5 Butler County historic sites you should visit before summer ends

“And if you have incoming 4th graders, give them a head start in school as 4th graders learn about Ohio and local history,” said Creighton.

One of the stops for school families might be the fully restored “Pioneer Log House” in downtown Hamilton on the banks of the Great Miami River.

The cabin, which is furnished with historical pieces, is now under the care of Hamilton history teacher and docent Christopher Maraschiello.

Some of the more interesting historical sites in the county include:

• The early 1900s home in Hamilton of the county’s historical society is an excellent starting point for any educational tour. The restored Benninghofen House at 327 North 2nd Street gives visitors a wide variety of the scope of historical sites available to them throughout Butler County.

There you’ll find information on the rich, industrial history of our area, stories of the men and women who served in the armed services during WW II, and the background on the Native American cultures and tribes that called the Miami River Valley home.

• In Middletown visit the Canal Museum at 1605 North Verity Parkway and learn about Ohio’s first commerce “highway” – the Miami-Erie Canal that connected Lake Erie with the Ohio River and helped the growth of western Ohio in the 1820s to 1860s.

• Want something a little more modern? Start with a visit to the Robert McCloskey Museum at Heritage Hall in Hamilton and learn about the well-known children’s author.

• Then, move across the street to the Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers Monument – next to the Pioneer Log House on the eastern banks of the Great Miami River in downtown Hamilton - and explore the story of how Butler County men and women served our country.

• A visit to the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township will give you the story of how the Voice of America and the Bethany Relay Station relayed democratic news and information world-wide for 50 years.

For more information on these sites and others go to the Butler County Historical Society website .