Mark Your Calendars!

On Saturday Sept. 13, 2008 an anniversary will be celebrated by the entire town of Oberlin! It will be 150 years since the Oberlin - Wellington Rescue took place! So now you're wondering, okay, who was rescued and why was it important enough to celebrate 150 years later?

On the morning of Sept. 13, 1858, slave catchers arrived in Oberlin and captured John Price, an escaped slave who had been living in Oberlin for at least 2 years. The slave catchers put him into a wagon and proceeded to transport him down a back road (maybe our road!) that linked Oberlin to Wellington where they planned to put him on the afternoon train and send him back to the south.

But news of Price's capture spread rapidly through the town. Blacks, whites, students, faculty, men, and women all came together and marched to Wellington.
There they were joined by the Wellington townspeople and together they all managed, with some degree of force, but no bloodshed, to free John Price from the grips of the slave catchers.

Thirty seven of the the Rescuers were consequently indicted and jailed for allegedly violating the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. After 2 of the rescuers were convicted in Federal Court, a deal was reached that released the remaining rescuers on the condition that Lorain County drop the kidnapping charges against the slave catchers. The Rescuers’ bold defiance of federal law in the name of human rights attracted nationwide attention and generated political controversy in both the North and the South. Oberlin’s reputation as “the town that started the Civil War” stems from the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue and its role in exacerbating sectional tensions over slavery.
So there you have it, the reason for a 150th anniversary celebration!

Wellington-Oberlin Rescue Celebration Events September 13, 2008:

Public celebration on Tappan Square in Oberlin, 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., including free community lunch. Sponsored by Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Coalition. For more information, please contact Sharon Pearson at (440) 775-7217 or e-mail at spearson@cityofoberlin.com.

You can also get more information about the Oberlin - Wellington Rescue by visiting the Oberlin Heritage Center at http://www.oberlinheritage.org/.

What better way to spend a 'Staycation' than by coming to Oberlin and immersing yourself in a part of history. And when you come, and you know you want too!, we hope you come and stay with us. While you're living a part of history, you can stay in a house that was a part of history! Give us a call! We would love to hear from you!

Quick Reminder

For all prospective Oberlin College Conservatory students. The 2008-09 audition schedule is posted on the Oberlin College website. The first audition for early review is the weekend of Dec. 5th and 6th. Be sure to make overnight reservations early as the area accommodations fill up very quickly. We would love to have you stay with us here at Hallauer House B & B. Joe is a well versed historian of the college and the Underground Railroad and tells some great stories! Come and join us! You'll be glad you did!

It's Fun and Free!

Yesterday we had some free time and since the three grandkids were visiting with nothing to do, we herded them into the car and headed south to the Wellington Reservation, part of the Lorain County Metro Park system. We were the first in line to take out the 4 passenger pontoon paddle boats to go exploring the 21 plus acre lake. And the best part, this activity was absolutely FREE! Yes, you read that correctly - it was FREE!

It was a pretty warm and sunny day but the boats have a canopy which helped to keep the sun at bay. To back out of the dock, we had to pedal backwards and then turn the rudder to get us going on the straight and narrow. The kids, ages 9 and 11, managed to get this done rather quickly, wanting to do it all on their own, no help from the grownups! And as kids will do, they went full steam ahead, pedaling as fast as their little legs would go. Of course, this led to a quick burnout and Nans and Pops had to take over. During our 2 hour journey, we spotted many bird varieties, a few snakes, frogs, toads, bugs, and of course, lots of fish. We paddled the inlets and journied from one end of the lake to the other. The kids switched from pilot to passenger and back to pilot but it was the adults who had to navigate back into the dock. As we turned in our PFD's, our legs were saying thank you for the great workout! We really worked up a sweat!

Now if you have your own row boat, canoe, or small fishing boat, you can use the boat ramp as your launching pad. Fishing is allowed with the proper license, so come prepared!

Now if pedaling the boat leaves you wanting still more exercise, then you can hike or bike the more than 4 miles of trails while you enjoy the changing vistas, the prairie flowers, and the wildlife.
Choose your trail and your distance. There is also a beautiful visitors center building a
vailable by reservation for families, parties, showers, etc. For more information about the Wellington Reservation, check out their website at: http://www.loraincountymetroparks.com/wellington.htm.

Lorain County is THE place for a great
"STAYCATION!' We have some of the best Metro Parks in the state of Ohio! Check out some past Blog articles for places to go and things to do or come back often to see a new post about exploring Lorain County. Come and visit us! You know you want to!!

August = Lorain County Fair Time!

Want a really great 'Staycation!' Then consider the Lorain County Fair which is set to begin on Monday August 18 with this years headliner, Vince Gill,
performing that evening at 7:30 P.M. He is the only country music superstar to perform a duet with pop superstar Barbara Streisand and another country star, Willie Nelson! And now you have a chance to hear and see him up close and personal!

If you like para-mutual betting, then you might want to watch the harness racing
which takes place at 11:00 A.M. And of course, there is the regular fair displays and events taking place all day, starting when the gates open at 7:30 A.M. Judging of various classes takes place all morning and then the delicious award winning baked goods go on sale at 5:00 so be there!

Tuesday is another judging day, more harness racing, again at 11:00 and at 7:30 P.M. is another headliner performance, this time by country star
Blake Shelton with special guest Danielle Peck.

Did you ever want to see a rodeo? Well then, come to the Fair on Wednesday evening and you can see one up close at 7:30 P.M when the PRCA Heartland Series Pro rodeo series takes center stage.
There will be more harness racing at 11:00 A.M., more judging, and more fun fair happenings. Thursday evening watch the horse pull and Friday evening you won't want to miss the tractor pull and maybe even mosey over to Barn #4 for the FBY square dance show at 9:00 P.M.

Saturday's features will be the livestock auctions, draft horse pull, fiddle contest and at 7:00 P.M. is the combine derby. And on the final day on Sunday, Aug. 24, attend the motocross races at 9 A.M., watch the spinners and weavers and 4-H style show throughout the day and close down the fair with the demolition derby at 6:00 P.M.

For more information and lots more detail, check out the official Lorain County Fair website at http://www.loraincountyfair.com/home01.html. And then get busy planning your August 'Staycation' right here in Wellington, in Lorain County, in Ohio! And Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast is your nearest accommodation site as we are located just 6 miles north of Wellington, right off of State Rt. 58 and just 2 miles south of Oberlin. So why not plan a few days to get away. Take in the fair, stay a few nights, cool off with a swim in the pool, relax in the gardens, refresh your spirit. Come and visit! You know you want to!