Hello Everyone,
Sugarcreek, known as the“Little Switzerland of Ohio,” is located in Tuscarawas County. It’s a village where you’ll want to spend a full day. During the 1800's, Germans and Swiss immigrants (many of them Amish) settled in the area because the rolling hills and climate reminded them so much of home.
Start your visit at Alpine Hills Museum loaded with Swiss and Amish artifacts. Then watch an animated show at the world’s largest cuckoo clock. Opposite the clock, you’ll find a brick wall consisting of 13 detailed sculptures relating area history. You can end your day by driving to the Dutch Valley complex for shopping, a delightful dinner, a top notch concert or Amish musical production at their Ohio Star Theater, and a stay at the Carlisle Inn. You’ll be ready to fall into bed tired and content.
In 1814, Abraham Shane founded an area near Sugarcreek called Shaneville. In 1882, the Conotton Valley Railroad tracks were laid through the Sugar Creek Valley and a depot erected in East Shanesville. East Shanesville, located about a mile from Shanesville, soon became the larger of the two towns. East Shanesville later changed its name to Sugar Creek to match the nearby body of water called Sugar Creek. The name later became one word. In 1968, the two towns merged to become Sugarcreek. The village is known now for tourism and for being the center of a huge cheesemaking area of which Swiss cheese is the most predominant.
Coming into town, you’ll notice Alpine style buildings which make you wonder if you’ve accidentally crossed into Switzerland. Five have Swiss murals done by resident artist Tom Miller, who was heavily influenced by his trip to Switzerland. He created his initial mural for his art studio. After much positive reaction from tourists, other businesses had Miller place murals on their exteriors, too. These are Holmes Lumber, Sugarcreek Fire and Rescue, McDonald’s, Huntington Bank, and Doug Frautschy’s law office.
ALPINE HILLS MUSEUM
The Alpine Hills Museum should be your first stop. It’s easy to locate. Just look for the bright blue, three-story building decorated in Edelweiss, Alpenrose, and Eucin flowers. Besides its exhibits on Swiss, German, and Amish cultures, it houses the Sugarcreek Information Center with brochures, maps, and up-to-date information.
Catch the 12-minute video about Amish culture and the Swiss immigrants’ impact on Sugarcreek. It contains footage on the Swiss Festival. It occurs the fourth full weekend after Labor Day. Visitors find polka bands, parades, Steinstossen (throwing of the stone), and Swiss cheese events.
The museum’s most popular displays are its interactive displays on the first floor. They’re designed to look like the interiors of historical places once found in Sugarcreek. You push a button at each of five displays to hear an audio about them. Then watch spotlights as they shine on what the narratives talk about.
The 1900's Amish kitchen describes the typical items you would find in such a room ranging from a dry sink to kerosene lanterns. At the 1890 Swiss cheesemaking diorama, you’ll see the equipment used, including a huge copper kettle, and hear how Swiss cheese was made. George Shutt, a cabinetmaker, was the head carpenter for the Church of Brethren in nearby Baltic, Ohio. His workshop was left intact. The exhibit is a copy of the layout of his original shop. You can see a recreation of the 1890 to mid 1900' s Budget newspaper’s office founded by John C. Miller in June 1890. At this display, visitors see a video about the newspaper instead of hearing an audio.
Other artifacts displayed on the first floor are Swiss clothes, dolls wearing Swiss canton costumes, toy trains, and dollhouse furniture. You’ll find winter Swiss clothing worn in the early 1900's, a tablecloth and runners edged with lace, fondue plates, cheesemaking artifacts such as a cutter and milk tester, and men's and women’s Amish attire.
You’ll discover on the second floor a bedroom suite, a kitchen complete with implements, and livingroom furniture. You’ll also see all kinds of clocks, hats, and jewelry. An authentic shoeshine station sits beside an early 1900's barbershop display complete with a chair.
The music room caught my eye. It was full of clarinets, Alphorns, cymbals, Swiss hammered dulcimers, Swiss bells, a dulcimer mallet, and an organ.
Take time to watch the video of Ranson Andreas playing Swiss bells, an Alphorn, and the Swiss hammered dulcimer. Andreas decided Sugarcreek needed a place to store, preserve, and share the town’s cultural history. He donated his Andreas Furniture's warehouse space as the site for this museum.
The alphorn and Swiss hammered dulcimer are fascinating instruments. Large alphorns are made from one tree. Each half is hollowed out then glued together. Cane wrapping is used for stability. The longer the horn, the lower its pitch. Up to four strings per note can be played on a Swiss hammered dulcimer making it similar to a piano chord. The mallet has leather across the top of it softening the contacts and eliminating a vibration effect.
The room next to the music room displays old communications equipment. These included old photographs, a 1948 Admiral television, and an RCA Radiolo 60 which was a 1931 AM radio.
Another area featured a case of old Sugarcreek business cards and a sizable collection of arrowheads. Equipment used in various industries ranged from typewriters and adding machines to leather working tools, and old cameras. Huge prescription bottles from the late 1800's lined some shelves. Medical equipment included examining instruments, blood pressure machines, and a medical bag.
The military area has a wide selection of World War II army and air force uniforms. There were also gas masks from this era, an 1880's Swiss army rifle, and an 1840's Harpers Ferry musket.
The basement has its own exhibits. It concentrates on farming and transportation with hand farming tools, a rare photographer’s carriage, and Swiss horse drawn plows from the 1800's. Visitors see 1895 fire fighting equipment, an antique Amish buggy, and a blacksmith’s shop.
