Ghost Towns & Small Towns of Northwest Ohio

05/27/2026

September 13, 1910…Deadly Train Derailment Near Walbridge Claims Three Lives. Article From The Daily Sentinel-Tribune (Bowling Green, Ohio) (3 photos).

05/26/2026

West Millgrove School Graduation Announcements From the 1920’s (Courtesy of Earlene Bradner Shock) (3 photos).

05/03/2026

05/01/2026

October 25, 1893…”The oil well on Enos Swope's farm is nearing the sand” and More News From Jerry City. DISCLAIMER: Enos Swope is my great-grandfather.

04/28/2026

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎

Duane Baker, Janet Mesnard

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community,

04/28/2026

04/25/2026

The Portage Sky-Lite Drive-In opened on August 19, 1948.
It was built by Carl H. Schwyn Theatres. Schwyn, from Cygnet, Ohio, was a prominent businessman. He made his living in banking, farming, and had various oil and gas interests. He owned the Cla-Zel Theatre and Lyric Theatre in Bowling Green, Ohio, the State Theatre in Napoleon, Ohio, and the State Theatre in Toledo, Ohio. In 1946 he also leased the Paramount Theatre in Toledo, Ohio.
The Jack Armstrong Circuit was the manager of all the Schwyn Theatre properties. It had a capacity for 538 cars.
The screen size measured 41 feet by 52 feet. It also featured a dance floor for those who wished to dance before the movie began. An additional feature of this theatre was a playground for the kids to keep them occupied. Mr. Schwyn died in 1967. The Jack Armstrong Circuit took over control of the properties after his death.
The Portage Sky-Lite Drive-In finally closed in 1986. The drive-in theatre was demolished and a self- serve storage unit was built on the property. (Photos and information, unless otherwise noted, are from Cinematreasures.org) (18 photos).

04/02/2026

August 7, 1970…William Henry Harrison Set Up Camp at Pemberville. From The Daily Sentinel-Tribune (Bowling Green, Ohio).

03/15/2026

June 9, 1890…Request for establishment of a post office at Hobart, Ohio. Source: U.S. Postal Service Archives. According to a submitted map document (also found in this folder), the request process began in 1888. This record shows a notation that the post office was discontinued in 1895 and re-established in 1897.

02/27/2026

August 7, 1970…”Wood County Was King Bee of Oil Production” (3 photos).