Nelsonville O.

Eric Wagner taught urban sociology at Ohio University in Athens. OU was chartered by the US government before Washington's presidency. The first settlements after Independence were in southeastern Ohio. If one were to divide the state into five regions, the least populated now is the southeast. We are in Appalachia. The least populated Ohio counties border, or are near Athens. The census, and all government purposes, uses five thousand as the threshold of being a town (city). Each Ohio county has a county seat, and courthouse; some are in villages. Athens County has Athens as the county seat. Athens has been a town since 1910. Professor Wagner pointed out Nelsonville teeters on being a town. It wants to be a town, for government funding purposes. Nelsonville was a town from 1900 to 1940, and then again in 2000 and 2010. But, in 2020 Trump's people sabotaged the Department of Commerce, which conducts the census. They listed 4,612; the census designated place had another count done, and it was 5,373.

So Athens County has two towns again. Athens exists as a governmental, educational, and cultural center. The Hocking River flows through the county to the Ohio River, and this was connected to the canal system. The water route was the way for commerce before the railroads, and the railroads were near the canal ways. This part of the state has coal and clay. Business connected the coal mines with the railroads. Nelsonville was a coal town. I can not find the citation, but i remember United Mine Workers Local #1 as being in Nelsonville. There were brick kilns in Nelsonville, and Logan in Hocking County made clay pipe, other places also made bricks, and ceramics.

Hocking Valley Railway was built after the War of the Southern Insurrection was ended. In addition to passenger service to Columbus, it hauled coal, and clay products north to Toledo. The C&O absorbed the line in 1930. At the end of 1949 passenger service stopped, and the coal runs became fewer, and fewer. The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway began in 1972, and continues for tour outings.

Betty's Cross (with man, and hound on the right side) since 1973

Before Route 33 was rerouted, everyone going through Nelsonville could see Betty's Cross. At night, lights would shine off the metal.  Route 33 went through Athens to South Bend; but Columbus, Lancaster, and Logan are more local.

Elizabeth Anita “Betty” Smith was born in Nelsonville, and left after high school. She married Walter L. “Bud” Schwartz.  She died in 1972, the next year he built the cross on the highest spot in Nelsonville. In 1981 a wind storm came, and a new cross was built in 1983. The first cross was was 73½', the second is 65'. It is the world's largest metal cross, and the world's largest dedicated to a woman.

The logo of Rocky Brands is painted on the old Brooks Shoe factory. Across from it is the company's headquarters, and a statue of a ram. For some time the shoe company, started in 1932, was the lading employer in town. The company has changed names, bought other companies, but the shoes and boots are made elsewhere.