Choosing a place to write about for “D” should have been easy. I’ve lived in a number of places that start with “D”. I considered writing about Daytona, with the roaring race cars I remember from when I was 3 or 4. I considered writing about Delray, but decided that was too much like writing about Boca Raton. The one that popped into my head first and stayed there, though, was Defiance.
I had never heard of this small town in Northwest Ohio until I met the man who would become my husband. He grew up there; not quite a native but close enough. When I moved there in the early months of 1998, I was charmed by the small, rural town. The downtown has quaint shops and restaurants to wander. There are parks, which are great for the kids. The library is an architectural treasure and the land on which it sits is historically significant and beautiful. There are towering trees which provide shade, lilac bushes that scent the air each spring, and broad rivers which define the landscape of the downtown. Many of the homes are quite old and beautiful, with lovely gardens and lawns to admire. All of this can be seen by walking, too, since the sidewalks make it possible to stroll all over the place without competing with car traffic.
The people that live there have long memories and long histories. Even as the landscape of the town has changed through the years (it’s changed quite a bit even since I first lived there) the people remember how it used to be. More than once I felt totally lost when asking for directions since the landmarks used were often for places and stores that no longer existed.
I remember walking into the library to get my library card. (I rarely move to a new place without doing this first thing, since I’m so addicted to reading.) It was shortly after I got married and I was still trying out my new last name. The librarian, an older woman, looked at the name I’d written and looked at me. “Which of the boys did you marry, then?” she asked. I blinked at her, totally confused that she seemed to know my husband. Her words confirmed this as she recalled watching my husband and his brother come into the library as children, and talked about how my in-laws were now her neighbors. I had this scenario happen more than once as I settled into life in the small town. It was a new experience for me and I found it charming.
If you like to travel to new places via book or video, check out ‘The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio’. It was originally a book, but it’s also been made a movie. The movie wasn’t actually shot in Defiance, but it gives a fair feel for the town, even now. Reading the book was a tour through some of the history of the town, and I loved being able to look at the 1950′s pictures in the book and recognize places in town.
I moved to Defiance, OH in ‘defiance’ of my parents’ strongest recommendations. (Did I mention I abruptly withdrew from college and moved West with a man I had met on the internet? That went over really well at the time.) Six years later, I left Defiance of two minds: one was happy to be leaving the small town to go to a bigger town that had more options and the other was sad to leave the small town with it’s charm, history and personality.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:39 am - Edit
I really liked Defiance! I do remember us giggling about you being defiant and moving to Defiance too.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:56 pm - Edit
Very insightful look at life in a small town. I have a split urban/rural, small town / big city personality. New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Miami have all been stages for cherished moments throughout my life.
I’m fascinated by those places you have to click “zoom out” 5 times in Google Maps to get the satellite view. Who the heck lives in Tishomingo, Oklahoma anyway?
May 6th, 2008 at 5:32 am - Edit
One of the oddest things about growing up in Defiance, Ohio is that most of the town has, or at least used to have, the “don’t make waves” kind of attitude toward the community. Growing up there, it was unusual to see a foreign car drive through town. On that rare occasion, you knew it had to be somebody just passing through on their way to someplace more exciting. General Motors was the life and breath of the town, no way would somebody slap it in the face by purchasing a Honda! The norms were narrow and set in stone. Hispanics lived on the east side, the north side was “Snob Hill” and us down-towners were usually long-time residents. There was one or two African American families in the 70′s and we all understood that they transferred from Detroit GM or worked at the college. There was pride in factory work and hard labor, and sideways glances at college faculty oddities. The small private liberal arts institution was a separate community. For the most part, the students remained on campus until they went home for the weekend. Few people defied the expectations back then!
May 9th, 2008 at 6:18 am - Edit
I just about fell over when I read your post. I mean, who on the world scene has heard of Defiance, OH? I guess more people than I can imagine. As a graduate of Defiance College and temporary resident in Defiance after my marriage I was kind of glad to get out. The convenience of living in town was nice, but there was something lacking in the people, for me anyway. You moved to the city; I moved to the country. I grew up in rural Northwest Ohio so being out away from everything is comfortable for me.
It’s funny how everyone knows everyone in Defiance (if they’ve been a long time resident). There is rarely a time that we can go anywhere in Defiance without my husband getting into a conversation with somebody I’ve never seen before.