Historic Clermont County

HISTORIC CLERMONT COUNTY 

 

An Illustrated History 

 

Edited by Ron Hill and Patsy Shiveley 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A publication of the Clermont County Historical Society

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HISTORIC CLERMONT COUNTY 

An Illustrated History 

Edited by Ron Hill and Patsy Shiveley 

Commissioned by the 

Clermont County Historical Society 

P.O. Box 14 

Batavia, Ohio 45103 

Historical Publishing Network 

A division of Lammert Incorporated 

San Antonio, Texas

CONTENTS 

3 PREFACE 

4 CHAPTER I a profile of Clermont County 

9 CHAPTER II early inhabitants 

11 CHAPTER III townships & villages 

41 CHAPTER IV transportation 

51 CHAPTER V the Abolitionist Movement and Civil War 

53 CHAPTER VI Clermont County veterans, generals & 

Medal of Honor recipients 

56 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND READING LIST 

59 SHARING THE HERITAGE 

81 SPONSORS 

82 ABOUT THE AUTHORS 

84 INDEX 

First Edition 

Copyright © 2010 Historical Publishing Network 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing 

from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Historical Publishing Network, 11535 Galm Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254. Phone (800) 749-9790. 

ISBN: 9781935377290 

Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 2010940612 

Historic Clermont County: An Illustrated History 

authors: Janet Brock Beller, Libbie Bennett, Janet Blackburn, 

Richard Crawford, Terri Daughtery, John Dial, Tom Dix, 

Rick Grgetic, Julia Liggett Hess, Ron Hill, Gary L. Knepp, 

James L. Koch, Kathy McCurdy, Hugh L. Nichols II, 

Bethany Richter Pollitt, Greg Roberts, Jim Shafer, 

Patsy Murphy Shiveley, Alma Aicholtz Smith 

contributing writer for sharing the heritage: Eric Dabney 

Historical Publishing Network 

president: Ron Lammert 

project managers: Wynn Buck 

administration: Donna M. Mata, Melissa G. Quinn 

book sales: Dee Steidle 

production: Colin Hart, Glenda Tarazon Krouse, Evelyn Hart, Omar Wright 

2 ✦ HISTORIC CLERMONT COUNTY

PREFACE 

In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary (2008) of the Clermont County Historical Society and in cooperation with the Clermont 

County Collaborative of Historical Societies, the Society undertook the preparation of this county history. 

This book was written with the hope that the reader will become more aware of the rich heritage of Clermont County and develop 

an interest in pursuing a deeper understanding of the county history. The book is not intended to be a scholarly or comprehensive 

history of the county. There are several comprehensive histories of the county written circa 1880; local historical organizations have 

published histories of their area in recent years; and other individuals have published books of their area of historical expertise To 

facilitate this interest an extensive “Selected Bibliography and Reading List” has been provided. 

This book could not have been written without the History Book Committee: Ron Hill, Rick Grgetic, Ray Hawley, Mary Campbell 

and Patsy Shiveley, and the cooperation of the various historical organizations in Clermont County. The authors of the articles were 

drawn from these organizations. They represent some of the most knowledgeable persons of Clermont County history. We strongly 

encourage you to become a member of one of these organizations: 

Bethel Historical Association 

Chilo Lock # 34 Museum 

Clermont County Genealogical Society 


Franklin Township Historical Society 

Goshen Township Historical Society 

Greater Loveland Historical Society 

Greater Milford Historical Society 

Grassy Run Historical Arts Committee 

Harmony Hill Association 

(Williamsburg) 

Historic New Richmond, Inc. 

Monroe Township Historical Society 

Owensville Historical Society 

Ulysses S. Grant Birthplace 

❖ 

A family outing in Pierce Township 

in 1916. 

COURTESY OF MILTON H. MATHEWS. 

Contents ✦ 3

Clermont County lies in the southwest 

corner of Ohio, east of Cincinnati. The 

southern border is the Ohio River. The 

Little Miami River defines the western 

boundary from Loveland to Milford, then 

the Hamilton County line to the Ohio River. 

On the north is Warren County and to the 

east Brown County. Portions of the original 

Clermont County were taken in 1817 to 

form Brown and Highland Counties. 

THE VIRGINIA 

MILITARY DISTRICT 

By Alma Aicholtz Smith, Clermont 

County Historical Society 

CHAPTER I 

A PROFILE OF C LERMONT C OUNTY 

The first land instrument recorded in 

Clermont County is a Virginia military 

survey. Clermont County is one of 23 

Ohio counties situated entirely or in part 

in the Virginia Military District (VMD). 

The importance of these surveys is that 

they were the first subdivisions of land in 

the county. Conveyances for land today 

refer to the military survey in which the 

tract is located. 

Under the 1609 charter from King 

James I of England, Virginia claimed all 

the land north of the Ohio River and east 

of the Mississippi River. After the 

Revolutionary War ended in 1783, 

Virginia ceded to the new federal 

government all claims on land north of 

the Ohio River, except for the area lying 

between the Little Miami and Scioto 

Rivers. Virginia reserved this land for her 

soldiers in payment for their services in 

the American Revolution. 

The Northwest Ordinance was passed 

on July 13, 1787, opening lands in the 

Ohio Territory. The Principal Surveyor’s 

Office in Louisville, Kentucky, opened its 

books for entries for land in the Virginia 

Military Reserve in Ohio. On November 

13, Deputy Surveyor John O’Bannon ran 

the first survey in the District in what is 

❖ A map of Clermont County as it appeared around 1800-1805. This map shows the original and present 

boundaries of Clermont County, and the general location of its first five townships. (Not drawn to scale.) 

MAP BY ALMA SMITH. 

now Clermont County. He surveyed 

fourteen hundred acres of land for 

Colonel John Neville. The town of 

Neville, incorporated in 1854, is located 

in this survey. 

The fee charged by deputy surveyors 

for their services varied from year to year 

and with the difficulty of the work. 

Surveyors often charged ¼ to ½ of the 

acres called for in the entry, or 10 pounds 

Virginia currency per 1,000 acres. 

The land bounties given by Virginia to 

her soldiers ranged from 100 acres for a 

private to 15,000 acres to a major general. 

After obtaining a military bounty warrant 

stating the amount of land to which a soldier 

was entitled, he hired an authorized 

deputy surveyor to make an entry for him. 

This entry was a general description of the 

tract on which he was locating the warrant. 

The entry was numbered, dated, and 

recorded in a book in the Principal 

Surveyor’s Office in Louisville. The tract 

was then surveyed by the deputy surveyor 

and a plat made. Following the acceptance 

of the survey by the Principal Surveyor, 

the warrant with the plat was sent to the 

federal government for a patent. It wasn’t 


❖ The first county flag was dedicated in 1965. A contest of county students was held. Six hundred entries were 

received. Dennis Luithle of Glen Este High School submitted the winning design. 

COURTESY OF THE CLERMONT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

until February 20, 1796, that the first U.S. 

patent was issued for VMD land. 

George Washington purchased two warrants 

for 3,100 acres and John O’Bannon surveyed 

three tracts of land for him in what are 

now Franklin, Union and Miami Townships. 

However, these tracts were not properly 

patented and Washington lost them. He 

never visited his tracts. 

Thomas Paxton settled in the Loveland 

area in 1795 and built the first cabin. John, 

David, and Jeriah Wood and their families 

along with John, Nathan, and Elisha 

Manning (three brothers who were married 

to Wood girls) built a combined residencefort 

called Wood-Manning Station 

(Washington Township) in 1795. Isaac 

Ferguson settled along the Ohio River (Ohio 

Township) in 1796. William Lytle laid out 

the village of Lytlestown, later to be named 

Williamsburg, in 1796. 

Clermont was established as the eighth 

county in the Northwest Territory by 

proclamation of General Arthur St. Clair on 

December 9, 1800. Thus, Clermont 

became a county before Ohio became a 

state in 1803. As a territorial county it was 

at that time composed of five townships: 

O’Bannon (now Miami), Ohio, 

Williamsburg, Washington and Pleasant. 

Fourteen townships were eventually 

formed: Batavia, Franklin, Goshen, 

Jackson, Miami, Monroe, Ohio, Pierce, 

Stonelick, Tate, Union, Washington, 

Wayne, and Williamsburg. 

The Territorial County Seat and first 

seat when Ohio became a state was 

Williamsburg. With the removal of land 

from Clermont to Brown County (1817), 

the Williamsburg location was on the eastern 

edge of the county and inconvenient to 

most citizens. Through political pressure 

the county seat was moved to the larger 

village of New Richmond (1823). It too 

was found to be inconvenient and in 1824 

the Ohio Legislature made centrally located 

Batavia the county seat. Several street 

fights and quarrels broke out between New 

Richmond and Batavia over the move. 

THE ESTABLISHMENT 

OF THE COUNTY 

By Ron Hill, Clermont County 

Historical Society 

Although the federal government was 

issuing warrants for land in Ohio to its 

Revolutionary soldiers, the land was claimed 

by the Indians. Several surveying parties had 

skirmishes with the Indians. In April 1792 a 

major battle occurred at Grassy Run Creek 

(Jackson Township) between a party of men 

from Kentucky, led by Simon Kenton, and 

Indians, lead by Tecumseh, who had stolen 

horses. It was not until the Battle of Fallen 

Timbers (1794), in which General Anthony 

Wayne defeated the Indians, and the resulting 

Treaty of Greene Ville (1795) that the land in 

Clermont County was safe for settlement. 

❖ The second county flag was dedicated in 2000. Forty-five entries were received and Melanie Gilliam’s design won. 

The stylized “C” in the flag represents the county’s proximity to the Ohio river. It also symbolizes the sweeping progress 

of Clermont County’s growth and the swelling promise of her future. The circle of fourteen golden stars symbolizes each 

of the townships and the unity in which the governments and people of each work together. 


Chapter I ✦ 5

❖ Throughout Clermont County are many silos, 

most of which are no longer in use. These silos are 

monuments to the rich agriculture heritage of 

Clermont County. 


The early settlers found the area to be 

covered with thick forests. Large portions 

of the middle and northern part of the 

county were very swampy. The white oak 

trees presented the resource for one of the 

early industries: coopering and chair manufacturing. 

However, most of the early settlers 

were occupied with farming. Small 

hamlets and villages developed to support 

these families. A review of a Clermont 

County map shows that most of the hamlets 

and villages are within fifteen miles of 

adjacent villages. This distance reflects the 

poor condition of the early roads and a 

day’s journey on horseback or wagon. 

Mills to process grain and lumber soon 

developed throughout the county. Most of 

the agricultural production was consumed 

by the grower or nearby people. One of the 

major handicaps in the development of 

industry and agriculture was transportation 

to the major market in Cincinnati. The 

county’s roads were in deplorable condition. 

The rivers offered the greatest opportunity. 

AGRICULTURE 

Agriculture was the major industry of 

the county over its first 100 years and continues 

to be the major use of the land today. 

In the late 1800s the major crops of 

Clermont County were corn, wheat, tobacco 

and potatoes. Oats and hay were also 

produced. Orchards were common, with 

apples, peaches, cherries, plums and pears 

grown. Small herds of dairy cattle produced 

milk and butter. 

By the twentieth century major changes 

were occurring in farming. Mechanized 

equipment replaced the horse. Improved 

plant varieties, cultivation methods, fertilizers, 

and chemical weed control all led to 

higher yields with less labor. For example, 

corn yields in 1918 were 31 bushels per 

acre compared to 168 in 2006. Soybeans 

became a major crop in the 1940s. Today 

corn, soybeans and tobacco are the primary 

cash crops. 

POPULATION OF 

THE COUNTY 

The growth of Clermont County was 

2,000 to 3,000 persons per decade from 

1850 to 1880. For the next fifty years the 

MAJOR CROP YIELDS FOR 1881 

Total Cultivated Acres: 122,380 

Corn, bushels 1,100,424 

Wheat, bushels 590,978 

Tobacco, pounds 4,050,374 

Potatoes, bushels 232,689 

CORN, WHEAT & SOYBEAN PRODUCTION 

CORN WHEAT SOYBEANS 

Year Acres Bushels Acres Bushels Acres Bushels 

1920 47,600 1,624,000 14,400 198,000 not available 

1940 32,900 624,000 7,400 106,000 1,800 14,000 

1960 22,600 972,000 6,000 168,000 9,100 164,000 

1980 16,200 1,856,000 2,900 110,000 36,800 1,002,000 

2000 14,300 2,067,400 3,000 123,400 38,700 1,503,800 

2006 not available 1,900 120,700 not available 

2007 17,100 2,035,200 not available 38,100 1,343,000 

Year Acres Pounds 

1973 740 1,014,000 

1980 1,060 1,919,000 

2000 760 1,337,000 

2004 435 783,000 

TOBACCO 

PRODUCTION 

POPULATION 

GROWTH 

1800 760 * 

1810 9,965 

1820 15,820 

1830 20,466 

1840 23,106 

1850 30,455 

1860 33,034 

1870 34,264 

1880 36,713 

1890 33,553 

1900 31,610 

1910 29,551 

1920 28,291 

1930 29,786 

1940 34,109 

1950 42,182 

1960 80,530 

1970 95,725 

1980 128,483 

1990 150,887 

2000 177,977 

* males above 16 


EMPLOYMENT 

(Thousands as of the year 2000) 

Farm employment 1.01 

Agricultural services 1.16 

Mining 0.05 

Construction 6.45 

Manufacturing 8.55 

Transport, Public utilities 2.64 

Wholesale trade 2.90 

Retail trade 15.45 

Finance, Insurance, Real Estate 7.31 

Service 21.13 

Federal Government 0.82 

State & Local Government 6.53 

Total 74.01 

population declined as people left the 

agriculture-based economy of the county for 

employment in the industries of Cincinnati. 

The 1940s and ’50s showed an influx of 

people from Appalachia who came north for 

work in the industries of the Cincinnati area. 

The major growth started in the 1960s with 

a migration from the city to the suburbs. 

This migration was due partly to new road 

systems such as I-275 and the improvement 

of the east-west Routes 28, 32, 125 and 52. 

Housing and the cost-of-living were 

generally cheaper in the suburbs. From that 

time until today the north-south I-275 

corridor along the Hamilton County line has 

seen a boom in residential development. 

Whereas there has been significant growth 

in the western townships such as Miami and 

Union, the central, southern and eastern 

townships have not experienced it as much. 

BUSINESS 

With the coming of the highway system 

in western Clermont County, commercial 

and industrial development occurred 

along the I-275 corridor. The Eastgate 

Mall along Route 32 (1980s) and the 

shopping centers along Routes 50 and 28 

east of Milford and Cherry Grove on SR 

125 became major commercial districts 

for the county. Industrial parks were 

❖ The 1955 Bookmobile provided the first 

library service. 


established near these areas and many 

small industries located there. Ford Motor 

Company built a large transmission plant 

at Afton in Batavia Township (1980). 

CLERMONT 

COLLEGE 

The University of Cincinnati Clermont 

College is located on the hill outside 

Batavia on Clermont College Drive. 

Instruction began at the college in 1972. 

The enrollment has grown from 97 fulltime 

and 184 part-time students during its 

first year to 1,820 full-time and 1,120 parttime 

in 2007. The facility and faculty have 

grown to meet this demand. 

CLERMONT COUNTY 

PUBLIC LIBRARY 

Clermont County was the last county in 

Ohio to establish a countywide public 

library. The first library in 1955 was a bookmobile 

to serve a predominantly rural 

❖ The original control tower of the Clermont County 

Airport, 1968. 


population. Today (2010) there are ten 

branches located in the county: Milford- 

Miami Township (1959), Batavia (Doris E. 

Wood Branch, 1961), Union Township 

(1963), Bethel (1967), New Richmond 

(1980), Amelia (1988), Williamsburg 

(1988), Goshen (1989), Felicity (1994) and 

Owensville (1997). 

THE 

COUNTY 

FIRST 

HOSPITAL 

Plans for a county hospital date back 

to 1959. A bond issue was approved in 

1970 to construct the facility. On 

November 5, 1973, Our Lady of Mercy 

Hospital opened on Hospital Drive off 

Bauer Road in Batavia Township. 

CLERMONT COUNTY 

AIRPORT 

In 1965 an Airport Study Committee was 

appointed by the County Commissioners to 

study the need for an airport in the county. 

Their report in 1967 recommended an airport 

to promote industrial growth. The same 

year forty-three acres of land off Taylor Road 

near Olive Branch was donated to the 

County by Clermont Industrial Parks, Inc. 

The thirty-seven-hundred-foot-runway airport 

was dedicated in October 1968 by 

Governor James Rhodes. An agreement was 

made with Clermont Airways, Inc., to operate 

the airport and a terminal was built adjacent 

to Taylor Road. In 1988 Eastern 

Cincinnati Aviation took over management 

and in 1993 moved the terminal operations 

to the Sporty’s building east of the runway. 

Over the years major improvements 

have been made to the airport and an industrial 

park has been developed adjacent to it. 

The Tri-State Warbird Museum was built in 

the park with access to the runway for its 

World War II era planes. 

HARSHA LAKE & 

EAST FORK STATE PARK 

In the 1960s the U.S. Corps of Engineers 

began a flood control project to dam the 

Chapter I ✦ 7

East Fork River. Construction of the $55 

million East Fork Dam began in May 1970. 

The earth-filled dam is 200 feet high and 

1,450 feet wide at the base. A 2,160 acre 

lake was formed and named William 

Harsha Lake after the retired congressman. 

Construction was complete in 1978. 

The lake and dam were not built without 

controversy. Many citizens were 

against the projects. Judge Chris 

Rosenhoffer came out strongly against it. 

Lawsuits were brought against the Corps 

of Engineers declaring the dam was unconstitutional 

and the Environmental Impact 

Statement was inadequate. Ralph Nader’s 

Ohio Environmental Organization investigated 

the legality of the dam. In July 1973 

a temporary restraining order was issued 

against the Corps of Engineers and the 

project shut down. The order was lifted in 

August. 

The State of Ohio developed a 10,500- 

acre park surrounding the lake which 

offers camping, picnicking, swimming, 

boating and 85 miles of trails. The park is 

named East Fork State Park. At one time a 

lodge and golf course were proposed for 

the park, but because of lack of funding 

they were never built. For years after the 

construction of the park, the former citizens 

of the Elklick Valley community held 

annual reunions at the park. 

The park and lake are located in three 

townships: Williamsburg (5,245 acres), 

Batavia, site of dam (4,995 acres) and Tate 

(3,458 acres). Over 100 dwellings were 

removed and 160 families relocated from 

the park/lake site. Reverend John Collins, 

who established the Elk Lick settlement 

and built his homestead there (1803) , 

and his son, Charles Collins’, mansion 

(1863) were removed. Attempts were 

made to save the former sea captain 

Andrew Pinkham’s farm (1824) and maple 

syrup operation near Bantam. Even 

though the farm was placed on the 

National Register of Historic Places in 

1973, it was destroyed. The Slade house 

(1866) was moved to Heritage Village 

Museum in Sharon Woods Park (Hamilton 

County). The 1869 gold mines near Elk 

❖ Harsha Lake control tower has two sizes of hydraulic gates to draw water from the bottom of the lake. The larger 

gates, 5 feet by 14 feet, are used for large water releases and the smaller bypass gates, 18 inches by 27 inches, are for 

smaller releases. 


❖ Clermont County Water Intake Tower. Water is drawn from the lake, treated and distributed to residences of the 

county for drinking water and other uses. 


Lick and Twin Bridges disappeared under 

the lake (as did the bridges). The Old 

Bethel Church, established by Reverend 

Collins, and the adjacent cemetery, where 

President Grant’s maternal grandparents 

are buried, and the Elk Lick mound were 

saved and are part of the park. 

Today the park draws thousands of 

people from the tri-state area and across 

the nation. It is one of the most popular 

parks in the state. 

Clermont County installed a 172-feet 

high water intake tower on the north shore 

of the lake in 1996. Ten million gallons of 

water are drawn from the lake daily and 

pumped to a water treatment plant on 

Greenbriar Road. This plant provides drinking 

water to a large area of the county. 


