Paul Turner, 84, is one of the last remaining descendants of the original Gist community
By Kevin Williams
Yesterday, I posted an article about a fascinating piece of Ohio history in Darke County. Today, I'll share an even more intriguing story out of Highland County. Highland County is located in no-man's land between Columbus and Cincinnati. The county's Amish population has exploded over the past 10 years, adding to the county's cultural quilt. The black population of Highland County is small, but it one tiny corner of the county, a minority population hangs on, buffeted by years of legal wrangling and uncertainty. What the future holds, no one seems to know. But the land is gorgeous, blanketed by beautiful thickets of goldenrod and meandering creeks. Few places I've been "spoke to me" like this place did, it was as if I could hear history whispering in the wind as I poked through thick stands of honeysuckle slowly swallowing history.
Ever heard of the Gist settlement?
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