Take a History Road Trip Along U.S. Route 250

More than 170 miles of U.S. Route 250 stretch through Ohio, from the lakeshore city of Sandusky to the village of Bridgeport in Belmont County. When America 250-Ohio executive director Todd Kleismit learned this while planning ways to commemorate our nation’s semiquincentennial, he saw a fun road trip. 

“The more I looked into it, the more I loved what I saw there,” he says. “It connects Lake Erie to the Ohio River. It goes through eight different Ohio counties. It’s scenic in certain places and has a nice, diverse mix of communities.”

Beginning less than a mile from the Lake Erie shore in Sandusky, the highway is known to many Cedar Point amusement park visitors and begins not far from the city’s Merry-Go-Round Museum. From there it heads southeast, passing by the village of Milan — the birthplace of inventor Thomas Edison, who is honored with a museum in his hometown. 

U.S. 250 then continues through Norwalk, a city that has connections to the American Revolution. It was once part of the Firelands, land set aside at the edge of the Connecticut Western Reserve for those who had lost their homes to British-set fires during the Revolutionary War. 

“There are a lot of references to the Firelands, but not a lot of people know or understand the context,” Kleismit says.

Continuing southeast toward the college towns of Ashland and Wooster, Kleismit says the rolling hills in this area offer some of the best natural scenery along Ohio’s portion of U.S. 250. Wooster is named after the American Revolution’s Gen. David Wooster, and both cities are home to impressive county courthouses.

“I really love historic county courthouses and downtowns,” Kleismit says. “That’s really one of Ohio’s strengths: our county seats and their historic charm.”

In Tuscarawas County, the Fort Laurens Museum, built on the site of the former Revolutionary War outpost, can be seen by making a brief detour off U.S. 250. 

“Fort Laurens was a short-term fort, but it’s one of Ohio’s most important Revolutionary War touchpoints,” Kleismit says of the site.

Along U.S. 250 outside of New Philadelphia sits Schoenbrunn Village, where Moravian missionary David Zeisberger and his Delaware (or Lenape) Native American followers lived from 1772 to 1777. Today, it is home to 17 re-created structures built on their original sites.  

About 8 miles farther along U.S. 250, travelers can stop at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum in the village of Dennison. The train station served as a World War II canteen that served food and drink to troops on their way to deployment or training.

Before reaching the village of Bridgeport on the Ohio River, U.S. Route 250 runs through Cadiz, the birthplace of actor Clark Gable, who starred in Gone with the Wind.

“We’re leaning into all of these things and U.S. Route 250 is a great way for us to showcase all the things that Ohio can bring to this semiquincentennial,” says Kleismit.

Ohio’s Railroad Legacy
Along U.S. Route 250, the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum stands as a reminder of the past, as well as a celebration of Ohio's significance in innovation and transportation history.

In the heart of the U.S., Ohio’s railroads once whistled with abundant trains, each serving at the forefront of 19th-century economic growth and expansion. With the rise of automobiles and the development of the interstate highway system, railroad's popularity for personal travel gave way to automobiles and airplanes.  

Today, the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum celebrates and preserves Ohio’s railroad legacy. The Depot is a National Historic Landmark and the best example in the nation of a servicemen's canteen.  

To honor America’s 250th anniversary, the Depot is offering round trips aboard their passenger trains, and the museum has  immersive railroad history and wartime exhibits. Watch as trains run in a large model train layout, depicting Dennison in its prime. The Panhandle Theater features a film on Dennison’s rich history, focusing on its role as a WWII-era railroad canteen. Steam locomotives, passenger cars and freight cars sit well-preserved for viewing. 

For more information on the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, visit dennisondepot.org.

The America 250-Ohio publication was created in partnership with the America 250-Ohio Commission. For more information on America 250-Ohio, visit america250-ohio.org.