Crane Creek


Cheyenne and I (virtually) made it to Crane Creek last week. Not too far from Port Clinton- it only took a few days. Before I wrote this I was looking at the Crane Creek State Park site and was reminded that Magee Marsh is part of Crane Creek Nature Preserve. Magee Marsh is "down the road" from the Finken Homestead which still stands today in the shadow of Davis-Besse. A few years ago Mom and I went to "visit" the relatives. Most of the Finkens now reside in Rushau Cemetery in Carroll Township- just "down the road " from the homestead. The Latter Day Saint Church in which her uncle preached is still standing. I heard stories about her first teaching position- a one room schoolhouse- in Carroll Township. She pointed out "Old Mr. Peters' House" where she lived while she was teaching, and related the story of how her father raffled off the beautifully packed picnic lunches for the "box-lunch social"- the school's yearly fund-raiser. She was so proud of him - that after conquering his battle with alcohol- he could once again be a respected member of the community. I also heard the story about Magee Marsh. "That good for nuthin' swamp land. They couldn't use that land at all- they tried draining it- but it always filled up again- just a breeding ground for mosquitoes- a worthless piece of property," she said to me one day when I told her I was going bird-watching at Crane Creek and Magee Marsh. Funny how things can change - both people and places - sometimes for the better.

(Photos are from H.W.'s collection-from Magee Marsh)