CHAPTER II 

E ARLY 

I NHABITANTS 

B Y R ICHARD C RAWORD 

PREHISTORIC 

NATIVE AMERICANS 

The first inhabitants within the present 

borders of Clermont County were a people 

referred to as Archaics. They arrived from 

the north about 5000 B.C. They were 

nomadic hunters. A second group to arrive 

was the Adena, who lived in the area from 

about 1000 B.C. to A.D. 100. They lived in 

small, scattered groups and hunted for 

meat and gathered plants for food. They 

were different from the Archaic people due 

to burying their dead in conically shaped 

mounds of earth. These mounds usually 

contained several burials indicating that 

their settlements were at least semipermanent. 

Buried with the deceased were 

a few tools and adornments. 

❖ Edgington Mound, east of Neville on the south side U.S. 52. This Adena burial mound is 133 feet in diameter at 

its base. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. 


❖ A Shawnee warrior mannequin by artist Joe “Far 

Raven” Hammock. The warrior is dressed in authentic 

Native American clothing. Now on display at the 

Harmony Hill Association Museum, Williamsburg. 

COURTESY OF THE GRASSY RUN HISTORICAL ARTS COMMITTEE. 

The next culture in the county was the 

Hopewell, who lived here from 

approximately 150 B.C. to A.D. 500. 

Hopewell burial mounds were smaller 

and contained more elaborate items. 

The Adena and Hopewell disappeared 

for several possible reasons, including: a 

long period of drought, climate changes, 

war, or disease. Their cultures may not 

have been lost at all, just absorbed by the 

Eastern Woodland people (Shawnee, 

Miami, Wyandot, Delaware and Mingo). 

A survey made in the early 1900s 

identified in Clermont County one cemetery, 

47 mounds, 11 enclosures, three village sites 

and eight burial sites. An extensive survey 

by Dr. Kent Vickey of the University of 

Cincinnati in 1970 revealed 215 possible 

sites in Clermont County. He identified 60 

along the Ohio River between Moscow and 

Neville. During the 1970s nine Indian sites 

were placed on the National Register of 

Historic Places: Bullskin Creek, Ferris Site, 

Snead Mound, Edgington Mound, Clarke 

Farm, Elk Lick Mound, Devanney Site, 

Gatch Site, and East Fork Site. The most 

prominent site in the county was an 

enclosure built of earthen walls located on 

the Gatch farm in Milford in the flood plain 

below Greenlawn Cemetery. All signs of it 

are now gone as a result of farming and the 

construction of Expressway Park. 

Most of the evidence of the county’s 

prehistoric people has been lost because of 

construction, farming and vandalism. Three 

mounds today are protected. The Edgington 

Mound is the largest at 15.75 feet high and 

133 feet in diameter at the base. It is on the 

south side of US 52 east of Neville. The Elk 

Lick Mound is 5 feet high and 50 feet in 

diameter and is located in East Fork State 

Park. The Snead Mound is 5 feet high and 

55 feet in diameter and located on Neville- 

Penn Schoolhouse Road. All three are 

believed to have been made by the Adena. 

In recent years additional sites have 

been found during various construction 

projects. One was found when the East 

Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant was 

constructed near Batavia. Road 

Chapter II ✦ 9

construction unearthed sites on SR 222 

near Batavia and SR 232 near Bethel. 

EASTERN WOODLAND 

INDIANS 

Clermont County was home to several 

Indian tribes, together categorized as the 

Eastern Woodland Indians. The tribes who 

spent a considerable amount of time 

within the present borders of the county 

were Shawnee, Miami, Wyandot, 

Delaware, and Mingo. 

The area was not used for permanent 

villages as the Indians considered it too 

swampy and humid for settlement. 

Seasonal encampments were used for 

hunting, fishing, and gathering of 

vegetables and fruits. The encampments 

were usually built alongside waterways 

that provided a water supply and 

transportation by canoes made from local 

wood. Other means of transportation were 

by horse and by foot. 

Their homes, wigwams, were barkcovered 

and shaped like a dome. They were 

kept warm by fires built in the center of the 

structure, with a hole in the roof to allow the 

smoke to pass. The people were primarily 

farmers and gatherers, but also skilled 

hunters. The meat of the animals was used 

for food and the skin used for clothing, 

moccasins and home building. The animals 

typically hunted were deer, rabbit, bear, and 

buffalo. Buffalo were found in the county 

into the 1700s. Meat was either roasted or 

boiled in clay pottery or bark containers. 

While the men were responsible for the 

hunting, the women were responsible for 

farming and gathering the fruits and 

vegetables. The most common vegetables 

grown were known as “the Three Sisters”— 

corn, beans, and squash. 

The largest encampment was near Grassy 

Run Creek in Jackson Township, south of 

Marathon. It was the site of the largest battle 

between Indians and settlers to occur in the 

county (1792). It was also the site of the last 

Indian village in the county, 43 Wyandots 

who lived in 9 wigwams. They moved west 

in 1811. Their white neighbors described 

❖ A map of the townships of Clermont County. 

MAP BY JOHN HILL. 

them as peaceful and good farmers and 

business people. 

There were other seasonal encampments 

throughout the county, such as at Bethel, 

Milford and Point Pleasant. One was near 

Woodville (Wayne Township). It was the site 

of the last known skirmish between the 

Indians and white men in Clermont County 

(1793). The whites were a flanking party of 

General Anthony Wayne’s army. 


CHAPTER III 

T OWNSHIPS 

& VILLAGES 

BATAVIA TOWNSHIP 

By Ron Hill, Clermont County 


Batavia Township is located near the 

center of Clermont County. To the west 

lies Union Township, to the south Pierce 

and Monroe Townships, to the east 

Williamsburg Township and the north 

Stonelick and Jackson Townships. State 

Route 32 travels east-west through the 

central part of the township, passing 

through the edge of the village of Batavia. 

SR 125 also goes east-west and serves as 

the dividing line between Pierce and 

Batavia Townships. SR 132 and SR 222 

travel north-south. They both pass 

through the village of Batavia. 

The Cincinnati, Georgetown and 

Portsmouth Railroad (CG&P) crossed the 

township (1876-1936). The CG&P 

constructed a 10-acre lake near Olive 

Branch to provide cooling water for the 

power plant that provided electricity for 

the railroad and towns along the railroad 

right of way. Highland Park was built by 

the lake providing boating, swimming, 

picnic grounds and a pavilion (1901- 

1922). In 1928 the Cincinnati Rotary Club 

bought the property and began operating a 

camp, Camp Allyn, for handicapped 

children (that continues to this day). This 

same site earlier was the location of the 

Clermont County Fair (1857-1863) and 

Civil War Camps Lucas and Scott (1861). 

❖ Mt. Holly at the intersection of Batavia Pike (SR 

132) and SR 125, c. the 1930s. 


❖ The Sheriff’s House and Jail in Batavia. It was 

located on Main Street near Third Street. The jail was 

located to the rear. It was torn down in 1937. 


The Cincinnati & Eastern Railway 

passed through the township on its 

way to Portsmouth, reaching Batavia in 

1876. This railroad became a part of 

the Norfolk & Western in 1901 and 

later the Norfolk & Southern (NS). 

The line enters the township in the 

northwest corner, runs through the 

village of Batavia, and passes through the 

remainder of the township roughly 

parallel to Old SR 32. The line was called 

the Peavine. In 2003 the NS closed the 

Peavine to Portsmouth, but service still 

continues to Winchester. 

Batavia and Amelia (lies in both 

Batavia and Pierce Townships) are the 

only incorporated villages. At one time 

there were several small communities, 

such as Olive Branch, Hamlet, Mt. Holly, 

Elklick, and Centerville, which consisted 

of a store or two and several dwellings. 

The township’s primary economy had 

been agriculture with a few small 

industries until the mid-1900s. The 

advent of new and better highways has 

led to both population and industrial 

growth. The population went from 

10,388 in 1980 to over 20,000 in 2007. 

Major industries in 2007 were Ford 

Motor Company (1,700 employeesclosed 

2008), the Midland Company 

(insurance, 1,000 employees), Mercy 

Hospital (600 employees), American 

Micro Products (250 employees), and 

Sporty’s (catalog sales, 150 employees). 

Within the township are Mercy 

Hospital (1973), Clermont County 

Airport (1968), University of Cincinnati 

Clermont College (1972), Harsha Lake 

and East Fork State Park (1978), and 

Clermont County’s Sycamore Park. The 

county Infirmary (1883) was located just 

north of the village on SR 222. This 

structure served the welfare of the citizens 

for over a hundred years. In 2002 it was 

removed and the new municipal court 

was constructed on the site. Also on the 

former Infirmary land are the county jail, 

sheriff’s office, and animal shelter. 

From the 1800s until 1930s there were 

14 one-room schoolhouses in the 

township. Many of these still exist and are 

used as private residences. In 2000 a 

Clermont County Bicentennial Marker 

❖ The Batavia Roller Mill on Old South Riverside 

Drive may have been the oldest mill site in Clermont 

County. Millwright Peter Wilson selected the site in 1795. 

It was first used by George Ely to operate a sawmill. In 

1816 Captain Charles Moore purchased the property. In 

1840 he and his sons built a water-powered gristmill to 

grind wheat and corn. The mill was eventually steam 

powered, then gas, and operated until 1961. The building 

collapsed with age and was demolished in 1990. The 

mill’s stone foundation still remains. 


Chapter III ✦ 11

❖ Clermont County Infirmary, SR 222. It was built 1883 and removed in 2002 to make room for the new Municipal 

Courthouse. For over one hundred years the Infirmary served the sick, homeless, elderly and orphans of the county. 


was placed at the Lucy Run School. The 

Whitaker Schoolhouse was used as the 

Batavia Township Hall from 1967 to 

1985. A new hall was built on Old SR 32 

near Afton. This structure is now used as 

the township maintenance facility. In 

2006 a community center was 

constructed on Clough Pike that includes 

the township office and park land. 

Two school systems now serve the 

township: Batavia Local and West 

Clermont. Batavia Local built a new high 

school off Old SR 32 in 2007. The middle 

school and elementary school remain in 

the village. West Clermont’s Amelia High 

School and Middle School (1956) are 

located on Clough Pike near the old 

hamlet of Centerville. 

❖ Batavia Sesquicentennial 1964. Queen candidates 

(from left to right): Sue Hamilton, Shirley Singleton, 

Pam Bitzer, Susan Lewis, and Sandy Rapp. 


BATAVIA VILLAGE 

By Hugh L. Nichols II and John Dial 

The earliest settler was Ezekiel 

Dimmitt, who came to the bottom lands 

of the East Fork River in 1796. In the fall 

of 1797 he purchased the land, built a 

cabin and he and his wife moved there. In 

1800 James Hulick purchased two 

hundred acres of land. Both Dimmitt 

and Hulick have descendants still living 

in Batavia. 

The plat of the village of Batavia was 

recorded on October 24, 1814, by George 

Ely and David C. Bryan. The village was 

incorporated on February 10, 1842. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church was 

established in Batavia in 1815 and a stone 

church was built in 1817 at the corner of 

Wood Street and Riverside Drive. The 

building was sold in 1889 after a new 

church was built. The old stone church was 

used by the Ohio National Guard and 

schools for athletic events and meetings. It 

was torn down in 1912 and a house was 

built on the property. 

The Presbyterian Church was established 

in 1829. George Beecher was the 

pastor from 1833 to 1837. His brother, 

Henry Ward Beecher, and his sister, 

Harriet Beecher Stowe (the author of Uncle 

Tom’s Cabin) were frequent visitors during 

this time. 

The original county seat of Clermont 

County was Williamsburg. After 1817 a 

struggle between Williamsburg, New 

Richmond and Batavia, sometimes bitter, 

occurred over the siting of the county seat. 

The matter was not finally settled until 

February 21, 1824, when the state legislature 

established it in Batavia. Ezekiel Dimmitt 

built the first courthouse, which was in use 

until 1936. County government has been a 

major employer in the village ever since. 

The Underground Railroad was active 

in Batavia. One of the stations is reported 

to have been the Dennison house on 

Wood Street. A small shed behind the 

house was said to have been used to house 

the slaves. Since harboring runaway slaves 

was illegal, there are few written records of 

these activities. 

During the Civil War, in July 1863, part 

of Morgan’s raiders passed through the village. 

Many residents lost some of their 

belongings to the Confederate soldiers. 

Much excitement occurred in Batavia in 

1863 when gold was discovered nearby. 

Many people went searching for the mother 

lode and several gold mining companies 

were formed. The excitement was short 

lived. It was determined that there was no 

mother lode. The gold had been brought 

to the area from Canada by glaciers and 

deposited in terminal moraines during the 

ice age twenty-thousand years earlier. 

During the Spanish-American War, 

Henry Clark Corbin (1842-1909), a resident 

of Batavia, was the top general in the 

United States Army. When the National 

Guard Armory was built in Batavia in 

1912, a plaque honoring Corbin was 

placed in the lobby of the building where 

it can be found to this day. 

A longtime resident of Batavia, Hugh L. 

Nichols (1865-1942), was lieutenant 

governor of Ohio (1911-1913) and chief 

justice of the Ohio Supreme Court 

(1913-1920) while James M. Cox was 

governor. Nichols actively supported Cox 

for president (Franklin D. Roosevelt for 

vice president) in 1920. They lost to 

Warren Harding. 

During the Depression in the 1930s, 

Batavia received two new buildings. The 

original courthouse on Main Street was 


❖ The Clermont County Courthouse. The current 

courthouse replaced the former courthouse in 1936 and 

was erected on the site of its predecessor at a cost of 

$10,000. It was built in the Greek-inspired 1930s 

utilitarian style, standing two stories tall on top of a 

partially exposed basement. The building was doubled in 

size in 1998. The new portion was built adjoining the 

original structure where the previous jail had stood. 


torn down and a new one was built in the 

same location. An addition to the Batavia 

school on Broadway was built. Both 

buildings are still in use. 

The 1951 murder trial of Dovie Dean, 

a resident of Owensville, received 

national attention. She was convicted of 

murdering her husband, Hawkins Dean, 

by giving him rat poison. She was 

convicted and became the first woman in 

Ohio to be electrocuted. 

A major industry in the village was the 

Batavia Brickyard (1890s-1920s). It was 

located on Foundry Avenue near the site 

of the Norfolk & Southern depot. Upriver 

from there on Riverside Drive was the 

Batavia Roller Mill. Water from the East 

Fork River was diverted to the mill to 

turn the wheel that ground the grain. 

The county’s population growth since 

WWII has affected the village of Batavia, 

the county seat. At one time all of the 

county’s offices, including the jail, were 

located on Main Street. Due to the location 

of the village in a narrow valley along the 

East Fork of the Little Miami River, there 

was no room in the village for the 

expanding county government. The jail, 

sheriff’s office and municipal court moved 

to the old Infirmary property on SR 222. 

Other offices moved to Bauer Road east of 

the village. The Administration Building 

was built at the corner of Main Street and 

Riverside Drive for the commissioners’, 

auditor’s, recorder’s and treasurer’s offices. 

The Appalachian Highway (SR 32), 

which bypasses the village, and the shopping 

complexes at Eastgate have significantly 

impacted the village. Most of the 

small businesses, such as drug, hardware, 

grocery and variety stores have been forced 

to close. 

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP 

By Jim Shafer, 


Franklin Township occupies the southeast 

corner of Clermont County, its southern 

bounds being washed by the Ohio 

River. On the east is Brown County, on the 

north is Tate Township and on the west is 

Washington Township. It is almost rectangular 

in shape, about eight miles in length, 

and covers 41.3 square miles of area. The 

township was named in honor of 

Benjamin Franklin. Clermont County’s 

first surveying party, led by John 

O’Bannon, landed at the mouth of 

Bullskin Creek along the Ohio River at 

Rural (US Route 52 & SR 133) in Franklin 

Township on November 11, 1787. The 

township was established May 5, 1818. 

General George Washington purchased 

Revolutionary War military bounty warrants 

for four large tracts of land in 

Clermont County aggregating 3,100 acres, 

for which he had four separate surveys 

made. The first of these was made 

December 28, 1787, for 839 acres, and 

was located in Franklin Township on what 

is now State Route 133 just south of the 

village of Felicity. Washington never visited 

his Ohio properties or completed the 

process to obtain these lands. 

The area was previously inhabited by the 

Shawnee Indians. One well-known Shawnee 

Indian chief (a female, though it was unusual 

for a woman to be chief), “Sweet Lips,” was 

murdered by her tribe for befriending and 

falling in love with a white man by the name 

of Hastings. After his capture by her tribe she 

❖ The National Guard Armory, Batavia was in use 

from 1912 to 1999. At one time it was the center of 

social life in Batavia. Dances, and basketball games 

were held here in addition to the Guard activities. It was 

from here that soldiers marched to the train depot to 

leave for service during WWI and WWII. After the 

Guard vacated the building in 1999, it ultimately 

became an office building. 


helped him escape, promising some of the 

Indian land to him if he would return to her. 

The Bullskin Trail (now SR 133) was the 

primary route through the township and 

north through Clermont County, the trail’s 

northern terminus being Fort Detroit (present 

Detroit, Michigan). This route was used 

by Native Americans and, as early as the 

1780s, by frontiersmen recovering stolen 

horses, hunting, and scouting throughout 

Clermont County, among them Daniel 

Boone and Simon Kenton. Both men used 

this trail to escape from the Shawnee after 

they had been captured—Boone in June 

1778 and Kenton in September 1778. It 

was also an escape route on the 

Underground Railroad from Kentucky into 

Ohio. Today SR 133 is still a major northsouth 

corridor for Clermont County and 

the communities in Franklin Township. 

The first white settler to the area was a 

man by the name of Logston. He kept a 

ferry at the mouth of Bullskin Creek as 

early as 1795 for crossing the Ohio River 

into Kentucky. He is believed to be the 

first settler between Marietta and 

Columbus, Ohio. 

Most early residents arrived to the area 

by boat. The most important industry of 

the township was tobacco. The soil produced 

a fine leaf, making it the most profitable 

product of the farmers. The first 

Chapter III ✦ 13

❖ The pictured underground room with its stone walls and arched ceiling was used by the Universal Spiritualistic 

community in Utopia as a meeting room and church. A two-story house once stood above it. The room exists to 

this day. 


tobacco warehouse was erected at Rural 

in 1849. Other businesses in the township 

consisted of gristmills, flour mills 

and tanneries, with farming and agriculture 

continuing to be popular today. 

There are seven hamlets located in 

Franklin Township. The oldest, Chilo, 

along the Ohio River, was laid out May 1, 

1816. Felicity (April 1817) is the largest and 

located in the center of the township. Rural 

(1845) is in the center of the southern portion 

along the Ohio River at the mouth of 

Bullskin Creek. Utopia (August 1847) is 

located along the River in the southeast portion 

near the Brown County line. Mt. Olive, 

to the north on the Franklin-Tate Township 

line was established June 1848. Cedron 

(January 1851) is in the southeast, bordering 

the Brown County line. Smith Landing 

(from 1844-1870) was just upriver from 

Rural. Mt. Olive, Utopia, and Smith 

Landing were unincorporated. 

Located on US 52, which runs east to 

west along the Ohio River in the southern 

part of the township, and just west of the 

village of Chilo, is the burial site of a sixteen-year-old 

girl, Diana Whitney. The 

legend is that she was a member of a 

wagon-train traveling through Ohio. 

To the east, the village of Utopia was 

from 1844-46 the location of the Fourierite 

Association, an experiment in economically-based 

communal living. It was followed 

by a Spiritualist community, boasting of 

nearly 100 followers. Their association was 

based on the principles of both religion and 

business engaged in for the common good. 

During a disastrous flood, on the night of 

December 12, 1847, seventeen members, 

including one of the association leaders, 

drowned. The enterprise was allowed to 

decline and members scattered to other 

points in the community. Several stayed in 

the area and founded a town on Utopian 

principles (hence the name). 

