While driving down Tama Road recently, headed toward Chatt, I thought about how the road once had a slight jog about a mile and a half east of 49. It was an annoying little back-and-forth jog that the county removed in 2019. Now the road is now perfectly straight there.
That got me thinking about some other things that have changed in the area over the years.
Of course, there have been way too many changes around here just during my lifetime and it is impossible to remember all of them. But I made a small list of my recollections of some things and places that have moved or are no longer in the Chatt, Willshire, and Schumm areas.
See if you also remember…
When there was a jog in Tama Road about a mile and a half east of Chatt.
When the Parish/Grange Hall stood on Tama Road, about a mile east of Chatt. I remember going there for Chatt Grange meetings and the Grange Strawberry Festival in the spring. It was taken down some time between 2017-2019.
Parish/Grange Hall, Tama Road, 2013 photo by Karen
When the Chatt Fire Department was on the west side of Route 49, across from today’s Fire Department. The Chatt Chums 4-H met on the second floor of that old building.
When Wendel’s Garage and car dealership was where the Chatt Fire Department is today.
When Barney and Dean owned the Chatt Bar.
Before that, when Ray Hemmelgarn ran the Chatt Bar.
When Fisher Hardware & Implement was a booming business in Chatt.
Fisher Hardware & Implement Store, likely taken at their 10th anniversary, 1947.
When Chatt had two grocery stores, Bollenbacher’s and Midlam’s.
Bollenbacher’s Grocery, Chattanooga, Ohio. Submitted photo.
When Chatt had a grain elevator.
When there was housing for the migrant tomato workers south of Chatt, on the corner of 49 and Schaadt Road.
When the doors on Zion Lutheran Chatt church were wood with stained glass panels at the top.
Quartet at Zion Lutheran, Chatt
When the rear area of Zion Chatt had pews on the first floor and in the horse-shoe balcony on the second floor, where the classrooms are today. There was also a very large wood divider/door that could be cranked down, dividing the main part of the church from that rear part and two front pews that extended across the front aisle. That all changed when the church was remodeled in 1968.
When Zion Chatt’s old frame church stood on the north end of Chatt, where it had been moved and was used as a garage. I barely remember the old building being there, but I recall that it seemed small and did not look like a church. It was torn down in 1980.
The old frame church, used as a garage, 1980.
When Liberty Chapel Church stood on Tama Road, between Erastus-Durbin and Township Line Roads, located by Liberty Chapel Cemetery. We drove by the old church often and I regret that I didn’t take a photo of it before it was torn down, sometime after 1981.
When Lefeld’s had an implement branch on the corner of 49 and Sipe Road.
When Duck Creek School stood on 49 north of Chatt. It burned in 2005.
When Zion UB Church stood on the corner of Winkler and Wabash Roads, southeast of Willshire.
When Zion Schumm’s brick parochial school stood across the road from the church. I remember attending ice cream socials in the lot by the school. The school was taken down sometime after 1967.
Zion Lutheran Parochial School, Schumm, Ohio (built in 1899)
When the old Straubinger hotel was still standing in Willshire. I remember that Mary Stetler had an ice cream store in the front, with several shelves of library books. The old hotel was demolished in 1964.
Straubinger Hotel.1963 photo
Numerous houses, barns and other buildings have been razed over the years and are too numerous to mention. Some that I remember, most with a family connection, include the house and barn on the Miller farm, the CL Schumm barn, the Schumm homestead barn that stood near Zion Schumm Church, and the old Willshire and Rockford school buildings. All now gone.
And most recently, when the intersection of 49 and 707 was just a 2-way stop. It recently became a 4-way stop.
Time marches on and things constantly change. It is fun to remember, but sometimes difficult to keep up with all the changes.
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Thanks, Karen, for helping us recall these many memories from the past, Love it!
Author
You are welcome! I wish I remembered more about Willshire, but I was rather isolated out in the middle of nowhere when I grew up. Thanks for writing!
Regarding those annoying jogs in the country roads, I believe that I was once told that those jogs marked where the road passed from one township into a different township, dating back to when the roads were first mapped out. Can any of you readers confirm this?
Author
That would be interesting to know. There are jogs all along Township Line Road intersection here and that would confirm what you said. But the Tama Road jog was more in the middle of the northern part of Liberty Township. There is probably a long-forgotten reason for that jog. Maybe someone knows.
I really enjoy your publishings Karen as growing up around the same area our memories are so similar.
I enjoy all the history. Thank you for sharing.
Author
You are welcome. We sure would remember the same things.
Thanks so much for all those memories Karen, and on that note, where I grew up in Rockford across the road 118 used to be a field and it’s now a school, and there are street lights in front of my house, and the rest area is gone just south of town. We used to ride our bikes in the 60s down to the rest area, God Bless You and Your Family, hope you have a wonderful summer. I live in Southern Indiana now around Frenk Lick, Thanks again for the memories
Author
Thank you for writing and sharing your memories. I always like to hear how things used to be and I know exactly where you are talking about. I remember that rest area, now that you mention it. Things surely do change as time goes on.
Also The Chatt Grange had a sausage /pancake suppers.
Farmers Picnic
Bunny Fickert had a tomato stand by the
State line off of 707.
Author
I am so glad you reminded me of the Grange sausage & pancake suppers. The Chatt Grange was quite active in its day. I do remember Bunny Fickert and his tomato stand. I used to ride my bike around that block, that included the state line road. And the Farmers Picnic is a great tradition. My dad took our son every year and he loved it. He still talks about the Farmers Picnic. Thanks for writing and for the memories.
Thank you for sharing I enjoy your articles I remember a lot of the history I have also done a lot of research on family History on Miller/Slusser /Huffman Peel Family’s I grew up in Willshire but have memories of the nearby towns I live i near Rockford now I remember when My dad Hilton and Uncle Paul brought in the old railroad car from Indiana and made it into the original Dinner Bell Restraint my grandmother Mae Slusser Miller cooked and made pies for it boy where has time gone I’m one of the old timers now remembering days and people of long ago well better go as I’ll sit here and ramble on
Author
Thank you for all those memories. What a unique idea for a restaurant, the Dinner Bell no less, plus those pies sound delicious. You have a great family history. None of us are getting any younger and recalling the good old days is fun and important, so the memories of people and their history continue on for generations to come. Thanks for writing!
Sondra is correct. Those “jogs” are periodically inserted to accomodate our desire to draw straight lines on a round earth, and township breaks are conveniently located. Occasionally, something has to give to keep the compass directions in order. Apparently six miles is the standard. The county engineer/county surveyor should be able to clarify this.
Author
That makes sense as to why there are jogs at just about all the Township Line Road intersections. Thanks for writing.