Running From Suburbia


I recently had an appointment in a local business office where I struck up a conversation with the secretary there. What ignited the conversation was her mention of nearby Oxford, Ohio and College Corner, Ohio or Indiana (whichever side of that state line you stand), my old stomping grounds.

Years ago, my folks bought a huge farm in College Corner. College Corner is just a ways up from Oxford, home to the infamous public ivy, Miami University that recently garnered "Big Ben" Roethlissberger of the Pittsburg Steelers.

Aside from this geographical fame, there lies another dying American tradition just up the road on route twenty seven. This is College Corner, a typical but rare small farm town that shares the state lines of Ohio and Indiana. This little town has yet to cave in to the urban sprawl as we know it today and as a result is getting attention as a get away from suburbia. There is a a wine shop/liquire store that specializes in hard to find spirits. There is a mom and pop store, bank, and hardware store, babseball diamonds. College Corner residents always loved baseball. There are your typical post office and a few churches. Then there is the long standing Hofer's Market that has recently closed. This was the place to go for fresh meats.

The most fascinating sight in this little town is Union School former home to the Trojans but now home to the Patriots. Built in 1893, Union School gets it's name from just across the state line in Union County, Indiana. The Indiana/Ohio state line literally runs through the school gynasium (see photos). It was about one hundred years ago I attended this school. If you attended grades one through three, then your classes were on the Indiana side. Grades four through five were on the Ohio side. Grades thereafter went to school in nearby Liberty, Indiana. It is my understanding that this school with the state line running through the middle is the only school of it's kind in the United States. To help you get a better idea as to how this worked, any sporting event that took place in that gymnasium was held in both states. The tricky part about living in this divided little farm town was the time zone. Indiana was always an hour behind Ohio during daylilght savings time as Ohio chose, and still chooses, daylight savings time. To be honest with you, as youngsters, we relied on our parents to help us with the time issue. Everything must have worked out well because we never missed school.This past year, lawmakers in Indiana voted to use daylight savings time and not many Hoosiers were thrilled about this.

The nice thing about this town and it's outskirts is the abundance of farmland everywhere. However, I do get sad as I think it is a shame I have to go this far to enjoy an Amercian landmark. Used to be here in Butler County the family farm abounded but this has given in to subdivisions galore. Farmers have struggled long enough and are selling out. This has not only given rise to new houses but there have been increases in food prices at stores and imported meats. As a result of urban sprawl, there is more crime, conjestion, road rage, divorce, unemployment and unfriendliness. I have more sex offenders living within a one mile radius of me here in Middletown than you can shake a stick at. My heart is in the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky but if I had to choose an alternate place to live, I would go to College Corner or nearby Liberty. Unfortunately, I think others are getting the same idea regarding suburbia as College Corner is seeing more visitors.

Nearby, is the notorious "Secret Spot" as I like to call it. Actually, this is the ever popular Hueston Woods State Park. I like to take my journal, cameras, thermos of coffee here for quiet time. I will hang out at the Nature Reserve, Lodge and the six hundred and fifty acre Acton Lake behind the Lodge. I encourage visitors to go to the Lodge for food and drink as both are outstanding. By all means, take advantage of the gift shop while you are there. I have purchashed some of the best books on bird watching and local Native Americans at this little gift shop. This park is full of all the nature that subdivisions are robbing of their habitat; white tail deer, owls, hawks, kestrals, common bird species, a variety of turtles, snakes, wild flowers, fish, squirrels all of which used to be very plentiful everywhere. These creatures are seriously being threatened by housing. I never thought I would live to see the day that I would witness wildlife threatened on such a grand scale as I have seen since the nineteen nineties. Nonetheless, I always feel refreshed after a day in the "Secret Spot" and I never take anyone with me! I don't have to spend the day looking over my shoulder.

As I enjoy these landmarks my heart always asks are these landmarks and wildlife worth giving up to be enslaved to a high mortagage payment? Is suburbia really the center of one's life? Is a post industrial home no longer good enough because it does not meet the standards of a postindustrial showcase? It is little wonder that our local industrial cities are becoming the object of apathy. Cities like Hamilton and Middletown have become cities full of brownfields, vacant houses, high taxes, foreclosures, and homeless people. It is evident that suburbia has posthumously replaced the end of American industrialization but we are becoming destructive and greedy in the process. This greed even finds it's way into local churches of all places. I have heard a common prayer request in my church, "Please pray that my house will sell", while there have been members sitting nearby wondering if they are going to have a place to lay their head tomorrow. May I ask, what is what wrong with the nice home you have now? With all of this in mind, I believe that this is why little places like College Corner are being sought out from those of us running from suburban life. May you not find me there.