The very small town of Felicity has a magnanimous past which just needed to be celebrated!

The community celebrated its 175th Anniversary in style the weekend of May 13-15. It was successful beyond expectations even with the continual rain all three days. For that, all involved heartily thank all the many sponsors and donors.

A parade, with a different theme, was held each day with Friday’s being held during the school day so all the school children, who previously made posters depicting the event, could feel a pride in the history that Felicity was celebrating.

There was a dance and bands for folks to enjoy no matter what their particular preferences were.

There were activities for the little ones on up such as a baby contest, youth games, both old fashioned and modern. The flower and quilt shows were a big draw also.

Antique cars were shown off as well as antique tractors. Of course there were all kinds of food including pastries from an Amish bakery. A horse drawn carriage took visitors through the village in style.

In addition to attendees from Felicity and the surrounding communities people “returned home” from as far away as Canada, Oklahoma to come back to their roots. As visitors toured the historical museum display at the Community Center they were amazed at all the photographs, news articles, books and artifacts and other historical items depicting Felicity’s history. The Bullskin Trail – state Route 133 – and the Underground Railroad are a big part of the community’s past. A dream and goal of the Felicity-Franklin Historical Society is to have a place for a permanent display for future generations to enjoy.

A big hit was the Historical Walking Tour of historic buildings and events which were portrayed at each stop by reenactors. At one site a blacksmith showed how he forged a blank slate into an item of beauty and practicality. For three days they made history come alive for the well attended tours. Plans are to repeat the tour since many did not get to participate.

This wonderful event occurred because of the dream of local history buffs well over a year ago to share this event with the whole community. This was heartily embraced by the historical society, village council, and community members..

The plan was to sell a commemorative book that weekend but the book has been “growing like Topsy” and will go into print soon.

Don’t get left out, order yours now by calling Jim Shafer at (513) 876-3381. The $30 payment is due at the time of your order. Deadline is Aug. 5 and they will be available for Christmas gifts.