To the editor:
On behalf of the Overfield Tavern Museum’s board and volunteers, we would like to thank the Miami County community and everyone who contributed to the success of our sixth annual Yuletide Dinners held at the tavern on Dec. 2-3, 2023. As past years, these dinners were well attended, with nearly 275 guests at four sold-out seatings.
We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our title sponsor, Midwest Maintenance, for their support of this year’s event. Midwest Maintenance has done a painstaking job restoring Troy’s oldest surviving building over the past couple of years, and we are grateful to have such a high level of expertise at hand right here in Miami County.
Our heartfelt thanks also go to our returning chef, Arnold Grubb, and major sponsors Hydro-Growers; St. Patrick’s Soup Kitchen; Judy Tomb; Waite, Tomb & Eberly; and the Lucia H. Bravo/Overfield Tavern Museum Foundation. Additional sponsors for this year’s event included Bakehouse Bread & Cookie Company; CoriGraphics; Haren’s Market; Hayner Distilling Co.; Indian Creek Distillery; Koverman Staley Dickerson Insurance; John and Jessica O’Brien; Park National Bank; Purebred Coffee; RJ Ballroom; Sunset Cleaners; and Tall James Photography.
We also extend special thanks to Prime Time Party & Event Rental, Smith’s Boathouse Restaurant, and Sycamore Spring Clothier, as well as to the dozens of volunteers who donate hours of their time the weekend of the dinners and in the days leading up to them. We could not recreate this early 19th century frontier-inspired dining experience without each and every one of them.
Finally, we place great value in our partnership with the Museum of Troy History, which coordinated its annual holiday open house to coincide with the tavern dinners.
Look for restoration of Troy’s original gathering place to continue this coming year, with the installation of period-correct wood siding and a new paint job. We are also excited to announce our upcoming exhibit, On the Banks of the Miami, which will open to the public in April and will explore the many facets of life on the Ohio frontier. We invite you to visit the museum this spring to check it out for yourself.
With gratitude,
Chris Manning, Executive Director, Overfield Tavern Museum
Ben Sutherly, Board President, Overfield Tavern Museum
