In the shadow of the Mountain, a simpler way of life slowly chokes.

so after an exhausting night of researching and cutting through the layers of bullshit, i finally stumbled upon the truth behind the Handle Bar Ranch aka midgetville. it started in the 1940's when Percy Ritter purchased about 30 acres of land in a then sleepy part of southwestern ohio. through the years, Percy Ritter and his wife Anna Ritter slowly shaped the terrain into a place were the locals shared memories from their childhood. the ritters rented out vintage schwinn bicycles before starting up a hay ride business. it was back then that the rumors of midgetville started. the buildings were handmade by percy himself and anna decorated them with her paintings. fast forward a few years. the Rumpke Brothers started up their business and started to consume and encroach on the surrounding community. they bought up most of the old homes and converted the building into their offices. so far, Handle Bar Ranch has held out. with percy dying in 1990, all that's left of the Ranch is anna's unwillingness to give into the ever suffocating closeness of urban sprawl.

CityBeat cover article featuring Anna Gay Ritter
Cincy Post article detailing a local's perspective on the situation

sean and i have both read these articles and have given much thought to our recent adventures. we feel that while we were initially drawn into the mystique of the so called midgetville we now have gained a respect and a firsthand insight into this matter. while we did "break in" and "trespass" we did not mean any harm. we did not vandalize, nor did we do any harm to the environment. we were merely there as tourists seeking to satiate our curiosity. we went there with the basest of information and left we something much more. i'll admit this, what we did was juvenile and immature. the story of anna ritter and her struggle is a sad one. sean, the other contributors and i are not here to poke fun at anna and her decades of struggle, but we are here to point this out. midgetville only exists in the hearts of the young. it is an idea, a place of wonder. but to the older generations, midgetville exists as the Handle Bar Ranch. we're here to educate. there is no mythos or aura of supernatural surrounding the site. it is simple the old house of anna ritter. we have no idea if she is still there. frankly, we don't care. anna ritter should not have to deal with inquisitive pups like us searching for the reality of midgetille. if i found it, then any one else can. let anna rest, she's lived a hell of a life.