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I grew up in Waterville too - on River Road (our property backed up to the Maumee River). Also graduated from Anthony Wayne High School! It WAS a safe, idealic, friendly town to grow up in. After living there (and Bowling Green) for 24 years I couldn't wait to leave and go somewhere "more exciting". Well, I have lived in Charelston, SC for 23 years and while I love living and teaching here, I wish I could have raised my son in Waterville. I think it will always be "home" to me. Remember the Waterville Festival and Roche de Beufe (sp?) Day every year....and the summer park and recreation program behind the library? And getting a milkshake at Herb's or the Dairy Korner? We could ride our bikes around town and to our friends' houses all day and our parents always knew where we were but never had to worry about us. Talk about the perfect "Smalltown USA!" - Waterville was it! I guess it has expanded quite a bit now so I don't know if it still has that same flavor as it did in the 60's and 70's.
SCBeaches, I loved Waterville and also wish I could have raised my kids there. My husband & I are raising our 3 yr old twin grandchildren but I think Ohio is a bit cold for me now, as I've lived in FL and AZ for the last 30 years. We are looking for a small town somewhere a little milder.
The last time I was in Waterville was about 15 yrs ago or so. It was a very nostalgic visit. I drove around for hours lol. I grew up on Farnsworth Rd.
Hmmm...I never noticed anyone from Ohio or Michigan with accents.
Absolutely I remember the Waterville Festival & Roche de Beufe. We went to the park during the summer every day and we did arts & crafts, learned to twirl batons, played softball and all kinds of fun stuff for kids. I even worked there one summer, I think with the 5-6 yr old girls. We would spend all day every day at the festival just hanging out.
The firestation whistle use to blow every day at noon (time to go home for lunch!). Oh my gosh..Herb's lol My friend's parents gave her money to go eat there at the soda fountain often.
When I first moved there (I was only 5) I think the library was in the elementary school?
What year did you graduate?
Your description is right on in every way! What a lovely stroll down memory lane! It does make one homesick doesn't it...
When I first moved there (I was only 5) I think the library was in the elementary school?
What year did you graduate?
Your description is right on in every way! What a lovely stroll down memory lane! It does make one homesick doesn't it...
We used to walk all the way up to the library (about 6 blocks) once a week, or ride the bus on rainy or cold days, until the school library was opened by - my Mom! She started up the first school library in the basement of Waterville Elem.
I graduated from Anthony Wayne in 1976 - Bicentennial graduation!
My family owned and ran the small pizza shop on the corner of River Rd. and Mechanic St. at the foot of the bridge.
Small world! Yes, it does make me homesick sometimes...
I go back every few years to visit cousins in Sylvania, Monclova, Cleveland, and Tontogany and try to make it out to Waterville when I go. I don't recognize anyone anymore so it is kind of sad. By the way, Herb's is now a Koral Hamburgers but still has good food.
Talk about the perfect "Smalltown USA!" - Waterville was it! I guess it has expanded quite a bit now so I don't know if it still has that same flavor as it did in the 60's and 70's.
Unfortunately, Waterville experienced a lot of sprawl in the 1990's and early 2000's. It looks to have slowed down, but about half the town is sprawl now. Most suburban sprawl in the Anthony Wayne area is now in Monclova and Whitehouse. I'm not sure if Waterville started to get strict on suburban subdivisions, but construction has slowed down considerably. Whitehouse and Monclova, however, are sprawling to kingdom come.
The older part of Waterville is still quite nice and I believe most the uptown businesses have stayed open. Overall though, Waterville is just too white and too quiet for my tastes...it is certainly the epitome of small town America, but the Mighty Maumee river sets it apart from most towns its size.
I graduated from Anthony Wayne in 1976 - Bicentennial graduation!
