Yellow Springs, Ohio

"One of America’s Most Fun Small Towns"
Rand McNally Best of the Road TV show, 2011
                                              "Best Ohio Small Town"
                                                  Ohio Magazine, 2010 
                                                   “One of America’s 10 Coolest Small Towns”
                                                                                      Budget Travel, 2008

It is too early in this adventure for me to name Yellow Springs the winner of small towns, but for certain it is a most interesting little community with a unique history and a palpable, politically charged atmosphere. Plus they have great hiking trails, food and beers.

Yellow Springs was founded in 1825 by those who wanted to emulate the Utopian community at New Harmony, Indiana. The Utopian society failed to take hold, but the railroad did in 1846, bringing more residents, commerce and tourism to the small community. Today, two main features dominate Yellow Springs Antioch College and John Bryant State Park.

Horace Mann and Antioch

Whether you call him The Father of the Common School or The Father of American Public Education Mann’s imprint on the American education system is undeniable. Born into poverty, Mann spent little time in school, yet was a veracious reader who turned himself into a self-educated man. After attending college he started a lustrous political life dedicated to social reform. To Mann, education was most important, it was the great equalizer. With education would come opportunity, new talents, wealth and the end to poverty. With education, crime and violence would diminish. As Mann saw it, education was the best way to turn unruly children into disciplined, responsible persons with a future. His ideas were widely accepted and adopted, especially by those in the Whig Party.  So as you can image it was a great coup to have this distinguished proponent for education become the first president of  Antioch College, an institution with an nontraditional philosophy on education.

Antioch College was among the first nonsectarian educational institutions in the United States. It was the first co-educational college in the nation to offer the same educational opportunities to both men and women, and It was also among the first to offer African-Americans equal educational opportunities. In the 20th century, Antioch College initiated its hallmark cooperative work program.

Mann had a strong influence on Yellow Springs, outside the classroom. Due in part to his reputation as an abolitionist, Yellow Springs was one of the final stops on the Underground Railroad. Many escaped slaves settled in Yellow Springs, including the Conway Colony, a group of 30 freed slaves who were brought to the area by Mr. Conway, the son of their former owner.

The left leaning political views of the residents and students of Yellow Springs brought much unwanted attention and scrutiny during the Red Scare. The community was believed to have been sympathetic to the Communist Party. In response to the ‘charges’ the president of Antioch, Douglas McGregor, released the following statement: "Antioch upholds the American tradition of academic freedom. This means the right to hear and investigate all sides of any question, including the question of Russia and Communism."

In the mid to late 1900’s it was a center for both civil rights and anti-war movements. Yellow Springs continues to be a politically strong minded community. This is not to say that other communities are not politically active, but here in Yellow Springs it is as much a part of the village as Peaches Bar & Grill (great food and beer) the hiking trials and the old train depot. 

Speaking of great food, a stroll down Xenia Avenue will entice you with a veritable cornucopia of great eating establishments from the low key with massive beer selections, such as Peaches Bar & Grill to those catering to a more developed pallet. Ye Old Trail Tavern is a staple, a you-have-to-eat-there sorta place in Yellow Spring (all towns have such a place, yes?) serving pizzas, burgers, and appetizers. The food is good, the menu is a tad limited but the atmosphere is great. It is a place you will want to visit at least once. I myself am partial to Peaches Bar & Grill, but that is in great part influenced by my connoisseur beer drinking friends and fiancee who know about beer like some know about wine. Peaches beer selection is fabulous. I am partial to Pear Cider. 

If you want to get off the main drag and experience an adult beverage in a micro-brewery, you are in luck. Yellow Springs Brewery is a great place to relax and sample finely crafted beers. I go for a flight; small pours of four beers. It is in places like this that you will want to break out of your rut and try new beers. Often, one of the brew masters is on hand and at the least, the bar keeps who are also extremely knowledgeable, will teach you about the beers, how they are brewed, and influences for the recipes. It is a mini course in fine beers- Fine Beers 101. 

Next:  John Bryan  State Park