The previous night, I had been all but glued to my computer chair looked at Google maps satellite view searching the surrounding area for cool things I wanted to go and check out. A small abandoned cemetery near Lockbourne, Ohio struck my fancy and so I made plans to check it out this evening.
This evening has not disappointed! Landes Cemetery, also known as Plum Travis or the plague cemetery is located just north of Lockbourne, Ohio on Lockbourne Road. I spotted it right away. A small grassy plot sits in the middle of a large field making it not too hard to pick out. Parking was a little rough, but I found a place that got me far enough off the road and not trapped in a ditch.
The stones are very old and have seen their share of weathering and time. It was quite difficult to actually make out what most of them said. Several had been pushed over or were sinking into the ground. I'm not inclined to believe the grounds have necessarily been vandalized. Research showed me that the plot was once overrun by trees and tall grass. More than likely no one really knew this place was there. It is now maintained by the Hamilton County Trustees.
The story that the plot is actually a plague cemetery doesn't seem to hold weight. While it is located away from the village itself, I believe this once may have been a small town. Several houses build around the 1800's sit close by. Also, the dates (at least the ones I could make out) appears to be spread out from the early to mid 1800's. Sources say the last burial here took place around 1859.
After leaving the cemetery, I really got the driving bug! I wanted to see what I could find by just driving around. My curiosity about a satellite picture I found in the area the night before had me driving down the road less than a mile to see if I could see a building from the road. I wasn't disappointed! I could see through the mature woods a structure, clearly abandoned. I took note of the private property sign and reluctantly tried to get the best pictures I could from where I was.
I made a note to go back at another time and see if the people living in the houses in front know who owns the property and if I may get permission to check out the house.
My next stop didn't happen for a while. I drove though a active cemetery I found west of Lockbourne, but active cemeteries really don't peak my interest and there weren't many old stones worth getting out for. I headed south after that and eventually came to a train town. Lots of older homes in which residence appeared to be moving out. A couple abandoned homes not really worth posting pictures of. I did, however, find why the town was going abandoned (at least this is my theory.) In the 10 minutes I was there, I watched three trains go by! I certainly wouldn't want to live in a town with so much train traffic all the time!
But as I headed east out of that town, I found a real gem. I literally slammed on my brakes in the middle of the road when I saw this place! A two story log cabin with a collapsed roof and several structures behind it. I couldn't find a good pull off, so I contented myself to a quick picture while sitting on the road in my car.
I certainly want to go back to this place again and stop by the neighbor's house to see if they own the property. I didn't see any "No Trespassing" signs, but especially in the county you can't take the chance.
One I hit Ashville Pike, I headed south into Ashville and stopped at an old school house sitting right beside the road. This one did have a clearly posted sign, so I stayed my distance back, but still managed to get some GREAT pictures! I posted my favorite below.
By this time, it was getting late and my stomach was reminding me I hadn't eaten since 11:30. I did a little driving around the Rickenbacker airport area, but didn't find much of interest save some old barns.
Overall, not a bad first day for exploring. I definitely saw some cool place and want to check out this area again real soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment