Ross County works to let the world in on this Appalachian secret
By Joe Frye
While often overlooked for more well-known Ohio destinations like Hocking Hills or Put-in-Bay, Ohio’s Appalachian cities and towns offer some of the more picturesque views and rich culture that one can find in the Buckeye State. Sitting at the foothills of the mountains is Ross County and its seat, Chillicothe. Offering hospitality, outdoor recreation and Native American history, Ross County is working to “let the outside world know what’s going on here and help us celebrate,” says Melody Young, executive director at Ross-Chillicothe Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Young and the rest of the visitor’s bureau look to showcase “the authentic hospitality you receive when you’re here,” Young says. “We want everyone to be successful, happy, share the love and the wealth and the knowledge about all the history that’s here.” While the roots of this community pride run deep, Young cites a revitalization effort that began in the early 2010s that has made Chillicothe a tourist destination.
“[In] 2013, we really revitalized. So, we have people living downtown. We have new shops and restaurants that came,” Young says, while noting that these shops come from the locals— again highlighting the importance of community. “Our local shops aren’t from people from, say, Columbus that came down and opened a shop. They are here. Their family was here. That’s something to be proud of.”
In addition to the shops and restaurants that make up downtown Chillicothe, Young says that the main draw of the area is the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. The site earned the area a UNESCO World Heritage Site distinction, making it and other earthworks the only locations in Ohio with the title. According to the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks website, these monuments are “an architectural feat of astonishing precision. Its unique and somewhat mysterious shape was built by dispersed people on a scale that required remarkable collaboration and an advanced understanding of the cosmos.”
While the earthworks give an eye into the ancient history of Ohio’s Indigenous peoples, more recent history can be explored with Tecumseh!, an outdoor production at Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre. The play tells the story of the Shawnee leader as he fights to defend his people’s land from colonization. What’s more, the home of Thomas Worthington, the sixth governor of Ohio, sits not far outside of downtown Chillicothe, allowing visitors to get an eye into the man who is often called the Father of Ohio Statehood.
While Ross County offers history aplenty, Young maintains that the main attraction is the people and the community pride that they hold. “What makes Ross County special is the authentic hospitality you receive when you’re here,” Young says. “Just the pride that this community holds, it is just something I can’t even describe.”
