Obscurity is fascinating, and this Cloudeight Site Pick proves it!

Atlas Obscura

How do I describe this site? In a word: fascinating. It’s a site that defies description because …we’ll because I can’t describe it. And if I can’t describe it then it can’t be described. There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done. I really can’t do it and I spent over an hour on this site and I didn’t even begin to scratch the surface, to borrow a cliché from EB.

There’s nothing you can write that can’t be written. So since I can’t describe this site, (and you’re breathing a sigh of relief), I’m going to invite the “curator” of this wondrous site to tell you about it. And here is what he (or she) says about Atlas Obscura:

“The Atlas Obscura is the definitive guidebook and friendly tour-guide to the world’s most wondrous places.

User-generated and editor curated, the Atlas is a collaborative compendium of amazing places that aren’t found in your average guidebook.

If you’re looking for miniature cities, glass flowers, books bound in human skin, gigantic flaming holes in the ground, bone churches, balancing pagodas, or homes built entirely out of paper, the Atlas Obscura is where you’ll find them.

A collaborative project anyone and everyone is welcome and encouraged to add a place for inclusion, and to edit the content already in the Atlas. Whether searching for an upcoming trip, taking a trip with the Obscura Society, or just reading places great stories: we want to help your adventures happen.

In an age where everything seems to have been explored and there is nothing new to be found, the Atlas Obscura celebrates a different way of traveling, and viewing the world. There is plenty out there to discover, so lets start looking!…”

Indeed, let us start looking. I’ve lived in Ohio all my life (I know! I know!) and I have never in, around or near Bangs, Ohio. I never realized it existed or that they have a poorhouse there. We have one here too – EB and I are both residents of The Cyber Poorhouse – but ours is only theoretical. The one in Bangs, Ohio is real. REAL, I tells ya!

Here’s what Atlas Obscura has to say about Bangs, Ohio and the Knox County Poorhouse:

“Built in the 19th century, this dilapidated Victorian Gothic building is the centerpiece of the quiet little hamlet of Bangs, Ohio. The massive, multi-story brick building briefly laid claim to the title of largest building in the state of Ohio. Although it has not been able to claim this title in quite some time, this edifice still stands in stark contrast to the few buildings of Bangs surrounding it – a cluster of single story homes and a pair of churches. This juxtaposition between the old building and its surrounding low, rural landscape gives it the feel of a place from a Stephen King novel.

The creepy, unsettling nature of the Knox County Poorhouse extends beyond just an uncanny vibe. Its ownership has changed several times, leading it in the downward spiral to its dilapidated state of the present day. As the name would suggest, the initial purpose of this building was to house the poor and destitute of the then sparsely populated Knox County in central Ohio. Later, it was re-purposed as an infirmary, before being abandoned for the first of several times in its history of neglect…”

Wow! I am headed to Bangs, Ohio right after I finish this. I wonder if that place has Wi-Fi?

Don’t worry, there’s a lot more than Ohio covered in Atlas Obscura. I’ll betcha something in your locale is covered there too

So while I go find out if the Knox County Poorhouse has Wi-Fi, why don’t you go find out what Atlas Obscura has in store for you? http://atlasobscura.com.