By Jennifer R. Demuth
With rolling hills and valleys, lush farmlands and small towns, Tuscarawas County might look like any other Ohio rural county at first glance. But, upon closer examination, visitors will see that Tuscarawas County has a wide variety of events and attractions to enable travelers to escape the stress of big city life and experience and enjoy the diversity of the area.
Dee Grossman-Tasker, executive director of the Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau, explained, "We have a diversity of cultures unseen in most small Ohio towns. From the hard-working Amish, who immigrated here in 1720 from Switzerland, Germany and Alsace Lorain and found a use for the milk from their cows (Swiss cheese) to the Zoarites, who had the most successful communal lifestyle (existing for over 90 years), the people then have left their mark on us today. We exist because of them… this is evident in our events and museums, which dot almost every weekend year-round and offer a variety of collections and memorabilia."
Grossman-Tasker highlighted some of the unique items and events that can be found in Tuscarawas County: beer steins and decanters, train carvings, Woody Hayes' shoes (size 17), the hull plate of the USS Radford (the most decorated navel ship during WWII), glass slippers, art made from human hair, a refuge for wolves, monuments and memorials, the largest population of Moravian churches in the U.S., an annual Moccasin Roast in honor of those who died of hunger during the Revolutionary War and the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot.
Tuscarawas County boasts many popular tourist attractions. Warther Carvings & Gardens at Dover is a one-of-a-kind showplace that features the incredible carvings done by the world's master carver, Ernest Warther. The late carver's creations are recognized by the Smithsonian as some of the finest in the world. His carvings include an eight-foot Lincoln funeral train, which consists of more than 11,000 pieces in one solid ivory train. And, speaking of trains, visitors to the area must include a stop at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum. The beautifully restored 1873 Pennsylvania Railroad Depot features state-of-the-art displays, including a large model train layout, restored WWII hospital car, interactive kids' activities, and one of the nation's only museums to be partially housed on an actual train.
To learn more about the history of Tuscarawas County, be sure to see Trumpet in the Land (at New Philadelphia), Ohio's longest running outdoor drama, which runs from June through August.
Finally, many tourists include a trip to Tuscarawas County as part of their journey to Ohio's Amish Country, home to the largest settlement of Amish in the United States. Sugarcreek, the little Switzerland of Ohio, is considered by many to be the gateway into Amish Country and is home to many shops that feature items handmade by the Amish.
Upcoming Tuscarawas County events for 2008 include the following: Breitenbach Winery's Annual Dandelion Festival, May 2-3; Buckeye Stampede Pro Rodeo, July 11-13; First Town Days Festival, July 3-6; Italian-American Festival, August 8-10; American Soldiers Homecoming Festival, August 8-10; Ohio Swiss Festival, Sept. 26-27. For more information about Tuscarawas County, visit www.ohiotimelessadventures.com.
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