It is certain that the strong minded people 

who formed the township placed a 

high value on education. At an early period 

little school cabins began to appear. All 

were built by subscription and the teachers 

were paid the same way for their services 

and “boarded ‘round” with their patrons. 

Beginning in the 1840s, school conditions 

were gradually changed when the state 

began giving aid from an act known as the 

“Akron Law” which provided for “Union 

❖ Diana Whitney’s grave on US 52 near Chilo. The 

inscription on a plaque beside the tombstone reads: 

“There rests here in the quiet beauty of the valley of the 

Ohio, the dust of a young girl. On July 23, 1823, a 

wagon train creaking toward the west came to halt close 

by. When the train moved forward, one of its party had 

been left along the trail, a hostage against time, Diana 

Whitney. In a later summer this tablet was placed here 

on her grave to remind those who pause to read of a 

humble sacrifice woven into our country’s greatness.” To 

this day, flowers can be found on her grave. 


Schools,” the basis for today’s school systems. 

In the 1900s the township had as 

many as ten district schools. 

Today the township is primarily rural. 

There are no major industries. A large percentage 

of the population works outside the 

township. Franklin Township is home to 

small towns, small farms and rural living. 

FELICITY 

By Jim Shafer, 


The village of Felicity is on the Bryan 

and Carter surveys. They were surveyed 

December 25, 1787, by John O’Bannon 

and his assistants, Cpt. Morgan Bryan and 

Major Nicholas Carter, both soldiers of 

the Continental line. The two surveys 

embraced six hundred acres of choice 


land in Franklin Township. The village is 

located in the southeastern part of 

Clermont County about 40 miles east 

of Cincinnati on State Routes 222, 756, 

and 133. It is just nine miles north of 

the Ohio River which offers some 

beautiful scenic views, especially in the 

fall of the year. 

On October 17, 1806, Thomas Fee 

purchased two hundred acres from Cpt. 

Bryan. In September of that year William 

Fee, Thomas’ brother, purchased four 

hundred acres from the Carter survey, a 

part of which he conveyed to his business 

partner Peter Hastings. In 1818 William 

Fee became owner of his brother’s two 

hundred acres which made him one of 

the largest land owners in Franklin 

Township at the time. 

On part of this extensive tract of land 

the village of Felicity was laid out in April 

1817 by William Fee and Peter Hastings 

with 72 lots encompassing 22 1/2 acres 

with six streets running with the points of 

the compass. Several additions were made 

during the next thirty years on all sides of 

the original plat, bringing the village to its 

present size and somewhat irregular 

shape. As was the manner of the day, 

the community was originally known 

as Feestown. When the town was 

incorporated by an act of the legislature 

passed March 14, 1836, William Fee 

gave his daughter Margaret the privilege 

of naming the town. She chose Felicity 

(a place of peace and happiness) for 

its name. 

William Fee built a cabin on the corner 

of Main and Market Streets, with Peter 

Hastings’ cabin not far away on Main 

Street. In 1818 a public sale of lots was 

conducted in front of William Fee’s cabin. 

The first choice lot sold was to John 

McGraw for $60.00. Mr. McGraw selected 

the lot on the southwest corner of Market 

Street (Market & Walnut) where he built 

the following year a double-log house for 

tavern purposes. This was the first public 

house and was kept by him until 1821. In 

the upper rooms of this building the 

Masons held their first meetings. The 

❖ The first school bell (1896) used in Felicity 


Masonic Fraternity was the first to 

institute a lodge in the village and 

continues at this location today. Other 

lots sold that day were to Mathew Day 

and Joseph Parrish. 

Felicity was also a major contributor to 

the Union Army in the Civil War, with 

many local men joining the 59th Ohio 

Volunteer Infantry. Citizens have served 

in all the past wars with pride and honor 

to include Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of 

these veterans’ names have been 

preserved for history, engraved on bricks 

in South Park, the village’s park. This 

property was donated to the village by 

Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer P. South in 1923. 

The increase of population was steady, 

but not remarkable, and generally with an 

excellent class of citizens. By 1837 there 

were merchants, hatters, shoemakers, 

cabinet makers, carders, tailors, chair 

makers, blacksmiths, furniture makers, 

doctors and lawyers, as well as several 

hotels. The manufacturing of furniture 

was for many years the principal industry 

of the village. By the 1900s the village 

boasted of being the second largest village 

in Clermont County, with over twelve 

hundred residents (a third of whom were 

African Americans). 

The first Post Office was established in 

1823. In 1879 the Felicity Library and 

Reading Room Association was organized. 

And the village newspaper, The Felicity 

Times, was being published. 

Felicity was often a stop for runaway 

slaves and an important part of the 

Underground Railroad system in 

Clermont County. The village’s 

abolitionists helped many to escape to 

freedom. Some of the early settlers 

were also conductors, such as the Fees, 

Dr. Gipson and William Sleet. Today 

the village has six sites listed on the 

Network to Freedom (two that are listed 

on the National Register of the 

Underground Railroad). 

Fraternal organizations flourished in 

Felicity, such as the K of P (Knights of 

Phythias), Odd Fellows, Grange, Masons, 

G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic), 

Lions Club and the Woman’s Temperance 

Society. All have discontinued in the 

village, except for the Masons which are 

still active today. They are at the original 

location of their first meetings in the 

building they built on that site on October 

31, 1898. 

Religious societies began to hold 

meetings in 1808 and churches sprang up 

in the village. In 1865 some of these were 

the Christian Church, Felicity Methodist 

Episcopal, Presbyterian (the first church 

in the village), Felicity Wesleyan 

Methodist, African Methodist, Zion 

Baptist (African American). 

By 1812 a school building was built in 

the south end of the village. In 1850 there 

was also a school for the African- 

American children established. It still 

stands, across from the high school on 

Market & Prather Rd. It was taught by 

Mr. Charles McGraw, a white teacher who 

received a wage higher than most teachers 

of the time. The desire for more advanced 

instruction was partially addressed in 

1845 by the Felicity Young Ladies 

Seminary, a select school Mrs. Fletcher 

taught. Early schools were built by 

subscription and the teachers were paid 

in the same manner. In 1836 William Fee 

gave a plot of land to the village for school 

district No.10, which remains the site of 

the present-day school. The early school 

house on this plot of land from Mr. Fee 

was a two story structure. The first floor 

contained four rooms used by the 

elementary classes. The high school was 

on the upper floor and was a three year 

course. Today the Felicity-Franklin 

School still occupies this site with 

Chapter III ✦ 15

new, modern elementary, middle and 

high schools. 

The use of the Bullskin Trail (State 

Route 133, Market Street), as today, was 

the main route to ship and to receive 

freight and goods from the northern parts 

of the county, and south to the steamboats 

on the Ohio River. A freight wagon made 

trips four times a day to the village of 

Chilo, (seven miles south on the Ohio) to 

meet the steamboats traveling up and 

down the river to and from Cincinnati. A 

ferry also crossed the Ohio River to 

Bradford, Kentucky, where you could 

board the Chesapeake & Ohio. The 

freight wagon trips from Felicity to Chilo 

took about forty minutes each way. In 

1906 the branch line of the Cincinnati, 

Georgetown & Portsmouth Railroad 

(Felicity-Bethel Branch of CG&P) was 

established. This line ran from the 

neighboring town of Bethel (nine miles to 

the north) and terminated at Felicity. 

It was first a narrow gauge railroad 

and was converted to a standard electric 

interurban carrying both passengers 

and freight until it discontinued service 

in 1933. 

Lt. Col. Grandville Fambes, commander 

of the 59th OVI, a teacher, once 

owned the land that was used for Ohio 

State University’s north campus. Mr. Guy 

T. Heverling, a Democrat, served in the 

Spanish-American War, was U.S. 

Representative for Kansas’ 5th district in 

1913, the Mayor of Salina Kansas in 1926 

and a Federal Judge in 1943. Mr. John 

Hayden was a Republican delegate to the 

National Convention from Ohio in 1944. 

John Sargeant, one of two Clermont 

County representatives to the Ohio 

Constitutional Convention in 1826. Artus 

Van Briggle, potter, painter, and artist, 

worked for Rookwood Pottery in 

Cincinnati. He went on to found the Van 

Briggle Pottery and Tile Company in 

Colorado Springs, Colorado. His work 

today is very collectible. Most of these 

residents’ homes still exist in Felicity. 

Felicity is rich in its history. It is a 

moderately busy, ambitious, small town, 

❖ South Park was donated to the village of Felicity by Mr. and Mrs. W. South in 1923. This picture is from 1982. 

The park is still in use. 


not as big as it was in its best days, but 

quietly gaining ground. From its 

establishment as Feestown in 1817, 

Felicity was a bustling commercial center, 

being at the natural center of the rich 

farming plateau on which it sits. Felicity 

watched as the population dwindled, 

industry leaving along with much of 

the commerce. 

GOSHEN TOWNSHIP 

By James L. Koch, 

Goshen Township Historical Society 

Goshen Township is the northernmost 

township, occupying much of the 

northern border adjacent to Warren 

County. In 1819 Goshen Township was 

created from a portion of neighboring 

Miami Township, three years after the 

town of Goshen (named for Goshen, New 

York) was laid out by land speculators 

Winans and Cooper. The area was 

wet, flat and heavily timbered and 

after clearing, proved to be valuable 

agricultural land. 

The first settler in Goshen Township 

arrived in 1798. Jacob Myers’ first act was 

to plant potatoes, even before he built a 

cabin. He, and the families who followed, 

were prosperous farmers who sold produce 

to nearby cities. Farming continued 

to be the main occupation in the township. 

Jacob supplemented his income at 

the Abraham Miller farm in nearby 

Loveland, foreshadowing a post-World 

War II trend in Goshen—commuting to 

work in other communities. 

In the 1800s all the businesses necessary 

to sustain a farming community 

flourished in Goshen, including mills 

(originally powered by O’Bannon Creek 

and later by steam, oil or horses), blacksmiths 

and a tannery. General stores 

arrived as early as 1817, and the first 

pharmacy in 1866. The 1880 Clermont 

County history book declared that 

“Goshen is in the fullest sense an agricultural 

township.” 

U.S. Census records show that 

Goshen’s population declined by nearly 

half between 1880 and 1910 (1,908 to 

1,187). After World War II, Goshen began 

to grow significantly (1,277 in 1930 to 

13,663 in 2000). 

Goshen is also the name of the 

unincorporated village in the township, 

located in the center of the township, at 


❖ The Franklin Michaels dairy farm on SR 28 and Snider Road over a hundred years ago. The brick building had 

then been used as a tavern for decades. 

COURTESY OF THE GOSHEN TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

❖ Goshen Road Covered Bridge crossed O’Bannon Creek. It was built in 1868 and removed in 1953. This 

photograph was taken in 1950. 

COURTESY OF BERNICE STOUT /SUSAN STOUT BARNETT. 

the intersection of State Routes 28 

and 132. 

Adeline Cornwell moved to Goshen as 

a child in 1928. Her impression was of a 

place where everyone knew each other, 

and most were involved in farming. 

Simple, fun activities such as baseball and 

music were conducted in the neighborhood 

and “walking was a way of life.” 

“Baby boomers” growing up in Goshen 

in the 1960s had a different impression. 

For many of them, farming was 

peripheral. Friends lived in recently built, 

affordable suburban homes, while dads 

worked in Hamilton County. “Places to 

go” were in Milford or beyond. 

A pivotal event in Goshen was the 

rerouting of SR 28 in 1961, bypassing 

old downtown Goshen and causing 

Main Street to simultaneously wither 

and be preserved. The highway had 

always been well-traveled, as a link 

between Cincinnati and Wilmington. It 

was upgraded to gravel and certified in 

the state highway system in 1926. New 

businesses sprang up along the rerouted 

highway, including a cluster of automobile 

service stations near SR 48. The Hi- 

Way 28 Drive-In movie theater opened 

in 1961. In the 1970s Dick Flynn pioneered 

a business district in the area of 

new 28 and the south leg of SR 132 

with his Land-of-Goshen supermarket. 

Development later spread eastward to the 

intersection with Goshen Road. 

Goshen has generally been a modest 

community in terms of housing and 

income. An absence of zoning regulations 

precipitated the development in 1968 of 

mobile home communities, suddenly 

adding hundreds of homes to the 

township and swelling the school 

population. While there are still a 

number of well-built pre-Civil War 

farmhouses, there is a distinct absence of 

Victorian architecture. 

Public utilities arrived in Goshen at 

long intervals. By 1915 telephones and 

electrical service were available. Water 

service arrived in 1961 for the northwest 

and in 1976 for the northeast portions. 

Chapter III ✦ 17

❖ John Randall came to Goshen from New York in 1814. The house was built in 1840 and his descendants lived in 

it until 1922. The home still stands on Woodville Pike. 


Natural gas was provided to homes along 

SR 28 in 1963. Part of Goshen Township 

acquired sanitary sewers when the 

O’Bannon Creek Wastewater Plant began 

operations in 1984. Cable television 

arrived in 1987. 

The volunteer fire department was 

formally founded and funded by the 

township in 1948. The first ambulance 

service began in 1971. Township 

government is under the jurisdiction of 

three trustees. 

There are 21 active churches in 

Goshen Township, 9 of which are Baptist. 

The earliest reported church was a log 

structure used by the Methodists in 1811, 

on John Irwin’s property. The Goshen 

United Methodist Church is descended 

from that congregation, and thus 

constitutes the longest continuous 

worship community in Goshen. The 

oldest surviving church building in the 

township, at 1869 Mulberry Street, was 

built by the Methodists and is now home 

to the Goshen Church of the Nazarene. 

Defunct churches in Goshen include 

Presbyterians, Quakers, German Brethren 

and Universalists, whose building still 

stands at 6833 Linton Road. 

Goshen has its share of local heroes 

and noteworthies. Sam Leever, nicknamed 

“the Goshen Schoolmaster,” 

pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 

1898 until 1910. Sam pitched in the very 

first World Series and his record of 194 

wins and 100 losses is better than most of 

the pitchers in the Hall of Fame, although 

he was never voted into it. He was also a 

champion trap shooter. 

Larry Goetz, who married into 

Goshen, was a Major League Baseball 

umpire from 1936-57. He appears as the 

leftmost figure in the famous 

NormanRockwell painting ‘The Bottom of 

the Sixth.” He is buried in the Goshen 

Cemetery, near Sam Leever. 

John Voll piloted a P-51 fighter plane 

and was honored with the title Flying Ace 

in World War II. His official record was 

21 kills, the best in Ohio. He is listed 

among the best aces of all time. Colonel 

Voll became a well-respected base 

commander and retired from the military 

in 1974. 

In May 1973 what was then the smallest 

horse in the world, the 18.5 inch high 

‘Mini-Mustang,’ was born on the Carman 

farm on Shiloh Road in Goshen. It 

attracted a number of famous visitors, 

including Elvis Presley, whose limousine 

rolled into the Goshen Creamy Whip on 

June 22, 1973, to ask for directions. This 

fame was short-lived as smaller horses 

have been foaled since. 

Neil McElroy, Chairman of the Board at 

Procter & Gamble and Secretary of Defense 

under President Dwight Eisenhower, 

bought the Long Branch Farm in Goshen. 

In 1972 he donated it to the Cincinnati 

Nature Center as a working educational 

facility for school children. 

Local artist John Glancy died in 1974, 

leaving possibly hundreds of paintings, of 

which his landscapes are favored. He also 

produced handmade violins and other 

stringed instruments and was known to 

perform on the fiddle at public places like 

the supermarket. 

School in Goshen Township began in a 

log structure near Myers Cemetery 

around 1805. Single room schoolhouses 

dotted the township throughout the 

1800s, some remaining as private homes. 

In 1860, before modern high schools, 

residents financed the Goshen Seminary 

to foster higher education. The first 

graduating class was in 1894. In 1908 a 

central school was built near the 

southwest corner of Goshen Road and old 

Main Street, housing all grades. In the 

mid-1950s a new elementary school was 

built on part of the Cook family farm. 

Ohio “Teacher of the Year,” Kathryn Marr 

was principal. In 1959, a new high school 

was built nearby, replaced in 2002. Cook 

Elementary was added in the 1960s and 

the Spaulding building in the 1980s. 

Presently (2009) there are four school 

buildings in use with a combined 

population of 2,600 students. 

The twenty-first century finds Goshen 

Township anticipating accelerated growth 

and change. Residents hope to retain their 

sense of community while balancing 

development and preservation. 


JACKSON TOWNSHIP 

By Ron Hill, 


Jackson Township is located on the eastern 

edge of Clermont County. Brown 

County is to the east, Wayne Township to 

the north, Stonelick Township to the west 

and Williamsburg Township to the south. 

US Route 50 bisects the township east to 

west and Route 133 north to south. The 

township was formed in 1834 from 

Stonelick, Wayne and Williamsburg 

Townships. It was the next to the last township 

to be established in Clermont County. 

The township was named in honor of 

President Andrew Jackson who served 

from 1829 to 1837. Early hamlets were 

Brownsville (Laredo), Blowville, Monterey 

and Marathon. Monterey and Marathon 

were located on the Milford & Chillicothe 

Pike (now US 50). This was a major highway 

of the time and these hamlets saw the 

greatest development. Grist and sawmills, 

dry good stores, blacksmith shops 

and wagon shops could be found there. 

They primarily served the local farmers. 

Today, both hamlets have a convenience 

store, churches and a few residences. 

Agriculture has been the major pursuit in 

the township. No major industries are 

found in the township and many people 

work outside the township. 

The Bullskin Trail once followed the 

route of SR 133 and was an important 

trail of animals and Indians traveling from 

Michigan and Ohio to the salt licks in 

Kentucky. The Ohio legislature made it 

the first official state road in Ohio in 

1805. It was also a part of the 

Underground Railroad. Dickey’s Tavern 

was built in 1852 at the intersection of SR 

133 and US 50. It was used as a meeting 

place for veterans of the Indian Wars, the 

War of 1812 and the Mexican War. 

An Indian village was located at 

the mouth of Grassy Run Creek, where 

the battle between Shawnee led by 

Tecumseh and frontiersmen led by Simon 

Kenton took place (1792). It is believed 

that another Indian village was located 

❖ In 2000 the Clermont County Bicentennial 

Committee placed a historical marker near 

the site of the Grassy Run Battlefield. 

COURTESY OF THE CLERMONT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

near Marathon. 

A sanitary waste facility was begun just 

off Aber Road in 1972. In 1979 the 

facility was obtained by CECOS 

International and converted to a 

hazardous waste disposal landfill. From 

its first conception there were concerns 

raised by citizens over odors, noise, water 

pollution and truck traffic. As many as 

one hundred trucks a day delivered 

hazardous waste to the site from all over 

the United States. In 1984 the facility was 

closed by the government when it was 

discovered CECOS had pumped 

contaminated water into Pleasant Run 

Creek. In 1990 the court permanently 

closed the facility. The consent order 

required CECOS to pay fines and develop 

and implement a closure plan and 

monitor the site. 

An early family in the current 

❖ The Hartman Log Cabin located US 50 and Aber 

Road. Built by John Hartman in 1840. The cabin is now 

part of the Clermont County Park system. The family 

cemetery lies behind the cabin. 


❖ The Cincinnati and Columbus Traction Company 

depot in Monterey, c. 1915. 

COURTESY OF THE OWENSVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

township (1801) was the Hartmans. They 

settled in the area of US 50 and Aber 

Road. In 1840 John Kelby Hartman built 

a two-story log cabin. As was the custom 

at that time, the logs were subsequently 

covered with clapboard. In 1987 CECOS 

International bought the house and 

discovered the log cabin. They donated 

the cabin and 3.5 acres of land to the 

Clermont County Park District. The Park 

District removed the clapboard and 

renovated the cabin. The cabin was 

dedicated as part of the park system 

in 1992. 

MIAMI TOWNSHIP 

By Kathy McCurdy, 

Greater Milford Area Historical Society 

Miami Township is located in the northwestern-most 

corner of Clermont County. It 

is bordered on the north by Warren County, 

to the west by Hamilton County, to the east 

by Goshen and Stonelick Townships and to 

the south by Union Township. 