DETAILS:
Alpine Hills Museum is located at 106 West Main Street. The phone number is (330) 852-4113. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, from April through October. Admission is free though donations are accepted. Unfortunately, this museum is not handicapped accessible. It has stairs to the second floor and basement since there is no elevator.
WORLD’S LARGEST CUCKOO CLOCK
Look to the northeast from the museum and you will find, according to the 1978 Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s largest cuckoo clock. It measures 23 feet 6 inches tall, 24 feet wide, and 13 feet 6 inches deep. It plays on the half hour, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
At those times, a five-piece oompah band playing a Bavarian tune and a cuckoo pop out of the clock. Two three-foot polka dancers, on tracks, swing into action. Part of the clock is a huge water wheel with a pond. The clock, originally located in Wilmot, Ohio, has quite a history.
Hans and Alice Grossniklaus built a Swiss restaurant named Alpine Alpa near Wilmot, Ohio in 1935. Hans was a Swiss cheesemaker. When it started as a coffee shop, business was slow. They decided to add attractions to draw diners to their restaurant.
In 1972, they had the cuckoo clock constructed and placed high on the hill behind the restaurant. Its dancers and band were hand-carved and created to move like robots in Schwartzwald, Germany. The figures swung into action at the top and bottom of every hour like they do now.
They added other attractions to their restaurant as well. In 1983, Tom Miller painted several multidimensional murals throughout the dining room, adding greatly to its Swiss decor.
I remember when we lived in Akron heading to Wilmot for the excellent food at Alpine Alpa, particularly their trail bologna sandwiches and Swiss cheese. It was always a treat to go upstairs to watch the clock in action.
In August 2002, after Hans died, the restaurant was sold to Ann DeHaus and her daughter and son-in-law LeAnn and Daryl Miller. They changed its name to Grandma’s Alpine Homestead.
The clock fell into a state of disrepair with a lot of rotten wood. In August of 2007, Hampton Hotels “Save A Landmark” Program selected the piece as one of its projects providing a $20,000 cash grant and lots of volunteers for its makeover. When the newly refurbished clock was unveiled, more than 80 volunteers had devoted hundreds of hours to restore the clock. They replaced, varnished, stained, and oiled the clock’s wood and constructed a new pond allowing the water to flow behind the water wheel instead of pooling.
They also moved the clock to ground level from the top of the staircase. At its former location, it had been difficult for those with mobility problems to reach. The hope was to restore the clock so everyone could enjoy it.
When the owners closed the restaurant permanently in 2009, they auctioned off the restaurant’s equipment and furnishings. The auction included the cuckoo clock. Mark Coblentz of Walnut Creek Cheese purchased it for $15,000 with the idea of making it a local icon. After his purchase, it sat weathering until a plan for its final location could be decided.
Lavon Daugherty, a Sugarcreek businessman, came up with the idea of moving it to downtown Sugarcreek. He started making plans, talking to people, and raising funds. Coblentz agreed on the move from Alpine Alpa to one of Sugarcreek’s empty lots on July 6, 2010.
Work on the clock continued with the strong support from the village’s mayor, Clayton Weller. A raffle was held to cover restoration costs. Rotten wood was again replaced and new pieces of carpet installed. A shell was created to help the clock make it through the winter. Volunteers, including Garaway High School art teacher Mallory Gerstacker worked to paint the figurines whose woodworking had been restored by other Sugarcreek citizens.
A site was purchased and on May 30, 2012, the clock moved to its permanent place on the square in downtown Sugarcreek at Main Street and Broadway. Since November 2012, visitors watch it operate from late spring through early fall until winter weather threatens to freeze the water wheel. The restaurant near Wilmot now houses a church while its cheese factory is still open.
BRICK WALL SCULPTURE
The Community Arts Council of Sugarcreek organized the fundraising, creation, and installation of a wall composed of 13 sculptured Belden brick panels. It’s located directly across the street from the Alpine Hills Museum. Its panels relate the story and history of the communities making up the Garaway School District: Baltic, Ragersville, Dundee, and Sugarcreek. Its theme is “Preserving the Past for the Future.”
Sherry Crilow, a local artist, designed and sculpted all of the panels. She began the carving on January 9, 2012, spending two to three weeks to do each one. Via brick from the Belden Brick Company, she has completed over 100 sculptures that are found throughout North America.
During the late spring and early summer of 2013, Cherry Ridge Masons laid the bricks, completing the project. Seven panels are 5 feet by 8 feet while the other six are 5 feet by 7 feet. The wall was gifted to the village of Sugarcreek by the Council on August 13, 2013.
Transportation is the first panel’s theme and is the one furthest south on the wall. It features a farrier and the Sugarcreek’s Fifties Fling with people and classic cars from that era. Three of Sugarcreek’s auto dealerships and the cars they sold, an Amish buggy, and a motor bike are also portrayed.
The panel, Brick, Clay and Coal, tells about Belden Brick, a major area manufacturer since 1885. Bricks used in the Brick Wall Sculpture were carved and fired at the company’s plant #6. The Finzer Bros. smokestacks and beehive kilns are still used today. The background depicts the Belden offices in Canton, Ohio and the many types of equipment used in brick production.
Panel 3, Cheese and Dairy, shows cows and dairy barns, milk hauling trucks, and the cheesemaking process. Look carefully to see the Swiss canton and cow bells - both important parts of the area’s Swiss culture. Cheesemaking has been vital to the area since its founding. In its heyday, during the 1930's, 40 cheese houses existed in the region.
