TOUR AMERICA 2022, SAUDER VILLAGE CAMPGROUND, ARCHBOLD, OHIO

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Temperature 78 Degrees, Abundant Sunshine, Clear Blue Skies

The Town of Archbold

We have one more week here and we’re making the best use of our time. Yesterday, we drove to Auburn Indiana to visit two fascinating automobile museums. More about both of them in future blogs,. Tomorrow, we driving to Toledo, Ohio to visit another museum that we discovered that looks interesting.

Today, though, lets talk about the town of Archbold. When we first arrived we were pronouncing the name as if it were two words – Arch and Bold. Within a day, though, we discovered that the locals pronounce it like this – Arch – a – bold. Now, as to where the name comes from there are several stories about it. The bottom line is there is no clear evidence as to why the town is named what it is.

This sign sits adjacent to the welcome sign and tells us that the town was settled in 1834 in the heart of the The Black Swamp. I, of course, was a bit curious about this so-called Black Swamp.

Thankfully, there is abundant information about it in the Museum in Sauder Village.

The Black Swamp I discovered was not some small, local swamp rather

Think of it, the swamp at one time was the third largest swamp in the United States but today most of it has been altered or drained. The question becomes, what is the result of the loss of the swamp?

Now, we know when it was settled and where it was settled. Let’s talk a bit more about

We had driven pass this several times before I was finally able to take a picture of it. I found it absolutely captivating. Picture taken, it was time to discover what it was all about.

This is what I discovered.

The mural is painted on the side of the old Rupp Furniture Store.  It measures 136’ x 36’.  The design is based on an old-fashioned printer’s-type drawer or type case laid on its side.  Each compartment or drawer is filled with historical images representative of the village of Archbold from its settlement to Sauder Woodworking.  The central focal point of the project is the letters Archbold that look like the individual letters old printers used.  Then at the bottom of the type case, at the base of the mural, is a representation of the Black Swamp.

For a complete description of what is in each drawer please go to

https://www.archbold.com/community/archbold_mural.php

That’s it for now. Time to get working on several blogs I have in the works. They sure aren’t going to write themselves. Overall, life is good. We remain blessed beyond measure and are enjoying our time together on the road. I hope you’re also enjoying your summer and are making the most of each and every day.

Thanks again for spending some time with us.  It’s always great to be able to share our story with family and friends. Comments? Feel free to share them with me. And always remember, cherish every moment of every day that God gives you and live those moments to the fullest. 

Our continuing mission remains the same: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before.