Miami Township, one of the five original 

townships in Clermont County, was 

called O’Bannon in honor of the first surveyor 

in the county, John O’Bannon. The 

township’s name shortly after was 

changed to Miami, after the Little Miami 

River and the Miami Indians who once 

inhabited the area. 

Interstate 275 enters the township at 

Milford and roughly follows the Little 

Miami River before exiting near Branch 

Hill. This highway has resulted in major 

commercial and residential development 

Chapter III ✦ 19

❖ Mulberry Seminary was located at New Salisbury 

between Milford and Goshen. Established in 1864 the 

school struggled during its twelve years for lack of 

funds. The tall Gothic-gabled two-story structure with a 

bell tower remained a landmark on the road to Goshen. 

It was torn down in 1915 for its bricks and timber. 

COURTESY OF THE GREATER MILFORD AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

in the township. US 50 passes east to west 

through the township following the East 

Fork River. Other major east to west highways 

are SR 28 and SR 131. 

The township has two cities, Milford 

and Loveland. Loveland lies in three 

counties: Clermont, Hamilton and 

Warren. During the early years, the township 

was composed of several “neighborhood” 

hamlets. 

Branch Hill was laid out in 102 lots in 

1873 by Col. John Branch for whom the 

hamlet was named. It became a station on 

the Little Miami Railroad in 1844 and was 

the site of a 315-foot span suspension 

bridge across the Little Miami River built 

around 1860. A gloom surrounded the 

hamlet when Cincinnati Enquirer editor G. 

M. D. Bless, a resident, was killed on the 

tracks. Shortly thereafter, Col. Branch met 

a similar fate. 

Epworth Heights began as the 

Cincinnati Camp Meeting Grounds, an 

extensive development of the Methodist 

Church. The first meeting took place in 

1874 on the 40-acre plot. The grounds 

contained two large auditoriums, a tabernacle, 

tennis courts, corrals for horseback 

riding, a reservoir, canoe launches, gazebos, 

and a church. Thousands of people 

who attended these meeting were from 

Cincinnati and arrived aboard the Little 

Miami or Baltimore & Ohio Railroads, 

❖ Epworth Heights, near Loveland, c. the 1920s. 

The Cincinnati Camp Meeting Association established a 

summer resort here in 1885. The campground included 

a hotel (pictured above), 150-seat auditorium and 100 

summer cottages. 


detraining at Loveland. The first chautauqua 

here took place in 1890. 

Guinea City existed for a short while at 

the intersection of Branch Hill-Guinea 

Pike & Paxton-Guinea Road. A post office 

existed here from 1886 to 1907. The 

largest employer was Felix Motsinger who 

owned a cooperage in the mid-1800s. 

Miamiville (Miamisville) was laid out 

in 1849 by Moses F. Robinson. It originally 

consisted of 17 lots but additions were 

quickly added. Even before it became a 

village, the Buckinghams had built mills 

here (1810 and 1830) and a distillery 

(1835). The village quickly grew with various 

shops, a cooperage, and a canning 

plant. The Little Miami Railroad crossed 

the Little Miami River from Hamilton 

County to Clermont at this point. In 1863 

Confederate General John Hunt Morgan’s 

raiders derailed a train near the village, 

killing the fireman and capturing 150 

Union recruits. It is said the fireman, 

Cornelius Conway, still haunts the site. 

Buried in Miamiville’s Evergreen 

Cemetery is Charles Henry Rich, the man 

who dealt the “Dead Man’s Hand” (Aces 

and Eights) to Wild Bill Hickok (1876). 

Mt. Repose (1828) was founded along 

the Chillicothe Turnpike (SR 28). It was 

regarded as a resting place or stopover 

after the long climb out of Milford. A post 

office, several shops and an inn were 

established here. Camp Repose (Camp 

❖ A sketch of Perin’s Mill as it appeared in 1826 by 

Gladys Duncan. Perin had several mills in the 

Perintown area on the East Fork River over the years. 

There was also an amusement park at the site. 


Shady) was located here during the Civil 

War. Armament and supplies were stored 

at the location. It was destroyed by 

Morgan’s raiders. 

Mulberry (Newberry or New 

Salisbury) was a mere five lots on what is 

now SR 28 when laid out by Thomas 

Shumard in 1818. New Salisbury, on the 

south side of the road, was plotted by 

Thomas Combs in 1883. The hamlet at 

one time boasted a sawmill, wagon 

maker, brick maker, cooperage, distillery, 

tannery and the Mulberry Seminary. The 

area was known for its numerous fruit 

trees and vineyards and was a major 

exporter of their produce. 

OBannonville (O’Bannionville) was the 

midway point between the county seats of 

Clermont and Warren on a much used 

stage coach route. The community and 

the nearby creek took their names from 

the first surveyor in Clermont County, 

John O’Bannon. A post office and several 

businesses were established here. 

Perintown (Perinville) began with 

Samuel Perin’s purchase of 14 acres along 

present Round Bottom Road in 1813. Here 

he built the first sawmill in the area in 

1814, soon followed by a gristmill, tannery 

and distillery, thus earning the name 

Perin’s Mills. Additional sawmills were 

built that supplied lumber for the construction 

of flatboats. These boats were 

used to transport flour, salt pork, lumber, 

leather, whiskey, and other products down 

river to Cincinnati and as far as New 


Orleans. Samuel’s son, Ira, operated a 

freight business that transported, by wagons, 

supplies and food back to Clermont 

County. The Anderson State Road (1806), 

which later became the Milford-Chillicothe 

Turnpike (US 50), passed through the 

community as did the Cincinnati & 

Eastern Railroad (1876). Both of these 

modes of transportation assisted the prosperity 

of the village. A power plant was 

built adjacent to the railroad tracks and 

provided electricity for the area. The tracks 

are now part of the Norfolk & Southern 

Railroad and the old depot still stands. 

Many Perins are buried in the United 

Methodist Church (1885) cemetery. One 

of those is Captain Isaac Perin who died in 

the explosion of his side-wheel steamer, 

Moselle, just upriver from Cincinnati in 

1838. Many small industries have been 

located in the Perintown vicinity in recent 

years. 

In the early 1880s the hamlet of Ward’s 

Corner stood at the intersection of Ward’s 

Corner Road and Branch Hill-Guinea 

Pike. In 1863 a skirmish between local 

men led by Lt. Paxton and General 

Morgan’s men took place. A Confederate 

cavalryman was killed and was buried 

(site unknown). A large orchard has been 

in operation nearby in recent years. 

MILFORD 

By Kathy McCurdy, 


and 

Patsy Shiveley, 


The city of Milford is on the western 

side of Clermont County adjacent to 

Hamilton County and at the confluence of 

the Little Miami River and its East Fork. 

Main Street in Old Milford branches into 

US 50 and SR 28. US 50 was originally the 

Milford and Chillicothe Pike. SR 28 is the 

old Cincinnati, Columbus, and Wooster 

Turnpike, chartered in 1827. 

Milford stands on land John Hageman 

purchased (64.5 acres) in 1803. He built 

a dam on the Little Miami River in the 

❖ Promont House was built in 1865-67. In 1879 it 

was acquired by John Pattison who became the fortythird 

governor of Ohio. The building is now the museum 

of the Greater Milford Area Historical Society. 


area that is now Riverside Park, running 

the millrace to just west of Water Street, 

crossing Mill Street about a hundred feet 

from the present bridge. The area is 

known as Hageman’s Mills. The name of 

Milford first appeared in a newspaper ad 

(1806) for a “public sale” of lots in the 

town of Milford on the Little Miami River. 

Lewis Gatch and Edward Hughes added 

thirty-seven lots in 1817. Milford was 

incorporated in 1836, becoming a city in 

1980, with a population of 5,232. 

A series of bridges have crossed the 

Little Miami River since the 1818 covered 

wooden toll-bridge. A steel bridge 

spanned the river from 1894 until 1924. 

The following year Milford held a gigantic 

parade, dance and fireworks display celebrating 

the opening of a new bridge. The 

present (2010) two double-lane concrete 

bridges accommodate the high volume of 

traffic across the Little Miami. They were 

built in phases, the first in 1980, next to 

a steel bridge. In 1985 the steel bridge 

was found unsafe and torn down (1992). 

A second two-lane concrete span was 

opened alongside the 1980 span in 2000, 

allowing four lanes of traffic. 

The history of Milford’s rail service 

begins in 1841, when a locomotive and two 

passenger cars arrived via the Little Miami 

Railroad (LMRR) after an hour-and-a-half 

trip from Cincinnati. The first car, the James 

Madison, carried 16 people inside and 14 on 

top, with a second car, the Little Miami, 

carrying 20. The railroad bed is now part of 

the “Rails to Trails” system. The Cincinnati 

Milford & Loveland Traction Line (CM&L) 

began service in 1904 from Cincinnati, 

extending eastward to Blanchester two years 

later. The Cincinnati & Columbus Traction 

Co. (C&C) provided service from 

Norwood, through Milford, and on to 

Hillsboro, building a bridge (1906) across 

the Little Miami. 

The Milford Seminary and the 

Mulberry Seminary provided secondary 

education from 1848 until a bond issue 

was passed (1867) by a vote of 52-24 to 

build a Union School. It was built on 

Main Street, directly in front of the present 

Milford Main School, serving from 

1870 until 1913, when a new 12-room 

school opened on the adjacent site. The 

Milford Exempted Village School District 

is now comprised of 9 buildings serving 

6,200 students. 

A cholera epidemic swept through the 

area in 1849. John Kugler donated one of 

his dwellings in the “brick row” (now 211 

Main Street) for a hospital. Leonard A. 

Hendrick, Jr., then a 20-year old medical 

student, recorded 48 deaths in his diary. 

William Megrue built the beautiful and 

stately Italianate home now known as 

Promont in 1863-65. It was later the 

home of Ohio’s 43rd governor, John M. 

Pattison, from 1879 until his death in 

1906. The home is now owned by the 

❖ Milford Liquor Court, c. the 1920s. Milford was one 

of the locations of the State Liquor Courts. People came 

from as far as Dayton for the hearings. The court caused 

a lot of excitement. When the weather was good, the 

windows were opened so the proceedings could be heard. 


Chapter III ✦ 21

east into the township. The construction of 

Milford Parkway, from I-275 into the city, 

resulted in the large Rivers Edge Shopping 

Center (2000). 

LOVELAND 

By Janet Brock Beller, 

Greater Loveland Historical Society 

❖ Milford Town Hall, also known as the Opera 

House, was built in 1889 on Main Street between Mill 

and Garfield Streets. It was the center of the civic, 

social and cultural events for the town. In the rear were 

an auditorium and gymnasium. The building was 

renovated in 1923. 



and is used as a museum. 

In 1900 Milford had a population of 

1,050. The Town Hall and Opera House 

were built in 1889, and the Milford Public 

Library in 1900. The year 1904 began the 

era of “running water” with the opening of 

the Milford Water Works. The poured concrete 

storage standpipe on Wallace Avenue 

was the first of its kind in the entire nation, 

if not the world. Visitors and engineers came 

from all over the world to see it. It held 

93,740 gallons of water and served 725 customers. 

Milford residents had electricity 

from morning until midnight beginning in 

1906, purchasing the power from the 

CM&L Traction Co. Street lights followed in 

1907, as well as “stone cement” sidewalks. 

Milford suffered great damage as a 

result of the terrible 1913 flood of the 

Little Miami River. Among the losses were 

the Motsinger and Eveland Funeral Parlor, 

the livery stable, and one pier of the C&C 

Traction Co. bridge. Mr. Motsinger built a 

new funeral home at Elm and Main streets 

using brick that he purchased from the 

dismantling of the old Union School. 

❖ Milford Lamplighter Zanis Jones, c. 1890. The 

lamplighter lit the oil lamps in octagonal glass diamond 

shaped boxes mounted high on posts along the streets 

from his horsedrawn two-wheeled cart. 


The Roaring Twenties started with an 

actual roar on January 1 when Scott’s Mill 

was completely destroyed by fire. The village 

had grown to 1,525 people, thus 

requiring mail delivery in the village. This 

ended the tradition of “getting caught up 

on the news” while collecting your mail at 

the post office. The burgeoning population 

also required temporary classrooms 

to be attached to the “new” 12 room 

school that had opened in the fall of 1913. 

Lilly Stimson opened a shop and tea 

room at Mill and Water Streets in 1939, 

calling it the Gillcroft Inn. The Miami Valley 

News announced in 1942 that “the historic 

inn on Water Street was under new management” 

of James Franklin and that the 

name had been changed to Millcroft Inn. 

The Inn has operated on and off since 1939 

as a restaurant by various owners, mostly 

under the name of Millcroft Inn. It is now 

(2009) operated as the Bridge Café by 

SonRise Community Church. 

The popular annual celebration now 

known as Frontier Days has its roots in a 

1947 fall festival, put on by the (then) newly 

created Milford Chamber of Commerce. 

The shopping area of Milford started 

moving from Old Milford along Main 

Street to Lila Avenue east of downtown in 

1954 with the opening of the Milford 

Shopping Center. Albers opened in 1959 

and Kresge’s in 1960. The construction of 

I-275 further stimulated the development 

of shopping centers along SR 28 extending 

The city of Loveland is situated in three 

counties—Clermont, Hamilton and 

Warren. However the first growth 

occurred in the northwest corner of 

Clermont County, at the confluence of the 

Little Miami River and O’Bannon Creek. 

The Little Miami constitutes the Clermont- 

Hamilton County line at this point. The 

main roads are SR 48 and, in Hamilton 

County, Loveland-Madeira Road. 

Colonel Thomas Paxton (1739-1813) 

was the first permanent settler in the area, 

arriving in 1795 and settling in Miami 

Township. He is credited with building the 

first log cabin in the area and in that cabin 

was held the first Presbyterian Church service 

in the Virginia Military District. His 

cabin also served as the polling place for the 

earliest elections in the township. Paxton 

had twelve children and many of them married 

and settled in the area. Paxton and 

many of his relatives are buried in the 

Paxton/Ramsey Family Cemetery, located in 

what is called White Pillars Subdivision. 

In 1848, Colonel William Ramsey 

(grandson of Thomas Paxton) bought 

Samuel Butterworth’s 189 acres for $7,300. 

Late that same year, he laid out the town of 

Paxton on the land. It is in the original 

Virginia Military District, deeded by 

Thomas Jefferson 66 years earlier. 

In 1850, Ramsey laid out another town 

adjoining, naming it Loveland for James 

Loveland who had a store and post office on 

Mill Street, fronting the railroad tracks. As 

the trains passed by or stopped at 

Loveland’s store ‘putting off the mailbag at 

Loveland’s’ became the byword. So the 

name of Loveland easily caught on. 

However, the town was not officially named 

until September 1863 when George W. 

Felter surveyed the town and established 


new boundaries. It did not become a village 

until May 16, 1876, with limits extending 

to include parts of Clermont, Hamilton and 

Warren Counties. The area was 800 acres, 

the petition was signed by 80 citizens, representing 

a population of 800 residents. 

Loveland became a city in 1961, when the 

population exceeded five thousand. 

Two railroad lines ran through 

Loveland, bringing business, people, and 

growth. The Little Miami Railroad, running 

from Cincinnati to Xenia, came in 1844, 

with rails running through the Butterworth 

farm, just north of Loveland. It became the 

Pennsylvania Railroad in 1869 and is now 

the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail. The second 

railroad was the Marietta & Cincinnati, 

later known as the Baltimore & Ohio, running 

through the northwest corner of 

Clermont County and going east. In the 

early 1900s up to 40 passenger trains a day 

traveled through Loveland, taking workers 

to the city and students to high school. 

Early businesses included a lumber & 

planing mill, feed and coal, hardware, 

clothing stores, banks, grocery and drug 

stores, general stores and dry goods, paints, 

blacksmiths, barbershops, paper hanger, 

doctors and dentists, shoemakers, baker, 

meats and confectionary, tinware and 

stoves, livery stable, hotels and undertaker. 

In 1874 the Marietta & Cincinnati 

Railroad sponsored the publication of 

Suburban Homes, designed to promote the 

sale of land north of Cincinnati. It 

stressed easy access via the railroad, 

inexpensive lots and homes, and beautiful 

and healthy countryside. In 1883 more 

than a hundred Cincinnati families spent 

the summer in Loveland enjoying the 

healthful air, fine riverside views, 

horseback riding, boating and fishing. 

Popular social activities included band 

concerts, exhibitions at Lyceum Hall, 

dances and plays. The hotels prospered, 

as did other local businesses, from the 

tourist trade. 

The west side of Loveland, located in 

Hamilton County, did not thrive until a 

wagon bridge was constructed over the 

Little Miami River in 1872. There were 

❖ Jackson Street clean-up after the 1913 flood. The 

old fire department pumper is shown in front of one of 

the early businesses. 

COURTESY OF THE GREATER LOVELAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

two separate school systems in the early 

days which did not combine until the late 

1920s. The system became the Loveland 

City School District in 1961. 

Over the years Loveland has been 

devastated by floods from the Little 

Miami River and O’Bannon Creek. The 

most damage occurred in March 1913, 

breaking all previous records by at least 

seven feet. The wagon bridge across the 

river was carried away and the B&O 

Railroad bridge was severely damaged by 

a stalled train. In January 1959 flood 

waters rose so fast that the damage was 

worse than in 1913, although the water 

did not go as high. In the early 1960s a 

dike was built that controls the level of 

water, eliminating future major flooding. 

Nancy Ford Cones (1869-1961), an 

internationally known photographer, 

lived and worked with her husband James 

on their farm, “Road’s End,” just outside 

Loveland. She used local residents as 

models and took many of her pictures in 

the Loveland area. James did all the 

developing, making the two possibly the 

first husband-and-wife team in the history 

of American photography. Most of her 

work reflected the rural life of friends and 

family. Camera manufacturers such as 

Kodak and Bausch & Lomb bought her 

scenes for advertising campaigns. Many 

scenes appeared on covers of major 

magazines like Country Life in America and 

Women’s Home Companion. 

❖ Loveland Pennsylvania Railroad depot. The depot 

was removed in 1954. Loveland also had a B&O depot, 

which remains to this day. 


❖ The Loveland Opera House originally called the 

Town Hall. Housed in the building were the mayor’s 

office, council chamber, jail, fire department and office 

space. On the second floor was a public hall called “The 

Opera House.” The building burned in 1972. 


❖ Emit Ward in front of the newly opened Rauscher 

Mobil gas station on the corner of Jackson & Second 

Street, c. 1926. “Red” McMullen took over the station 

in 1941 with the slogan “Big enough to serve you, not 

too big to know you.” There is still a gas station on 

the corner. 


Loveland started to grow in the 1950s 

with annexation of land and increased 

home building. Between 1950 and 2009 the 

city annexed tracts of land for subdivisions, 

Chapter III ✦ 23

❖ Eastbound B&O freight train crossing the Little 

Miami River at Loveland about to pass over the 

intersection with the Penn-Central Railroad track, c. 1972. 

The steel bridge to the right is a holdover from the time 

that the B&O was double tracked. It was later removed. 


❖ The “Baby Pig” one of Nancy Ford Cones pictures. 

taken on the Cones Farm near Loveland. c. 1918. The 

models are James Cones and Nancy Lever. 


increasing the acreage from the original 800 

to 2130 acres. The city began renovating its 

Clermont business district in the late 1900s 

centering around the Little Miami Scenic 

Trail, which opened in 1984 on the abandoned 

Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way 

through Loveland. Ongoing plans continue 

for Historic Loveland. A new high school 

was built in early 1990 on Rich Road. The 

Commerce Park in West Loveland expanded 

almost to capacity by 2000. 

In 1950 the census showed a population 

of 2,149. By 1960 the population passed 

six thousand, making the village eligible for 

city status. The 1990 population was ninety-nine 

hundred. With increased home 

building and annexation, the population 

reached thirteen thousand by 2000. 

