Winesburg, Ohio... Clyde's View

Started April 20, 1997 Last revised 02/16/2007 02:07:01 PM -0500 

While reading this page keep in mind that "Winesburg, Ohio" was published in 1919. Many things have changed in Clyde since then and the book was never intended to be factual.  It, however, draw upon real-life events.

I have started this section working from memory and tried not to add anything I wasn't sure of. Any initial errors will be corrected when found.

Let's start by listing the streets and places found in the book "Winesburg, Ohio".

Streets

• Main Street - runs north to south through the downtown section of Clyde and is composed of State Route 510 and State Route 101. We now have North Main Street and South Main Street.
• Buckeye Street - intersects Main Street in the middle of town and is the only intersection with a traffic light in the downtown area. Don't get me wrong, Clyde already has too many traffic lights, this is just the only one downtown.
• Elm Street - runs east of off the south end of Main Street just before Fair Street and South Main Street School. The far east end of Elm Street has been extended and now has an industrial area.
• Duane Street - located just north of downtown, the street runs beside the newer Clyde City Hall. You can't miss it.
• Maumee Street - not an actual street in Clyde, however State Route 20, also named McPherson Highway, will get you to Maumee, Ohio.

Places

• Heffner Block - cannot be found in Clyde today. There are several "blocks" today: Harkness Block, Office Block and Dewey Block. As you walk thru downtown Clyde, look at the tops of the buildings. You will find the names there.
• Fair Grounds - the fairgrounds in Clyde used to be where South Main Street Elementary School now stands. The school is located on the west side of the south end of Main Street
• Waterworks Hill and Waterworks Pond - now called Community Park. A hydroelectric power plant once stood at the north end of the park along South Street. From the east side of Community Park you can get to South Main Street School by going east on Fair Street.
• Gospel Hill - by reading the text of Winesburg, Ohio this would be the hill on the west side of Community Park.
• Winesburg High School - in 1919, the year Winesburg, Ohio was published, the school would have stood in the same block whereVine Street School now stands. The original school was not in the same location. Vine Street heads south off of US Route 20 (McPherson Highway).
• Winesburg Methodist Church - the present day Methodist Church stands at the intersections of Maple Street and Race Street on the west end of town. From State Route 20, go south on Main Street. The take a right at the first traffic light, this is Maple Street. Continue west and go past the traffic light at Mulberry Street, down the hill past Gus Wolf Park to your right and then back up the hill. At the top of the hill is the intersection of Race and Maple and the Methodist Church is to your left.

Go left onto Race Street. Take a left at the first street you come to. This is South Street. If you veer to the right on South Street you will stay on South Street and pass the north side of Community Park. If you veer to the left you will be on Buckeye Street. Buckeye Street will take you back to downtown Clyde.
• Presbyterian Church of Winesburg - the Presbyterian Church is located on Forest Street in Clyde. Going south on Main Street from State Route 20, continue through the downtown section. At the south end of downtown, just before the residential area, is Forest Street. Take a right onto west Forest and you will find the brick church just to your right.