Following a president’s path in Garrettsville

For Presidents Day this year, I had a simple goal. I wanted to hike somewhere with ties to a president. With Ohio being known as “The Mother of Presidents,” I had many options. The hard part was choosing someplace new and relatively close to home to explore.

After a little research, I found somewhere that had a trifecta of appealing attributes. Garrettsville, Ohio, not only has a section of the Buckeye Trail to hike, but it also has a historic gristmill. The icing on the cake was an adorable coffee shop with desserts for the whole gang.

President James A. Garfield had a humble beginning, being born in a log cabin in Moreland Hills, Ohio, Nov. 19, 1831. He was the last U.S. president to be born in a log cabin. Moreland Hills was known as Orange Township at the time of his birth and was a part of the Western Reserve.

Unfortunately, James’ father died when he was only two. His mother, Eliza Garfield, was a strong-willed woman with a powerful influence on her son. She raised him as a single mom after her second marriage ended in divorce in 1850.

Grew up tough

Raised in poverty, Garfield developed grit and perseverance. He left home at the age of 16 to find work. After a short stint in the canal business leading mules, he came back home to recover from an illness. His mother found a way for him to be enrolled in school again.

After attending Geauga Seminary from 1848 to 1850, Garfield then enrolled in the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute. The institute later changed its name to Hiram College. One particular classmate who also attended both schools gained his attention. Lucretia Randolph, born in Garrettsville, later became James’ wife.

Garfield continued his education at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, before returning to Hiram College in 1856 as a teacher. In addition to the role of teacher, Garfield later became the principal of the school.

The modern equivalent of a collegiate president, Garfield took a special interest in the curriculum taught at Hiram. He entered national politics after serving with distinction in the Army during the Civil War.

In 1880, James Garfield was elected the 20th President of the United States. Garrettsville was officially someplace special.

Buckeye Trail

Along with learning about one of Ohio’s presidents, we were looking forward to hiking another section of the Buckeye Trail. As a family, we keep checking off different sections of the 1,440-mile hiking trail that makes a circle within the boundaries of Ohio.

In Garrettsville, we followed the blue blazes that mark the trail along the edge of Camp Asbury. For over 65 years, the United Methodist Church has held retreats and camps at Camp Asbury. We hiked past the lake and frisbee golf course before entering the woods where trees were tapped for maple syrup. We decided to hike an “out and back,” retracing our steps back to the car.

Our next stop was Hiram College. It had been a little over two decades since I had been on campus. The hills are still there along with the historic charm. It was hard to grasp the magnitude of the knowledge shared in its 173 years of existence.

Garrettsville

Back in town again, we headed down the main stretch towards the grist mill. The mill dates back to 1805 when John Garrett III began the construction of an earthen dam and a saw and grist mill. He had purchased his 300 acres of the Western Reserve in 1803, including water rights to Silver Creek. The original mill suffered fire damage in 1940. It had several owners before being restored by the Tushar family in the 1970s.

Determined to see all angles of the mill, we climbed the steps down and got a closer look at the foundation and wheel. The view of the falls was excellent and we could see how the water could be diverted to turn the wheel.

Back up at street level, we crossed the bridge and took the wooden pedestrian path across the creek. We had essentially made a loop around the main businesses in the historic district. I had a goal in mind — I wanted to go inside the coffee shop.

The Cellar Door Coffee Company is located in the historic feed mill, right in the heart of town, next to the bridge. Built in the 1850s, the building features hand-hewn logs and an exposed stone block foundation wall in the basement.

Sweet treats

Local coffee and pastries are served along with other breakfast and lunch items. I ordered a tall hot coffee while my family had freshly baked cookies and hand-dipped Cockeye Creamery ice cream.

Sweet concoctions are not new to Garrettsville. Clarence A. Crane, the inventor of the Lifesaver candies, was born and raised in Garrettsville. In his childhood, he assisted his father in collecting maple sap and producing maple syrup.

He went on to own a maple refinery in Warren, Ohio. His business became the largest producer of maple syrup in the world by 1907. He created Lifesavers as a result of wanting candy that didn’t melt in the summer like milk chocolate.

We achieved sweet success on Presidents Day, meeting our goal of exploring somewhere new. Rolling woodlands, historical structures and sugary concoctions were the perfect recipe. We have plans to return with bikes to ride the Headwaters Trail, a crushed rock and clay bike path that extends from Garrettsville to Mantua.