MONROE TOWNSHIP 

By Libbie Bennett, 

Monroe Township Historical Society 

Monroe Township, established in 1825 

and named for President James Monroe, is 

located in the southwestern section of 

Clermont County. The Ohio River serves as 

its border to the southwest, Ohio and Pierce 

Townships to the west, Batavia Township to 

the north (SR 125), Tate Township to the 

east and Washington Township to the 

southeast. US 52, once known as the Ohio 

River Pike and the Atlantic and Pacific 

(A&P) Highway, follows the Ohio River 

through the township. The hamlets of 

Clermontville, Nicholsville, Laurel, and 

Point Pleasant are in the township. 

Clermontville is along Boat Run near the 

Ohio River. In the 1800s it was a busy packet 

boat stop with a wharf and tobacco warehouse, 

as well as a church, a school, post 

office and a general store. Franklin Fridman 

owned a successful mercantile establishment, 

having moved to Clermontville in 

1839 and married Rebecca Bushman in 

1840. He went on to become “the controlling 

business magnate of the county” (1880 

History of Clermont County) and a highly 

esteemed citizen. The entire county was 

shocked by his murder in August 1895, 

supposedly by Noah Anderson. Anderson 

was subsequently lynched by an enraged 

crowd in New Richmond. 

Reverend Daniel Parker established 

the Clermont Academy here in 1839. 

US 52 now bypasses the old community 

of Clermontville and it is now a residential 

area. 

Nicholsville lies about three miles south 

of SR 125, along SR 222. Originally called 

Feetown, in honor of early merchant Daniel 

Fee, the name was changed to Nicholsville 

in 1847 as N. B. Nichols was the postmaster 

at that time. A post office, churches, mills, 

stores, physicians and several other businesses 

were in the village. The store, which 

Revolutionary War veteran William Slye 

opened in 1849, still serves as the community 

convenience store. The white, twostory 

frame Grange Hall also still stands. 

Built in 1856, it has served as a school, an 

election polling place, a site of ice cream 

socials, basket suppers and various “frolics.” 

Laurel (1837) was originally called 

VanBurenville, in honor of President 

Martin Van Buren. The town went by the 

post office’s name, Clermont, in 1842, 

and changed one final time to Laurel in 

1844. In the 1930s, the Laurel United 

Methodist Church installed a stained glass 

window in honor of the township’s 

favorite son, U. S. Grant. 

Point Pleasant, located on the Ohio 

River, was laid out in 1812 at the mouth 

of Indian Creek. The hamlet had a good 

steamboat landing and was a center of 

shipping for local merchants. A 

pottery/clay pipe factory was a major 

manufacturing facility in the 1800s. On 

the south side of Indian Creek, many 

Native American artifacts have been 

found and in 1974 the site was placed on 

the National Register of Historic Places. 

For many years Point Pleasant residents 

received their mail from the Chesapeake 

& Ohio Railroad mail train that ran along 

the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. Each 

day, someone crossed the river to Mentor 

to retrieve the mail. This practice continued 

until the 1950s. 

Thomas Page established a tannery in 

Point Pleasant in the 1820s. Jesse Grant was 

employed by him and lived in a small frame 

house near the tannery with his wife 

Hannah Simpson Grant. In this house 

Hiram Ulysses Grant (later to take the name 

Ulysses Simpson Grant) was born on April 

27, 1822. As the birthplace of the eighteenth 

president of the United States and 

lieutenant general during the Civil War, the 

small house is an Ohio Historical Society 

site and has had an interesting history of its 

own. Around 1888 it was removed and sent 


❖ Grant Memorial Bridge, Point Pleasant, built in 

1925-27, as it appeared in 1982. It was replaced 1984. 

The bridge replaced an earlier bridge at the same site. 

Many parts of the Grant Bridge were saved and are on 

display at the nearby park. 


❖ Grant Memorial Church, Point Pleasant, was 

built of native stone and dedicated in 1931. It sits on the 

site of the tannery where Grant’s father worked in 1822 


❖ For the hundredth anniversary of the birth of U.S. 

Grant on April 27, 1922, President Warren Harding 

(front right) attended the celebration in Point Pleasant 

COURTESY OF TOM SCHMIDGALL. 

on tour, ending up on display at the Ohio 

State Fairgrounds until its return in 1936. 

County resident and former chief justice of 

❖ Franklin Chapel This Methodist Episcopal Church 

was built in 1854 under the direction of Rev. J.L. 

Holtzingterat the cost of $1,665. The belfry and church 

bell were added in 1884. It is located on Franklin- 

Laurel Road. In 2000 the Clermont County Bicentennial 

Committee placed a historical marker on the site. 


the Ohio Supreme Court Hugh Nichols was 

instrumental in the house’s return. At the 

celebration of the centennial of Grant’s 

birth, April 27, 1922, President Warren G. 

Harding gave the commemorative address. 

Five years later the new steel bridge across 

Indian Creek was dedicated as the Grant 

Memorial Bridge. Though the bridge itself 

has since been rebuilt, the monument components 

and cannon are still on the site. The 

birthplace, bridge and surrounding area 

were placed on the National Register of 

Historic Places in 1998. 

In 1922, Harriet Moffort was the 

first woman elected to an office in the 

State of Ohio. She was the Clermont 

County recorder. 

CLERMONT ACADEMY 

( PARKER ACADEMY) 

By Greg Roberts, 

Monroe Township Historical Society/ 


Clermont Academy, a private school of 

higher learning, was founded in l839 by 

Rev. Daniel Parker and his wife Priscilla. 

Situated beneath the hill called Mt. 

Hygiene, this little white schoolhouse 

stood at the southwest corner of Ohio 

River Pike (present-day Clermontville 

Spur) and Clermontville-Laurel Road. 

Also known as Parker Academy, this 

school promoted an ‘open door’ policy. 

One of the first in the nation to admit 

both boys and girls, regardless of race, 

this academy also taught them together in 

the same classroom. 

The first black student to be enrolled 

was Edwin Mathews. He was the son of 

former slaves who were freed by James 

Birney, editor of the anti-slavery newspaper 

The Philanthropist. Southern plantation 

owners often brought their biracial 

children to the Academy to be educated. 

Here they would become classmates of 

children whose parents were the leaders 

of the Abolitionist movement and conductors 

of the Underground Railroad. 

During its 53-year history, approximately 

l,500 students attended the Parker 

Academy including Monroe Township’s 

native son, Adjutant General Henry Clark 

Corbin of Laurel. He was the guest speaker 

at the October l907 reunion held for 

alumni of the Academy, and in later years 

was quoted as saying, “the Parkers housed 

runaway slaves who had escaped from 

down South.” 

In l892, after public education became 

available, the Clermont Academy closed 

its doors due to lack of students. The 

original building stood until the l937 

flood when it was badly damaged and 

subsequently torn down. 

However, the huge home of James 

Parker still stands on Mt. Hygiene on its 

original site. Inside are the large dining 

hall and three floors of dormitories for the 

girls and teachers. 

From around 1900 until the l960s this 

historic house was owned by the Christ 

Church in Cincinnati and known as the 

Girls’ Friendly Home. In 1976 a large 

stone monument with a bronze plaque was 

erected to commemorate the contributions 

made to Monroe Township and southwest 

Ohio by graduates of Parker Academy. 

Chapter III ✦ 25

❖ The Parker Academy (Clermont Academy)., a 

private school founded in 1839. During its fifty-threeyear 

history it admitted both boys and girls regardless 

of race. 


OHIO TOWNSHIP 

By Bethany Richter Pollitt, 


❖ Cincinnati Christ Church’s “Girls’ Friendly Home” located in the former Parker home from around 1900 until 

1960s. In 2009, when this picture was taken, it was the home of Greg Roberts. 

Ohio Township is located north of the 

Ohio River, along US 52. SR 132 runs 

through part of the township connecting 

New Richmond, Mt. Pisgah and Lindale 

to Amelia. State Route 749 (Ten Mile 

Road) intersects with State Route 132 in 

Lindale. In its early history the township’s 

location on the Ohio River was vital for its 

business with Cincinnati. 

Ohio Township is one of Clermont 

County’s original townships, formed in 

1796. In its early history the township had 

a tannery, a collier, harness factory and a 

cooperage during the 1800s. Today the 

township’s size has decreased due to the 

formation of Pierce, Monroe and Batavia 

Townships. Among its first settlers was the 

Ferguson family, who settled here in 1796. 

One of the more prominent families in 

Ohio Township was the Coombs family, in 

Lindale. They were instrumental in forming 

the Mt. Gilead Anti-Slavery Society in 1836, 

meeting at the Baptist Meeting House while 

it was in existence. Its seventy-two members 

sold books to raise funds for the 

American Anti-Slavery Society. John Rankin 

sometimes came to the group’s meetings 

and had high opinions of the Coombs family. 

The Lindale Network, as it was known, 

was active in the Underground Railroad. 

Ohio Township had a relatively large 

African-American population early in the 


1800s, with a population of 256 in 1850. 

Several documents and records have been 

discovered which show the early families 

to have formed a local association similar 

to the much later NAACP (National 

Association for the Advancement of 

Colored People). Many descendants of 

those early families still live in New 

Richmond and treasure their family 

stories and records. The history of Ohio 

Township’s black community is an area 

calling for more study and research. 

Today the two largest hamlets in the 

township are Lindale and Mt. Pisgah. 

Lindale today consist of homes, a 

grocery/gas station, a golf course and other 

businesses. The township fire department, 

hall and park are located at Mt. Pisgah. 

Palestine, now in Pierce Township, was 

founded in the 1800s along the river to be 

a competitor to New Richmond. However, 

it never eclipsed New Richmond in the 

steamboat business and commerce. 

NEW RICHMOND 

By Bethany Richter Pollitt, 


New Richmond lies in the south of 

Clermont County located on the banks of 

the Ohio River. US 52 runs parallel to the 

❖ The Lewis & Clark Voyage Reenactment, 2003. 

The expedition camped at Point Pleasant. A three-day 

celebration was held in New Richmond. 


❖ Brown’s Shoe store dealt not only in shoes but 

farm implements. Note the water pump in the corner. 

The hanging bell-shaped sign to the right advertises 

“Public Station: Local and Long Distance Telephone.” 

Another sign says “Use Crown Gasoline.” 

COURTESY OF HISTORIC NEW RICHMOND, INC. 


❖ Front Street in New Richmond as seen from the Ohio River. 

COURTESY OF PATSY SHIVELEY. 

river. SR 132 runs north and connects 

New Richmond to Amelia. 

New Richmond was founded in 1814 

by Jacob Light. In 1816 the town of 

Susanna was founded by Thomas 

Ashburn adjacent to New Richmond. The 

two towns were merged in 1828 by a 

legislative act. Located on the river, 

New Richmond was a vibrant town 

during the 1800s. From 1823 to 1824 the 

village was the county seat until it was 

moved to Batavia. From the 1830s New 

Richmond was a leader in the county’s 

anti-slavery movement. 

Much of New Richmond’s history has 

been controlled by the river. The river 

allowed New Richmond to be a terminus 

for the steamboat industry. The William 

Tell, the Clermont, and other steamers 

were built and launched in New 

Richmond. New Richmond’s steamboat 

industry did experience some disasters, 

such as in the 1854 burning of the 

Forester, in which three people died. 

Major floods occurred in 1884, 1913, 

1937, 1945, 1948, 1964, and 1997, each 

bringing damage. Villagers were left 

without homes and the town in ruins. The 

1937 flood, which crested at eighty feet, 

nearly destroyed New Richmond, causing 

a million dollars in damage. 

New Richmond has seen all types of 

transportation options. The Interurban 

Railway & Terminal (“The Black Line”) 

was a trolley line. The Black Line ran from 

New Richmond to Cincinnati from 1902 

to 1922. The New Richmond branch 

(later known as the Devou Line) of the 

Cincinnati & Eastern (C&E) was a 

narrow gauge railroad in use from 1880- 

1889. The Devou connected with the 

main line of the C&E at Newtown. 

US 52 had always been a connection 

from Cincinnati to New Richmond and 

connected New Richmond to other parts 

of Clermont and into Brown County. It 

has had several names over the years: the 

River Road, the New Richmond Pike and 

the A&P Highway. Recently it was 

renamed the U.S. Grant Memorial 

Highway. During the 1960s US 52 was 

converted to a four-lane highway, increasing 

traffic and tourism throughout the 

New Richmond area. 

New Richmond was the first in many 

things in the county. In 1899 it was the 

first in the county to have a power house 

and electric plant. It was agreed that the 

village was in need of a water system 

which would be useful to industry, business, 

homes and fire control but residents 

were at first reluctant to have electricity in 

their homes due to the risk of fire. 

However, once Captain Francis Marion 

Pursell was elected mayor he pushed the 

issue and a levy was passed which allowed 

a water works plant. Prior to 1924, when 

the Southwestern Ohio Power Company 

took over electric service for the town, 

electricity was shut off at 11:30 p.m. As 

one resident said, “It was time for all good 

Christians to be in bed.” In 1925 the water 

❖ John W. Haussermann (1867-1965), a New 

Richmond native, served in the Spanish American War 

subsequently becoming judge advocate in the Manila 

Military Court. He came into ownership of a gold mine 

while there. He became known as the “Gold King of the 

Philippines.” He had a mansion in New Richmond. 


❖ Jessie Moonlight Haussermann, wife of John 

Haussermann and philanthropist in her own right, 

was loved by the people of New Richmond. The park 

on Front Street is name after her. She was the 

daughter of Colonel “Tom” Moonlight, territorial 

governor of Wyoming. 


Chapter III ✦ 27

Since then the village has seen a steady 

but slow resurgence. 

From the time the village of New 

Richmond was created its residents have 

served their country in war. Along the Ohio 

River visitors can see several memorials celebrating 

and honoring those who have 

fought for their country. There are three 

monuments: the Veterans Monument, Pearl 

Harbor Survivors Monument and the 

Merchant Marine Monument. 

PIERCE TOWNSHIP 

By Patsy Shiveley 


❖ Curry House at Main & Market Streets in New Richmond. This building was active as a hotel from the mid- 

1800s until 1943, under a number of names, among them Cary House, Curry House, and Kelch Hotel. It was one of 

several hotels in New Richmond providing lodging for travelers by horseback, steamboat or rail. It also provided 

livery service. 

COURTESY OF HISTORICAL NEW RICHMOND, INC. 

works changed the water supply from the 

river to deep wells. The new water works 

building was built in 1983, closing the 

1899 building after 84 years of service. 

Today the New Richmond Water Works 

and Electric Station is listed on the 

National Register of Historic Places. 

New Richmond was also first in education. 

In 1875, New Richmond organized 

and opened the New Richmond High 

School and graduated eleven students 

that year, the first in the county. Today the 

school district includes all of Ohio 

Township and most of Pierce, Monroe 

and Washington Townships and has five 

school buildings. Until the completion of 

the Beckjord Power Station New 

Richmond was classified as a local district. 

This changed when Superintendent 

Brooks Parsons and others worked to 

achieve exempted status in order to retain 

the revenue from the power plant. With 

this decision, rapid growth occurred with 

new schools being built over time on 

twelve acres on top of the hill overlooking 

the village, away from the flood zone. 

There have been several leading industries 

throughout New Richmond’s history 

such as the Fridman Lumber Company and 

the Fridman Seating Company. The J&H 

Clasgens Co. was one of the largest industries 

in New Richmond for many years. 

Established by brothers Joseph and Henry 

Clasgens in 1855, the factory was moved to 

New Richmond in 1865. It was operated by 

steam engines. At this time the plant manufactured 

blankets, flannels and other finished 

woolens. After suffering severe damage 

in the 1937 flood the business purchased 

the Dormer Brothers manufacturing 

plant on State Route 132. During World 

War II the company employed more than 

200 people and produced wool liners for 

leather gloves for the military. The dye 

house operation was discontinued in the 

1970s and today the business is operated 

on a reduced scale by J. H. Clasgens II. 

In 1951 the Walter C. Beckjord Power 

Station was nearly completed. The plant 

was built because of the rate of growth of 

the company’s electric business. It was 

decided to build on the Ohio River the 

same distance upstream from Cincinnati 

as the Miami Fort downstream. New 

Richmond benefited from the plant’s 

opening with new job opportunities. 

Pierce Township is in the southwestern 

portion of Clermont County, along the 

Ohio River. Its western border is 

Hamilton County, with Union and Batavia 

Townships to the north and Ohio and 

Monroe Townships to the east. State 

Route 125 forms the northeastern border 

and State Route 749 (Ten Mile Road) 

runs east-west through the township. US 

Route 52 (originally the Ohio River 

Pike) follows the river east-west across 

the lower portion of the township. Nine 

Mile and Ten Mile Creeks run through 

Pierce Township. 

❖ Spann General Store. Spann was an early 

crossroads settlement instrumental in the development 

of Pierce Township. Located at Dutch Creek and Ten 

Mile Road, the hamlet consisted of a community 

well, a general store/post office (1860) and the 

Ten Mile Presbyterian Church (1912-43). The 

community provided a social forum for the area 

farmers and residents. 



❖ Charles M. Maddux wagon and blacksmith shop 

located in Pierce Township 1916. 


Early settlers came primarily from New 

Jersey, Massachusetts, and Germany. The 

Donham family, of Spanish extraction, 

arrived in 1794 in the Ten Mile area and the 

John family in 1796 in the Nine Mile area. 

The township was formed from Ohio 

Township in 1852 and named in honor of 

President-elect Franklin Pierce. Amelia is 

the only incorporated village in the township. 

Hamlets include Locust Corner (formerly 

Pleasant Hill), Palestine (also known 

as New Palestine), and Hamlet. US 52 was 

re-routed in the early 1960s and much of 

Palestine was taken for the new highway. 

Several of the houses were moved to what 

is now Palestine Street alongside the Ohio 

River. Palestine’s school still stands on old 

52 near Ten Mile Road. Once existing 

hamlets include Spann, Nineveh (Pleasant 

Valley) and Blairville. 

The area along the river, having clay of 

superior quality, was the site of two brickyards. 

The first, in Palestine, was 

destroyed by fire in 1864. “One of the 

most complete brickyards in the state” 

was built in Blairville in 1874. Duke 

Energy’s Walter C. Beckjord power plant 

(1954) now stands in that location. 

The hills on the north side of the Ohio 

were well-suited for orchards and vineyards. 

In 1880, 7,800 bushels of apples, 

peaches, pears, cherries and plums were 

harvested in the township. 

Those same hillsides are now prime 

home sites for people who want to live “in 

the country” and still be within 20 minutes 

of downtown Cincinnati, often with a 

river view. Much of Pierce Township’s 

farmland has given way to development 

for people who live in the township but 

work outside it. Notably, financier Marvin 

L. Warner owned a large thoroughbred 

horse farm near Locust Corner from the 

1950s. He lost his farm when he was 

indicted for fraud in a savings and loan 

scandal that broke in 1985. His farm is 

now an upscale housing development 

centered upon Legendary Run golf course. 

The schools of Pierce Township consolidated 

with New Richmond in the 1950s. 

An elementary school has been maintained 

in the township. The new Locust Corner 

Elementary replaces the 1931 Pierce 

Elementary School, built on land donated 

by the Bennett Behymer family. 

Several styles of rail service have been 

available in Pierce Township. Streetcars of 

the Interurban Railway and Terminal 

Company (IR&T), known as the “Black 

❖ The Abram Hopper Home in Pierce Township 

near Nine-Mile Creek, 1916. Hopper Hill Road is 

named for the Hopper family. 


Line”, followed the Ohio Pike (SR 125) 

through the township on its way to and 

from Cincinnati and Bethel. The Black Line 

Eastern Division (1902-1922), also known 

as the Cincinnati Electric Railway, followed 

US 52 to New Richmond from Cincinnati. 

The Cincinnati, Georgetown and 

Portsmouth Railroad entered the township 

at Amelia and followed SR 125 to Bethel 

(1873-1936). The Cincinnati & Eastern 

(C&E) had a branch (Devou) running 

along Nine Mile Creek and along the Ohio 

River to New Richmond (1880-1889). In 

1884 the 800-foot trestle at Three Forks, 

near Nineveh, collapsed dropping the 

❖ Main Street in Ninevah in 1916. The hamlet was located on Nine Mile Creek. 


