Bucyrus: "Beautiful Cyrus"

Self proclaimed as the Bratwurst Capital of America, Bucyrus is a classic American hometown. Bucyrus is located along two major historic transportation routes in Ohio's development, the Lincoln Highway and Sandusky River. For many years the area where Bucyrus now sits was considered Indian Territory. It was part the Wyandotte Nation. However, after the Battle of Fallen Timbers and the conclusion of the War of 1812, this land became part of Ohio and was opened to settlement. The Wyandots were confined to a small tract of land near Upper Sandusky just to the west of Bucyrus.

Once it became legally possible for settlers to purchase land in this area, Samuel Norton purchased a large tract of land and moved his family and part of his extended family here in the early 1800s. They arrived on his tract of land by covered wagon in the spring of 1819. Once here they moved into an abandoned Wyandot wigwam that stood about where the county court house stands today. They lived here for a short time while the men built a quickly fashioned log hut that provided enough protection from the elements and wildlife. The nearest other settlers were squatters living about 8 miles away on the Olentangy River.

Several years later in 1822, a man surveying what would later become Crawford County, suggested to Sam that he should consider having some of the land he owned surveyed and plotted to create a town. Col. Kilbourne of Worthington, the surveyor, thought that this land where he built his first log cabin, would be an excellent spot for a future town. It was at an ideal point located midway between Columbus and Sandusky. It would be a logical stopping point for travelers and freight haulers to stop for the night. It was James Kilbourne that came up with the name "Bucyrus." It was a combination of words that Kilbourne used. One of Colonel Kilbourne's historic characters was a Persian general that had conquered the city of Babylon. That Persian general's name was Cyrus the Great. To this name, Kilbourne added the syllable "bu" which was the sound of the first part of the word beautiful. Hence the name Bucyrus would always mean "beautiful Cyrus."

In 1826 following Kilbourne's recommendations, a road of sorts was constructed connecting Columbus with Sandusky and was called the Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike. This is the reason main street is named Sandusky Avenue. This toll road was not much of a road by any standards, yet its importance would be long lasting. Not soon after its construction, travelers on the turnpike began calling the Sandusky Mud Pike because it was so poorly constructed and every time it rained, the road turned to mud and remained muddy for weeks after the last rainfall. An official investigation by the state legislators was instigated to understand who was at fault and what could be done to correct the road. In time, the road was elevated and filled in, making the connection between Columbus and Sandusky a major achievement. (At that time, Sandusky was Ohio's major port on Lake Erie.)

The original settlers came here mostly from New England, New York and Pennsylvania. Once Bucyrus became a legally recognized community in the early 1830s, there was a large influx of Germans that were arriving directly from Europe and settling much of the land north of Columbus all the way up to almost to Sandusky. In time the German population integrated with other families moving into Crawford County and Bucyrus. Today, the area is a great mix of many cultures, but there is still evidence of the early German influences in the community like Bucyrus' famous Bratwurst Festival.

Many years after that when railroads were being built all over the state, the little town of Bucyrus happened to be at the cross-road of two of those railroad lines. This was extremely important to the community. With the railroads came industry, and more important the town offered shipping to the far corners of the country.

Today, Bucyrus is the county seat for Crawford County and home to the world famous Bratwurst Festival that was an outgrowth of the large German population during the town's early development. Early on Bucyrus was a manufacturing and railroad center.

Visit D. Picking Company, the last hand-hammered copper kettle maker in America View the renowned artist Eric Grohe's two murals, "American Crossroads " & "The Light Mural." Our wurst is the best!! Order a "brat", get it with kraut, mustard and onion on a rye bun and we won't be able to tell you apart from a native. Grab a few pounds to take home with you, or order it online from our two fantastic bratwurst manufacturers.

Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival

Bucyrus has a number of festivals throughout the year, but they are best known for their annual Bratwurst Festival. The festival celebrates Bucyrus' German heritage with more than just bratwurst. It has more than 100 delicious foods made from local family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation dating back to "the old country." The 3 day festival is held during the third week in August.

The Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival is one very large block party on the downtown streets of the town (with Sandusky Avenue being the main drag.)

Some considered the state of Wisconsin as the authority on the bratwurst with annual celebrations held in Sheboygan and Johnsonville. However, it has been reported that in the early 1970s, Bucyrus took on Sheboygan in a "Battle of the Brats" and won the title of Bratwurst Capital of America. What was used as a measuring stick, is not known. But the folks in Bucyrus still make the claim as being the "Bratwurst Capital of America."  However, if bratwurst is not your thing, there's plenty of other options for your dining pleasure.

History of Bucyrus

Samuel (left) and Mary Norton were the first settlers in the area in 1819. They arrived with their 6 children, Mary Norton's brother (Albigence Bucklin) and his family, and their guide, Seth Holmes who had been through this area during the War of 1812. When they arrived here, most of the Native Americans who had been prominent in the area, had been forced to move onto lands further west around what is now called Upper Sandusky. They chose this spot because of the good farm land, and the beauty of the spot.

