Goll Woods State Nature Preserve

Goll Woods State Nature Preserve is a 321-acre (130 ha) nature preserve in western Fulton County, Ohio, near Archbold. It has been designated a National Natural Landmark for its oak–hickory forest.[1]

Goll Woods State Nature Preserve
Location of Goll Woods State Nature Preserve
Goll Woods State Nature Preserve (the United States)
LocationFulton County, Ohio, United States
Coordinates41.5535862°N 84.3615031°W / 41.5535862; -84.3615031
Area321 acres (130 ha)
Established1969
Named forPeter and Catherine Goll
Governing bodyOhio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation
WebsiteOhio Department of Natural Resources-Goll Woods State Nature Preserve

History

It is named after Peter and Catherine Goll, who moved to America from Grand Charmont, France in 1836.[2] The Goll family descendants loved the big trees and guarded the woods against of timber operators for several generations.[3] The State of Ohio established the nature preserve in 1969.[4]

Features

Natural

The nature preserve features gigantic 200-400 year old-growth trees that often measure 4 feet in diameter, reminiscent of the Great Black Swamp. There is a small area that preserves the rare ecosystem of Oak Openings, which consists very large specimens of white and bur oaks, but without any of the small under story trees. The Indians of the area created an open savanna to facilitate their hunting by keeping the brush and small trees down, by burning in the fall. The first settlers could easily drive their wagons in any direction through the sparsely spaced trees.[5]

Trees

The preserve is composed of Elm-Ash-Maple swamp forest and mesophytic forest with many oak trees in the lower elevations. Because of drainage efforts for agriculture, the woods is transitioning slowly to Beech-Maple forest. In 2006, one of the largest burr oak trees, over 450 years old, died of old age. It had a DBH (diameter at breast height) of 56 inches and stood 112 feet tall.[6][7]

Wildflowers
The Tiffin River beside Goll Woods State Nature Preserve

Early in the year, over 40 species of ephemeral spring wildflowers including large flowered trillium, Ohio's state wildflower, bloodroot, columbine, marsh marigold, spotted coral-root and three-birds-orchid are in bloom.[8]

Historical

Besides being a nature preserve, Goll Woods also holds historical significance.

Goll Homestead

On the nature preserve is a historic farm complex known as Goll Homestead, initially designated for destruction, but now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with its distinctive European design, constructed of large timbers.[9]

Goll Cemetery
The Lockport Covered Bridge near Goll Woods State Nature Preserve

Goll cemetery also lies on the preserve grounds. The 3/4 acre burial ground was set aside early by Peter and Catherine Goll, where they laid to rest a young child. Many from the Goll family are now buried there, as well as those from Louys, Valiton, Beucler, Seigneur, Cramer, and Klopfenstein families.[10] The cemetery is rumored to be haunted.[11]

Lockport Covered Bridge

Nearby, just 1.3 miles southwest of the nature preserve, on County Road I-25, is the Lockport Covered Bridge in Lock Port, Ohio, spanning the Tiffin River that runs near the nature preserve. It is feature on the Northwest Ohio River Trail and was a winner in the 2002 National Timber Bridge Awards competition,[12] and is often associated by travelers with the nature preserve.[13]

Notes
  1. "National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
  2. Williams County Genealogical Society: The Golls of Williams and Fulton County, Ohio wcgs-ogs.com Retrieved 28 March 2016
  3. Goll Woods Brochure OhioDNR.gov Retrieved 29 March 2016
  4. Goll Woods in Archbold Spins Tall Tale of History ToledoBlade.com Retrieved 29 March 2016
  5. Goll Woods Walking Guide OhioDNR.gov. Retrieved 29 March 2016
  6. Goll Woods Walking Guide OhioDNR.gov. Retrieved 29 March 2016
  7. Structure and Composition of Goll Woods, an Old-Growth Forest Remnant in Northwestern Ohio Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club Vol. 114, No. 2, 1987
  8. Discover Springtime Beauty at Goll Woods State Nature Preserve OhioDNR.gov Retrieved 29 March 2016
  9. National Registry of Historical Places nps.gov Retrieved 29 March 2016
  10. Williams County Genealogical Society: The Golls of Williams and Fulton County, Ohio wcgs-ogs.com Retrieved 28 March 2016
  11. Toledo Ohio Ghost Hunter Society: Goll Woods toghs.org Retrieved 28 March 2016
  12. "The story behind two award-winning Covered Bridges". Public Works. 134 (7): 24, 26, 28. June 1, 2003. ISSN 0033-3840. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016.
  13. Bennett, Laura (June 30, 2008). "Goll Woods in Archbold spins tall tale of history". The Blade.
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