Athens County is home to Athens, Ohio--the ultimate college town. Ohio University, located there, is the oldest institution of higher learning west of the Appalachian Mountains. Go there during the Halloween party/riot to see something really scary. The hills and hollows of Athens County are also home to many backwoods hamlets, quite a few of which have been abandoned and forgotten. The Athens County ghost towns I've learned about are listed below.
210 Row
Athens Twp.
The only town in Ohio with a numeric number in its name. Located just north of Route 33 on Route 550.
Liar's Corners
Ames Twp.
A town located at the end of a now private drive off of Mill Creek Road. An odd name for a town by itself, but made weirder by the proximity of Truetown (see below).
Mudsock
Ames Twp.
One of the oldest towns in Ames Township, Mudsock was settled on what's now Route 550 west of Amesville. It was established by the Ohio Company in 1839. The mail route from Athens to Marietta (now 550) ran through Mudsock. There's another town of the same name in western Franklin County, and both have the same primary explanation for the weird name: the muddy, nearly impassable rural streets. For more on the Athens County Mudsock, click here.
Town once populated by a family of celebrated spiritualists; click above for details.
Truetown
Ames Twp.
Town once located on Oregon Ridge Road. You have to wonder if they clashed with the residents of Liar's Corners (see above). You also have to wonder if these town really existed or if they're a mapmaker's fantasy.
