A hot spot for history Johnston Farm offers a trip back in time BY BELINDA M. PASCHAL Staff Writer bpaschal@civitasmedia.com Johnston Farm and Indian Agency helps spread the word about the rich history of Miami County and its vicinity to visitors and local folks alike. Whether you take a trip to the museum’s resplendent collection of Native American cultural artifacts and information, tour the historical Johnston farmhouse or take a boat ride along the Miami and Erie Canal, you will leave the site with a bit more knowledge of and appreciation for history than when you arrived. “A lot of people are unaware of the history that happened right here in their own community,” said site manager Andy Hite. The 250-acre site at 9845 N. Hardin Road (off State Route 66 about 3 miles north of Piqua) is “consistently one of the leaders in visitation” and draws more school groups than any of the other 57 sites managed by the Ohio Historical Society, Hite added. The site is funded by state grants and revenue generated by admission fees, museum shopping, and other money spent by visitors. Management of the site is transitioning from the OHS to the locally based
STAFF PHOTO/MIKE ULLERY
Blacksmith Dustin Baker of Troy creates a piece of artwork from iron at the 2012 Piqua Heritage Festival, which is held each year at Johnston Farm.
Johnston Farm Friends Council. Under this arrangement, Johnston Farm and Indian Agency still we be owned by the OHS, but its daily operations will be managed by the Friends Council. Johnston Farm and Indian Agency is named for John Johnston, the farmer, public official and U.S. Indian Agent for western Ohio from 1812-29 who lived in the now-renovated farmhouse and raised 15 children with his wife, Rachel. In addition to the Johnston farmhouse, preserved structures include a
two-story spring house and a cider house. A 205-yearold double-penned log barn, said to be the oldest and largest of its type in Ohio, is still in use on the grounds. In the museum, exhibits including life-size displays and genuine artifacts chronicle the history of the Eastern Woodland Indians of Ohio and the Pickawillany Village, as well as telling the stories of other tribes in the U.S. The museum is built to resemble Fort Piqua, Gen. Anthony Wayne’s supply post that once was located on the site.
28 • June 2013 Community Guide • Troy Daily News and Piqua Daily Call
From the museum’s patio, a mile-long section of the Miami and Erie Canal can be seen. The more adventurous can enjoy boat rides along the canal aboard the General Harrison of Piqua, a 70-foot replica of the mule-drawn boats used for transportation of passengers and cargo in the 19th century. The General Harrison is one of four operating canal boats in Ohio. Johnston Farm and Indian Agency also hosts several special programs, which are listed below,
• See HISTORY on Page 29