Columbiana in Columbiana County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Cabin Ruin Garden
Hanna Homestead
Photographed by Craig Doda, April 27, 2024
1. Cabin Ruin Garden Marker
"Nature soon takes over if the gardener is absent."
Penelope Hobhouse
Pioneer plants are opportunistic and tenacious. They have the will and the means to take over the most inhospitable environment, readying it for longer-lived species who need better soil and shade conditions. The Cabin Ruin Garden is a created folly in the landscape meant to celebrate this pioneering spirit in the plant world while also honoring the bravery of two of the early homesteaders in Columbiana County - the Dixon and Hanna families.
Meet the Hannas.
In the early 1800's, the Robert Hannas settled near another Quaker pioneer family, the Joshua Dixons, who were living in what is present day Columbiana. The Dixons had a fair daughter, Rachel, and the Hannas had a strong son, Benjamin. They married in 1803 and bought 160 acres from Joshua in 1810. Benjamin and Rachel built a log cabin at the top of a low knoll near a cool, clear spring, on land now known as Harvey S. Firestone Recreational Park. Log cabins at that time were simple: 16' Χ 20' structures containing only one room, a generous hearth, a door in the front and one in the back, and a loft used for storage and sometimes sleeping.
The Cabin's exact location in the Park, its size, and architectural details remain a mystery. So, rather than a historically correct replication, the Cabin Ruin Garden includes the "remnants" of a typical cabin and its landscape while recognizing the regenerative power of plants as they reclaim untended land.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Horticulture & Forestry • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Quakerism series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1803.
Location. 40° 53.362′ N, 80° 41.031′ W. Marker is in Columbiana, Ohio, in Columbiana
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley. It is also in the American Midwest, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Spring Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of Hanna Log Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); The Lookout (within shouting distance of this marker); Gathering Place and Garden (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lilac Stroll Garden (about 400 feet away); Welcome to the Legacy Trail Loop! (about 400 feet away);
Photographed by Craig Doda, April 27, 2024
2. Cabin Ruin Garden Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 29, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 29, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 253 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 29, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
