Lucky girls and boys in northern Ohio can spend a little time with Santa this weekend in front of a toasty fireplace in an 1860s-vintage restored log cabin near the historic train depot in Elmore, Ohio.
Much better than waiting in line at the mega mall, don't you think?
Santa's stop at the Heckman cabin occurs the weekend before Christmas each year and is just one of the special events scheduled at the cabin throughout the year.
The Stauffer family built the cabin during the 1860s, living there until the Butler family moved in.
John and Julia Heckman arrived in the Elmore area during the 1890s, moving their family into the rustic home at that time. Members of their family lived in the cabin until the 1970s.
Julia gave birth to their daughter Mattie in the cabin on February 13, 1893. Mattie taught in the Elmore area schools for more than four decades and lived in the cabin with her brother Clarence until they both died during the 1970s.
The cabin, originally located on Nissen Road, now stands in Ory Park (or Depot Park) near downtown Elmore.
The Elmore Historical Society received the cabin as a donation in 1981, moved it to its current location and set about restoring it by stripping the siding to expose the weathered logs and adding a flagstone fireplace and front porch.
The group furnished the cabin with artifacts from the Heckman family and other period pieces representing how it may have appeared during the family's earliest days there.
The historical society uses the site to teach people about the early pioneers in northern Ohio who settled the Great Black Swamp. Costumed docents often mount programs to perform everyday tasks of the 1800s like cooking, gardening or playing period games while telling stories about those early days.
The cabin is also available for rental for private tours, small meetings, or photo shoots.
Santa's visit this Friday and Saturday evening from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. sounds like a great photo opportunity for families wanting to preserve a record of their little ones' visit with the jolly gent this year.
Want to learn more about the history of the Elmore area? Check out Elmore and Genoa (Images of America) by Jennifer Fording.
© Dominique King 2013 All rights reserved
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