Overland Inn

Overland Inn

Built in 1829, the Overland Inn is one of two remaining stagecoach inns in the state.

Located nine miles north of Upper Sandusky on the old Harrison Trail, the Overland Inn sits on a ridge above the Sandusky River. Originally an Indian path, the road was enlarged by General William Henry Harrison to move troops and supplies to Lake Erie as he prepared for an invasion of Canada during the War of 1812. Joseph McCutchen platted the town of McCutchenville in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. In 1829, he built a modest log structure to serve as an inn; the inn was later enlarged to two stories. Visiting the inn in 1842, G.W. Putnam described the place as a “long, low structure a story and a half….and the accommodations for travelers were very poor.” A supper of bread, bacon, and tea was included with the price for a sleeping room. Putnam also noted that his British traveling companions, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dickens were uneasy for their safety because of the presence of a large group of Indians gathered near the inn. The Wyandot, who owned a vast tract of land around McCutchenville and Upper Sandusky, had gathered to vote on accepting the government’s offer of reservation lands west of the Mississippi River. The inn hosted travelers until 1918. The rambling structure has undergone two preservation projects, the first in 1967 when it was acquired by the Wyandot County Historical Society. In 2002, a second restoration project stabilized the structure and a curatorial renovation aligned its furnishings to reflect travel accommodations in the 19th century. Visitors can see the reception and bar rooms where travelers registered to spend the night, as well as a second-story ballroom and bedrooms.

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