Panel 4 is dedicated to Swiss culture. Not only is the world’s largest cuckoo clock depicted but so are Swiss costumed immigrants, the architecture, Schwingfest (Swiss wrestling), and the Matterhorn, Switzerland’s tallest mountain.
Panel 5 portrays Baltic which began settlement in 1832, but didn’t become a village until 1848. Once known as Buena Vista, it was renamed Baltic in 1883. It shows the railroad, a major area asset, arriving in 1880. The panel’s log cabin still exists along SR 93.
The next panel concentrates on Ragersville which was settled in the early 1830's. Depicted are its history as a stagecoach stop, its 1830's one-room schoolhouse listed on the National Register, Jacob Steiner Cheese House, and its historical society museum.
Signs of the Communities, Panel 7, displays a symbol or building representing each of the area’s communities. For example, Baltic has a church while Sugarcreek has a creek.
Panel 8 depicts the town of Dundee established in 1847. It’s best known for its five stone quarries, one of which still operates. Dundee Falls, a state protected wildlife area, is still open to the public.
Panel 9 is all about Sugarcreek. The scene depicts some of the village’s buildings such as the Alpine Hills Museum and Swiss Hat Restaurant. It also portrays the Tuscarawas County Soap Box Derby and the community’s “Christmas in the Village.”
Amish Culture is the theme of Panel 10 as represented by horse-drawn wagons and buggies, windmills, and shocks of grain. Look for the quilt pictured on the barn and the portrayal of an Amish home.
Panel 11, Agriculture, focuses on farm animals, buildings, and equipment. Besides tourism, agriculture is the area’s major industry. Tuscarawas County is ranked fourth in Ohio in the number of dairy cows and fifth in all cattle and calves. Wheat, oats, soybeans, and hay are also important crops.
Panel 12 is called Education, Business, and Industry. It is composed of Garaway Local School System students whose graduates have flourished in business and industry locally and globally.
The final panel is titled Community Working Together presenting the importance of such service organizations as the Rotary, Lions and Lionesses. It also depicts the Mykola Ahijevych family, Russian refugees who had been kept in a German refugee camp until brought to the area in 1951 by the First Mennonite Church. They represent other refugee families.
Next to these panels is a brick memorial to Lt. General Donald Leander Putt born in Sugarcreek on May 14, 1905. He served in Europe during the end of World War II at the Herman Goering Aeronautical Research Center near Brunswick, Germany. At the Center, he interrogated German scientists. Putt headed Operation Paperclip which brought very significant scientific equipment, documents, and German aeronautical scientists to the United States.
He worked for 30 years, including his time as the firm’s president, at United Technologies Corporation. The company developed solid rocket engines including part of the Titan II rocket and helped launch Viking and Voyager Aircraft. He died November 4, 1988 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The memorial measures 14 feet by 19 feet and is composed of 4,234 bricks donated by Belden Brick Company. It consists of a brick sculpture of Putt and a bronze plaque placed November 13, 1992. A rocket booster was installed November 21, 1992 featuring a three hundred-pound replica of a 2-/12 stage segmented solid rocket engine. The rocket was built and donated by United Technologies Corporation’s chemical systems division out of San Jose, California,
THE DUTCH VALLEY SUGARCREEK CAMPUS
You may want to conclude your day by heading for the Dutch Valley campus near Sugarcreek. It consists of an excellent restaurant, a bakery, market, gift shops, a superb theater, and the Carlisle Inn. It’s the perfect way to end your day.
DUTCH VALLEY RESTAURANT
Dutch Valley Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Berlin Farmstead (which I described in Shopping in Amish Country Part One) and Der Dutchman at 4967 Walnut Street in Walnut Creek, Ohio are two of its sister restaurants. All are known for superb Amish style food and have been favorites of ours for years. The food is wholesome and made from scratch.
At Dutch Valley, you can either order off the menu or enjoy a delightful buffet with all-you-can-eat homestyle meats, dressing, real mashed potatoes, noodles, creamed corn, green beans, salad bar, and more. You can go back as many times as you wish but aren’t allowed to take home leftovers. They also have a breakfast buffet.
If you order off the menu, you get to choose two side dishes from a wide variety. The salad bar can be substituted as a side dish for an extra charge.
Amish Country Sampler provides a choice of two or three meats. Select from chicken, roast beef, turkey, or ham. Your meal includes mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, vegetable, and tossed salad.
Another option is the family style meal. Choose chicken, turkey, ham, or roast beef to go with the salad bar, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, creamed corn or green beans, dinner rolls, beverage and pie. You can get refills as many times as you wish but taking leftovers home is not allowed.
After dining at the restaurant, you will want to visit their bakery. It offers several kinds of breads, doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cakes, and pies. Dutch Valley Market, on campus, is the place to stock up on meats, cheeses, and an array of Amish foods.
Their gift shop building houses two shops, Dutch Valley Gifts and the Coop. You’ll find Dutch Valley Gifts on the lower level. It features clothing, accessories, and jewelry. It even has a dressing room. The Coop, located on the upper two levels, contains home decor and specialty gifts.
Hours change seasonally for the gift shops and market. In the late spring through late fall, they close at 8:00 p.m. However, during the winter, they typically close at 6:00 p.m.