Several years later, Col. James Kilbourne arrived with idea of purchasing some of Samuel Norton's farm for a new village. Kilbourne had realized the importance of the location of Norton's farm as being about halfway between Sandusky and Columbus and so the area would naturally become an important trading center.

On February21, 1833 the village achieve legal status, but there is some discrepancy as to the actual name. Some documents show that the name was Bucyrus and others show that it was "Busiris".

Kilbourne himself added to the confusion. A publication called the Gazetteer of Ohio that was issued by Kilbourne in 1825 had the name Busiris listed for the town. In 1824, when the first post office arrived it was given the name "Busiris, alias Bucyrus". However, that name was officially changed on the post office's records in 1829 to just Bucyrus.

The name Bucyrus has been the subject of some research but nothing has been uncovered yet that definitively tells the original source for the name. It is possible that both are correct. At this time in our state's development, education was mostly up to the individual. In reading early diaries we often see misspelled words and words spelled as they are pronounced instead of their correct or formal spelling.

According to ancestors of the Samuel Norton's, the name Bucyrus came from a derivation of "Beautiful" and the Persian General "Cyrus". A friend of James Kilbourne, Franklin Adams, claimed the name was derived from an ancient Egyptian city and King named "Busiris." Because they both are pronounced exactly the same, it is extremely difficult to make a choice as to which was correct. Because the name was officially changed by the post office 1829 to Bucyrus, it must be assumed that this was the correct since all the parties involved in the early founding were still alive at this time. In an early history book on Crawford County, the name was a result of James Kilbourne's fondness of the Persian Cyrus the Great and the beauty he saw in the land that he had been surveying and it was Kilbourne who assigned the name to the town that he had plotted out for Samuel Norton.

In 1824 the first official post office was established and in 1830 Bucyrus was named as the county seat for Crawford County when Col. Kilbourne donated a plots of land to build the new courthouse, a school house and jail, plus he agreed to donate 1/3 of all the proceeds from the sale of plots towards the construction of these public buildings. You might be wondering how Kilbourne, a politician and surveyor from Worthington Ohio, would have owned land that would become Bucyrus. The answer is quite simple. Kilbourne was actually surveying public land for several reasons, but the main reason was to build a road between Columbus and Sandusky. When he came to Samuel Norton's property, Kilbourne thought this would make an ideal halfway point between Columbus and the lake. He convinced Norton to let him survey a small portion of his land for a new town. Norton could then sell off these plots to individuals. In exchange for Kilbourne's survey, he was paid in plots of land. Kilbourne then used most of these plots as donations to the community for public works that included the courthouse, school and jail.

When the new town was laid out, several streets were named after the 12 children of Samuel and Mary Norton and when Samuel Norton died in 1856, the local newspaper called him as the Father of Bucyrus.

Not long after the town was incorporated a discovery was made in the summer of 1838 when Abraham Hahn was excavating for a new mill just east of the main crossroads. While digging for a new mill-race, he discovered the remains of a large mastodon that was about 7 feet below the surface. The large skeleton was recovered and eventually sold to several people before it was purchased by Barnum's Museum in New York. While on display in the New York museum, a fire broke out and the skeleton was destroyed.

Schine's Movie Theater

One of Bucyrus' downtown landmarks that is now gone from the Sandusky Ave, and where a new park will be created. Back in the mid 1930s the theater was built as part of the Schine Movie Theaters that were built throughout Ohio and across the country. The Schine Theaters were known as the Schine Circuit and they were largely responsible for building theaters that could bring the new "talkies" to small towns. Over the years the Schine brand was tarnished when the company was charged with conspiracy that made it difficult for independent theater owners to compete. The case dragged on for years and effectively brought an end to the Schine Circuit of Theaters.

The original marque of the Bucyrus Movie Theater was removed in 2013 and donated to the Holland Theatre in Bellefontaine, Ohio, another theater in the original Schine Circuit of theaters. In 2015 after years of trying to save the theater, it finally succumbed to the wrecking ball. In it's place, where the long empty movie theater stood a new park to be called the "Schine's Art Park" and is expected to open in 2016.

The Schine's Art Park will once again be a place of entertainment, seating, stage plays and concerts, plus a large screen for showing movies.

Mural Park

The focal point of Washington Square is Mural Park which features one several life-sized murals in downtown Bucyrus painted by internationally known muralist Eric Grohe. The murals honor Veterans and the community's contributions to industry and agriculture. One of Eric's murals is known as the Great American Crossroads Mural. It is 34' high by 130' wide. The actual painting was begun on July 1, 1999 and was dedicated later that same year on October 26.

Picking Copper Kettle Works

Rare handmade tympani drums and copper kettles, manufactured the same way they were when the shop was founded in 1800s. The country's oldest such shop. Tours available.

Cooper's Homemade Jams and Jellies Store

Jams, jellies and other country-style delicacies made on site. Tours available.

Bucyrus Historical Society

Museum housing artifacts, genealogical records and historical exhibits. Part of the Ohio Historical Society Network.