The Youngen General Store in Ragersville, Ohio, is now the Old Store Winery. (Credit: Sandy Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

Ragersville, an unincorporated community in Tuscarawas County, is well off the beaten path on the fringes of Ohio’s Amish Country. I would never have passed through the tiny burg if it hadn’t been for a detour off SR 93 for a bridge repair project.

The town may have no traffic lights but it has a surprisingly generous dose of history.

Ragersville was platted in 1830 by Conrad Rager and was named for him; his preserved log cabin sits in the center of town. The hamlet, once a stop on a stagecoach route, had a post office established in 1880 that remained open until 1955.

In addition to Conrad Rager’s cabin, Ragersville has preserved a schoolhouse built in 1830, a cheese-making house built by Jacob Steiner in 1833, and the Youngen General Store, built in 1851. A community museum is housed in a former Lutheran church built in 1897.

The Youngen General Store has become the Old Store Winery, 2260 Ragersville Road SW.

FInd out more about general stores in Ohio in “Stores and More.” If the video above is missing or does not work, use this link — https://youtu.be/GyB9a4oQWXI

Members of the Ragersville Historical Society operate the winery, producing a variety of in-house wines ranging from sweet to dry, including unique flavors like Cran-Mango and Ragtown Red.

The Eckert Wine Cellar and Dance Hall, built in 1846, located behind the Old Store Winery, was once the center of social gatherings for residents. The original foundation, chutes and ventilation are intact with a reconstructed timber frame top floor. The winery is open on Fridays from 4-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 2-8 p.m. year around.

Located nearby is the Tavern of Ragersville, 2274 Ragersville Road SW, a cozy, casual gathering place known for its Friday night fish fries and a wide selection of sandwiches, salads and soups.

The community continues to be close-knit with many events scheduled throughout the year, including Memorial Day and Independence Day events, a whiffle ball tournament, bingo games, community garage sales, homecoming weekend, classic car cruise-in and chicken barbeque.

But there’s a darker and more mysterious side to Ragersville as well. Resting on a shelf in the community museum is a human skeleton alleged to be that of one Jeff Davis, a man sentenced to prison for rape in the 1860s.

After his release from prison in 1873, some so-called vigilantes brutally lynched him and hid the body, which was found later. Is the skeleton in the museum really the unfortunate Jeff Davis? You’ll have to see for yourself.

That’s a lot to pack into such a small town – one that you might drive right through without even noticing.

Ragersville is located on Ragersville Road SW, between Sugarcreek and Baltic in Tuscarawas County.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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