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Lost Ohio: More Travels into Haunted Landscapes, Ghost Towns, and Forgotten Lives
A fascinating look at Ohio’s forgotten history Take a leisurely tour across the Buckeye State with author Randy McNutt to a massive swamp that swallowed pioneers’ wagons, a haunted prison, a faded German utopia, a town where they still chase horse thieves, a marriage mecca, a village where Buster the dog voted Republican, and a myriad of abandoned “ghost towns” and small cities. In Lost Ohio McNutt, who has devoted his career to uncovering forgotten Ohio and its spirited inhabitants, continues his travels around the state in an attempt to discover vanishing traces of our lives―celebrations, motels, road art, drive-in theaters, traditions, inventions, folk tales, battlefields, and forts. His journeys rediscover missing pieces of our past that reflect a state of mind as well as a collection of landscapes. McNutt’s vanishing Ohio is a place where rural America converges with small cities and fading history and disappearing culture, lost to burgeoning technology, global economy, technological immediacy, and time. He visits Fizzleville, Sodaville, and Footville; the hollow, metal globe that is the final resting place of Captain John C. Symmes, who theorized that the earth was hollow and access to the core was through the polar caps; the Mansfield Reformatory, Ohio’s largest and toughest haunted house; Waynesville, home of the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival; and Harry Dearwester, the “carny” who guesses peoples’ weight with 90 percent accuracy. This serious but offbeat journey around Ohio will appeal to those interested in heritage tourism, Americana, Ohio history and lore, and back roads and smalltown life.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 15, 2026
LOST OHIO: MORE TRAVELS INTO HAUNTED LANDSCAPES, GHOST TOWNS AND FORGOTTEN LIVES was published in 2006. Since I read this twenty-years later, I can only assume that a fair amount of what the writer describes has either disappeared completely or been repurposed for development. So, I can’t really recommend it as a travel book.
In addition, there is a suggestion that it will also be making reference to haunted places. It does, but they are minimal in number. There are plenty of other books about paranormal happenings in Ohio, man-made or otherwise.
I came to this book because I have a fascination with the “untold stories” of Ohio’s history, and many of those stories can be found where communities were established, had a flare of promise, then dwindled as the transportation system favored another town. Quite a few of the ones mentioned in the book are only noted by a historical marker now.
Still, it was the stories that the writer related that transported me. Yes, there were some about where the post office or community buildings once stood (and those were of limited interest to me). But, there were others that were well worth the time to explore:
* The two towns in Ohio called Venice which existed on opposite sides of the state and caused no end of confusion (until the postal system finally put a stop to it).
* Mount Nebo, originally avoided by native tribes because they believed a lost culture used it as a burial ground and was, therefore, sacred. Rumors of paranormal happenings have thrived there.
* The massive Great Black Swamp that claimed many lives … and I’d never known it existed!
* The town that thrived by marrying anyone (with or without a license).
* The man honored for developing (and seeking funding to explore) his hollow Earth theory.
* And my favorite story of a hot-tempered rooster that walked into town with a dime from its owner every day to purchase feed for itself.
Randy McNutt has a conversational writing style that really brings out the “flavor” of the people he meets. He admits to becoming lost on back roads from time-to-time, and driving away from settings that didn’t look too inviting. The result was that I often felt I was a passenger in his jeep, looking forward to the next discovery.
Although I can see this as a signpost to use for further investigation before proceeding, I certainly wouldn’t use it as a destination guide to any great extent. At the same time, it did reinforce the idea that Ohio history can be found in many unexpected places, if we’ll just take the time to stop and listen to the stories.
In addition, there is a suggestion that it will also be making reference to haunted places. It does, but they are minimal in number. There are plenty of other books about paranormal happenings in Ohio, man-made or otherwise.
I came to this book because I have a fascination with the “untold stories” of Ohio’s history, and many of those stories can be found where communities were established, had a flare of promise, then dwindled as the transportation system favored another town. Quite a few of the ones mentioned in the book are only noted by a historical marker now.
Still, it was the stories that the writer related that transported me. Yes, there were some about where the post office or community buildings once stood (and those were of limited interest to me). But, there were others that were well worth the time to explore:
* The two towns in Ohio called Venice which existed on opposite sides of the state and caused no end of confusion (until the postal system finally put a stop to it).
* Mount Nebo, originally avoided by native tribes because they believed a lost culture used it as a burial ground and was, therefore, sacred. Rumors of paranormal happenings have thrived there.
* The massive Great Black Swamp that claimed many lives … and I’d never known it existed!
* The town that thrived by marrying anyone (with or without a license).
* The man honored for developing (and seeking funding to explore) his hollow Earth theory.
* And my favorite story of a hot-tempered rooster that walked into town with a dime from its owner every day to purchase feed for itself.