❖ Pleasant Valley Church in Ninevah in 1916. 

Standing in front is Bishop Mathews. He preached his 

first sermon in this church. 


Chapter III ✦ 29

locomotive, three flat cars, and a baggage 

car 30 feet to the creek. Three were killed 

and nine injured. 

Pierce Township contains a portion of 

Woodland Mound Park (Hamilton County 

Park District) including the Vineyard golf 

course. There are several other parks in 

the township, including a nature area, 

walking trails, playgrounds, a skateboard 

park, sports fields and picnic areas. There 

is also a Greenspace program designed to 

protect the natural areas of the township. 

AMELIA 

By Richard Crawford 

The village of Amelia, Clermont 

County’s only incorporated village 

(December 20, 1900) never formally laid 

out, lies in Batavia and Pierce townships. 

An Irishman, Daniel Kirgan (or 

Kergan), may have been the first settler, 

on the western edge of Amelia in 1809. 

The first homes within the village were 

log cabins built by David Jernegan and 

John O. Butler, from Massachusetts. They 

also built a sawmill in 1826 or 1827. 

Other mills were built in the village, causing 

the area to be called Milltown, a name 

soon slurred into Milton. 

The post office, established February 

25, 1836, was named Amelia, after Armilla 

“Amelia” Bowdoin, the well-known and 

popular operator of the Ohio Turnpike 

tollgate. Her home stands at 94 West Main 

Street, across the street from where it stood 

when it served as the tollhouse. 

Main Street is the Ohio Turnpike (SR 

125), built in 1831 by E. G. Penn. His 

home stood along the turnpike at 29 East 

Main Street. U.S. Congressman Charles 

Cyrus Kearns, who served from 1915-31, 

married Lena Penn, E. G.’s daughter. U.S. 

Speaker of the House Nicholas Longworth 

and his wife, Alice Roosevelt, daughter of 

Theodore Roosevelt, visited the Kearns at 

their home at 66 West Main Street. 

The Cincinnati, Georgetown & 

Portsmouth Railroad served Amelia from 

1878 to April 29, 1935, crossing Main Street 

just east of its station at 81 West Main. 

The Interurban Railway & Terminal Co. 

operated from 1903-18. Nicknamed “The 

Black Line” because of its dark green cars, 

it ran along the middle of the Ohio Pike. 

Nellie Mattox, Clermont County’s last 

justice of the peace, held court in her home, 

the second house east of the northeast corner 

of Main Street and Hopkins Avenue. At 

119 West Main Street, the Mid-Maples or 

Thomas-Fuller House, is said to have been 

a speakeasy during the days of Prohibition. 

The Knights of Phythias building at 41 West 

Main Street was built in the 1850s. It has 

served as the village hall, Amelia High 

School’s graduation hall and first gymnasium, 

a motion picture theater, a war munitions 

factory, and site of Farmers’ Institutes. 

Frank Hitchcock had what was believed 

to be the United States’ largest gold fish 

farm, the Glen Mary Fish Farm, beginning 

in 1913. It was on thirty-five acres at the end 

of the street named in his honor. The 

Pommert family owned and operated one of 

the largest gladiola farms in the nation on 

the south side of Main Street. 

Aaron Cleveland operated a stagecoach 

line from Georgetown to Cincinnati with the 

offices on the southwest corner of SR 125 

and SR 132. A roundtrip took about eight 

hours and cost $1.25. Cleveland served in 

the U.S. postmaster general’s office under his 

cousin, President Grover Cleveland. 

The first preacher was Henry Smith, a 

Methodist circuit rider arriving in 1799. The 

early churches were Methodist (1808), 

Church of Christ (1828), and Baptist (1868). 

The first school was just north of the 

Methodist Church on Church Street. John 

McGrew taught as early as the 1820s. John 

Robinson donated a portion of his land in 

the center of Amelia to build a school in 

1870. A memorial to that building, which 

was torn down in 1962, is in the yard of 

Amelia Elementary at 5 East Main Street. 

The 1870 school stood on the present front 

parking lot. The first graduating class of 

five seniors was in 1893. Amelia 

Schools merged with Glen Este to form 

West Clermont Local School District in 

1956, the largest district in the county. In 

2010, a new elementary school was built 

❖ This house was built by Increase Summer Morse 

(1806-1875) around 1850. It is one of the oldest 

buildings in Amelia. It was constructed of bricks fired in 

a kiln on site. The house served as an inn and a store. 

Originally the house was located on the southeast 

corner of Main and Oak Streets. It was moved to its 

current site on Oak Street in 1998 to make room for a 

drug store. It is owned by the Village of Amelia. 


❖ The old Amelia High School on East Main 

Street, 1905. 


❖ U.S. Congressman Charles Cyrus Kearns’ home 

on Main Street in Amelia. 



directly behind the current elementary 

school on Main Street. The High School and 

Middle School were built on Clough Pike in 

Batavia Township in 1961. 

STONELICK TOWNSHIP 

By the Owensville Historical Society 

and Ron Hill 

Stonelick Township lies in north central 

Clermont County. Two major highways cross 

east-west through the township. In the north 

is SR 131 that connects Milford and 

Newtonsville and in the south is US 50 that 

connects Milford and Hillsboro. Route 132 is 

the major north-south highway. Both US 50 

and Route 132 pass through Owensville, the 

only village in the township. US 50 follows 

the path of the first highway in the township, 

the Anderson State Road, laid out in 1806. 

At one time there were several small 

hamlets in the township, such as 

Stonelick and Williams Corners, but 

today only a few houses mark these spots. 

The first attempt to settle in Clermont 

County occurred in 1792 near the mouth 

of Stonelick Creek. Mrs. Elizabeth 

Carpenter built a pole cabin there, but the 

hostility of the Indians caused her to abandon 

the site. A survey crew in 1793 had a 

skirmish with the Indians. 

Dr. Richard Allison built a two story double 

log cabin near Stonelick in 1799. Dr. 

Allison had received 441 acres for his service 

❖ The Stonelick Covered Bridge was built in 1878. It 

is 140 feet long and supported by a 12-panel Howe 

Truss. It crosses Stonelick Creek.It is located on 

Stonelick Williams Corner Road. It is the last covered 

bridge in Clermont County, and was placed on the 

National Register of Historic Places in 1974. 


❖ St. Philomena Church located on Stonelick- 

Williams Corner Road. The first Catholic Parish in 

Clermont County was established in 1839. The original 

church of log was destroyed by fire in 1868. A stone 

church was built in 1869. The present structure was 

built in 1905. 


in the Revolutionary War. Dr. Allison also 

was surgeon general in General St. Clair’s 

army that was defeated by the Indians and 

later in General Anthony Wayne’s army that 

defeated the Indians at the battle of Fallen 

Timbers. This victory led to the opening of 

southern Ohio to settlement. 

Two river systems played an important 

part in the development of the township: 

East Fork Little Miami River and Stonelick 

Creek. The East Fork was an important 

transportation route to the Ohio River. 

Stonelick Creek provided water for the 

many mills that developed along its 

course. The first grist/saw mill was built in 

1803 by Henry Allison. Nowhere else in 

the county did a stream of this length have 

so many mills. 

From 1803 to 1840 the leading industries 

in the township were the distilling of 

whiskey and the manufacturing of flour 

from wheat. Corn could be transported 

much easier as whiskey and was a cash crop. 

Later the major industry was the manufacture 

of oak barrels and kegs. In 1872 over 

thirty thousand barrels were made in the 

township. Boston (Owensville) produced 

twenty-seven thousand. 

The relatively level lands in the northern 

section of the township were the primary 

farming areas, as they are today. The 

hamlets throughout the township provided 

the goods and services required by the 

local residents: grocery markets, blacksmith 

shop, churches and post office. 

At one time two covered bridges crossed 

Stonelick Creek along Stonelick-Williams 

Corner Road. One was located near St. 

Philomena Parish, the site of the oldest 

Catholic parish in the county (1839). This 

bridge was replaced by a camelback-through 

steel-truss built by the Champion Bridge 

Company in 1950. In 2002 this bridge was 

bypassed by a concrete bridge. A short way 

upstream a second covered bridge crosses 

the creek, the Stonelick Covered Bridge. 

This Howe truss bridge was built in 1878 

and is the last covered bridge in Clermont 

County still standing. It was placed on the 

National Register of Historic Places in 1974. 

Today Stonelick Township is primarily 

a rural/suburban area. There are no major 

industries and a large percentage of the 

population work outside the township. 

OWENSVILLE ( BOSTON) 

By the Owensville Historical Society 

and Ron Hill 

Owensville was built along the 

Anderson State Road (now US 50) and was 

laid out in 1836. Cranston Lewin built the 

first home in 1824 and was one of the settlers 

who lived in the area before it was laid 

out. At the time it was called Boston, possibly 

after Boston, Massachusetts. When the 

post office was established in 1832, it 

received the name Owensville, after the 

postmaster William Owens. He also owned 

the first store in the village. The Odd 

Fellows Hall was later built on the site. 

Owensville was incorporated June 5, 1867. 

Owensville’s strategic location on the 

major road between Cincinnati and 

Chillicothe resulted in inns and hotels 

being built to accommodate the travelers. 

Chapter III ✦ 31

❖ Buerkle general store located on Main Street, c. 

1920. The IGA grocery store is now at this location. 


❖ Owensville Overall Factory workers, c. 1915. 

The factory was located on Broadway not far from 

Main street. 


❖ Owensville M. M. Dumford Store, c. 1910. 


The most famous was the Boston House 

built in 1838. It was the first brick building 

in town and one of the county’s largest for 

many years. It was torn down in 1961. For 

years it housed Ulrey’s General Store. 

On July 14, 1863, General John Hunt 

Morgan and about two thousand 

Confederate soldiers invaded Owensville. 

They looted and stole horses, but no one 

❖ Fetter general store located on Main Street in 

Owensville. Note the merchandise of the time. The clerk 

retrieved your items. It was moved to Heritage Village 

in Sharon Woods Park. 


was harmed. In addition to Ulrey’s store, the 

rebels broke into the Methodist Episcopal 

Church (now the village town hall). John 

Pattison, who was born in Owensville and 

later became the governor of Ohio, was sixteen 

at the time and witnessed the havoc 

caused by the Confederates from his father’s 

hardware store on Main Street. Another witness 

was John Walter Malone who became 

the founder and first president of Malone 

College, Canton, Ohio. 

Today Owensville is primarily a crossroads 

on US 50 and SR 132. The village has 

a grocery store, gas station, restaurant, several 

small businesses, police department, 

retirement community (The Commons), 

and several churches. The St. Louis Catholic 

School was started in 1957. Owensville had 

its own fire department until 2004 when it 

was turned over to the township. A new station 

was built in 2008. In 2000 Gauche 

Park (9 acres) was dedicated. Not only does 

it provide picnic grounds, the Owensville 

Historical Society turned the old Gauche 

home into a museum and located a log 

cabin there as part of the museum. 

COUNTY 

FAIR 

The first Clermont County Agricultural 

Fair was held in 1849 on the Pinkham 

farm near Bantam. The fair was held in the 

Bantam area until 1857 when it moved to 

Olive Branch, where it was held until 

❖ Harness racing has been a popular event at the 

county fair. The county fair was moved to Boston (now 

Owensville) in 1864 and called the Boston Fair for 

many years. The fair is today a popular county event. 


❖ The Clermont County Historical Society booth at 

the 1971 county fair. For many years the society had a 

booth at the fair. The Owensville Historical Society has 

a display each year in their building at the fair. 


1864. In that year, twenty-three acres of 

land was purchased in Owensville and the 

fair moved to that location where it has 

been held continuously to this day. At one 

time it was called the “Boston Fair.” 

TATE TOWNSHIP 

By Terri Daughtery, 


Tate Township lies on the eastern edge 

of Clermont County. Brown County is to 

the east, Williamsburg Township to the 

north, Monroe to the west and Washington 

and Franklin to the south. SR 125 passes 


through the township from the northwest 

passing through Bethel to Brown County. 

SR 133 crosses the township north to 

south, also passing through Bethel. SR 232 

approaches the village from the southwest. 

Tate Township in the 1800s was a 

hunter’s paradise, but settlers soon found 

that the game had its drawbacks. The raccoon 

and opossum ate the corn, the squirrels 

and rabbits devoured the grain and 

vegetables and the wolves made raising 

young pigs very difficult. The backwoodsmen 

retaliated by eating the raccoons, 

opossums, rabbits and squirrels but could 

not stomach the wolves. 

Obed Denham, founder of Bethel, who 

for reasons unknown built his cabin a few 

rods outside the corner of the town he had 

laid out, thus became the first resident of 

Tate Township. The Denhams picked out 

and measured their land in the Virginia 

Military District. As a consequence of slipshod 

surveying there was much encroachment 

and overlapping among the settlers’ 

land parcels resulting in numerous disputes 

and even lawsuits in later days. Those early 

lines with the crooked paths between cabins 

and settlements later became roads and 

account for the zigzag and irregular shapes 

of the townships in Clermont County. Tate 

Township was the largest in the county and 

was organized August 5, 1805, but no 

records earlier than 1812 can be found. 

Township officers in 1812 were 

Alexander Blair, William Brown and 

Jeremiah Beck, Jr., trustees; John Boggess, 

clerk; Houton Clarke, treasurer; Samuel 

Beck, lister; Obed Denham, Jr., and James 

South, overseers of the poor; and Kelly 

Burke, appraiser. Samuel Beck, Jacob Frazee 

and John Blair were the constables. Fence 

viewers were John Brown and Isaac Reed. 

In 1826 there were 336 horses with a 

total value of $13,440 and 594 cattle 

worth $4,752 in Tate Township. 

In the years before the Civil War, Bethel 

and Tate Township were important stations 

on the Underground Railroad. Many fugitives 

from Kentucky and other parts of the 

south found a haven here. Simple farmers, 

small merchants and tradesmen gave aid, not 

❖ Salt Family Home on SR 222, Saltair, was built 

around 1826 by John Salt. He was a trader and it is 

recorded that he made 52 trips to New Orleans by 

flatboat, returning 13 times by foot. The house is on the 

National Register of Historic Places. 


as by prearranged plan, but as the occasion 

arose. Those most active were the Rileys, 

Benjamin Rice, Richard Mace, Isaac H. 

Brown and the Robert Fee family of Moscow. 

In the various settlements of Tate 

Township, schools almost immediately 

sprang up for the youth. There were thirteen 

schools operating at the turn of century 

in Tate Township. The “automobile age” and 

changing state laws brought the demise of 

the “one room school” and by 1936 all one 

room schools had been sold to individuals. 

Up through the 1980s all school buses in 

the district were numbered corresponding 

to the one-room school numbers from 

which the students came. 

After WWII, A. A. Brown and other 

local people established the Bethel 

Airport east of Bethel. Many veterans of 

WWII used the G.I. Bill to obtain flying 

lessons at the airport. By the mid 1950s 

the airport declined to the point that is 

was closed. Mr. Brown then used the two 

runways as streets for a residential subdivision 

with one of the streets being 

Runway Ave. The old hangar and control 

tower are now a manufacturing plant. 

The Archie Lee Boyce American Legion 

Post 406 was chartered on March 13, 1920. 

The Post was named in honor of the first 

serviceman from Bethel killed in WWI. 

One thing aiding in the growth of Tate 

Township and the southern part of 

Clermont County has been the Tate- 

Monroe Water System. Tate-Monroe is a 

non-profit member-owned system. This 

❖ Old Bethel Church located in East Fork State 

Park near Bantam. It began as a log cabin in 1805. The 

current building was built in 1818 and remodeled in 

1867. U. S. Grant’s maternal grandparents, John and 

Hannah Simpson, are buried in the adjacent cemetery. 


water project was a “first” both in 

Clermont County and the State of Ohio, 

in that the state invested funds by completely 

underwriting a local water system 

that was privately owned (1969). 

The Bethel-Tate Fire Department records 

tell us that Bethel purchased the first 

pumper in 1900. In those early days neighbors, 

friends and anyone passing by a fire 

became a firefighter. On December 8, 1947, 

the village and township signed a contract 

for reciprocal fire fighting. On November 3, 

1959, Chief Harold “Heck” Brooks died 

tragically at the scene of a fire. To this day he 

is the only firefighter from Clermont County 

to die in the line of duty. In January 1985 the 

Department installed a sliding pole from the 

second floor to the apparatus bay. This pole 

is the only sliding fire pole in the county. In 

1986 the department bought back the 1925 

Dodge fire truck they sold in 1954. The 

truck has been completely restored to its 

original condition. No tax monies were used 

for the restoration. It is on display at the firehouse 

and is used for parades. 

BETHEL 

By Terri Daughtery, 


It was late in the summer of 1797 when 

Obed and Mary Denham spread their 

Chapter III ✦ 33

❖ The house was built in 1821-23 by William 

Thompson at 133 South Main Street. Thompson was 

noted for doing away with practices such as purgation, 

bloodletting, and the use of mercury. His son Dr. 

William Eberle Thompson(1835-1940), lived in the 

house and had his office there. He lived to the age of 

104 and was still practicing when he died in 1940. W. 

E. Thompson was active in the Underground Railroad. 


blankets at the foot of a big beech tree on 

the banks of Town Run and thus became 

the first permanent settlers in Tate 

Township and the founders of Bethel. 

Obed had bought fifteen hundred acres of 

ground in the part of the Virginia military 

lands which was to become Clermont 

County. The land had cost him “sevenquarters 

of a dollar per acre.” 

Obed Denham had great aspirations for 

Denhamstown as it was originally called. 

The town’s name later was changed to 

Plainfield and then to Bethel. He donated 

lots for a public square, a Regular Baptist 

Church (“because they do not hold slaves 

or commune at the Lord’s table with those 

that do practice such tyranny over their 

fellow creatures’) and “an English School.” 

Bethel was incorporated into a village 

on March 20, 1851, after more than a 

half-century under township jurisdiction. 

Jesse R. Grant, father of Ulysses, was the 

first mayor. 

Bethel was the site of a trial for witchcraft 

in the early 1800s. Nancy Evans was 

accused of being a witch and weighed 

against a bible. She was cleared of the 

witchcraft charge. 

One of the earliest main lines of the 

Underground Railroad ran through 

Clermont County via Felicity, Bethel, 

and Williamsburg. 

The biggest business ever in Bethel 

until 1863 was operated by Joe Clare. He 

made saddle trees and employed fifty 

men. The Clare plant was changed to a 

chair factory in 1880. 

In 1852 John Goodwin built a sawmill 

and two years later added a gristmill. In 

1858 they were both destroyed by fire but 

were rebuilt in the same year, adding a 

three-story gristmill, grinding both grist and 

flour. In 1927 the Ohio Farm Bureau purchased 

the mill and sold it to the Clermont 

County Farm Bureau in 1934. Allen Lee 

Harris was employed by the organization 

for forty-nine years. In 1984, Susan Reeves 

purchased the property and today (2010) 

operates the only full service feed mill and 

farm supply store in the Bethel area. Bethel 

Feed & Supply is one of the oldest continuously 

operating businesses in the village. 

Bethel was home to William Thompson 

who died in Bethel at the age of 104. He 

was the oldest practicing physician in the 

United States at that time. 

In 1923, Edmund Glenn Burke made a 

bequest to his hometown by buying up 

twelve acres of land to be used as a park 

and ball fields. The CCC 528 Camp was 

located here in 1933 and helped build 

many of the improvements in Burke Park. 

Alfred Palmer Gatts was born in Bethel 

in 1883. He designed and built several of 

the buildings in Bethel. In his shop he 

built 5 of his Gatts Auto Buggies. One of 

them is in the National Automobile 

❖ Plane Street Bethel 1998. Shown is the Midway 

Theater, one of the last small town theaters in Ohio. It 

closed in 2010. 


❖ Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp 528 

located in Burke Park, 1936. 


Museum (The Harrah Collection) in Reno, 

Nevada. Henry Ford tried to persuade him 

to come to Detroit to work for him. 

