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The Platform Reservation During the summer of 2006, we took a trip to Lawrence County, Ohio, in search of more family history. For those of you unfamilar with the Ohio Map, picture Ohio's southernmost border, where the Ohio River maves a "v" shape. Lawrence County is at the tip of the V, the southernmost county in Ohio. Mom spent the first years of her life at Platform, part of Rome township. Rome township is on the eastern border of Larence County line, along the Ohio. It is not an incorporated town, but we found the spot with a GPS locator, and were very gratified to find that it was just as Mom described---a tall hill with a flat top. The place is now a farm, well fenced in with barb wire, so we were not able to see the family graves that were there at the top. Here's a picture of it, along with some caves from the area, that Mom described exploring.
During the summer of 2005, we took a trip to
Lawrence County, Ohio, in search of more family
history. For those of you unfamilar with the
Ohio Map, picture Ohio's southernmost border,
where the Ohio River maves a "v" shape. Lawrence
County is at the tip of the V, the southernmost
county in Ohio. Mom spent the first years of her
life at Platform, part of Rome township. Rome
township is on the eastern border of Larence
County line, along the Ohio. It is not an
incorporated town, but we found the spot with
a GPS locator, and were very gratified to find
that it was just as Mom described---a tall hill
with a flat top. The place is now a farm, well fenced
in with barb wire, so we were not able to see the
family graves that were there at the top. Here's a
picture of it, along with some caves from the area,
that Mom described exploring.
The Platform For Which the Reservation is named!
One of the Caves in the area.
Mom said there were native gatherings and dances
at Platform, and we found this old newspaper
article about Platform,first printed in the old
Irontown Register (July 5, 1883), and reprinted in
the book, "Places Located in Lawrence County Ohio,"
researched and compiled by Sharon M. Kouns:
"We have recieved a short letter from Mr. Fulks,
protesting against the origin of the name of
Platform given in these columns to the post
office back of Millersport. We don't see any
necessity for this. It is no stigma or joke on
the place, that there was a platform there for
dancing, even if the post office was named from
it which Mr. Fulk denies. There is no chance for
any harrowed consciences. The article was not
intended to be unfriendly in fact or spirit.
Platform is a good name, and as Mr. Fulks says,
'there other vices we shun more than dancing,'
though we wouldn't class it as a vice unless abused."
I.R. July 5, 1883
Evidently some of the locals thought the dancing
part of Platform's history as something to be
ashamed of.