Holy crap! I graduated in 2003. The school has changed drastically since even the 1990's. It's far more like Perrysburg and Sylvania Northview nowadays, and has a lot of snobbery. Overall, I was not a fan of the school system by the time I was in high school. I could see a negative change every year as the school transitioned from small town/rural into upper-middle class suburban. Today, it's very suburban and very "Sylvania." They may rank high in state tests, but much of this is at the expense of creativity and freedom. The high school was overly strict and structured while I was there, and I've heard it's gotten much worse since then. While I was in junior high (late 1990's), I'd say Anthony Wayne was still decently fun and "small town." By 2003, it turned into a typical suburban school district...just with more hippies and drugs.
Basically, it's now boring, white, strict (moreso than some Catholic schools), and ultra-competitive (between social cliques and academic circles). The "small town" feel is gone. Monclova and Whitehouse aren't even recognizable compared to what they were in 1990. The Quarry subdivision in Monclova pretty much sums up the direction Anthony Wayne has taken...
The heart and soul of Anthony Wayne has died IMO. It's funny that the very people who moved to Anthony Wayne for the small town flavor are the ones who destroyed it.
That is sad, indeed. I think it's just a sign of the times...people aren't as neighborly and friendly as they used to be. When I was growing up in Waterville, everyone knew everyone and if you did something you weren't supposed to away from home, another parent would scold you and call your parents or take you home...there wasn't any calling the police for silly childish pranks. In the winter we went sledding all day on Coble's Hill, ice skated over at the quarry in Whitehouse or (if the river flooded then froze) along the frozen Maumee, in the summer we rode bikes all day, fished or canoed on the Maumee, slid down Coble's Hill on flattened cardboard boxes which we waxed to make them slick, built forts back in our woods, ate ice cream at Herb's, attended the summer park program (which was free and run like a day camp) behind the library and fire station, etc. If we wanted something from the Dairy Korner or Herb's and didn't have any money, they'd give it to us anyways, write it down, and get the money from our parents next time they saw them. I mean it was the perfect, safe childhood, much like Mayberry!! Not exciting, by any means, but fun...we made our own fun.
We live on an island now, outside of Charleston, SC, and my son got to have many of the same experiences living in the country and also close to the beach.....he just couldn't walk uptown like we could.
Pilliod, you refer to Waterville several times as being, "too white"???
I don't know why you have a problem with white people, though....if that's who's always lived there than what is the problem? Should they advertise to import other colors to suit you? What colors do you prefer? If I (being white) moved into a predominantly Hispanic or African-American or Asian town, I certainly wouldn't complain that it was "too Hispanic" or "African-American" or "Asian"....I would have known that before moving there and if that didn't suit me, I would have chosen somewhere else to live.
After reading your complaints about Toledo and OHIO in general, I have to comment! You categorize ALL buckeyes! You are dead wrong!
As a former resident of Toledo for 7 yrs moving from MS as a transplanted Buckeye, I stand in defense of Toledoans. I found everyone there to be extremely friendly. Maybe its YOU! Living in Maryland, I am sure you did not have much contact with people in general. You had acquaintances but not REAL friends. Ohioans/midwesterners are very down to earth and what you see is what you get.
I grew up in SMALL town NE Ohio and can appreciate everything Toledo offers. Great housing, fine schools, great proximity to larger cities and AWESOME medical care! granted its not like DC but have to say it rates right up there.
By the way, do you really know anything about Ohio? Lots of large corporations are based in Ohio, birthplace of aviation, an ohioan was inventor of electricity, we had five presidents....should I go on? Cut US some slack. Some of the best football players in the nation come out of Ohio and NW PA. Maybe thats why the Pro Football Hall of Fame is n Canton? Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland.....Harvey Firestone birthplace in Columbiana Ohio!
I am now residing in SC after spending 6 horrible yrs in Florida. Talk about RUDE , live in Sarasota Florida not to mention unfriendly and HORRENDOUS medical care! If you decide to move to NC, I am sure with an attiude like yours, you will be unhappy there as well. Its what you make it! Because you grew up in Maryland doesn't mean you are any better than any of us. So u had the big city life! When u move to another area, you have to realize one thing! You are the foreigner! To make a friend you have to be one! Guess you don't understand that!
Good luck on your next move....YOU will definitely need it with your attitude!
