It’s been 200 years in the making, so don’t miss it. This weekend Williams County embarks on its bicentennial celebration, starting with a Friday opening ceremony and continuing with events through the summer and into the fall.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is scheduled to take part in Friday’s festivities, which is set for 1 p.m. in the Bryan Arts and Education auditorium.
In addition to the governor, special guests will include Ohio Rep. Jim Hoops. Denver Henderson of the Williams County 200 Committee will emcee the program, and local author and historian Don Allison will give a talk on Williams County’s formation and highlights of its two centuries of history.
Tours of the Williams County Courthouse, a National Register of Historic Places landmark, will follow the ceremony, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Copies of a free 176-page special Williams County bicentennial edition are to be available during Friday’s program.
This edition, published by The Village Reporter, features submissions by local elected officials and historians, and stories highlighting the history of the county, its courthouses, incorporated towns in the county, and various local organizations.
This special edition, supported by local sponsors, is available free online at Williams County, Ohio 200th Anniversary Celebration Tribute – The Village Reporter
The bicentennial celebration continues with Selfie Bingo on April 20 featuring landmarks around the county. Participants are encouraged to travel around Williams County and visit every town to take a selfie with the designated town landmark.
Taking a selfie with every landmark earns the participant a Williams County 200 goodie bag. Goodie bags include items donated from businesses across the county.
Closing the weekend celebration will be a 2 p.m. Sunday program at the Williams County Fairgrounds pavilion with an open house at the adjacent Williams County Historical Society Main Museum Complex.
Special guest U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur will be in attendance. Selfie Bingo participants can pick up their goodie bags at this time. Copies of the free bicentennial edition are also to be available.
Before and after this ceremony the Williams County Historical Society complex on the fairgrounds will be open for tours. This includes the main museum, the Lett Log House, the Railroad Depot, and the Agricultural Museum.
Planned for June 7 is a special session of the County Commissioners commemorating the first meeting in 1824. Past and current Williams County Commissioners are to be recognized at that time.
The bicentennial observance will continue throughout the summer in conjunction with the county’s various community celebrations – including the Village of Pioneer’s 175th anniversary festivities – and will involve observances during the Williams County Fair this September.
Special Williams County 200 apparel is available, and a wooden coin will be available commemorating the bicentennial.
This celebration is being organized by the Williams County 200 Committee, with representatives from local government, businesses and organizations, and historians.
A Williams County Bicentennial observation was initially planned for 2020, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the county being established.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of these events, so this year’s celebration will recognize the formal organization of the county government four years later, in 1824.
Williams County was named for David Williams, one of the captors of Maj. John André, a British operative, during in the American Revolutionary War.
When the county was first formally organized it was much larger than today. It included what is today Defiance County and part of Fulton County. Defiance County was formed and organized in 1845. A portion of Williams County was detached to be a part of Fulton County in 1850, resulting in today’s boundaries.
For more information on the Williams County 200 celebration, contact committee member Denver Henderson at the Williams County Public Library, 833-633-7323, ext. 285, or denver@mywcpl.org.