Randy McNutt has a conversational writing style that really brings out the “flavor” of the people he meets. He admits to becoming lost on back roads from time-to-time, and driving away from settings that didn’t look too inviting. The result was that I often felt I was a passenger in his jeep, looking forward to the next discovery.
Although I can see this as a signpost to use for further investigation before proceeding, I certainly wouldn’t use it as a destination guide to any great extent. At the same time, it did reinforce the idea that Ohio history can be found in many unexpected places, if we’ll just take the time to stop and listen to the stories.
June 30, 2018
Not quite what I was expecting, and I skimmed a good deal of this. Either way it can be intriguing if you're into local history. I suppose I was just looking for more places I recognized. I was also hoping to find more of a guide book than what's almost a travel memoir in comparison.
December 22, 2010
A few months ago I went to the library to get some books on some upcoming travel destinations and I happened upon Lost Ohio. I picked it up because I thought the cover artwork was very interesting.
I also thought that it would be interesting to read it because I’ve lived in Ohio for almost 6 years and I don’t really know anything about the state or it’s towns.
I’m not a fan of historical non-fiction but I thought Lost Ohio was fascinating. There were stories of a massive swamp that swallowed pioneers’ wagons, a haunted prison, a faded German utopia, a town where they still chase horse thieves, a marriage mecca, a village where Buster the dog voted Republican, and a myriad of abandoned “ghost towns” and small cities.
Each chapter visited a different town with spirited inhabitants, and remnants of a time long ago. Vanishing traditions of a by-gone era - celebrations, motels, road art, drive-in theaters, inventions, folk tales, battlefields, and forts. McNutt's journeys made me realize the missing pieces of our past that reflect a state of mind as well as a collection of landscapes. McNutt’s vanishing Ohio is a place where rural America converges with small cities and fading history and disappearing culture, lost to burgeoning technology, global economy, technological immediacy, and time.
The stories of Fizzleville, Sodaville, and Footville are classic; the hollow, metal globe that is the final resting place of Captain John C. Symmes, who theorized that the earth was hollow and access to the core was through the polar caps is hilarious; the Mansfield Reformatory, Ohio’s largest and toughest haunted house, which was the location of The Shawshank Redemtion; Waynesville, home of the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival; and Harry Dearwester, the “carny” who guesses peoples’ weight with 90 percent accuracy are interesting pieces of an Ohio I’ve never known.
I’m so glad that I picked up this book on a whim. It was extremely entertaining and it has motivated me to visit some of these places for my self and see Lost Ohio.
I also thought that it would be interesting to read it because I’ve lived in Ohio for almost 6 years and I don’t really know anything about the state or it’s towns.
I’m not a fan of historical non-fiction but I thought Lost Ohio was fascinating. There were stories of a massive swamp that swallowed pioneers’ wagons, a haunted prison, a faded German utopia, a town where they still chase horse thieves, a marriage mecca, a village where Buster the dog voted Republican, and a myriad of abandoned “ghost towns” and small cities.
Each chapter visited a different town with spirited inhabitants, and remnants of a time long ago. Vanishing traditions of a by-gone era - celebrations, motels, road art, drive-in theaters, inventions, folk tales, battlefields, and forts. McNutt's journeys made me realize the missing pieces of our past that reflect a state of mind as well as a collection of landscapes. McNutt’s vanishing Ohio is a place where rural America converges with small cities and fading history and disappearing culture, lost to burgeoning technology, global economy, technological immediacy, and time.
The stories of Fizzleville, Sodaville, and Footville are classic; the hollow, metal globe that is the final resting place of Captain John C. Symmes, who theorized that the earth was hollow and access to the core was through the polar caps is hilarious; the Mansfield Reformatory, Ohio’s largest and toughest haunted house, which was the location of The Shawshank Redemtion; Waynesville, home of the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival; and Harry Dearwester, the “carny” who guesses peoples’ weight with 90 percent accuracy are interesting pieces of an Ohio I’ve never known.
I’m so glad that I picked up this book on a whim. It was extremely entertaining and it has motivated me to visit some of these places for my self and see Lost Ohio.
March 30, 2025
I was looking for a book set in Ohio and stumbled upon this one. I love to read about hauntings and sordid unknown history … but this didn’t quite deliver on that. There were a few ghosts and a lovely chapter on a historic pharmacy, but the book was more of a travel log into small and/or vanishing towns in rural Ohio. While it was fine for the genre, I was expecting a bit more drama based on the title.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
April 26, 2021
I really enjoyed reading (and editing) this book. So many crazy small towns that are forgotten and lost to time in Ohio, including utopian villages and raucous mining towns that were bustling with saloons and prostitutes.
October 29, 2008
A few months ago I went to the library to get some books on some upcoming travel destinations and I happened upon Lost Ohio. I picked it up because I thought the cover artwork was very interesting.
