The oil and gas boom

Fort Meigs

Hi All!!! Wednesday's Trip was wonderful. Thanks to our guide, Tony, we had a great time. After our discussion on war and the watching of the movie The Last of the Mohicans, we had a good idea of what war was really like in Northwest Ohio in the War of 1812. After exploring the fort, what do you think life was like in 1812 for a soldier? Was it an easy life or a hard life? What was life like in the fort?

Would you have wanted to have been a soldier in Fort Meigs? How long did it take the soldiers to build the fort?

What was the name of the most famous general at the fort at that time? Do you remember? Please share your thoughts.

Wood Co Courthouse

This week we explored the Black Swamp in more detail. We went to the Wood Co Courthouse on Monday. This was a great experience. It was incredible to think that the once terrifying Great Black Swamp has become the county seat of power for all of Wood Co. We were able to see the original justice bench which was moved from Perrysburg, Oh. Another opportunity which we had was to see the first original courtroom used in Wood Co. This was shown to us by one of the policemen on duty at the time. We are very grateful to Bowling Green's finest for showing us the Courtroom.

We were also able to learn about the courthouse's construction and cost. The outside of the courthouse has incredible carvings and the inside ceiling has beautiful stain glass windows. The original windows are now covered with a protective covering due to the damage that was occurring to them.

When considering the richness of the Wood Co. Courthouse, how do you think the settlers of the area felt about the courthouse? Do you think they were proud, impressed, or do you think they thought it was a waste of money? Do you think it was worth all the money that was invested in the building? Remember the contractors went over the original amount alloted for the project.

What most impressed you about the courthouse? Was there anything surprising that you found or saw?

The Wood Co. Historical Center and Museum

Friday was a fabulous day at the Wood Co. Historical Center and Museum. We had a wonderful guide Mike, who showed us many things about Northwest Ohio History. He answered many questions and kindly introduced us to new ideas about poverty and general history. Would you have liked to have been a person who had to live here in the 1870's? Another aspect we learned about was that the farm included everything the residents needed to live. This included livestock and gardens. Today there are only remnants of what existed then. There are still gardens, they are only herb gardens. These herb gardens were spectacular. If you had to live here, what type of job would you have done? Would you have liked to have had to sleep in a room with all men and to not have the privacy of just having your own room?

Would it have been an easy life or a hard life? Would you have wanted to have spent your whole life as some did? Remember that over the course of history, over 500 people died while residing here.

Wintergarden Park

Wintergarden was a fantastic experience! We had perfect day and a great guide. Roger was wonderful and because he has a lot of knowledge about nature and history of the area, he was able to help us gain a deeper understanding of the Great Black Swamp, which was our focus for the week. We explored oak savannas and dry swamp land. Mosquitos were also along for the ride! We experienced some of what the early settlers of the region must have experienced. So would you have liked to have been one of the firstsettlers to the area? What special tools may you have needed to survive here in the Great Black Swamp? Remember that Native Americans did not live in the swamp. They did, however, use Sand Ridge Road as a trail around the swam. Did you notice any changes in soil or terrain while you walked around the park? Please post your comments as we consider this portion of Northwest Ohio's History.

Today we had a great time exploring what it would have been like to be a student in the 1870's. We got to experience first hand what it is like to sit in a one-room schoolhouse and participate in a class. There were many things to explore. Please respond and write about your experience in the schoolhouse. How did you feel as a student there? What most interested you about the experience? Would you have liked to have been a student in the 1870s? What you have enjoyed walking long distances to school in the winter? Would you have enjoyed having multi-grades in one building? Do you think it would have been confusing or orderly? What do you think?

Welcome

Hi Gang!
This blog is being created to explore our discoveries about Northwest Ohio as we learn to write and converse at a higher level of English. You must respond to this blog after each activity and share about what you liked about the activity, what you learned and perhaps, what you would change about the activity. You may respond to one another and add links to interesting information you have found about our topics. I am truly looking forward to exploring the rich diversity of Northwest Ohio, your temporary home, with you! Here we go! Welcome to the adventure! Dorinda