Situated in the valley of Sunday Creek, the Burr Oak area was inhabited by Indians and, later, by settlers who found an abundance of game animals and the resources necessary for survival in the Ohio wilderness.
Coal, one of Ohio's most important mineral resources, was mined here for many years. As mining operations expanded, mining towns grew and prospered. Few of these mining towns were as notorious as the village of San Toy.
Many colorful tales were told of life in San Toy. In the true spirit of frontier life, so the story goes, a gunfight was once held over a $20 debt. The street was cleared as the two participants met for a showdown. The ensuing battle left both men lying in the street--one dead and the other critically wounded. The "Old West" came to life in Ohio when the coal company payroll was robbed by bandits who made a horse-mounted getaway through the town.
Countless other tales live on, but San Toy could not. A fire in 1924 destroyed the coal tipple and several businesses. The loss was so devastating that just three years later the second mine shaft shut down. In November 1931, the nineteen remaining voters decided to abandon the town. Today, only the church, the town's first building, still stands as a reminder of days gone by.
In 1950
Burr Oak
Lake was
built across
the valley
of the east
branch of
Sunday
Creek, a
tributary of
the Hocking
River.
The dam is
about three
miles north
of Glouster
on S. R. 13,
in Trimble
Township of
Athens
County.
From the
dam, the
lake extends
southward
for about 1
1/2 miles,
where it
crosses into
Homer
Township of
Morgan
County.
It then
stretches
northward
for about
four miles
into Union
Township of
Morgan
County.
Burr Oak
Lake was
build as a
multiple-use
reservoir
for flood
control,
water
supply, and
recreation.
The Lake was
a
cooperative
venture.
The
Department
of Natural
Resources,
purchased
the land,
and the U.S.
Army corps
of Engineers
constructed
the dam and
control
gates.
Two years
later ,Burr
Oak was
dedicated as
a state
park.
For more information on the history of San Toy visit these web site: http://www.littlecitiesofblackdiamonds.org/Towns/SanToy/SanToystories.html