Address of the restaurant is 1343 Old Route 39 in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Their telephone number is (330) 852-4627. Hours for the restaurant are Monday through Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. while the bakery is open 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. To learn more about this restaurant, go to its web site.
CARLISLE INN
At Carlisle Inn near Sugarcreek, standard rooms involve a choice of one king or two queen beds. Each room has a balcony or porch, small refrigerator, coffeemaker, hair dryer, and iron with ironing board.
Deluxe executive rooms come with one king bed and a sitting area. These add such amenities as a two-person Jacuzzi, television with DVD, larger refrigerator, microwave, and gas fireplace.
The inn also offers two room suites which are approximately 1,500 square feet in size. Each bedroom has two queen beds in addition to the amenities found in the deluxe executive rooms. It provides a dining table with four chairs instead of two and a sleeper sofa. It’s perfect for families.
The inn offers several spa services for individuals or for couples. Massages range from 60 to 90 minutes. You can dine in your room from Monday through Saturday from 11a.m. to 7:30p.m. A workout room with stationery bikes, elliptical equipment, and treadmills is available. A heated indoor pool and a whirlpool are open during the same hours as the fitness room. A library houses puzzles, games, and USA Today. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available in-room and common areas. Check in is at 3:00 p.m. with checkout at 11:00 a.m. For reservations, call (855) 411-2275.
A variety of packages are available through Dutchman Hospitality. For more information, check their web page. Just the Two of Us combines a fresh flower arrangement, Coblentz chocolates, and a $30 meal voucher. Pamper Us involves a one-hour couple massage treatment, spa gift basket, and $30 meal voucher. Come Away with Me links the $30 food voucher and Carlisle gift basket. Rooms are priced separately with all packages. Carlisle Inn also offers a combination theater/overnight stay package.
OHIO STAR THEATER
Ohio Star Theater & Events, located near Sugarcreek, is a must see for anyone visiting the area. This is NOT a community theater as auditions are held nationally by Blue Gate Musicals, who produce the musicals at this theater and two others. The quality of showmanship, singing, and dancing could not be higher. Fourteen outstanding musical numbers were performed throughout the show we saw.
The 512 seats are comfortable, the audio and visual systems state-of-the-art, and a concession stand is available during the intermission. It is handicapped accessible with access to an elevator. We walked out of the theater after seeing The Confession with smiles on our faces.
The Confession is a musical based on the book by Beverly Lewis is about a young Amish woman, Katie Lapp, who learns she is adopted shortly after her birth. Her non Amish real mother, Laura Mayfield, is dying of multiple sclerosis and has been searching in vain for a long time to find her daughter. Laura’s boyfriend, Dylan Bennett, is determined to get his hands on Mayfield’s large estate. He hires Alyson Cairns from a talent agency to portray Laura’s long lost daughter.
Katie is hired as a maid but hides the truth about being Mayfield’s daughter. The play becomes humorous when Alyson, who knows nothing about the Amish life, is asked questions about the Amish by Katie; by butler, Fulton Taylor; and by Laura’s maid, Rosie Taylor who all realize Alyson is a fraud. In the end, Laura learns who her real daughter is before she dies.
Romantic interest starts in scene one when Daniel Fisher, who is Katie’s boyfriend, and Katie are listening to him play the guitar. This sort of activity is banned by the Bishop. In a letter, Katie learns that Daniel has drowned. This isn’t true. He has used this ruse to experience the English (non Amish) way of life. Daniel reappears in act two when he shows up at the Mayfield house. After some confusion, about whom he really is by the butler, Daniel claims Katie. The final scene is their wedding.
During the musical, Katie is ordered to be shunned by the Bishop. However, in the end, the shunning is lifted and she and Daniel reenter the Amish religion and lifestyle again. Other cast members portray Katie’s parents and her girlfriend, Mary Stolzhaus.
Beverly Lewis, wrote the novels, Heritage of Lancaster County, on which The Confession is based. She has more than 17 million books in print. Her books, appearing in 12 languages, are based on the Amish faith. Martha Bolton, who authored the play, has written 88 books. She was Bob Hope’s first full-time, female staff writer for 15 years and has written for Phyllis Diller among others. Bolton has written each of the theater’s scripts to be produced in 2018.
Dan Posthuma, the producer, has over 35 years as a record and concert producer in the Christian Music industry. He has been awarded several Grammy nominations and three Dove awards. Posthuma partnered with Mel Riegsecker in 2010 to form Blue Gate Musicals, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Their company concentrates on producing successful Broadway caliber musicals from the heart of Amish Country. They run similar theaters in Shipshewana, Indiana and Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania.
Plans for 2018 are for four musicals. You can see Home Game from April 24 through June 29, Half Stitched from July 11 through August 29, Stolen from September 11 through November 10, and Christmas in Paradise from November 17 through December 29. The theater also presents lots of wholesome entertainment throughout the year such as country, bluegrass, contemporary Christian and Gospel concerts as well as comedians. Seats can be reserved online or by telephone. To see a schedule and for more information about each show, check out their site or call (855) 344-7547. Note: the shows are copywritten so no photography is allowed.
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Sugarcreek, known as the“Little Switzerland of Ohio,” is located in Tuscarawas County. It’s a village where you’ll want to spend a full day. During the 1800's, Germans and Swiss immigrants (many of them Amish) settled in the area because the rolling hills and climate reminded them so much of home.
