Archibald Willard & Wellington – Ohioana/Spring 1965

My post on July 4th featuring a photograph of Wellington’s monument in memory of its war veterans reminded me that I had this article in my files.

It’s from the Spring 1965 issue of Ohioana: Of Ohio and Ohioans, which was a nifty little quarterly publication produced by the Martha Kinney Cooper Ohioana Library Association. As its name implies, the booklet promoted and celebrated all things related to Ohio, including its history and culture. I have a few issues of the publication, which I picked up at a Friends of the Library book sale last year when the Lorain Public Library decided to unceremoniously dump its entire collection.

The Spring 1965 issue included two pages devoted to the various ways that Wellington had honored Archibald Willard, the painter of "Spirit of ’76,” including monuments and signs.

Note the photo of the monument honoring war veterans.

What interested me in the montage of photos was the small marker that was on State Route 58 in front of the American Legion Post in Wellington.

Along with the Uncle Sam mailbox, the American Legion marker was one of those Route 58 landmarks that I watched for whenever I went through Wellington.

The marker was there for decades. I even photographed it back in 2009 (below) when it wasn’t in the best of shape. By then, it was even missing the small Spirit of ’76 emblem.

Anyway, the marker's gone now.

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UPDATE (August 5, 2020)
Shortly after this post appeared on my blog, I received a nice email from longtime reader Jim Bearden. Jim noted, "When I read your blog about those markers, I thought they sure look familiar to me. I realized I drive past two of them 5 days a week. 

"The American Legion marker was moved to Route 18 (eastbound) near fairgrounds road. I’m not sure why or when they moved it, but it appears to be fully restored to its original condition. Strangely, they placed it directly behind another Archibald marker."

Jim even sent some photos (below).

"If you zoom in on pic #2,” he wrote, "you can see the American Legion marker in the background. Thought you might want the pictures for your collection.”

All of this stirred my interest, so I had to take another drive out to Wellington. It turns out that there is also an American Legion marker on State Route 58 (southbound) on the northern edge of town, in front of the Mercy Health Wellington Medical Center.

Typical bad through-the-windshield shot

At the southern edge of town on State Route 58 (northbound) there is the classic die-cut historical marker.

And I couldn’t resist photographing the two signs on State Route 18 that Jim wrote to me about.

Jim has helped me before. Back in 2013, he contributed some great photos and information about Fior’s Lake Road Spaghetti House in Vermilion, which appeared on this post. 

Thanks, Jim!