1831
A dinner theater of historic proportions
Oakland Lutheran Church was begun in the home of John Zeiter in late 1830 with a Rev. Shuh coming periodically to lead worship. As a way of observing its 175th anniversary, Oakland remodeled a 14 by 24 foot room to look like a log tavern, and presented six dinner theaters for 34 guests at a time, set in the year 1831 so that the church could be already in existance, and because that year is historically very significant in our state and US history.
We had so much fun, and it was so interesting to the audiences that we decided to do it for a second year, then a third, then a fourth year during bicentennial celebrations. Last year, our fifth, again saw five performances of good and plentiful food, great stories, lively cast antics and period music.
Our 2009 cast
Our cooks -- they prepare the food that the cast serves.
Our 2010 dates are
Saturdays, and Sundays
October 23 & 24
November 6 & 7, 13 & 14
Donation: $15
Call Amy at
419-589-9301
Mansfield's Central Park in 1830s
Notice
the 24-star flag and image of President Andrew Jackson
"How could our stove be broken?
We just bought it from Mr. Lehman,
that new merchant east of Wooster.".
"My sister in Baltimore just send me a new poem from that Eddie Poe that she is always writing about."
"We're all not getting any younger!"
Jacob Zeiter, John's brother, started the Inn after his farm failed in the bank crisis of '18. It is not as modern as Mr. Wiler's hotel in Mansfield, but the food is great and the hospitality is, well, hospitable.
Oakland hosted more than 300 fouth graders from Mansfield City and Discovery Schools during March, 2010, as they stopped for 20 minutes to learn about the area in 1831, before going to a dayfo outdoor education at Richladn Rural Life Center.
Jacob Zeiter visited the Lucas fourth graders, below, on March 18, 2010, to talk about life in Richland County in 1831, just before the students began reading "Amelia Changes Her Tune," Paul's first Richland Chronicles book.
