By Mary E. Mortimer
Byron G. “Bun”, “Bunny” Cushman was born in 1873 to Warren S. and Cela Cushman in Woodstock, Ohio. Warren S. Cushman was a well-known painter, sculptor, photographer, and musician. Byron was given the nickname “Bun” by his little sister who couldn’t say Byron.
Around 1900, Bun Cushman began the study of trout culture. He hand dug ponds on his property on the south edge of Zanesfield and stocked them with local brown trout. The cool natural spring fed ponds were an ideal habitat for trout.
Bun went to Castalia, Ohio, where he continued his studies of trout breeding and care from trout culturist Andrew Engert who was one of the first to artificially propagate trout. He purchased water cress and moss in Castalia that he planted in and around his ponds. Bun worked hard developing the ponds and raising trout for his “Zanesfield Trout Club”.
At first, only family and friends enjoyed fishing at Cushman’s ponds, but word traveled quickly. By 1912, the Zanesfield Trout Club had become very successful. Fishermen traveled from all over the state, many via the Toledo & Ohio Central Railroad. With the depot being within walking distance of the club, it was very convenient.
In 1913, a disastrous flood hit Logan County and the Zanesfield Trout Club. The trout were washed into the Mad River and the ponds were severely damaged. After the flood, Bun rebuilt most of the ponds. Then around 1919, Bun, his wife, Edna, and their three children, Eva, Warren, and Jocele moved west for health reasons.
The Cushman family moved back to Zanesfield in 1924 and made plans to rebuild the trout club. Over the next five years, Bun and his son, Warren, rebuilt and restocked the ponds with trout. They also made many improvements, digging more ponds and planting one hundred birch trees along the levees. The Zanesfield Trout Club flourished.
During the Depression, the Cushman family continued to maintain the club and raise trout. Many fishermen still came for a relaxing day of fishing for a small fee.
Bun Cushman was also well known for his melon and strawberry patches which were located on the southeast side of the trout club. He hired local kids to work in his gardens and boys to help dredge ponds, level dirt, trap muskrats, and mow weeds. At night, kids used to sneak into the trout club and swim in the ponds.
In the spring of 1937, one of Cushman’s regular fishermen, Hazard Okey, bought the old T. &. O. C. Railroad depot for $100. After getting permission from the Cushmans to move it to the trout club, he hired Clarence Gibson of East Liberty to move it. Gibson had spent many years moving large objects and buildings, including the boulder for the Zane Kenton Monument in Zanesfield. Gibson hired Luther Blue, Charlie Hall and several others to help with the move. The depot was jacked up onto a platform made from old barn timbers with logs attached as rollers and slowly moved to its new location.
Once the depot was in place, Okey hired J.R. Teets & Son of Bellefontaine to remodel it into a clubhouse. The original depot had three rooms: a waiting room, ticket office and a baggage room. After the depot was remodeled, bunks were added to the upper level for overnight guests. At that time, plans were made to organize the Zanesfield Rod & Gun Club.
On March 8, 1938, Hazard Okey, a lawyer from Columbus acting as the first president of the Zanesfield Rod & Gun Club, signed a lease with Byron and Edna Cushman to use and occupy their property for trout fishing purposes. The lease was $750 a year and limited to 50 club members.
In 1941, the club entered into a land contract with the Cushman family to purchase the original club. They also obtained the old railroad right-of-way and 2,700 square feet from Ira and Bonnie Maggart. Members of the Zanesfield Rod & Gun Club also leased 1,450 acres of land from several property owners on State Route 540 for hunting.
After serving in WWII, Warren Cushman took over the role of Club Manager for the Zanesfield Rod & Gun Club. Bun and Warren Cushman moved a building to the club property which later became known as the “Cushman Cottage”. The building sat on one of the trout streams and they made the basement into a hatchery for trout. They raised brown, rainbow and brook trout.
In 1947, Warren married Mildred “Millie” Engle of Zanesfield. They had one son, Byron and two daughters, Barbara and Patty. Mildred worked as the bookkeeper for the club and Byron worked as the night watchman and did general maintenance.
Byron “Bun” Cushman passed away in November 1956 at age 83. Through the years, Bun proudly watched his original dream become a successful trout fishing club.
In 1959, plans to reroute US Route 33 called for the highway to go straight through the trout club. Warren Cushman quickly called one of the club members who was an attorney in Columbus for help. The club members were able to work out a plan with the state for the highway to go around the trout club.
On July 7, 1967, the T. &. O.C. depot clubhouse was destroyed by fire. All that could be saved were the two brass Zanesfield name plates and the bell. One of the name plates was given to the Zanesfield Fire Department and the other was placed on a new clubhouse.
Warren Cushman passed away in November 1980. Like his father, Bun Cushman, Warren worked his entire life making the trout club into a highly esteemed and prosperous club. After his death, Warren’s wife, Mildred, and their son, Byron, continued to work at the club until about 2013. The Zanesfield Rod & Gun Club is still in existence and is a private club for members only.
Information and photos from Reflections of Zanesfield, Vol I, by Mary E. Mortimer and the Zanesfield Rod & Gun Club by John W. Klages.
Visit the Logan County History Center at 521 E. Columbus Ave., Bellefontaine, Ohio 43311, to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County History.
The History Center is open for tours from 1 pm to 4 pm Wednesday through Sunday .
