Odyssey (fictional town)
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Odyssey is the fictional setting for the Christian-themed radio program Adventures in Odyssey. Though its exact size is never specified, it can be inferred from numerous Adventures in Odyssey episodes that Odyssey has a population between 40,000 and 55,000 (it was published as 34,770 circa 1990). Though its location is never specified on the AIO show, the first episode of "Family Portraits" that it is located in Ohio. It is located in Campbell County, a fictionalized county bearing no known connection to any of the five counties bearing that name in the United States.
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[edit] History
The first full account of the history of Odyssey was presented in episode 92, "The Ill-Gotten Deed", which concerns a book of the same name written by John Avery Whittaker. According to Whittaker's The Ill-Gotten Deed, much of the land Odyssey occupies was originally owned by the father of twin brothers Horace and Grover McCalister, who left it to his sons in his will in the early 1800s.
The land was located in the Weyakatal-ah-Neetee Valley, which, when translated from a fictional Native American language, means "Valley of the land that stinks like a swamp." In reality, the valley was not a swamp, but simply suffered from poor drainage during the rainy season. Horace McCalister eventually occupied the land he inherited from his father, and he and later settlers dug irrigation and drainage ditches to remove the dampness problem.
As more settlers came and the town grew, an attempt was made to alter the Native American name to make it sound more pleasant. Frustrated by their failure to do so, Horace McCalister lamented "It's in a beautiful valley, a place everyone oughta see." Thus, the "Ought-to-see town" was born, a name that was eventually rendered "Odyssey".
[edit] Locations in Odyssey
The majority of Adventures in Odyssey episodes take place in the town of Odyssey, most commonly at the popular ice cream shop "Whit's End". The following places and organizations also form important settings for the episodes.
[edit] Places
- Whit's End
- Blackgaard's Castle (permanently destroyed by fire in episode #84, "The Battle, Part 2")
- The Electric Palace (built on the land formerly occupied by Blackgaard's Castle)
- King's Appliance Cave
- Big Ed's Appliance City
- Finneman's Market, a grocery owned by Connie Kendall's great uncle, Joe Finneman
- Campbell College, formerly Campbell County College, formerly Campbell County Community College, employer of Eugene Meltsner
- J & J Antiques, managed by Jack Allen and his wife, Joanne
- The Timothy Center, at Tom Riley's farm
- Camp What-a-nut, a youth camp in the countryside near Odyssey
- Pete's Gas and Chow
- Burger World
- Hillingdale Haven
- Hal's Diner
- The Harlequin Dinner Theatre
- Holstein's Book Store
- Greenblatt's Department Store
- Osborne Department Store
- Fraley's Laundromat
- Big Bargain Bill's Used Car Barn [Actually located in San Diego]
- Connellsville Zoo
- Speedy Package Express - "We're Lightning Fast!"
- Le Hotel Odyssey
- Walton's Janetorial Service
- Vogel Cuts
- Odyssey's Old West Fun World
- Chez Moi - Fine French Dining
- Nova Com Broadcasting
- Surveillance City
- Odyssey High School
- Odyssey Middle School
- Odyssey Academy
[edit] Neighborhoods
- Forest Creek
- McCalister Park
- Chadwick Hill
- Sycamore
- Yorktown
[edit] Organizations in Odyssey
In addition to the places of Odyssey, a number of organizations influence goings-on in the town.
- The Andromeda family of companies, especially Novacom
- FBI
- NSA
- City Council
- The Odyssey Times
- The Odyssey Owl
- Universal Press Foundation & UPF Missions Board
- The Bones of Wrath
- The Israelites
- Whit's End Connelsville
[edit] Locations near Odyssey
- Connelsville (and Oswald Heights)
- Odenton
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources
- Phil Lollar, "The Ill-Gotten Deed", Adventures in Odyssey, 1989, 4 November
- "How "Odyssey" Got its Name"