I have recently moved to Fort Mill, SC and am very happy to be here. I find the natives to be very friendly. But then again its SC not NC. Most retirees are now relocating to the Greater Charlotte area because of the high cost to stay in FL. I was born in Ohio and my heart will always be there but love the climate here. Having lived in Sarasota Fl for 6 yrs, I find this area to be awesome. Only good thing about FL was the appreciation of housing in those six yrs. We walked away with abundle and foresee that happening here too.
Saw this post & just had to comment. =) Yes, I say sweeper & pop! LOL I'm no longer in Ohio, in Utah now, but my family & friends are all still there. Yes, alot of the big cities like Toledo, Cleveland, Akron, & Youngstown are declining in population. That's okay, I still loved the state. =) As for our 'accent', did you know that northern Ohio actually has the purest form of the English language, & alot of foreigners learn English there? =) We love our Buckeyes, & most of us aren't too bad. =) But yes, it took us a long time to sell our home in Springfield Twp (a burb SE of Akron) . There are alot of outdoor activities. But perhaps, not the kind you were looking for. Anyway, I love Ohio, so I will say nice things about it, but I try to stay positive & not hurt feelings. =)
Pilliod, you refer to Waterville several times as being, "too white"???
I don't know why you have a problem with white people, though....if that's who's always lived there than what is the problem? Should they advertise to import other colors to suit you? What colors do you prefer? If I (being white) moved into a predominantly Hispanic or African-American or Asian town, I certainly wouldn't complain that it was "too Hispanic" or "African-American" or "Asian"....I would have known that before moving there and if that didn't suit me, I would have chosen somewhere else to live.
I have nothing against white people in general. It's just that I prefer diverse, integrated areas. With that said, I would live in Old West End, Warehouse District, Old South End, or the East Side before anything else in metro Toledo.
On a similar "too white" token, I wouldn't want to live in an overwhelmingly Hispanic or overwhelmingly African-American area as well. I prefer diversity and integration (meaning everyone's mixed togehter a la East Toledo).
I am looking at North Carolina, Arizona, Oregon, or Georgia right now as possible new homes.
Come to Texas. We have everything here. Oil, Natural Gas, Electricity generation, beef, poultry, food crops, cheap labor ( thanks to Mexico )moderately low property taxes, and NO STATE INCOME TAX. We could literally secede from the US and be totally self-sufficient.
Want cold winters with snow? Move to the Panhandle. Like to live around trees and lakes? Move to East Texas. Like professional sports? Move to Dallas or Houston. Like a vibrant nightlife? Move to Austin. Want to live by the ocean? Move to Galveston, Corpus Christi, etc. Like rolling, rugged, desert-like terrain with hills and valleys? Move to West Texas. Like year-round warmth (Outdoor BBQ grilling at Christmas time, LOL) move to South Texas.
I've visited several other states in my life, but God willing I will always call Texas my home.
BTW - down here we say "vacuum", and we tend to call all soft drinks "coke" although some people call them "soda" or "soda water". Oh, and our state tree is the Pecan tree (pronounced Pe-CAWN, not PEE-can).
I took a cross country trip last summer from Ohio west all the way to San Fran and back. Let me say, OHIOIANS are the only ones who will wave in their rearview mirror when you let them merge in traffic. Everyone else waved alright, but with only one finger. OHIO also has the best rest stops!
I've never met anyone who didn't say 'you're welcome'.
Sounds like the nit-picker from Toledo either REALLLLY lives in a horrible area, or, maybe he's the type who is not happy in most places (you know, too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter)
And, nope...we don't have a lot of mountains...just lush green grass and beautiful farms. AND....when you're on the highway you DON'T have to drive for 6 hours until you finally come to a burger joint to eat!
Sorry for your lousey life, Toledo, but don't lump all of us into one bunch!
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By the way, Herb's is now a Koral Hamburgers but still has good food.
Don't let the grass grow under your feet!
)moderately low property taxes, and NO STATE INCOME TAX. 
We could literally secede from the US and be totally self-sufficient.