I also thought that it would be interesting to read it because I’ve lived in Ohio for almost 6 years and I don’t really know anything about the state or it’s towns.
I’m not a fan of historical non-fiction but I thought Lost Ohio was fascinating. There were stories of a massive swamp that swallowed pioneers’ wagons, a haunted prison, a faded German utopia, a town where they still chase horse thieves, a marriage mecca, a village where Buster the dog voted Republican, and a myriad of abandoned “ghost towns” and small cities.
Each chapter visited a different town with spirited inhabitants, and remnants of a time long ago. Vanishing traditions of a by-gone era - celebrations, motels, road art, drive-in theaters, inventions, folk tales, battlefields, and forts.
McNutt's journeys made me realize the missing pieces of our past that reflect a state of mind as well as a collection of landscapes. McNutt’s vanishing Ohio is a place where rural America converges with small cities and fading history and disappearing culture, lost to burgeoning technology, global economy, technological immediacy, and time.
The stories of Fizzleville, Sodaville, and Footville are classic; the hollow, metal globe that is the final resting place of Captain John C. Symmes, who theorized that the earth was hollow and access to the core was through the polar caps is hilarious; the Mansfield Reformatory, Ohio’s largest and toughest haunted house, which was the location of The Shawshank Redemtion; Waynesville, home of the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival; and Harry Dearwester, the “carny” who guesses peoples’ weight with 90 percent accuracy are interesting pieces of an Ohio I’ve never known.
I’m so glad that I picked up this book on a whim. It was extremely entertaining and it has motivated me to visit some of these places for my self and see Lost Ohio.
I also thought that it would be interesting to read it because I’ve lived in Ohio for almost 6 years and I don’t really know anything about the state or it’s towns.
I’m not a fan of historical non-fiction but I thought Lost Ohio was fascinating. There were stories of a massive swamp that swallowed pioneers’ wagons, a haunted prison, a faded German utopia, a town where they still chase horse thieves, a marriage mecca, a village where Buster the dog voted Republican, and a myriad of abandoned “ghost towns” and small cities.
Each chapter visited a different town with spirited inhabitants, and remnants of a time long ago. Vanishing traditions of a by-gone era - celebrations, motels, road art, drive-in theaters, inventions, folk tales, battlefields, and forts.
McNutt's journeys made me realize the missing pieces of our past that reflect a state of mind as well as a collection of landscapes. McNutt’s vanishing Ohio is a place where rural America converges with small cities and fading history and disappearing culture, lost to burgeoning technology, global economy, technological immediacy, and time.
The stories of Fizzleville, Sodaville, and Footville are classic; the hollow, metal globe that is the final resting place of Captain John C. Symmes, who theorized that the earth was hollow and access to the core was through the polar caps is hilarious; the Mansfield Reformatory, Ohio’s largest and toughest haunted house, which was the location of The Shawshank Redemtion; Waynesville, home of the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival; and Harry Dearwester, the “carny” who guesses peoples’ weight with 90 percent accuracy are interesting pieces of an Ohio I’ve never known.
I’m so glad that I picked up this book on a whim. It was extremely entertaining and it has motivated me to visit some of these places for my self and see Lost Ohio.
August 9, 2013
McNutt's Lost Ohio is a very interesting and entertaining book about the lore of the many forgotten small towns found throughout Ohio and the characters (some funny, some frightening) that inhabited them. I really enjoyed the segments on the old Ohio Reformatory in Mansfield as well as the early settlement of the forboding Black Swamp region in northwest Ohio. McNutt is a natural and captivating storyteller.
July 18, 2013
If you like Ohio history and the idea of trying to investigate little towns going by the wayside, this book is an excellent choice. I really enjoyed learning even more about my home state and it makes me want to go out and investigate more of it myself. I would highly recommend this to anyone interesting in history.
May 21, 2013
This book was ok. If you like travel books or local histories it should be fine. It took me a long time to get through but I kept at it since I know some of the area. I did learn a few interesting tid-bits, but I don't expect to be re-reading this one any time soon.
April 18, 2008
I thought this book would be a bit more interesting. It is a nice look at old and dying towns in Ohio. However, I found it to be rather boring.
October 24, 2010
Really cool way to learn my state's history, especially for the parts that aren't there anymore!
July 31, 2012
Interesting book about the ghost towns of Ohio.
April 3, 2013
Parts were really interesting, some parts I just skimmed. Makes me sad the ruralness (I know this isn't a word) of Ohio is disappearing and it's becoming one giant suburb.
June 28, 2013
Interesting look at how Ohio has changed over the years.
January 7, 2016
A well written look at disappearing g small towns in Ohio. The trouble is they are disappearing because they aren't very interesting. The author does a very nice job with bland material.
July 1, 2014
Interesting look at forgotten small towns in Ohio that no longer exist.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews