Extended Weekend Getaways Sandusky County was originally part of territory set aside for Ohio’s Indian people by the Treaty of Greeneville. White settlement of the county occurred very slowly, due to the Great Black Swamp occupying most of the land. Citizens named the county after an Indian term for “at the cold water.”
The county seat, Fremont, is rich in history. It was the location of the first victory in the war of 1812 at the battle of Fort Stephenson. Fremont is also the home to our nation’s 19th president, Rutherford B. Hayes, and is also the location of the first Presidential Library. Today the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museum is one of the leading attractions to visitors. In 2016 the Hayes Presidential Museum received a 1.3 million dollar renovation.
New exhibits include interactive components that better tell the story of 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes and First Lady Lucy Webb Hayes. The museum now has a Presidents Gallery, which has artifacts from other U.S. Presidents and has a replica of the Resolute Desk. The original is located in the Oval Office of the White House.
Visitors will experience the life of 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes through guided tours of his 31-room mansion. Along your way you will learn of his careers as a Civil War soldier, an US Congressman, the Ohio governor and eventually President of the United States. Self-guided tours of the Hayes Museum/Library are available daily. Afterward take the time to follow in Ohio’s earliest residents by walking the historic & beautiful grounds of the President’s beloved Spiegel Grove estate, where both he and his wife Lucy are buried.
If nature is of great interest, be sure to continue 15 minutes or so northwest to the Wilson Nature Center and Creek Bend Farm in Lindsey, OH. This family-focused attraction invites visitors of all ages to connect with the “natural” world with displays, fish aquariums, reptile terrarium, a window-on-wildlife room, library, special programs and walking trails. The 310 acre farm is still a working farm and known for the beautiful hiking trails as well as fishing on Muddy Creek.