Bethel’s first and only woman industrialist 

was Edith H. South, founder of the 

“Sunny South Shoe Factory,” making 

infant shoes. The shoe factory prospered 

for sixteen years. It was later turned over 

to a pants factory and was still in 

operation as such in 1948, with D. R. 

South as proprietor. 

For over seventy years the Hewett family 

have provided Bethel with first run movies. 

In 1937 Earl Hewett opened the new, modern 

Midway Theater building. After three 

generations of ownership Debbie Hewett- 

Brooks and family members sold the 

Midway in late 2009. Debbie still operates 

the Starlite Drive-In theater, one of the few 

remaining drive-in movie theaters in Ohio, 

just west of the township line. 

❖ Bethel Feed Mill at 528 West Main Street. It was 

in operation by John Goodwin at least as early as 1824 

as a flour and grist mill. In 1927 the Ohio Farm Bureau 

purchased and operated the business until 1934 when 

the Clermont County Farm Bureau (CCFBC) took over. 

In the 1960’s CCFBC became Landmark. The mill is 

still in operation. 



❖ Cincinnati Shoe Factory, Northwest Corner 

South and Union Streets. The factory began in 1896. 

It operated through the first quarter of the 

twentieth century. 


The Bethel-Tate Alumni Association is 

thought to be one of the oldest active continuously 

meeting high school alumni associations 

in Ohio. They were organized in 

1899 and have met every year since then. 

In the early 1970s the Bethel Historical 

Association was formed. They currently 

have two rooms in the Grant Memorial 

Building to display information about the 

community and its residents. The smaller 

of the two rooms holds information about 

local military involvement. 

Labeled a fool by nearly everyone, 

Steven Newman set out on April 1, 1983, 

to walk solo around the world. Steve was 

welcomed home having completed his task 

on April 1, 1987. Mr. Newman is listed in 

the Guinness Book of World Records as the 

only person to have walked solo around 

the world. 

The idea of a walk path was initiated 

by the Bethel Lions Club in the early 

1990s. The walk/bike path was completed 

in 1997 and provides a path 1.27 miles 

long and seven feet wide for the enjoyment 

of everyone in the community. 

UNION TOWNSHIP 

By Rick Grgetic, 


Union Township was established in 

1811. It was formed from the western part 

of Ohio Township and contains 32.8 

square miles. Its boundaries are the East 

Fork River at the north, the Hamilton 

County line at the west, Pierce Township to 

the south and Batavia Township to the east. 

Union Township is the most populous 

of the 14 townships in the county, with 

approximately 48,000 residents, but it 

does not have any incorporated municipalities. 

Its many early settlements laid 

the groundwork for its growth in the last 

two centuries. 

Its first community was Withamsville, in 

the southwest, Ohio Pike, area of the township. 

It was settled by Reverend Maurice 

Witham in 1800. Reverend Witham was 

the leader of a group of Baptists who located 

here from New England. 

Nearby, the community of Tobasco was 

established. It was supposedly named by a 

local grocer, after a city in Mexico. The land 

was first purchased by Daniel Durham. 

The Mount Moriah Methodist Church 

was organized in 1835, and in 1842 the 

Mt. Moriah Chapel was built in Tobasco. 

The Mt. Moriah Cemetery is adjacent and 

has been enlarged to over 50 acres. 

Mount Carmel was never “laid out” but 

was described as a “long, straggling village” 

at the western edge of the township. 

It developed soon after the township’s first 

marked road, Donnel’s Trace, was laid out 

by John Donnel in 1797. Its early settlers 

include John Rose in 1796, at Rose Hill, 

Timothy Day, and James Phillips. 

Summerside grew up on Donnel’s 

Trace, around an inn owned by Jacob 

Whetson about 1799. It was originally 

East Mt. Carmel, and known as Henpeck, 

but was changed to Summerside by vote 

of the residents when the first post office 

was established. 

Tealtown was a small community first 

settled by Jacob Teal and Joseph Avey. 

Later, the nearby area of Glen Este was 

an early farm owned by Daniel Este of 

Mt. Carmel. 

Mathias Kugler established the small 

community of East Liberty, at the site of 

the first mill in the township. 

Throughout the 19th century and into 

the 20th, Union Township was primarily 

a farming region, with the business interests 

to support agriculture and travel. 

❖ The Tobasco General Store in 1913. Henry 

Gaskins, the owner, is pictured at the right. 


Very few records were preserved of the 

earliest public schools. In 1853, there were 

eight school sub-districts recorded in the 

township. Districts 6 and 9 joined together 

in 1866 to create the Mt. Carmel Special 

School District. This allowed the creation of 

a high school, which opened around 1866 

and operated until 1913. After that, high 

school students were assigned to schools in 

surrounding communities. The Union Rural 

School District was formed in 1919. There 

was much protest by residents about local 

schools closing and merging. Two districts 

were then created: the Glen Este-Mt. Carmel 

district and the Withamsville-Tobasco district. 

Ultimately, the districts were combined 

with part of Amelia, and became the West 

Clermont School District in 1957. 

Rail transportation crossed the township 

by the late nineteenth century. Rail 

lines included the Cincinnati & Eastern in 

the south, the Interurban Railway & 

Terminal Co., and the Cincinnati, 

Georgetown & Portsmouth Railroad. By 

1936 all rail lines had ceased local service. 

The Cincinnati-Batavia Pike was opened 

in 1797. It was a portion of the first road to 

go from Cincinnati to Chillicothe, which 

Chapter III ✦ 35

❖ Eastgate Mall in 1980 looking east. I 275 and SR 

32 intersection is in the lower right hand corner. In later 

years additional shopping areas were constructed to the 

east and across SR 32 to the south. By 2010 area 

surrounding the mall had been developed. 

COURTESY OF ALMA SMITH. 

was the capital of the Northwest Territory. 

The road was vital to the development of 

the township. In 1955 Batavia Pike (SR 74) 

became four lanes. Part of the road later 

became SR 32 upon the completion of the 

Appalachian Highway from Newtown to 

Athens, Ohio. 

The Ohio Turnpike Company was 

incorporated in 1831. It was intended to 

reach from the Beechmont Levee in 

Cincinnati to Portsmouth, but the Ohio 

Pike only reached Bethel. 

The township burgeoned only in the late 

twentieth century, with the development of 

modern highways. In 1956, funds were 

approved for the improvement of SR 125 

into a four-lane highway from the east to 

Amelia. The portion of I-275 between SR 32 

and SR 125 (Ohio Pike) was opened in 

1971. With the completion of I-275 in 

1979, Union Township became easily accessible 

from all areas of Greater Cincinnati. 

The accessibility by highway became 

the driving force for the township’s development. 

Eastgate Mall was built on land 

purchased from the Aicholtz farm, and 

opened in 1980 amid much fanfare, 

drawing 250,000 visitors in its opening 

weekend. Subsequent development made 

the Eastgate area a retail mecca for the 

area. Business and light industrial development 

also accelerated in the township, 

particularly the western portion between 

Ohio Pike (SR125) and SR 32. 

Cincinnati Nature Center is a park of 

over five hundred acres in the northwestern 

portion of the township. Carl Krippendorf 

bought acreage in 1898 near the farm where 

he had spent time as a child, called Lob’s 

Woods. He built his lodge in 1899. He collected 

and planted flowers from around the 

world. In 1966 Rosan Krippendorf Adams, 

sold it to the non-profit CNC, which was 

started by businessman Stanley Rowe and 

naturalist Karl Maslowski. 

Veterans Park on Glen Este- 

Withamsville Road is the best known of 

four public parks. It was dedicated in 

1986, and features a war memorial with a 

Vietnam-era helicopter. In addition to 

recreational facilities, it has been used for 

many public displays and tributes. 

The Union Township Civic Center on 

Aicholtz Road was opened in 2004, and 

holds administrative offices and public 

services, meeting rooms, gymnasium, and 

an outdoor amphitheater. 

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 

By Tom Dix, 

Former Trustee, Washington Township 

Washington Township lies in the 

southern part of Clermont County. The 

Ohio River marks its southern border; 

Monroe Township is to the northwest, 

Tate Township to the northeast and 

Franklin Township to the east. US 52 follows 

the Iroquois Trail along the Ohio 

River. It has also been known as the A&P 

Highway because it stretched from the 

Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. SRs 

❖ The tollhouse at the corner of Batavia Pike (old 

SR 74) and Mt. Carmel-Tobasco Road. The charge was 

two cents for a horse and buggy and one cent for a 

horse and rider. It closed around 1911. 

COURTESY OF ALMA SMITH. 

❖ Zimmer Power Plant under construction near 

Moscow. The station began operation in 1991. It was 

the first nuclear-to-coal converted facility in the world. 


756 and 743 cross the township and were 

made state highways in the 1950s. 

From the earliest inhabitants, prehistoric 

Indians, to the present day the rich history 

of the township has been inextricably tied 

to the ebb and flow of the Ohio River. 

Before the days of roads, the river served as 

the main means of transportation. The two 

villages in the township, Moscow and 

Neville, were established on the river to take 

advantage of river commerce. 

One of the first settlements was the 

Wood and Manning Station (c. 1795). It 

was a double log cabin surrounded by a 

stockade. Many of the members of the 

station are buried in the Wood Cemetery 

on Turkey Foot Road. 

The Buchanan Farm located on SR 743 

was settled by William Buchanan in 1795. 

When Indians were spotted the family fled 

to the Wood and Manning Station. The 

original log cabin was replaced in the 1820s. 

The site is now owned by Duke Energy and 

used as part of the Zimmer Plant. 

The Capt. Anthony C. Meldahl Locks 

and Dam, which control the level of the 

Ohio River for navigation purposes, are 

located east of Neville. Construction began 

in 1957 and was completed in 1964. 

The Zimmer Generating Plant, near 

Moscow, was planned as a nuclear facility 

when construction began in 1971. Several 

electrical companies share ownership of the 

plant. New requirements by the Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission in 1979 for nuclear 


❖ Memorial Highway, SR 756, in honor of the 

National Guard unit’s service in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

COURTESY OF PATSY SHIVELEY. 

plants lead to the decision in 1984 to convert 

the facility to a coal fired plant. The plant 

began commercial operation in 1991 with a 

capacity of fourteen hundred megawatts of 

electricity. The stack for the plant is 573 feet 

tall with a diameter of 62 feet. The waste 

product from the burning of the coal, a mixture 

of fly ash and lime, is disposed of in a 

landfill located in the township. The Zimmer 

Plant is the major employer of the township 

and a major source of tax dollars. 

The two sites of the Cold War 

Nike/Hercules Missile Bases were constructed 

in 1958. Located on Fruit Ridge Road 

were the officers’ quarters, barracks, and 

radar towers and on Neville-Penn 

Schoolhouse Road the missile storage and 

launch area. The Hercules missiles were surface-to-air 

defense weapons. After the Missile 

Base closed, the Ohio National Guard (1965) 

used the site until it closed in 2000. 

Besides the villages of Moscow and 

Neville, the small hamlet of Point Isabel lies 

in the northeast corner of the township. In 

the late 1880s it had a saw and grist mill, 

blacksmith shop, wagon making shop, and 

general merchandising store. Only a few 

houses remain today. The township 

remains primarily rural and rustic. 

MOSCOW 

By The Village of Moscow 

Planning Commission 

The Village of Moscow had its plat 

recorded in 1816 by Owen Davis. The 

name of Moscow may have come from the 

officers of Napoleon’s army who fled to 

the United States after his defeat at the 

Russian city of that name. 

Underground Railroad activities were 

strong in the village before the Civil War. 

Robert and Thomas Fee were 

Underground Railroad conductors and 

their homes were hiding places for fugitives 

who crossed the Ohio River from 

Pendleton County, Kentucky. The “candle 

in the second story window” was a signal 

that it was clear to cross the river to freedom. 

Thomas Fee’s home, Fee Villa on 

Water Street remains today. It is located 

above the old Moscow wharf which today 

is the public boat ramp. The cobblestones, 

still visible today, were put in 

place in 1882. 

From 1829 to 1839 the Moscow Union 

School was in a log building. In 1853 state 

law required each township to sub-divide 

its schools into numbered districts. The 

Moscow Seminary opened in 1844 at the 

location of the present Masonic Lodge. 

The Moscow school, as known today, was 

built in 1932 and closed in 1980. This 

structure is currently used as the River 

Hills Community Center. The school 

alumni return each spring for a dinner. 

The swinging bridge that crossed 

Ryan’s Run, on the southern boundary of 

the village, was a landmark. 

Blue Lick (sulfa) Well, a glass factory, 

pork packers, lumber yard, barber shop, 

blacksmith, ice cream parlor, undertaker, 

tin shop, drug store, flour mill, distilling 

and milling, tailor shop, millinery/hatter, 

physicians, grocer, shoe shop, harness 

shop, sawmill, box manufacturing, 

❖ Moscow School, built in 1932, was closed in 1980. 

The River Hills Community Center was using the 

building in 2009. 


❖ Third Street in Moscow with the cooling tower of 

the Zimmer Power Plant in the background. 


saloon, hotel, hospital/cancer clinic, hardware 

store, movie (5 cents for silent 

movies), car dealer, and churches all were 

sources of business and family activities 

in the village in the early years. The packet 

boats cruising up and down the Ohio 

River were the primary mode of transportation 

until major improvements in 

the roads were made. 

The Zimmer Plant, which looms over 

the village, made a significant economic 

impact on the village when it was constructed 

in 1971. 

NEVILLE 

By Janet Blackburn 

Neville is the site of the first survey in 

the Virginia Military District of Ohio. 

John O’Bannon surveyed a tract of 1,400 

acres in 1787 for Col. John Neville. The 

village is the oldest in Washington 

Township and one of the oldest in the 

county. It was laid out in 1808. It originally 

contained a little more than 45 

acres, one acre of which was reserved for 

a public square. 

In the 1800s there were many businesses 

in the village such as a cut nail factory, 

caster oil mill, furniture manufacturing, 

and wagon factory. For many years 

stogie cigars were manufactured. Over the 

years there were many more businesses, 

but none remain today. 

In the 1800s Neville had a population 

of 500. By 2009 it had about 130 residents. 

Neville was once an Ohio River 

port used by packet boats to ship goods 

Chapter III ✦ 37

❖ Neville School (1883) was a two-story, eightgrade 

school. It ceased classes in 1953. The structure 

caught fire in 1984 and was torn down. 


to and from the surrounding area in both 

Ohio and Kentucky. A ferry connected 

Neville and Foster, Kentucky. 

Decades of flood waters have washed 

away countless homes in Neville, washing 

out families and most businesses, most 

recently in 1997. The water didn’t rise as 

high as the 1937 flood, but proved devastating 

to the village. A new federal program 

required residents to meet new flood control 

building requirements to rebuild. 

Residents also were offered an opportunity 

to sell their property to the government. 

Half of the residents chose the buy-out. 

The children of Neville attended the 

Neville Rural School located at Forest 

Street and Neville Penn Schoolhouse 

Road, where grades 1-8 were taught. The 

school closed after the 1952-1953 school 

year. All students from that point on 

❖ Dressed up for the Edenton Centennial 

Celebration in 1937. 


attended the Moscow School or Felicity 

Franklin School. The Neville School 

building caught fire in 1979 and was 

repaired. The building caught fire again in 

1984. It was condemned and torn down. 

Following the flood of 1997 and the 

federal government buying property in 

the floodplain, a public boat ramp was 

built in the village, which has proved to 

be popular with fishermen and boaters. 

The village also received a grant to build 

a park adjacent to US 52, which has been 

named Riverview Park. 

In 2008 the village celebrated its 

bicentennial with a festival. Many former 

Neville families were reunited at the 

event. A history of the village was written 

to coincide with the festival. 

WAYNE TOWNSHIP 

By Ron Hill, 


Wayne Township is located in the 

northeastern corner of Clermont County. 

Warren and Clinton Counties are to the 

north and Brown County to the east. 

Jackson Township lies to the south, 

Stonelick Township to the southwest and 

Goshen Township to the west. SR 727 

crosses from the southwest to northeast 

ending in Edenton. SR 131 crosses the 

southwest corner passing through 

Newtonsville. SR 133 follows the route of 

the Bullskin Trace (also known as the 

Xenia State Road) south-north to Edenton, 

then northeast to Clinton County. 

Stonelick Creek crosses the township. 

Several mills were built along its banks in 

the early years of the township. In 1949 a 

dam was built across Stonelick Creek to 

form a 200 acre lake. In 1950 the lake 

and an additional 1,058 acres became 

Stonelick State Park with a beach, camping 

and hiking trails. 

The land in the township is generally 

level and ideal for farming. In 1881 the 

township had 8,220 acres in cultivation, 

1,416 in pasture and 3,344 in woodland. 

The principal crops were wheat, corn and 

potatoes. Other crops grown were apples, 

❖ The Cincinnati, Milford & Loveland Traction 

Company depot in Edenton. 


peaches, pears, cherries, hay and tobacco. 

The dairies produced 39,035 pounds of 

butter. The primary crops today are corn 

and soybeans. 

The township has two villages, Edenton 

laid out in 1837 and Newtonsville in 1838. 

The two villages developed as centers for 

the local agricultural communities. In early 

times they had a blacksmith shop, wagon 

and carriage shop, cooper, general merchandise 

store, saddle and harness makers 

and a hotel. The major industry in Edenton 

was a hame factory. In 1870 a chair factory 

opened in Newtonsville, but burned down 

in the 1880s. A post office was established 

in Newtonsville in 1845 and in Edenton in 

1841. Edenton put up a fight in 1968 to 

save its post office, but lost. Clara Simons 

was the last postmaster. 

Passing through Edenton is the Bullskin 

Trace or Xenia State Road. Edenton has 

always embraced this famous road. In 

1927 a stone monument in the shape of an 

obelisk was dedicated at the site of the 

road. Over a thousand people attended a 

celebration in 1928 commemorating the 

sesquicentennial of Daniel Boone’s passing 

down the road after escaping from the 

Shawnee Indians. The Clermont County 

Bicentennial Committee placed a historical 

marker at the site in 2000. 

The Cincinnati, Milford & Loveland 

Traction Company (CM&L) reached 

Blanchester in 1906. The line passed 

through Newtonsville and Edenton. It 

offered the citizens good transportation to 

Milford, Cincinnati and Blanchester. 


Students in Edenton took the CM&L to 

school in Blanchester. Just outside 

Newtonsville was Woodland Park, a popular 

recreation area for Cincinnatians who 

came by the traction line. The creamery 

and tomato cannery in Newtonsville 

depended on the CM&L for supplies and 

shipments. Both closed when the CM&L 

ceased operation in 1926. 

Edenton has been associated with 

Blanchester in Clinton County, the nearest 

commercial center. For years Edenton 

School #4, a two-story brick building, 

located at the intersection of Routes 133 

and 727 served the community. This structure 

was replaced in 1917 by a school 

building that stands to this day. In 1959 the 

school consolidated with the Blanchester 

School system and the Edenton School 

closed. Newtonsville consolidated with the 

Clermont Northeastern School District. 

The citizens of Edenton were active in 

the temperance movement. In 1906 the 

Clermont County Eighth Annual 

Convention of the Woman’s Christian 

Temperance Union was held in Edenton. 

In May 1928 nearly a thousand people 

attended a service at the grave site of two 

unknown soldiers of General Wayne’s army 

(1793) who died while camped at “Slab’s 

Camp” (near the junction of Routes 131 

and 133). In 1930 the Edenton Willing 

Workers and Blanchester Daughters of the 

American Revolution dedicated a stone 

❖ Newtonsville Odd Fellows Hall. A store was on 

the ground level and the Odd Fellows met on the 

second floor. 


monument at the site. The Clermont 

County Bicentennial Committee placed a 

historical marker at the site in 2000. 

On March 4, 1928, a fire threatened 

Edenton. Two homes, the post office and 

a blacksmith shop were destroyed. 