Start your visit at Alpine Hills Museum loaded with Swiss and Amish artifacts. Then watch an animated show at the world’s largest cuckoo clock. Opposite the clock, you’ll find a brick wall consisting of 13 detailed sculptures relating area history. You can end your day by driving to the Dutch Valley complex for shopping, a delightful dinner, a top notch concert or Amish musical production at their Ohio Star Theater, and a stay at the Carlisle Inn. You’ll be ready to fall into bed tired and content.
In 1814, Abraham Shane founded an area near Sugarcreek called Shaneville. In 1882, the Conotton Valley Railroad tracks were laid through the Sugar Creek Valley and a depot erected in East Shanesville. East Shanesville, located about a mile from Shanesville, soon became the larger of the two towns. East Shanesville later changed its name to Sugar Creek to match the nearby body of water called Sugar Creek. The name later became one word. In 1968, the two towns merged to become Sugarcreek. The village is known now for tourism and for being the center of a huge cheesemaking area of which Swiss cheese is the most predominant.
Coming into town, you’ll notice Alpine style buildings which make you wonder if you’ve accidentally crossed into Switzerland. Five have Swiss murals done by resident artist Tom Miller, who was heavily influenced by his trip to Switzerland. He created his initial mural for his art studio. After much positive reaction from tourists, other businesses had Miller place murals on their exteriors, too. These are Holmes Lumber, Sugarcreek Fire and Rescue, McDonald’s, Huntington Bank, and Doug Frautschy’s law office.
ALPINE HILLS MUSEUM
The Alpine Hills Museum should be your first stop. It’s easy to locate. Just look for the bright blue, three-story building decorated in Edelweiss, Alpenrose, and Eucin flowers. Besides its exhibits on Swiss, German, and Amish cultures, it houses the Sugarcreek Information Center with brochures, maps, and up-to-date information.
Catch the 12-minute video about Amish culture and the Swiss immigrants’ impact on Sugarcreek. It contains footage on the Swiss Festival. It occurs the fourth full weekend after Labor Day. Visitors find polka bands, parades, Steinstossen (throwing of the stone), and Swiss cheese events.
The museum’s most popular displays are its interactive displays on the first floor. They’re designed to look like the interiors of historical places once found in Sugarcreek. You push a button at each of five displays to hear an audio about them. Then watch spotlights as they shine on what the narratives talk about.
The 1900's Amish kitchen describes the typical items you would find in such a room ranging from a dry sink to kerosene lanterns. At the 1890 Swiss cheesemaking diorama, you’ll see the equipment used, including a huge copper kettle, and hear how Swiss cheese was made. George Shutt, a cabinetmaker, was the head carpenter for the Church of Brethren in nearby Baltic, Ohio. His workshop was left intact. The exhibit is a copy of the layout of his original shop. You can see a recreation of the 1890 to mid 1900' s Budget newspaper’s office founded by John C. Miller in June 1890. At this display, visitors see a video about the newspaper instead of hearing an audio.
Other artifacts displayed on the first floor are Swiss clothes, dolls wearing Swiss canton costumes, toy trains, and dollhouse furniture. You’ll find winter Swiss clothing worn in the early 1900's, a tablecloth and runners edged with lace, fondue plates, cheesemaking artifacts such as a cutter and milk tester, and men's and women’s Amish attire.
You’ll discover on the second floor a bedroom suite, a kitchen complete with implements, and livingroom furniture. You’ll also see all kinds of clocks, hats, and jewelry. An authentic shoeshine station sits beside an early 1900's barbershop display complete with a chair.
The music room caught my eye. It was full of clarinets, Alphorns, cymbals, Swiss hammered dulcimers, Swiss bells, a dulcimer mallet, and an organ.
Take time to watch the video of Ranson Andreas playing Swiss bells, an Alphorn, and the Swiss hammered dulcimer. Andreas decided Sugarcreek needed a place to store, preserve, and share the town’s cultural history. He donated his Andreas Furniture's warehouse space as the site for this museum.
The alphorn and Swiss hammered dulcimer are fascinating instruments. Large alphorns are made from one tree. Each half is hollowed out then glued together. Cane wrapping is used for stability. The longer the horn, the lower its pitch. Up to four strings per note can be played on a Swiss hammered dulcimer making it similar to a piano chord. The mallet has leather across the top of it softening the contacts and eliminating a vibration effect.
The room next to the music room displays old communications equipment. These included old photographs, a 1948 Admiral television, and an RCA Radiolo 60 which was a 1931 AM radio.
Another area featured a case of old Sugarcreek business cards and a sizable collection of arrowheads. Equipment used in various industries ranged from typewriters and adding machines to leather working tools, and old cameras. Huge prescription bottles from the late 1800's lined some shelves. Medical equipment included examining instruments, blood pressure machines, and a medical bag.
The military area has a wide selection of World War II army and air force uniforms. There were also gas masks from this era, an 1880's Swiss army rifle, and an 1840's Harpers Ferry musket.
The basement has its own exhibits. It concentrates on farming and transportation with hand farming tools, a rare photographer’s carriage, and Swiss horse drawn plows from the 1800's. Visitors see 1895 fire fighting equipment, an antique Amish buggy, and a blacksmith’s shop.
DETAILS:
Alpine Hills Museum is located at 106 West Main Street. The phone number is (330) 852-4113. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, from April through October. Admission is free though donations are accepted. Unfortunately, this museum is not handicapped accessible. It has stairs to the second floor and basement since there is no elevator.
