Swanders, Ohio facts for kids
Swanders is a small, quiet community in the countryside of Ohio, United States. It's not a city or a village with its own government, but rather an unincorporated community. You can find it in Franklin Township, which is part of Shelby County. Swanders is located right between the village of Anna and the city of Sidney.
Contents
A Look Back at Swanders' History
How Swanders Got Its Name
The story of Swanders began in 1857. That's when the Dayton and Michigan Railroad built its tracks right through a farm owned by a man named James Swander. He allowed the railroad to use his land. Later, in 1867, a special stop for the railroad was created there. It was called a "flag station," meaning trains would only stop if someone waved a flag to get on or off.
Around the same time, a Post Office was also set up in the community. James Swander applied for it, and he became the very first postmaster! He also worked as a railroad agent. Because of all his efforts, the community was named "Swanders" in his honor.
The 1965 Tornado
In 1965, a series of very strong storms, known as the 1965 Palm Sunday tornados, hit the area. One of these powerful tornados came very close to Swanders, but thankfully, it just missed the community.
Grain Businesses in Swanders
For many years, Swanders was home to a grain elevator. This was a big building used to store grain from local farms. It was owned by the community. While the main building has been taken down, you can still see the tall silos and the office from that business.
In the 1990s, a company called Auglaize-Provico bought the grain business. Then, in 2010, Auglaize-Provico joined with another company called Trupointe Cooperative. Trupointe also bought another large grain terminal in nearby Sidney. By 2020, a very big company called Cargill Inc. owned the Sidney grain terminal.
Later, in 2016, a company called Sunrise Cooperative bought Trupointe Cooperative. This included the Sidney Grain facility and another business in Swanders called Advanced Agri Solutions, which sold animal feed. However, in 2018, after 161 years of operation, Sunrise Cooperative closed its Swanders location.
Getting Around Swanders
Railroad Connections
A major CSX rail line runs through Swanders. This line goes from north to south, connecting different places.
Road Access
Swanders is easy to reach by road. It's located near County Road 25-A, which used to be a main highway called U.S. 25. Because of this, you can easily get to Swanders from Interstate 75. Interstate 75 runs right next to County Road 25-A. If you're traveling on Interstate 75, you would take Exit 94 to get to Swanders.
