To Honor the Lucasville Area and the Valley of Opportunity

 

School-Day Ties, 1909 
by Nell Yeager Bumgarner

You are graduated, go far away
Leaving the old accustomed life; 
Enter your name in the book of the day
And begin to unravel the knot of strife

Now thoughts eddy past; no echoes rebound;
Strange faces, the old familiar ones dim.
Daily duties, the time now surround
And enclose the horizon with limited rim.

But it is changed; dear scenes revive,
Sweet memories refreshed grow
For you have met one still alive -- 
A school-fellow of long ago.
 
2019 commemorates the Bicentennial of Lucasville, Ohio, and it also marks the 50th reunion of our Valley High School Class of 1969. My family moved to the area from Portsmouth during the summer of 1962, and we remained in Lucasville until 1971. Growing up there was a wonderful experience. I became friends with so many loving classmates and other locals who cared about our schools, our town, and our area.

I soon developed a sense of pride in my community while so many positive influences helped mold my character. Above all, the people of Lucasville cared so much for each other. I treasure and honor my community. I owe a deep debt to those who helped cradle and guide me.

Just in the last couple years, I have been fortunate to become better informed about the long, illustrious history of the Lucasville area. From the days of the Hopewell Mound Builders to the present, the region has truly been a valley of opportunity. In fact, the entire Scioto River Valley holds a very significant place in Native American culture as well as in the history of the settlement of the Early American frontier and the operation of the antebellum Underground Railroad. For well over 2,000 years, the hills and waters have given birth to human settlement, to transportation, and to the inhabitants' insatiable quest for freedom. We have a proud and storied past. We must be stewards of this legacy.

As we remember John Lucas, the founder of the town of Lucasville, we also need to consider our own special links to the Lucasville area – the places, the people, and the hearts and minds that shaped our beloved home. 2019 is a time of remembrance, and maybe more importantly, a time of sharing. History calls upon us to come together, learn about our heritage, and employ this knowledge to forge an even brighter future. We ensure this great legacy as more and more native sons and daughters commit to the challenge. Change is inevitable and progressive movement requires hands-on initiative.

Right now, the Lucasville Area Historical Society is very busy planning the Bicentennial Celebration. We are a small group that offers a tremendous reward – supplementing the knowledge of local history. In order to make the commemoration a success, we need the cooperation of all who care. That includes help and dedication from local officials, businesses, schools, and other citizenry … people that have been blessed, like me, to live in the Lucasville community. It is imperative that we achieve a greater commitment. We will have a celebration. How big depends upon the help of the faithful.

Will you join this effort? We need your help. History calls … not as as cold artifacts of the past, but as living memories of places and people so important to so many. This memory is purple and gold; it's red white and blue; and it's peopled by red, white, and black human beings. They are the faces in your mind and in your backyard. Helping preserve the history of Lucasville, Ohio is enrichment for the soul.

I am bound to them,
though I cannot look into their eyes
or hear their voices.
I honor their history.
I cherish their lives.
I will tell their story.
I will remember them.

--Author Unknown

This is the Facebook address of the Lucasville Area Historical Society Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LucasvilleAreaHistoricalSociety/?fref=nf

This is the homepage of the Lucasville Area Historical Society: http://www.lucasvilleohio1819.com/