6 earths to support me.
The Village of Peninsula, Ohio, population 602, has a long history of creativity and of independent thinking. From the early settlers to the builders of the railroad and the Ohio and Erie Canal, people in the area took risks, expanded their horizons and shared their visions.
In the late 1930′s-early 1940′s, a number of artistically inclined families relocated to Peninsula; they were dubbed Peninsula’s Artist Colony. In the 1940′s one member of the group, Honore Guilbeau Cooke, turned her barn into an art and dance school for children. There were printmakers, painters, potters, weavers and others. The Peninsula Players’ Barn was a showcase for local talent, and is still standing.
I continue to learn more and more about the rich history of my town. The more stories I tell, the more I find out. Next week: the story of the Peninsula Python. We’ll be giving away some great Peninsula stuff over the next few weeks.
I have learned an important thing these past few days. My Town is a state of mind. I have traveled more this past month than I have in a very long time; first to New York City at the end of April, and to the Lake Eden Arts Festival, in Black Mountain, NC, this past weekend.
#2 daughter and I traveled to LEAF with some good friends. We drove through our home state of Ohio, through West Virginia and Virginia to North Carolina. This land is so beautiful, and the varying terrain intense. We drove through the mountains in driving rain which made the view seem like Impressionist paintings. The telltale signs of highway construction: orange barrels and slowed traffic were plentiful.
We stopped in Beckley, West Virginia for the night. An energetic group of people on one street corner held signs asking us to “Honk for Obama.”
The next morning we were off to Black Mountain. After finding the Festival site, we parked the car, and began the process of unloading camping gear and supplies for 3 adults and 3 teen agers. We arrived on Thursday afternoon, so that we could choose a campsite closer to the festival, and get our bearings. First a campsite needed to be selected, which, after some deliberation, we were able to do.
Lake Eden was the site of Black Mountain College, an innovative college that included Josef Albers, Ami Albers, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Willem de Kooning, Buckminster Fuller, Arthur Penn, Robert Rauschenberg among its associates.
The Festival included fabulous music, healing arts, dance, drumming, craft artists, and wonderful food. We met people from many states and several countries. People welcomed us into their lives and shared their vision of the world. My family bought me a Mother’s Day Wish Ticket, which entitled me to choose 3 wishes. I chose a massage, a CD and a brunch. Wonderful!
After the last dance, we drove to Asheville, NC. We explored some of the shops and courtyards, had a delicious lunch at a little bistro, and resumed our trip home just as the rains came pouring down. Mountain driving is treacherous in the rain, and we were glad to stop for the night. After camping for 3 nights, we were glad to take advantage of hot showers.
Taking a different route home, we traveled through more beautiful country. Dogwood and other flowering trees dotted the mountainsides, and houses and cabins were nestled in hollows. It was a beautiful drive.
My Town just keeps expanding, both through my travels, and through the words of my fellow My Town Marauders who, through the efforts of Travis Erwin, over at One Word One Rung, One Day, share their thoughts about their necks of the woods. This week some are even reviewing books set in their towns. Check it out.
#2 daughter and I are off to North Carolina for the Lake Eden Arts Festival this afternoon.
We’ll be traveling with some good friends in a rented SUV; it’s probably the best vehicle for 3 adults, 3 teen aged kids, all our stuff and our camping gear, but I feel like I want to attach a big sign: “IT’S NOT OURS” or “WE DON’T OWN BIG HONKING SUV’s” or some such thing. With gas approaching $4.00 a gallon, and the carbon footprint we’ll create, I feel a bit hypocritical. Less wear and tear on our Toyota, driving 1 vehicle instead of 2, enough space for us and our stuff… I know, I know…
That being said, it will be wonderful to get away, to see more of this beautiful land, hear music, meet some new artists, enjoy the company of friends old and new. See you next week.
Another tip of the hat to Travis Erwin, the master behind My Town Monday. After your visit here, wander on over to his site; you will find links to bloggers’ sites that will take you all over the world.
Each week I learn more about my town, the Village of Peninsula, located in the stunningly beautiful Cuyahoga Valley. During the halcyon days of the Ohio and Erie Canal and the Cuyahoga River, this town was a center of commerce and industry in the Cuyahoga Valley. Due to a natural waterfall in the River, Peninsula was able to capitalize on its water power. The first sawmill and gristmill in the Village were started by Hermon Bronson. Bronson actively promoted the Village and was instrumental in its being included in the plans for the then proposed Ohio and Erie Canal. The Canal opened in the Valley in 1827, with Lock 29 located in Peninsula. Boat building became an important industry, and more canal boats were built in Peninsula, and neighboring Boston Township than anywhere else on the canal.
Quarrying was another major industry in the Village. Deep Lock Quarry was the source for much of the stone used in the building of the canal locks, and of many of the buildings in the village. The Quarry also manufactured stones, including millstones, grindstones, and pulp stones. These stones were used locally and were also shipped to places like Germany, Russia, and Japan.
Deep Lock Quarry hosted the Deep Lock Quarry Hobo Gathering in June, 2007. Mama Jo, the 2003-2004 Hobo Queen tells a story that could have been told years ago. She writes “LETTERS ARE VISITS WHEN FRIENDS ARE APART.”
This years Deep Lock Quarry Hobo Gathering will be July 18, 19 and 20. It should be an interesting weekend. The Peninsula Python Festival will be Saturday, July 19. Stay tuned
The Village of Peninsula, gently resisting change since 1837.
**#2 Daughter and I are off to LEAF, the Lake Eden Arts Festival in North Carolina. We’ll be back next Monday. My MTM post may be late. Have a wonderful week.
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