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State Representative Jim Buchy
Mercer County a Destination for All
 
West central Ohio is the best place in the world to live, work and rear a family.  I am fortunate that our local papers print Statehouse Updates, but often we forget to talk about how great our local communities are.  For the past few months I have periodically focused a column on the unique characteristics that make each county in western Ohio the best place to live, work and rear a family.  This month I will discuss Mercer County.
 
The people of Mercer County are connected by the spires of the church steeples which have provided a strong set of values that guide the people of Mercer County in their work, play and charity.  Mercer County is on the map as one of the top agricultural producing counties in the state and also known for the work ethic that allows manufacturers to thrive.  Grand Lake St. Marys punctuates all that is good in Mercer County.
 
Grand Lake St. Marys is the largest inland lake in Ohio. Man-made to provide area canals with water for the shipping of commodities and other goods; that water helped to grow agriculture in the county by creating an export path for agricultural commodities in the otherwise land-locked county. In recent years challenges at the lake and in the watershed have provided great opportunities for discussion and I am committed to continuing work in the lake and watershed to protect the history and future of Mercer County.
 
It is no accident that 73% of the population in Mercer County is Roman Catholic. The county’s population grew with German immigrants choosing the area as home in the late 1800’s.  Many of these families tie their roots back to areas of Germany such as Alsace, Bavaria and Prussia.  Their choice to move to Mercer county likely correlates with the rise of anti-Catholic actions in the region that were part of the “Kulturkampf”(1871-1878) which led to the closing of around twenty-five houses of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.
 
In Mercer County the Missionaries of the Precious Blood had already solidified the local mission and it was natural for immigrants displaced by religious persecution to come to Mercer County.  The society was first welcomed to the region in 1844 by John Baptist Purcell, Bishop of Cincinnati.  In 1861 the order opened St. Charles Seminary in Carthagena which is now a part of the “Land of the Crossed Tipped Churches” recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
 
Today tourism remains important as pilgrims come to visit the Shrine of the Holy Relics in Maria Stein and water enthusiasts travel to enjoy Grand Lake St. Marys.  The location of the county intersects many major east-west and north-south routes that have in recent years attracted shipping and distribution companies.
 
The work ethic of Mercer County residents has led to home grown manufacturing success such as; J&M and companies seeking good employees from other parts of the country and world.  Major employers include Reynolds and Reynolds, Celina Aluminum Precision Tech, Fort Recovery Industries and Pax Machine.  On the agricultural side Cooper Farms is the top employer with the cooking plant in St. Henry, elevators and of course contract livestock operations throughout the county.
 
In Mercer County there is no shortage of community and family pride and rightfully so.  The county is one more part of west central Ohio that should be an example to the rest of the state.  Hardworking people who are guided by traditional values are what make families so very strong in the region.  We have the best schools, businesses, and families in the state, and that is what makes west central Ohio the best place in the world to live, work and rear a family.
 
Please give me your opinion on this topic and others in the news this month by completing an online survey at tinyurl.com/buchyseptember2014.


 
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