72 and so humid it feels like we could wring out the air like a dishcloth. More rain on the way today, and the gardens are loving it.
Yesterday we took a road trip--back to Ohio and in fact, not too far from where we bought our van last week. I found a flatwall cabinet that I thought would be great for our booth, and it looked like it was only an hour and a half away.
Hoo boy. Underestimated that; it took 2 1/2 hours to get to Roseville. The name was familiar to me, and many of you reading this have probably heard of Roseville pottery. It's beautiful and distinctive, and generally too expensive for me to own. But I never considered where it might have been made and as it turned out, it was in the very town we visited.
The Roseville pottery was established in 1890, and its art pottery became highly desirable, and remains sought after by collectors. The area where Roseville is located is called "Clay Valley", a hint of what the local industries might have been. Today the town is hanging on, benefiting from its location close to the larger city of Zanesville and a major interstate highway. This little vase is the only piece I own that looks like Roseville, although it is unmarked and I have not yet identified it with certainty--it could also be Weller or another of the popular art potteries of the early 20th century. But it gives an idea of the general look of the beautiful work the pottery produced. This website has many photos of Roseville pieces.
Interestingly, there is a mining company in Roseville that mines clay, limestone, and shale for commercial use.
We weren't able to stay and explore, unfortunately, as it was late and we had a long drive home. So we've got Roseville on our radar for a return trip when we have more time. And yes, the cabinet is nice, still in the van. It will need paint and new pulls, but other than that it's perfect.
Along the way to Roseville we saw a couple of operating coal mines, and several communities where coal had been the main employer but was no more. In many ways we were reminded of southern West Virginia--empty, deserted homes, business locations with aging 'for sale' signs, poorly maintained streets and sidewalks. All signs of places that have lost the main source of income for the inhabitants.
We took a different route home, and found ourselves driving through another historic area, Belle Valley. The event that made this part of Noble county, Ohio famous was a sad one, unfortunately: follow this link to read about the crash of the airship Shenandoah on September 3. 1925. It was a horrific event, made worse by the looting that began almost immediately. Amazingly, 12 men managed to survive by steering the front portion of the airship over 12 miles and landing it safely. This photo is from the website OhioMagazine.com
Again, no time to explore so we'll have to make another trip. We saw a museum, but these days it probably isn't open.
Isn't it funny how what seems like a straightforward trip turns into a journey into history. It's what makes travel so interesting.
It's amazing when you think you know what your day will be like and when it's over, it was totally different. Days like that are fun. Thanks for the link to the Shenadoah disaster article, interesting story.
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