CIRCLEVILLE
With the discussion and polling nearly complete, Pickaway County thrown its full weight and support behind the Hitler family and the monuments created in their memory.
As per our Scioto Post Poll at the end of the article with 800 votes cast, nearly 97% of people believe that the monuments should stay as they are – a reminder to one of the founding families of Pickaway County.
Although the debate may have reached its fever pitch within the past week due to online comments made about the name triggering thoughts of the dictator with the same name, the arguments are not new. In a phone interview with Tom Ebenhack, President of the Hitler-Ludwig Cemetery, problems stemming from the naming are not new. Threats in times past have been made against the cemetery, involving the tearing down of the front signage with the family name on it.
With the recent rise of attacks against controversial and even benign monuments, Tom showed appreciation and support of the article and community that has rallied behind him, as hundreds upon hundreds of people pledged their support for the monuments to stay and stand as created.
Regrettably, the desire to rename the monuments is mis-placed, focusing entirely on the name without regards to history. The original Hitler Family moved to Pickaway County in or around 1799, traveling from Wheeling, WV to the County via the Ohio and Scioto Rivers. The other founding family, led by John Gay was a Revolutionary War soldier who fought with George Washington nearly two decades at Fort Duquesne before the struggle for Independence.
Time will tell if outside forces try to enact some sort of change concerning the names of the roads, but one thing is absolutely certain: No one in Pickaway County is in favor of it.
,