WORLD’S LARGEST CUCKOO CLOCK
Look to the northeast from the museum and you will find, according to the 1978 Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s largest cuckoo clock. It measures 23 feet 6 inches tall, 24 feet wide, and 13 feet 6 inches deep. It plays on the half hour, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
At those times, a five-piece oompah band playing a Bavarian tune and a cuckoo pop out of the clock. Two three-foot polka dancers, on tracks, swing into action. Part of the clock is a huge water wheel with a pond. The clock, originally located in Wilmot, Ohio, has quite a history.
Hans and Alice Grossniklaus built a Swiss restaurant named Alpine Alpa near Wilmot, Ohio in 1935. Hans was a Swiss cheesemaker. When it started as a coffee shop, business was slow. They decided to add attractions to draw diners to their restaurant.
In 1972, they had the cuckoo clock constructed and placed high on the hill behind the restaurant. Its dancers and band were hand-carved and created to move like robots in Schwartzwald, Germany. The figures swung into action at the top and bottom of every hour like they do now.
They added other attractions to their restaurant as well. In 1983, Tom Miller painted several multidimensional murals throughout the dining room, adding greatly to its Swiss decor.
I remember when we lived in Akron heading to Wilmot for the excellent food at Alpine Alpa, particularly their trail bologna sandwiches and Swiss cheese. It was always a treat to go upstairs to watch the clock in action.
In August 2002, after Hans died, the restaurant was sold to Ann DeHaus and her daughter and son-in-law LeAnn and Daryl Miller. They changed its name to Grandma’s Alpine Homestead.
The clock fell into a state of disrepair with a lot of rotten wood. In August of 2007, Hampton Hotels “Save A Landmark” Program selected the piece as one of its projects providing a $20,000 cash grant and lots of volunteers for its makeover. When the newly refurbished clock was unveiled, more than 80 volunteers had devoted hundreds of hours to restore the clock. They replaced, varnished, stained, and oiled the clock’s wood and constructed a new pond allowing the water to flow behind the water wheel instead of pooling.
They also moved the clock to ground level from the top of the staircase. At its former location, it had been difficult for those with mobility problems to reach. The hope was to restore the clock so everyone could enjoy it.
When the owners closed the restaurant permanently in 2009, they auctioned off the restaurant’s equipment and furnishings. The auction included the cuckoo clock. Mark Coblentz of Walnut Creek Cheese purchased it for $15,000 with the idea of making it a local icon. After his purchase, it sat weathering until a plan for its final location could be decided.
Lavon Daugherty, a Sugarcreek businessman, came up with the idea of moving it to downtown Sugarcreek. He started making plans, talking to people, and raising funds. Coblentz agreed on the move from Alpine Alpa to one of Sugarcreek’s empty lots on July 6, 2010.
Work on the clock continued with the strong support from the village’s mayor, Clayton Weller. A raffle was held to cover restoration costs. Rotten wood was again replaced and new pieces of carpet installed. A shell was created to help the clock make it through the winter. Volunteers, including Garaway High School art teacher Mallory Gerstacker worked to paint the figurines whose woodworking had been restored by other Sugarcreek citizens.
A site was purchased and on May 30, 2012, the clock moved to its permanent place on the square in downtown Sugarcreek at Main Street and Broadway. Since November 2012, visitors watch it operate from late spring through early fall until winter weather threatens to freeze the water wheel. The restaurant near Wilmot now houses a church while its cheese factory is still open.
BRICK WALL SCULPTURE
The Community Arts Council of Sugarcreek organized the fundraising, creation, and installation of a wall composed of 13 sculptured Belden brick panels. It’s located directly across the street from the Alpine Hills Museum. Its panels relate the story and history of the communities making up the Garaway School District: Baltic, Ragersville, Dundee, and Sugarcreek. Its theme is “Preserving the Past for the Future.”
Sherry Crilow, a local artist, designed and sculpted all of the panels. She began the carving on January 9, 2012, spending two to three weeks to do each one. Via brick from the Belden Brick Company, she has completed over 100 sculptures that are found throughout North America.
During the late spring and early summer of 2013, Cherry Ridge Masons laid the bricks, completing the project. Seven panels are 5 feet by 8 feet while the other six are 5 feet by 7 feet. The wall was gifted to the village of Sugarcreek by the Council on August 13, 2013.
Transportation is the first panel’s theme and is the one furthest south on the wall. It features a farrier and the Sugarcreek’s Fifties Fling with people and classic cars from that era. Three of Sugarcreek’s auto dealerships and the cars they sold, an Amish buggy, and a motor bike are also portrayed.
The panel, Brick, Clay and Coal, tells about Belden Brick, a major area manufacturer since 1885. Bricks used in the Brick Wall Sculpture were carved and fired at the company’s plant #6. The Finzer Bros. smokestacks and beehive kilns are still used today. The background depicts the Belden offices in Canton, Ohio and the many types of equipment used in brick production.
Panel 3, Cheese and Dairy, shows cows and dairy barns, milk hauling trucks, and the cheesemaking process. Look carefully to see the Swiss canton and cow bells - both important parts of the area’s Swiss culture. Cheesemaking has been vital to the area since its founding. In its heyday, during the 1930's, 40 cheese houses existed in the region.
Panel 4 is dedicated to Swiss culture. Not only is the world’s largest cuckoo clock depicted but so are Swiss costumed immigrants, the architecture, Schwingfest (Swiss wrestling), and the Matterhorn, Switzerland’s tallest mountain.
