Elmore and Genoa

The villages of Elmore and Genoa have held a friendly rivalry since the 1860s. Though each has made its own name in Ottawa County, Ohio, both share a rich heritage that instills small-town curiosities with a strong sense of community pride. Elmore is known as being the home of Schedel's Arboretum and Gardens, the headless motorcyclist ghost, the Elmore car, and professional softball pitcher Carl "Sox" Wainwright. Not to be outdone, Genoa, one of the major producers of white lime in the country, showcases world-renown artist Jan Pugh and National Register of Historic Places sites such as the Genoa Town Hall and the Old School Privy. Both area histories have boasted pioneers that tamed the Black Swamp, prosperous businesses, major transportation centers, and stories of overcoming personal tragedies. Elmore and Genoa takes readers back to a time that was simpler to see two villages grow into places where the past can come alive through the actions and memories of its people.

Jennifer Fording wrote this book on behalf of the Harris-Elmore Public Library, where she is the local history librarian. She maintains the library's online digital archives and is the webmaster for the Ohio Library Council's Small Library Division blog.