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Hundreds of people far and wide, even some all the way from France and Germany, celebrated Labor Day at the 125th Durbin Bean Bake on Monday at Durbin Park on Erastus-Durbin Road. Kids competed in a variety of races, spouses competed in husband/wife calling contests, and many enjoyed a nice helping of some hearty ham and bean soup.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP- Four-year Civil War veteran Andrew Jackson Snavely organized the first Durbin Bean Bake as a reunion for "the boys" from the war on Labor Day 1898.
"He decided the menu for the day should consist of beans, hardtack and sowbelly," states an information handout about the Durbin Bean Bake Community Club's history that Larry Fennig provided.
The first meeting was held in Celina and reportedly was a failure.
"He was encouraged by his friend, George Durbin, owner of the Durbin Store, to try again," the handout reads. "… And so the first bean bake was held in 1898 on Labor Day."
And 125 years later, the tradition still stands.
Generations of families and longtime friends, including those who grew up in the area but now live elsewhere, congregated for the 125th Durbin Bean Bake in the idyllic, wooded 5-acre Durbin Park on Erastus-Durbin Road, 7 miles west of Celina on State Route 29.
Hundreds of people far and wide, even some all the way from France and Germany, celebrated Labor Day at the 125th Durbin Bean Bake on Monday at Durbin Park on Erastus-Durbin Road. Kids competed in a variety of races, spouses competed in husband/wife calling contests, and many enjoyed a nice helping of some hearty ham and bean soup.
Hundreds of people far and wide, even some all the way from France and Germany, celebrated Labor Day at the 125th Durbin Bean Bake on Monday at Durbin Park on Erastus-Durbin Road. Kids competed in a variety of races, spouses competed in husband/wife calling contests, and many enjoyed a nice helping of some hearty ham and bean soup.
The day included old-fashioned games, music, patriotic reflection, honoring veterans and, of course, hearty helpings of ham and bean soup.
President of the Durbin Bean Bake Community Club and Larry Fennig's nephew Jerry Fennig has been coming to the event all his life with family and said that the familial aspect of the event is what keeps it going.
"I think people want good old family fun," he said. "Out here, we don't have cell phones. You don't have internet. (It's) good old-fashioned family fun. You don't have a lot of electronics other than the band. You still have the kids running races, which they had years and years ago. If you look at some of the old programs, we still do that today. We're back from the '50s, '40s, '30s. It's still pretty much the same thing."
Five generations of the Fennig family have participated in the bean bake.
Hundreds of people far and wide, even some all the way from France and Germany, celebrated Labor Day at the 125th Durbin Bean Bake on Monday at Durbin Park on Erastus-Durbin Road. Kids competed in a variety of races, spouses competed in husband/wife calling contests, and many enjoyed a nice helping of some hearty ham and bean soup.
Hundreds of people far and wide, even some all the way from France and Germany, celebrated Labor Day at the 125th Durbin Bean Bake on Monday at Durbin Park on Erastus-Durbin Road. Kids competed in a variety of races, spouses competed in husband/wife calling contests, and many enjoyed a nice helping of some hearty ham and bean soup.
The day started at 10 a.m. with more than 40 various contests for kids and adults, such as three-legged and bear crawl races. In the afternoon, there was a horseshoe pitching competition, a kiddie and adult tractor pull, a flag-raising ceremony, a 25-year-old time capsule opening and a program consisting of music, magicians and speakers.
At around 4:15 p.m., a memorial service was held for veterans of all wars. Following at 4:30 p.m., free beans were served.
Those who couldn't hold out for beans satisfied their hunger with cheeseburgers, sausage made from a pig secured from a local farmer, baked goods, noodles, chili and vegetable soup.
At the 111th Durbin Bean Bake in 2010, 500 pounds of beans were cooked in 10 kettles and 275-200 gallons of beans were handed out, per the handout.
Hundreds of people far and wide, even some all the way from France and Germany, celebrated Labor Day at the 125th Durbin Bean Bake on Monday at Durbin Park on Erastus-Durbin Road. Kids competed in a variety of races, spouses competed in husband/wife calling contests, and many enjoyed a nice helping of some hearty ham and bean soup.
Jerry Fennig's favorite part of the tradition is watching all generations of attendees participate in the fun.
"I would say, the parents watching their kids do the running races and then the parent and then the kids watching the parents do the running races and helping with the beans (is my favorite)," he said. "It's just navy beans that we make in the ham and bean soup."
The event is one of just six remaining Grand Army Bean Dinners in Ohio, according to dinner history provided by Larry Fennig. The five other remaining army dinners are located in Gallia, Vinton, Jackson and Coshocton counties. Ohio's oldest Grand Army Bean Dinners date back to 1867 at the earliest.
