One century ago in Athens County, physicians were still delivering babies, operating, and caring for the critically ill within the confines of their own homes.

But in 1921, Charles and Delia Breinig of 17 Clark St. changed all that when they invited women of the community to use rooms in their home for delivery. And thus was also born a community hospital here in Athens.

Though the early winter frost covers the grassy infield, the same pounding of hooves on the rock-dust track that has been heard for over 100 years at the Athens County Fairgrounds jolts through the brisk morning air. With the temperature barely reaching 20 degrees Fahrenheit, Charlie Schoonover sits in a cart whizzing around the track behind one of his horses, just as he has for the last 20 years.

Once upon a time, before the big Halloween block party in Athens, before Palmer Fest, before theme weekends, before Court Street, before Ohio University, even before Athens, this area was still thriving with life and culture.

In fact, it had been for thousands of years. But these days it takes a keen observer to identify those traces of our southeast Ohio predecessors. The evidence of these ancient cultures lies literally under our noses, or, more accurately, under our feet and tires.

They were young, they were idealistic, they were high on peace and love and groovy music. They were, in a word, hippies.

A whole bunch of them lived in Athens in the 1960s "“ many in big communal houses "“ and a surprising number have stayed here to raise families, build businesses, pursue careers, and help give this place a flavor like no other.

And if you think they're looking back on their barefoot flower-child days with any embarrassment now, think again.

In any discussion of the Founding Fathers of Ohio University, the name of Manasseh Cutler probably looms larger than that of anyone but Rufus Putnam.

According to a retired OU professor whose family has ties to the Cutlers, however, Manasseh's oldest son Ephraim (1767-1853) was actually far more of a benefactor than his father to both the university and the region, and has been unfairly neglected by historians.