This post documents my experience on September 11, 2010.
When Harvey Wells founded Wellston (incorporated in 1873), he knew there was coal there to be mined. I mean look at him…
…he’s one smart cookie.
With the Wellston Coal and Iron Company setting up shop and other furnaces being built during the coal mining boom, Wellston did well for itself early on.
And it’s still doing well, although it looks a little different.
Instead of coal, the General Mills plant there is making all your Pillsbury pancakes and Totino pizza rolls/pizzas at the biggest pizza producing plant in the world.
So, with that said, I shouldn’t have been surprised by the absence of coal at the Wellston Coal Festival…
…although there were cookies and Coal Festival buttons available at the historical center…
…and plenty of diamonds on the crowns of festival princesses.
Yes, as it turned out, I arrived right when the princesses were concluding their introductions on stage.
And since they weren’t announcing the queens until later…
…they had plenty of time to go about the festival like festival goers…
…having daiquiris…
…enjoying food…
…shopping…
…and checking out rides.
But I wonder, in that time, if they saw anything different in their festival when compared to others.
I, myself, was looking for that coal mining connection…
…and I really only got it in the historical society.
And, although the Ohio Festivals and Events Association said there was a tour available in a working coal mine, the historical society knew nothing about it and the info booth was unmanned…
…probably on account of the band playing next to it.
But there were two things I thought were interesting about the festival.
1.) Here, down a side street off the midway…
…there were booths on each side…
…with rival political parties represented on opposing sides…
…and a religious organization set up next to each of them.
Now, the reason I find this interesting is not only because neither political party seems to be trusted enough not to have a little spiritual guidance at their side. There’s possibly also a viewpoint expressed concerning the proximity of government and religion.
But I’m possibly looking too much into it. This was my fourth festival of the day, after all.
So that’s why I have a second interesting thing to lighten the mood.
Enjoy!