In the Heart of Amish Country, Ohio

Thursday, August 18 - Berlin, Ohio

While staying at a campground in Horicon, WI, we met a gentleman from Missouri named Bob Unland, an accomplished archer. During the course of our conversations with Bob, he asked if we had been to the Amish settlements of Ohio. He proceeded to tell us about the area, because he had recently visited here. He told us about the beauty of the area, and also about a "master carver", who once lived and worked in the area - Dover, OH, to be exact. He had us spellbound as he told us about the magnificent carvings he had seen at the museum in Dover. We made a decision that night to make it a point to visit this area before going back to Massachusetts.

After another stop in Shipshewana, IN, to pick up a few items, we made our way into Ohio to visit this "phenominal exhibit" in Dover, OH. Another village he mentioned was the town of Berlin, OH. Berlin is known as "The Heart of Amish Country" in Ohio. We found a campground here in Berlin, so this is where we are staying until Friday morning. We did some scouting of the area after dinner on Wednesday evening. I have to pause here to tell you about the amazing food establishments here! We have frequented a few of them in the area, and their food is absolutely delicious!! As an example, dinner last night - I had pork chops (2), mashed potatoes and applesauce, while Kathy had a Grilled Chicken salad - our total bill came to less than $18.00!!! Plus, we shared an appetizer of "French Fried Mushrooms" - which were also delicious! Anyway, back to the main topic - the first photo album contains photos of our "scouting around" the area. One of the towns we visited during our scouting trip was Walnut Creek, OH.

Today we drove into Dover, OH, to visit the Warther Museum and homestead. On the way, we stopped for breakfast at the "Dutch Valley Restaurant" in Sugarcreek, OH, known as the "Switzerland of Ohio", a quaint little town where the buildings resemble a Swiss village. From here, we continued on to Dover, and the Museum. If you have never been to this town, Dover, OH, and if you've never heard of Ernest "Mooney" Warther, then you MUST put it on your "bucket list"! We learned so much about this phenomenal individual that I am not able to put it all in this post. I will, however, share some of the facts we learned while touring the Museum. At around age 9 or so, young Ernest, too young to work at the steel plant, became interested in whittling after seeing a gentleman whittle a pair of working pliers from a single piece of wood. As luck would have it, he found a pocket knife in the dirt while doing some chores. Thus began a career that would transform him from a "whittler" to a "carver", and to become renowned as the "world's greatest carver"! His "passion" was trains, steam locomotives, to be exact. I have posted lots of pictures of his work for you to understand how he came to be known as a "Master Carver". As you browse through these photographs, keep in mind that every one of these pieces was carved by hand. He had no lathes, sanding belts, etc., just simple carving tools, which he designed and made himself. Be sure to click on the link (above) to the Museum before you look at my photographs. There is a video on the web site that is well worth the 3-1/2 minutes it takes to watch.

Some of the facts we learned which truly "blew my mind": every time he would set out to carve one of his models, he would give the exact day that he would be finished. So accurate was he with these estimates that he only missed two times, and one was because he had attended a Christmas Party and he missed his predicted completion date by two days. You see, he knew that he could carve 1,000 "parts" per month, and he also knew, intuitively, how many "parts" each model would take to complete. Another amazing fact we learned, this one regarding the "pliers tree", is that it was carved out of a single piece of wood and yielded 31,000 "pliers". And each and every one of them worked!! He envisioned this masterpiece on his way home from the steel mill, and began working on it shortly after arriving home that evening. Another amazing fact about the "pliers tree" is that it will actually fold back into the single piece of wood he carved it from. There is a photo of the "pliers tree" in the album, so be sure to take a good, close look at it. These "pliers" he carved became his calling card, and he passed them out like cards. He was so good at carving these, that he could turn out a pair of working pliers in about 15 seconds, from a single piece of wood, without any "waste", i.e., no shavings! The fastest pair he ever carved took him 9.5 seconds, on the "Johnny Carson Show". Now, take that knowledge and imagine the "pliers tree", 31,000 pliers, with no waste, from a single piece of wood! Each "pair" of pliers is made by making no more than 10 "cuts" in the wood.

OK, now, I want you to remember that he could carve 1,000 pieces per month. As you look at the photos, when you come to the photo of his "favorite", the "Great Northern" engine # 2577, reverse the number (7752) and that is the exact number of "parts" he had to carve to complete this model! At 1,000 pieces per month, how long did it take him to complete it? Amazing, eh? Also, if we could have videotaped the models, you would see that almost every one of them actually "moved", i.e., the piston-driven arms and wheels actually turned, just like on the real trains!! Even if you are not "into" trains, you will be amazed at this collection, described by the Smithsonian Institution as "priceless treasures".

There is so much more to tell about this "master carver", but you will have to visit to get that information "first-hand". As you scroll through the photographs of his model train carvings, remember that Ernest "Mooney" Carver had only a 2nd Grade education, yet his works put him in the "genius" category! Truly one of the real "wonders" of this world. This is one place we will never forget!

Here are the photo albums:

Berlin, Ohio - The Heart of Amish Country

Breakfast at Dutch Valley Restaurant

Ernest "Mooney" Warther Museum and Homestead