I am reminded many times, in any given week, why I count myself lucky for moving to Ohio. I have lived in many places in my fifty years and so few of them have the kind of density of things to do and experience that Cleveland does. No matter the season, weather conditions, or what you feel like, there is something to match that in the CLE or the surrounding areas.
Karl and I use Cleveland as a sort of home base for all of the things we do. When we travel, Cleveland is a good hub to fly out of. If we are looking for a concert to go to, we are within a short driving distance of some pretty awesome venues, whether that would be in Detroit, Columbus, Cincinnati, or even Pennsylvania. You simply cannot beat how convenient and diverse it can be.
If you are looking for hidden gems to visit, then this area has you set up for short drives to some amazing places to visit. Karl decided to plan a weekend outing for us that involved going to a place he has always wanted to visit. A short hour-and-a-half later, we were pulling into Campbell, Ohio for our destination. Join me as I share Unexpected Joy: Finding Small Memories in an Abandoned Ohio Town.
- Iron Soup Campbell, Ohio
- A $40 Tour Through Abandoned Ohio History
- Ghosts of industries past
- Christmas comes more than once a year
- The Power of Small Moments: Memories Beyond the Grandiose
- Life’s little lessons
Iron Soup Campbell, Ohio
Cleveland is no stranger to how changes in industry can leave abandoned shells of buildings all over the place. Just a short drive southeast of Cleveland brings you to a town that was all but abandoned in 1977. The steel industry made its mark on Ohio and in 1920 built the area known as Iron Soup to house the workers of the local steel mill. It was a company “town” that included a general store, post bank, and residences for the workers. The residences were not elaborate but met the needs to the workers and those with growing families.
Each unit was built out of concrete and came with a refrigerator, stove, and electricity (something that many more expensive houses did not have at that time). Then in 1977, Black Monday descended onto the quiet area, and in a matter of minutes, 4000 people lost their jobs. More would follow and people started to leave Iron Soup. This event signaled the end of the steel industry in the Youngstown area and the city would never fully recover.
A $40 Tour Through Abandoned Ohio History
Karl called ahead to schedule our tour and was told that we would be able to do some of it on our own and that there is also about an hour-long guided tour. The entire thing cost us $40.00. I have spent a good amount of time entering abandoned buildings in the Cleveland area, many of which could have gotten me arrested. So, to be able to pay $20 a head to walk through a piece of Ohio history, unbothered, is an easy choice.
As we pulled up to our destination, we were treated to a few intersecting streets that were lined with the abandoned concrete houses that had once been Iron Soup. Our destination was the tour office, one of the better-conditioned apartments, where we met our guide and owner Tim Sokoloff. Tim came out to meet us all smiling and excited to show us around his vision.
Insider tip: You will have to sign a waiver to visit the property. While Tim has does his best to clean up and make the buildings as safe as possible, they are about 100 years old. The waiver is for your and Tim’s protection. Remember to wear appropriate clothing for this type of exploration.
Our tour started with some history that brought us up to the point in which the town became vacant. Discussion into the industry at that time and why Tim is passionate about this undertaking. Ultimately, Tim wants to create a community and housing for veterans and like-minded people who want to help him create his “environimiums.” Tim has also been working to get the area listed as a historical site to ensure that it is protected from things like imminent domain.
Tim has some amazing ideas for how to retrofit the houses for electrical and heating. Many ideas about repurposing rubber for insulation and using geothermal for power and heat. Tim definitely has some grand ideas for this once-thriving housing of a long-forgotten industry of Ohio.
Ghosts of industries past
There are roughly 248 units at Iron Soup. Each one is in a different state of being. There are still residents living in some of the updated ones, but the rest are as they were when their tenants left.
Our first stop is, what is called, the museum. This was an apartment that was inhabited by two brothers from Poland. The story goes that they came from poor families and wanted to seek better in America. They spent very little of their pay on things they did not need and saved their money for the future. Tim says at least one of the brothers died in the apartment. The few things left about the apartment were either appliances that were standard equipment or a few artifacts that were left behind when the apartment was vacated.
Tim walked us around the mostly empty streets regaling us with stories of the time and what he sees as the future of Iron Soup. I have to admit, some of it seems a daunting task but Tim is dedicated to making it work… if he can find residents and investors.
Christmas comes more than once a year
As Karl and I walked the streets, by ourselves, and entered the various buildings, the impact of small events weighs down on us. I had always thought that the biggest memories would be the ones we carry with us and keep us motivated. In our experiences, we have found the events that carry through for us are the small ones.
Iron Soup will be one of those memories that we talk about for years to come. Sure, seeing the work of American ingenuity was incredible, Listening to how entranced Tim is by his idea of repurposing this once derelict town was inspiring, but the single memory that will stand out for me was seeing the excitement on Karl’s face when peering through a door of an abandoned apartment he spied something he truly loves… Christmas.
You can call it divine intervention or whatever but to me it is just an affirmation about how the small things can bring us the most cherished memories.
Looking through the door into the kitchen in the back of the apartment, Karl spied something that we both have fond memories of our childhood. It was a small porcelain Christmas tree that stands about eighteen inches high. Inside there would have been a small lighting kit and the tree is covered in small transparent multicolored bulbs that would light up when the light was turned on.
Karl quickly phoned Tim to see if there was any way he would mind selling to him. A short ten dollars later Karl was cradling this prized treasure on our way back to the car.
The Power of Small Moments: Memories Beyond the Grandiose
It’s not a secret that big events leave lasting impressions on your life but what so many forget is that one small treasure can bring back a flood of memories or stories that are often overlooked in the bigger events. I could tell you about every trip we have taken and what we saw, but the events that are most cherished and leave the biggest impacts on our friends are the small things that don’t always seem exciting.
A prime example is the time we went to Guatemala and had lunch in a restaurant in a hostel. As we were sitting there waiting for food and watching a storm blow across the lake, a dog padded over to our table with a small leaf in his mouth. Once he got to us, he sat down between us, looked at us, and dropped the leaf on the floor beside him. Then he looks back up at us as if expecting something. What we failed to know at the time was that he was, in his mind, trading his leaf for food because he had seen so many people giving “leaves” to the staff for their food. In essence, he was paying us to give him some of what we were eating. That story will always stick with us whereas the beauty of the day may be forgotten.
Life’s little lessons
Iron Soup may be a place steeped in the echoes of industry and loss, but for me, it will forever be tied to a tiny Christmas tree and the joy it sparked in Karl’s eyes. This unexpected discovery stands as a testament to the enduring power of small moments, reminding us that cherished memories can bloom even in the most unlikely places.
What about you, what small moments have left long-lasting impressions on your memories? How do they stack up to the larger memories you may have? Is there one memory that stands out to you above all others? Let me know in the comments below. Thank you for being a part of GayintheCLE. Each and every one of you is important to me.
Gay in the CLE 
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