Panel 5 portrays Baltic which began settlement in 1832, but didn’t become a village until 1848. Once known as Buena Vista, it was renamed Baltic in 1883. It shows the railroad, a major area asset, arriving in 1880. The panel’s log cabin still exists along SR 93.
The next panel concentrates on Ragersville which was settled in the early 1830's. Depicted are its history as a stagecoach stop, its 1830's one-room schoolhouse listed on the National Register, Jacob Steiner Cheese House, and its historical society museum.
Signs of the Communities, Panel 7, displays a symbol or building representing each of the area’s communities. For example, Baltic has a church while Sugarcreek has a creek.
Panel 8 depicts the town of Dundee established in 1847. It’s best known for its five stone quarries, one of which still operates. Dundee Falls, a state protected wildlife area, is still open to the public.
Panel 9 is all about Sugarcreek. The scene depicts some of the village’s buildings such as the Alpine Hills Museum and Swiss Hat Restaurant. It also portrays the Tuscarawas County Soap Box Derby and the community’s “Christmas in the Village.”
Amish Culture is the theme of Panel 10 as represented by horse-drawn wagons and buggies, windmills, and shocks of grain. Look for the quilt pictured on the barn and the portrayal of an Amish home.
Panel 11, Agriculture, focuses on farm animals, buildings, and equipment. Besides tourism, agriculture is the area’s major industry. Tuscarawas County is ranked fourth in Ohio in the number of dairy cows and fifth in all cattle and calves. Wheat, oats, soybeans, and hay are also important crops.
Panel 12 is called Education, Business, and Industry. It is composed of Garaway Local School System students whose graduates have flourished in business and industry locally and globally.
The final panel is titled Community Working Together presenting the importance of such service organizations as the Rotary, Lions and Lionesses. It also depicts the Mykola Ahijevych family, Russian refugees who had been kept in a German refugee camp until brought to the area in 1951 by the First Mennonite Church. They represent other refugee families.
Next to these panels is a brick memorial to Lt. General Donald Leander Putt born in Sugarcreek on May 14, 1905. He served in Europe during the end of World War II at the Herman Goering Aeronautical Research Center near Brunswick, Germany. At the Center, he interrogated German scientists. Putt headed Operation Paperclip which brought very significant scientific equipment, documents, and German aeronautical scientists to the United States.
He worked for 30 years, including his time as the firm’s president, at United Technologies Corporation. The company developed solid rocket engines including part of the Titan II rocket and helped launch Viking and Voyager Aircraft. He died November 4, 1988 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The memorial measures 14 feet by 19 feet and is composed of 4,234 bricks donated by Belden Brick Company. It consists of a brick sculpture of Putt and a bronze plaque placed November 13, 1992. A rocket booster was installed November 21, 1992 featuring a three hundred-pound replica of a 2-/12 stage segmented solid rocket engine. The rocket was built and donated by United Technologies Corporation’s chemical systems division out of San Jose, California,
THE DUTCH VALLEY SUGARCREEK CAMPUS
You may want to conclude your day by heading for the Dutch Valley campus near Sugarcreek. It consists of an excellent restaurant, a bakery, market, gift shops, a superb theater, and the Carlisle Inn. It’s the perfect way to end your day.
DUTCH VALLEY RESTAURANT
Dutch Valley Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Berlin Farmstead (which I described in Shopping in Amish Country Part One) and Der Dutchman at 4967 Walnut Street in Walnut Creek, Ohio are two of its sister restaurants. All are known for superb Amish style food and have been favorites of ours for years. The food is wholesome and made from scratch.
At Dutch Valley, you can either order off the menu or enjoy a delightful buffet with all-you-can-eat homestyle meats, dressing, real mashed potatoes, noodles, creamed corn, green beans, salad bar, and more. You can go back as many times as you wish but aren’t allowed to take home leftovers. They also have a breakfast buffet.
If you order off the menu, you get to choose two side dishes from a wide variety. The salad bar can be substituted as a side dish for an extra charge.
Amish Country Sampler provides a choice of two or three meats. Select from chicken, roast beef, turkey, or ham. Your meal includes mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, vegetable, and tossed salad.
Another option is the family style meal. Choose chicken, turkey, ham, or roast beef to go with the salad bar, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, creamed corn or green beans, dinner rolls, beverage and pie. You can get refills as many times as you wish but taking leftovers home is not allowed.
After dining at the restaurant, you will want to visit their bakery. It offers several kinds of breads, doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cakes, and pies. Dutch Valley Market, on campus, is the place to stock up on meats, cheeses, and an array of Amish foods.
Their gift shop building houses two shops, Dutch Valley Gifts and the Coop. You’ll find Dutch Valley Gifts on the lower level. It features clothing, accessories, and jewelry. It even has a dressing room. The Coop, located on the upper two levels, contains home decor and specialty gifts.
Hours change seasonally for the gift shops and market. In the late spring through late fall, they close at 8:00 p.m. However, during the winter, they typically close at 6:00 p.m.
Address of the restaurant is 1343 Old Route 39 in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Their telephone number is (330) 852-4627. Hours for the restaurant are Monday through Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. while the bakery is open 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. To learn more about this restaurant, go to its web site.
CARLISLE INN
At Carlisle Inn near Sugarcreek, standard rooms involve a choice of one king or two queen beds. Each room has a balcony or porch, small refrigerator, coffeemaker, hair dryer, and iron with ironing board.
Deluxe executive rooms come with one king bed and a sitting area. These add such amenities as a two-person Jacuzzi, television with DVD, larger refrigerator, microwave, and gas fireplace.
