Dola, Hardin County, Ohio

This page has been created in memory of my grandfather, Albright Moody Shifferly, and his wife, Alberta Smith Shifferly, who lived in this town during the later years of their lives.

"Dola is a census-designated place in central Washington Township, Hardin County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office with the ZIP code of 45835. It is located along State Route 81 between Ada and Dunkirk, 10¼ miles (16½ km) north-northeast of the city of Kenton, the county seat of Hardin County. The community lies at the headwaters of the Eagle Creek, which flows north to meet the Blanchard River in Findlay. [1]

"From the time of settlement in 1852 to 1907, the community of Dola in Washington Township was known then as North Washington. The reason for the requested change in name by the U.S. Postal service was because of an existing confusion between mailings of North Washington in Hardin County and New Washington in Crawford County. Many times mailings were just addressed "N. Washington, Ohio" and confusion resulted.

Citizens of North Washington petitioned the Post Office for permission to change the name of the town. Dr. Richard Clevenger's wife, Anna Roberts Clevenger, who had emigrated from Wales suggested the name "Dola" since the lush green marshlands in Washington Township reminded her of the green meadows of her native Wales. The citizens liked the name Dola since it was short and pleasant in sound. As a Welch word, Dola means meadow or low lying area according to the University of Wales. At Cardiff, Wales is Dolan, referred to as "Dola" by its area citizens. Many Polish people are interested in having postmarks from Dola as they think Dola is a Polish name which in Polish means bad luck or hard luck, especially that of a farmer." [2]

Toward the top of this picture is a dark diagonal line running from one side to the other of the photo. This is the railroad track, and it was the railroad that connected Dola to the outside world, bringing goods into the local businesses and taking produce from the local farms. The "Bright" and Alberta Shifferly moved to Dola about 1947, and they ran a general store there for a number of years.

Recently a friend who lives in Bluffton, Ohio, found this 1948 Calendar advertising the Shifferly General Store. We are grateful for our friend thinking of us, acquiring and sending us this momento of the years that our grandparents operated this store. We remember how close their house was to that railroad track and how loud the trains were as they came rushing through town on their way to other destinations.

Cold dock and plant for watering engines located in the western part of Dola, Ohio
It was on this stretch of track that the Penn Limited set the speed record of 127 MPH in 1905.

References:

[1] http://wikivisually.com/wiki/Dola,_Ohio

[2] Hardin County History - Dola