Driving north on SR 23 several miles north of Delaware, is the small village of Waldo. It became famous for two things during the latter part of the 20th Century. One was a furniture store that advertised throughout central Ohio that was located in Waldo and the other was the reputation of a bar for serving the best fried bologna sandwich. The tavern is still there, but the landmark furniture store recently closed its doors after more than a century of service.
Where's Wally? was a series of children books in Great Britain that became famous world-wide in the late 1980s. In the United States the name was changed to Where's Waldo? Evidently, in North America, Waldo is a more amusing name than Wally. Regardless, Where's Waldo? and Waldo Ohio are not connected except for the fact that they are both the names of characters
What more can be said than it's a fried bologna (pronounced baloney) sandwich-- only that it is a taste of heaven: a thick hunkin' slab of bologna served on an ordinary bun that doesn't come close to covering the juicy fried with your choice of toppings. Absolutely perfect.
The bologna is made to the tavern's own specification and has a spicy, garlicky taste with a coarse texture not usually found in your local grocery store product. If you're ever on SR 23, north of Delaware and it's anywhere close to meal time, take the exit to Waldo and turn left on Marion Street. You can't miss the G&R Tavern on the right.
Long a landmark name in central Ohio, Groll's Fine Furniture was 113 years old when it closed its doors on Marion Street in Waldo in 2008. The closing of the family owned and operated store was the result of poor health and a death in the family that ultimately ended the business.
Groll's Fine Furniture began as a furniture and casket manufacturer in 1895. After World War I the business changed from a furniture manufacturer to a home-furnishings retailer that carried furniture lines from across the country.
Milo D. Pettibone is probably not a name most people would recognize. Milo had married Ann Ball and together the couple would 4 sons and 4 daughters. He was also the first Prosecuting Attorney appointed by the state for Marion County dating back to 1824 when the county was being organized. Milo was also a real estate tycoon of sorts. He liked to invest in land around central Ohio and in 1831 Milo laid out a new village on some 900 acres of land he had purchased. After this land had been surveyed and lot lines drawn up, Milo named the village to be after his newly born 4th child: Waldo W. Pettibone.
Milo Pettibone died in 1842. His oldest son committed suicide in 1851. Waldo Pettibone was killed in 1864 at Culpeper, Virginia during the Civil War. His younger brother was also killed during the Civil War at the Battle of Spotsylvania in 1864.
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