The inn also offers two room suites which are approximately 1,500 square feet in size. Each bedroom has two queen beds in addition to the amenities found in the deluxe executive rooms. It provides a dining table with four chairs instead of two and a sleeper sofa. It’s perfect for families.
The inn offers several spa services for individuals or for couples. Massages range from 60 to 90 minutes. You can dine in your room from Monday through Saturday from 11a.m. to 7:30p.m. A workout room with stationery bikes, elliptical equipment, and treadmills is available. A heated indoor pool and a whirlpool are open during the same hours as the fitness room. A library houses puzzles, games, and USA Today. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available in-room and common areas. Check in is at 3:00 p.m. with checkout at 11:00 a.m. For reservations, call (855) 411-2275.
A variety of packages are available through Dutchman Hospitality. For more information, check their web page. Just the Two of Us combines a fresh flower arrangement, Coblentz chocolates, and a $30 meal voucher. Pamper Us involves a one-hour couple massage treatment, spa gift basket, and $30 meal voucher. Come Away with Me links the $30 food voucher and Carlisle gift basket. Rooms are priced separately with all packages. Carlisle Inn also offers a combination theater/overnight stay package.
OHIO STAR THEATER
Ohio Star Theater & Events, located near Sugarcreek, is a must see for anyone visiting the area. This is NOT a community theater as auditions are held nationally by Blue Gate Musicals, who produce the musicals at this theater and two others. The quality of showmanship, singing, and dancing could not be higher. Fourteen outstanding musical numbers were performed throughout the show we saw.
The 512 seats are comfortable, the audio and visual systems state-of-the-art, and a concession stand is available during the intermission. It is handicapped accessible with access to an elevator. We walked out of the theater after seeing The Confession with smiles on our faces.
The Confession is a musical based on the book by Beverly Lewis is about a young Amish woman, Katie Lapp, who learns she is adopted shortly after her birth. Her non Amish real mother, Laura Mayfield, is dying of multiple sclerosis and has been searching in vain for a long time to find her daughter. Laura’s boyfriend, Dylan Bennett, is determined to get his hands on Mayfield’s large estate. He hires Alyson Cairns from a talent agency to portray Laura’s long lost daughter.
Katie is hired as a maid but hides the truth about being Mayfield’s daughter. The play becomes humorous when Alyson, who knows nothing about the Amish life, is asked questions about the Amish by Katie; by butler, Fulton Taylor; and by Laura’s maid, Rosie Taylor who all realize Alyson is a fraud. In the end, Laura learns who her real daughter is before she dies.
Romantic interest starts in scene one when Daniel Fisher, who is Katie’s boyfriend, and Katie are listening to him play the guitar. This sort of activity is banned by the Bishop. In a letter, Katie learns that Daniel has drowned. This isn’t true. He has used this ruse to experience the English (non Amish) way of life. Daniel reappears in act two when he shows up at the Mayfield house. After some confusion, about whom he really is by the butler, Daniel claims Katie. The final scene is their wedding.
During the musical, Katie is ordered to be shunned by the Bishop. However, in the end, the shunning is lifted and she and Daniel reenter the Amish religion and lifestyle again. Other cast members portray Katie’s parents and her girlfriend, Mary Stolzhaus.
Beverly Lewis, wrote the novels, Heritage of Lancaster County, on which The Confession is based. She has more than 17 million books in print. Her books, appearing in 12 languages, are based on the Amish faith. Martha Bolton, who authored the play, has written 88 books. She was Bob Hope’s first full-time, female staff writer for 15 years and has written for Phyllis Diller among others. Bolton has written each of the theater’s scripts to be produced in 2018.
Dan Posthuma, the producer, has over 35 years as a record and concert producer in the Christian Music industry. He has been awarded several Grammy nominations and three Dove awards. Posthuma partnered with Mel Riegsecker in 2010 to form Blue Gate Musicals, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Their company concentrates on producing successful Broadway caliber musicals from the heart of Amish Country. They run similar theaters in Shipshewana, Indiana and Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania.
Plans for 2018 are for four musicals. You can see Home Game from April 24 through June 29, Half Stitched from July 11 through August 29, Stolen from September 11 through November 10, and Christmas in Paradise from November 17 through December 29. The theater also presents lots of wholesome entertainment throughout the year such as country, bluegrass, contemporary Christian and Gospel concerts as well as comedians. Seats can be reserved online or by telephone. To see a schedule and for more information about each show, check out their site or call (855) 344-7547. Note: the shows are copywritten so no photography is allowed.
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Exterior of Alpine Hills Museum
1900's Amish Kitchen Exhibit
Replica of George Shutt's Cabinetmaker Shop
1890 Cheesemaking Exhibit
Budget Typesetting Exhibit
Budget Linotype Exhibit
Swiss Dress
More Swiss Clothing
Bedroom Upstairs in Museum
Alphorns
Swiss Hammered Dulcimer
World's Largest Cuckoo Clock in Park
World's Largest Cuckoo Clock
Closeup of Band of World's Largest Cuckoo Clock
Brick Wall Sculpture "Brick, Clay, and Coal"
Brick Wall Sculpture "Cheese and Dairy"
Brick Wall Panel "Swiss Culture"
Brick Wall Panel "Baltic"
Brick Wall Panel "Sugarcreek"
Sugarcreek's Memorial to Lt. General Putt
Ohio Star Theater