Started on my way up to Dayton and found myself at a stoplight next to a trailer filled with Halloween figures.  It was an eerie sight and couldn’t resist the urge to snap a picture

Although Kitty Hawk is the place most associated with the Wright brothers, Dayton is where the heavy lifting was done.  The boys conducted glider experiments at Kittyhawk but came back to Dayton to figure out how to get the glider airborne with an engine.  Used a nearby farmer’s field to launch and crash and launch until they got one airborne for almost 20 minutes.  The “crazy” label was removed and people from the surrounding area came to cheer them on. The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park has a great film that tells their story. The museum is also home to a tribute to talented African-American poet, Paul Dunbar.

Stopped off at the bicycle shop (one of five they inhabited).  In addition to selling other brands, they also designed their own, one with wooden rims. Neither had any advanced schooling or engineering training.  It was all collaboration and trial and error.  Found it interesting that mom was the fix-it person in the family and Dayton residents were among the top three US cities at that time holding patents.

Took a little break from the cornfields and found a lovely road that went along the AuGlaize River to Defiance where it meets the Maumee River.  Although both Fort Defiance and Fort Winchester are no longer standing, each are symbols to the fact the Revolutionary War didn’t end our conflict with England.  Fort Defiance was built by General

 “Mad” Anthony Wayne in 1794 to protect the Ohio settlers from Indian attacks (who were rightfully upset with the land grab, backed by the British) and Fort Winchester was built during the War of 1812 as a supply depot 

Left Defiance and drove northeast along the Maumee River where I ran into a huge tomato soup can in Napoleon. That road led me to the large fortress built to supersede Fort Winchester during the War of 1812, Fort Meigs.

It’s so much bigger than any other fort I’ve visited; covers nearly 10 acres and is almost 2500 yards long on an embankment overlooking the Maumee River. Got a better handle on what happened during the War of 1812 which was another continuation of the war with England (and England’s continuing war with the French).  This war also determined the ultimate possession of the Midwestern states of Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and parts of Minnesota as part of the US.  As a result, I’m not a Canadian

Continued along the river then made a U-turn and came down the other side thru a string of beautiful parks to reach Fallen Timbers. The Battle at Fallen Timbers ended the Indian Wars with the Treaty of Green Ville.  The monument honors the Indians, settlers and members of the army who lost their lives during these bloody battles.

Decided to go east to Port Clinton and see the Perry and Peace Monument.  Drove a local

route thru Toledo & went thru a neighborhood that had seen better times but the wall murals were spectacularly beautiful.

Patience & I hopped on the ferry for the ½ hour ride to Put In Island but found the visitor center closed for the season. Perhaps I should have checked ahead of time but in retrospect, I would have missed a wonderful adventure.  It’s a beautiful island, primarily inhabited by summer tourists but not in October.

Found the Historical Museum closed but behind it was their resale shop and a most enthusiastic  island resident (who also had the key to
the museum).  She let me snoop around, told me the story of Commodore Perry’s (Don’t Give Up the Ship) sea victory during the War of 1812 (100th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie) and the island’s settlement by German farming immigrants. She also encouraged me to visit the wine shop next door, located in a home built by the first dry goods merchant.  Joined two young men on a walk thru the history  of early wine-making on the island.  For the off-season price of $6.42 I could have tasted a glass of wine in every room we visited. 

From Port Clinton, it was down to Thomas Edison’s birthplace in Milan.  They’ve got a great collection of his inventions including the stock ticker that financed the research for the rest and a light bulb that’s still working.  Changed to a tungsten filament as you wouldn’t sell many bulbs if they lasted over 100 years. Didn’t know that Edison was almost completely deaf from scarlet fever at age 12 and it was by holding wires to his teeth that put him ahead in the discovery of sound waves.  He was an expert lip reader but in social dinner party (sales) situations, his wife would Morse code on the table, dinner conversations to him.  Our guide also felt he had a touch of Asperger's - the incessant drive for new discoveries on very little sleep. Saw a very interesting ladder at the house; closed – it looks like a small tree trunk.  Opened- it has hickory rungs that slip into carved grooves.  As one who has hauled ladders around, am wondering why there aren’t more of these. 

Open

Closed

Visited the very first Presidential Library in Fremont.  Knew little about Rutherford B. Hayes (Rud) and
was curious to learn more about him.  Turns out he’s quite an interesting president.  As a major in the Civil War (and wounded 5 times), he was first elected to Congress without campaigning and refused to leave his troops and take his seat until after the war was over. Elected 3 times governor of Ohio.  Ran as the Republican candidate and barely made it as his election was held up by 20 disputed electoral votes – the only president to have his election decided by a congressional

commission. Rupublicans faced an uphill climb after the scandals in Grant's administration. Promised to be a one term president, kept that promise and returned to Spiegel Grove to spend the rest of his life.  Some of our elected officials would benefit from reading the inscription in his library.  Wife Lucy (a nature lover) raised eyebrows when she chose a china pattern that depicted nature scenes from every state.

Heading north to Michigan