The Delaware County Historical Society

       Oh yes, you know you are from Delaware, Ohio when you go to the Delaware County Historical Society!
I wanted to use that for the Delaware web page but someone beat me to it, instead I wrote, You know you are from Delaware, Ohio when..you remember when Alum Creek was a creek.  Boy did that set something off, many people from Delaware shared what the remembered about Alum Creek before the dam took the Alum Creek Valley, even my daughter was amazed by it and a classmate told me, that was a good one.  I guess I did pretty good on that.
        During the kids spring break, I followed my dad's advice and took the kids to the Delaware County Historical Society and went through The Nash Museum.  The kids and I really enjoyed it.  I remembered The Nash House before it was donated to the society.  To me, it looked like so many houses did in the city of Delaware.  The area in which it stands had changed so much since I was a little girl.  Auto Zone and VFW both changed alot.  Auto zone from my earliest recollection was A&P grocery store, it was numerous grocery stores to follow it.  But the Nash house carried items that belonged to Delaware residents or made in Delaware.
        The weirdest part of the tour was all the funerals held in the what they called "Music Room" after they died there...that is creepy.  Although it wasn't surprising to me because my grandparents house had a similar morbid history.  In fact they do have " Haunted Delaware Tours" in the city.
       Winter Street is the most historical part of Delaware formally called  ''North Street'"
Sandusky Street, when Moses Byxbe, founder of the town of Delaware, and Azariah Root, Surveyor, laid out the village in 1808, their intent was that William Street would be the main business thoroughfare.  The settlers, however, preferred a north-south orientation and began setting up shops along Sandusky Street.  What always fascinated me were the pictures of the 1913 Olentangy River Flood , which were mainly taken of Sandusky Street.  Of course though The Delaware Dam wasn't built until the 1950's.  If you go swimming at The Delaware Park(Beach), you can still see parts of an old farm in the distance.  For me, Alum Creek holds the clearest memories before the valley with its rich farmland, old family farms were destroyed to make a water source for Columbus.  Delaware paid a heavy toll for that, some ways, one might argue that it has made up its cost for the recreation it provides as well.  Campground, beach, I remember didn't open until the eighties, that I recall because we kids went there.  So new and fresh. Not so anymore. Dog Park, boat ramps and shelter houses are all nice but when I look at it, I always see the past, it sometimes saddens me.
     The area around Alum Creek for instance "Old State Road" was changed to Lackey Old State after the Lackey family and after the dam was built.  You can still see parts of this road, running along side of it.  As you go through the four way stop past the camp ground, you come to the bridge that corners around, part of the old, Old State goes into the water.  It is a boat ramp.  I know too sentimental I guess but it was part of my childhood.
     Delaware, Ohio is indeed full of history, so if ever get a chance take a look at the Delaware, County Historical Society.
   

Going North On Sandusky Street, Delaware, Ohio