WILLIAMSBURG 

TOWNSHIP 

By Ron Hill, 


Williamsburg Township is located in 

the eastern part of Clermont County. The 

original size of the township was much 

larger, but has diminished in size over the 

years to form Tate, Batavia, and Jackson 

Townships and part of Brown County. 

Brown County lies to the east, Tate 

Township to the south, Batavia Township 

to the west and Jackson to the north. The 

4-lane Appalachian Highway (SR 32) 

crosses east-west across the township just 

north of Williamsburg, the only village. SR 

133, which follows the old Bullskin Trail, 

travels north-south and passes through the 

village. Hamlets in the township are Afton, 

Concord, and Hennings Mill. Hennings 

Mill developed when a chair factory was 

established there and later a woolen mill. 

Both burned in 1872. 

The East Fork of the Little Miami River 

passes through the village and then follows 

a course in a southwesterly direction. The 

East Fork was the site of several mills along 

its course. The most unusual was Tunnel 

Mill (1840s) located south of Williamsburg. 

The river makes a horseshoe bend at this 

point. A tunnel was driven through the hillside 

from one section of the river to a lower 

section. Water passing through the tunnel 

powered the mill. Parts of the tunnel 

entrance can be seen today. 

During the Ohio Bicentennial (2003) a 

barn in each Ohio County was painted 

with the bicentennial logo. The Snell barn 

located on the southeast corner of SR 32 

and McKeever Pike was selected for 


The construction of Harsha Lake and 

the surrounding East Fork State Park took 

❖ Clermont County Bicentennial Barn located on 

McKeever Pike and US 32, Williamsburg. During 

Ohio’s Bicentennial, a barn in each of Ohio’s 88 counties 

was painted with the Bicentennial Logo. The Lucy & 

Charles Snell barn was selected. The logo was dedicated 

September 11, 2001. Pictured is the artist Scott Hagan. 


❖ Lytle Dairy House is one of the oldest structures 

in Clermont County, built around 1800, located at the 

homestead, Harmony Hill, of William Lytle “the Father 

of Clermont County.” The building was renovated in 

1999. Pictured is the dedication ceremony. 


5,245 acres of the township in the 1970s. 

The remaining part of the township is utilized 

for farming and residential housing. 

The township doesn’t have a significant 

commercial or industrial base. 

WILLIAMSBURG VILLAGE 

By Julia Liggett Hess, 

Harmony Hill Association 

No man was more widely known or had 

more to do with the opening of Clermont 

County for settlement than Gen. William 

Lytle, known as the “Father of Clermont 

County.” Lytle was a surveyor for the 

Chapter III ✦ 39

greater part of his life, and he entered and 

located more lands in Ohio than any other 

surveyor. In November 1795 he began a 

survey of 1,500 acres formally known as 

the DeBenneville Survey, no. 2810. 

While engaged in locating military warrants 

in the county, Gen. Lytle was struck 

by the possibilities of his survey in what is 

now the Williamsburg region. He decided 

that of all the spots he had visited, this area 

around the East Fork of the Little Miami 

River held the most promise for the site of 

a village. Acting upon this, he platted the 

village of Williamsburg, which he called 

Lytle’s Town (Lytletown), on the 

DeBenneville Survey. His brother John 

assisted him and spent the winter of 1795 

at what is now called Williamsburg. 

The village of Williamsburg was situated 

on an elevated tract of land in a bend 

of the East Fork of the Little Miami River. 

The waterpower of the river and its tributaries 

were used to run mill wheels to 

grind wheat to flour, corn to meal, and to 

operate the sawmills. 

The village plat included 500 in-lots, 

each 33 yards by 66 yards. Out-lots of 4 

acres were located on the west side of the 

village proper. A public square of 12 lots, 

about 2.25 acres, was set aside for county 

buildings. The old Williamsburg School 

(1923) is currently on this site. 

Williamsburg was established as the territorial 

seat on December 6, 1800, when 

the county was created. Governor St. Clair 

strengthened William Lytle’s influence by 

❖ Williamsburg Saw Mill-Located at Fourth and Walnut. 

COURTESY OF THE HARMONY HILL ASSOCIATION. 

appointing him prothonotary (clerk of 

courts). Thomas Morris agreed to furnish 

quarters for the new court at a cost of twenty 

dollars per year. His house, located on 

North Broadway, consisted of a one-story 

log cabin (used as the courtroom) joined by 

two other cabins, one of which was used as 

the jail, and the other as a hotel. The first 

courthouse (1805) constructed specifically 

for that purpose was built on the public 

square. A jail, clerk’s and auditor’s office 

were also erected, and a whipping post. 

The materials and labor were, in large part, 

donated by the people of Williamsburg. 

When the county seat was moved to New 

Richmond (1823) the townspeople took 

possession of the buildings and used them 

for public purposes for many years. 

In 1863 the Civil War left its mark on 

Williamsburg. On July 14, General John 

Morgan, of the Confederate Army, and his 

men set up his headquarters at the Kain 

house on the northwest corner of Main and 

Third Streets. It is believed he stayed in the 

home that was located on the northwest 

corner of Main and Broadway. His troops 

bivouacked in the village and adjacent 

fields. Morgan moved out of Williamsburg 

the next morning over what is now SR 133 

and burned the bridge that spanned the 

East Fork River. He took time to carve “John 

Morgan, July 14, 1863, 3,000 men” on the 

doorstep of one of the houses. This inscription 

can see be seen along Main Street. 

In the earliest days the East Fork River 

was crossed by crudely made ferries or by 

❖ Williamsburg Chair Factory, 1938. 

COURTESY OF THE HARMONY HILL ASSOCIATION. 

fording. Later a rope ferry connected the 

eastern end of Gay Street to the opposite 

bank. The first bridge (1843), near the 

east end of Main Street, was constructed 

with two spans. It was destroyed by a 

flood in 1859. It was replaced by a one 

span bridge in 1860, which Morgan 

burned. It was replaced by a wooden covered 

bridge which stood until the current 

bridge was built in 1935. 

The Williamsburg School built in 1860 

burned down in 1922. It was replaced by 

a new school on the public square in 1923 

and remodeled in 1939. A new elementary 

school was built at High and Spring 

Streets and a new middle and high school 

(1996) off Old SR 32 south of the village. 

Williamsburg was the commercial center 

of eastern Clermont County for many years. 

The village had general merchant stores, a 

meat market, grocery stores, hardware 

store, banks, furniture store, cafes, etc. 

Some of the industries were gristmills, a 

chair factory, a cannery, shoe company, 

broom factory, and a creamery. The 

Cincinnati & Eastern Railroad (later to 

become the Norfolk and Southern) arrived 

in Williamsburg in 1877. It provided a link 

to the outside world for isolated rural areas. 

Passenger service ended in 1971 and freight 

service in 1975. As of 2003 the railroad no 

longer connects Cincinnati and Portsmouth 

and only provides services to Winchester. 

In 2005 the National Arbor Day 

Foundation designated Williamsburg a 

“Tree City USA.” A bike-hike trail is being 

constructed (2009) between Williamsburg 

and Batavia, passing through East Fork 

State Park. 


CHAPTER IV 

T RANSPORTATION 

B Y R ON H ILL, CLERMONT C OUNTY H ISTORICAL S OCIETY 

BULLSKIN 

TRACE 

The earliest “roads” in Clermont 

County were traces made by the hoofs of 

animals and footsteps of Native Americans. 

The most significant trace in the county 

was the Bullskin, also known as the Xenia 

Trace. The Bullskin entered Ohio from 

Kentucky and passed through the center of 

the Shawnee Nation to Chalahgawtha 

(near Xenia), the principal village of the 

Shawnee in the 1770s and 1780s. 

The Bullskin Trace enters Clermont 

County at the point where the Bullskin 

Creek enters the Ohio River (a good fording 

point across the Ohio River in early 

times) near Rural (the hamlet was 

destroyed in the 1913 flood). It follows an 

alignment of present day SR 133 passing 

through Felicity, Bethel, Williamsburg 

and Edenton. It exits the county northeast 

of the village of Edenton. 

In prehistoric times it was used as a 

path to the Great Salt Licks located in 

❖ The stone monument shown in the background 

commemorates the Bullskin Trace. It was constructed by 

William Blanchard from stones collected by residents of 

Wayne Township. It was dedicated in 1927 by the 

Willing Workers and others of Edenton and the 

Blanchester D.A.R. It is located just east of Edenton on 

SR 133. The Clermont County Bicentennial Committee 

placed the Historical Marker in 2000. 


Kentucky. The trail was shared by large 

game animals and the various Native 

American cultures which inhabited the 

area. The landing site at the mouth of 

Bullskin Creek served as a debarking point 

for many settlers. The trace served as a 

route to the interior of the county and, as a 

result, the development of the villages 

along it. As the settlers infiltrated the area 

the trace was improved and became a road. 

The trace was used by Daniel Boone on 

his escape from the Shawnee at 

Chalahgawtha in 1778. During the Indian 

Wars (1793), a vanguard of Gen. Anthony 

Wayne’s army moved up the trace and 

had a skirmish with Shawnee Indians 

near Stonelick Creek. Ammunition and 

supplies were transported up the trace to 

Admiral Perry’s fleet on Lake Erie during 

the War of 1812. The trace served as part 

of the Underground Railroad that was 

traveled by fugitives headed to Canada. 

In 1807 the Ohio State legislature 

enacted a law designating the trace as 

the Xenia State Road, one of the first 

roads in Ohio, and appropriated funds to 

improve it. 

The Willing Workers of Edenton and 

the Blanchester Daughters of the American 

Revolution erected a stone monument just 

east of Edenton in 1927 to celebrate the 

sesquicentennial of Boone’s escape. The 

monument still stands. In 2000 the 

Clermont County Bicentennial Committee 

erected a historical marker near the 

monument to commemorate the historical 

significance of the Bullskin Trail. 

PACKET 

BOATS 

The majority of the early settlers to 

southwestern Ohio came by way of the 

Ohio River. They pushed off from 

Pittsburgh and traveled down the river in 

self-propelled vessels, flatboats that moved 

❖ The Chilo was one of the packet boats that served 

the hamlets in Clermont County. It sank near New 

Richmond in 1921. 


❖ The Tacoma was built in New Richmond in 1883 

and ran a Cincinnati, New Richmond, Moscow, and 

Chilo route. It burned in Cincinnati in 1949. 


by the currents, oars, poles or sail. Many 

stopped in Limestone (Maysville), 

Kentucky, as it was the largest village 

upriver from Cincinnati, which was the 

destination of most boats. These were 

“one-way” crafts, as going back upstream 

was very difficult. 

The New Orleans was the first 

steamboat to sail from Pittsburgh (1811), 

initiating a new era of packet boats that 

would continue until the 1930s. 

Steamboats that carried a combination of 

passenger and freight (sometimes the 

mail) were called packets. 

Because of the packets, the commerce 

of the region flowed on the river. Villages 

were formed along the river and industries 

Chapter IV ✦ 41

❖ Meldahl Dam was dedicated in 1965. It was 

named after riverboat Captain Anthony Meldahl. 


developed such as boat building, carriage 

and wagon building, breweries, brick and 

barrel manufacturing, woolen mills, 

tanneries, and pottery making. The 

products of the farms, mills, and 

manufacturers were accessible to markets 

along the river and in turn much needed 

supplies could be obtained. In the early 

days the roads were deplorable, and 

packets served as the best method for 

people to move about. 

River towns in general had a grade on 

the river bank leading to a wharf and 

sometimes a floating warehouse called a 

wharfboat, where the packets conducted 

business. Smaller hamlets had only a 

location for the packets to lower the 

gangway. River towns in Clermont County 

were Utopia, Rural, Chilo, Neville, 

Moscow, Point Pleasant, Clermontville, 

and New Richmond. 

The Chilo was a packet boat built in 

1905 that ran the Cincinnati-Chilo route 

with stops in New Richmond, Moscow, 

Neville and Chilo. It sank at the New 

Richmond Lock 35 in 1921. The 

Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper (1897) 

advertised the Tacoma which sailed from 

Cincinnati to New Richmond, Moscow 

and Chilo. The Tacoma was built in New 

Richmond in 1883 and served this route 

for thirty-nine years. It was owned by 

David Gibson who owned distilleries in 

New Richmond and Moscow. It burned in 

Cincinnati in 1949. Other packets served 

Clermont County over the years. 

❖ The Meldahl Dam locks. The dam has two locks. 

The longer one (to the left) is for river barges. Small 

water craft are locking through shorter lock. 


In the 1920s and 1930s the increasing 

popularity of trains, improved roads and 

technical advancements in automobiles 

proved the downfall of the packets. By the 

end of the 1930s they were gone. 

LOCKS 

& DAMS 

The Ohio River proved to be a fickle 

neighbor. It produced devastating floods 

(1844, 1913, 1937, 1964, 1997) but also 

would fall to such low levels (one or two 

feet deep) that boats with only the 

shallowest of drafts could move. In 1824 

Congress began to facilitate the movement 

of commerce on the river. Projects were 

initiated to remove trees from the channel 

and build dikes that caused the river to 

scour the channel. 

In 1878 the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers (COE) convinced Congress 

that “slackwater navigation” was the 

cheapest and most effective way to 

control the river. The COE proposed to 

build 68 dams (only 54 were built) along 

the 981 mile length of the Ohio River. 

The dams were not for flood control, but 

to block the river and raise it to a 

consistent six feet depth (later raised to 

nine feet). 

The dams were called wicket dams. 

The wickets were lowered and raised by a 

maneuver boat. During high flows the 

wickets were lowered to the bottom of the 

❖ Chilo Lock and Dam 34. Pictured is the 

operations building from which the locks were 

controlled. The Chilo reservation is now a part of 

the Clermont County Parks. The operations building 

is a museum about Wicket Dams and life along the 

Ohio River. 


river to allow free passage of water and 

boats. During periods of low flow the 

wickets were raised to form a dam to create 

a pool of water deep enough for navigation. 

A lock was located on one side of 

the dam to allow passage of boats through 

the dam. 

Clermont County had two wicket 

dams. Dam 34 at Chilo and Dam 35 located 

one mile below New Richmond. The 

lock and supporting facilities at Chilo 

were located on the Ohio side of the river 

and at Dam 35 on the Kentucky side. 

Dam 34 opened in 1925 and Dam 35 

in 1919. 

In addition to the dam and lock, it was 

necessary to have facilities to support the 

dam and house the workers. Thirteen structures 

were built adjacent to Chilo Dam 34: 

eight houses, a garage, a fire shed, a 

mechanics shop, a water tower, and operating 

building. Normally about 16 adults and 

30 children lived on the dam reservation. 

The dam people were socially a part of the 

nearby village of Chilo, where they attended 

church and school, received their mail and 

did their shopping. 

Dam 34 operated for 39 years. It and the 

other wicket dams were replaced by larger 

dams that formed deeper pools and larger 

lock chambers. Today the Chilo dam reservation 

is a Clermont County Park and the 


operating building is a museum about the 

wicket dam and life along the river. 

The “fixed” Meldahl Locks and Dam was 

dedicated in May 1965. It is located between 

Neville and Chilo and raised the pool depth 

from nine to thirty-five feet and eliminated 

wicket dams 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34. Unlike 

the wicket dams, it is non-navigable and 

boats must pass through one of the two 

locks on the Ohio side of the river. The locks 

and dam were named after Anthony 

Meldahl, a famous riverboat captain who 

spent over fifty years on the river. His home, 

Maple Lane Farm, was located between 

Neville and Chilo. The new dam does not 

have families living on the reservations. 

FERRIES 

The Ohio River served as a barrier 

between Kentucky and Ohio for travel 

and commerce. During the dry season the 

water could be so shallow that a man 

could walk or ride a horse across at certain 

points. Rural was such a place and 

both people and animals had forded 

across there for years. The Bullskin Trace 

crossed here. 

For most of the year a boat or canoe was 

required to cross the river. It wasn’t long 

before the need for a ferry was recognized. 

The first ferry in Clermont County was in 

1794 and was operated by Logston at the 

mouth of Bullskin Creek. John Gregg, who 

made the first attempt to settle in the Neville 

area, crossed into Ohio on this ferry. Lindley 

Broadwell eventually took over the operation 

of the ferry. A ferry operated here until the 

1850s. Isaac Ferguson, a pioneer settler in 

Ohio Township, operated a ferry for awhile 

starting in 1796. He also operated a handmill 

that ground meal. 

In 1805 the county commissioners set 

license fees for ferries at one to five dollars 

per year. The fee for the ferry at the mouth 

of Bullskin Creek was five dollars. They 

also set the rate the ferries could charge. A 

person on foot paid six and a quarter cents. 

The 1935 Corps of Engineers chart of 

the Ohio River shows six ferries had operated 

in Clermont County. They were: 

❖ The ferry at Moscow, c. 1915. The ferry boat, the Nellie Steele, was operated by William Bureau. 

COURTESY OF TOM SCHMIDGALL. 

Chilo to Bradford; Neville to Foster; 

Moscow to Ivor Station; Point Pleasant to 

Mentor; Clermontville to California; and 

New Richmond to New Richmond 

Station. Persons living along the river had 

a choice of traveling to Cincinnati by the 

packet boats or crossing the river and 

catching the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad 

(C&O) that operated along the Kentucky 

side of the river. By the turn of the twentieth 

century, the mail was carried back and 

forth across the river to be picked up or 

delivered to the “Railway Post Office” cars. 

The Nellie Steele ferry located in Moscow 

was one such ferry. It also carried cargo to 

Cincinnati and Maysville. 

The early ferries were nothing more than 

small flat boats. They were first operated by 

poling or rowing across the river. Later, horses 

or mules on treadmills (team boats) powered 

the ferries. The ferry at Chilo, operated 

by Captain McLefresh, was such a type. By 

the end of the Civil War, steam engines were 

available and the ferries became much larger 

and could carry far more cargo. As roads, 

cars and trucks improved and bridges were 

built, the need for the ferries declined. By 

the mid-1940s all of the ferries had stopped 

operation but the New Richmond. 

In 1889 when the C&O Railroad was 

completed to Cincinnati, New Richmond 

was an important industrial village. The 

C&O wanted the New Richmond business 

and opened a station on their mainline in 

Kentucky and called it New Richmond 

Station. The station was nothing more than 

a depot and a ferry landing. The C&O 

acquired a ferry and named it the New 

Richmond. The C&O operated it until 1925. 

In 1926 the Manchester Ferry Company 

took over the ferry and operated it as the 

Lewis Adams Ferry until 1938, when Paul 

B. Nobis purchased it. He operated it until 

1975. It was the last ferry to operate in 


ROADS 

In 1795, Governor St. Clair, in his 

report to the Northwest Territory Cabinet 

stated, “There is not a road in the county 

(Clermont).” Under the Territorial Laws 

each county’s commissioners had control 

of affairs “such as roads, bridges, ferries… 

” When townships were formed in 1801, 

each township was provided with “two 

Supervisors of Highways.” The importance 

of roads was recognized from the 

Chapter IV ✦ 43

❖ The condition of Clermont County roads in the 

early twentieth century during wet seasons. This road 

was in Wayne Township. 


❖ Taking the buggy out for a Sunday drive. 


very beginning of the county. Starting in 

1805 at county commissioners’ meetings 

various roads were ordered surveyed and 

“viewers” appointed. Thus began the construction 

of unpaved “dust & mud” roads 

throughout the county. In the mid to late 

1800s, turnpikes and other roads were 

built by investors and run for profit. The 

roads were authorized by the state and 

funds raised by selling shares to the state 

and individuals. Travelers paid a toll to 

use the roads. Numerous roads throughout 

the county were built this way. For 

example, in 1831 a turnpike was built 

from Milford to Chillicothe and in 1834 

one was built from Union Bridge (in 

Newtown) to Batavia. Many of these roads 

were “Plank Roads,” in which the road 

surface was wooden planks. 

Laws passed in 1866 and 1867 

allowed free turnpikes to be constructed 

if they were proved to be of great benefit 

to the localities through which they 

passed. The law required that the majority 

of the residents and real estate owners 

living within two miles on each side of 

the road petition the county commissioners 

for approval. If deemed a public 

necessity and the owners of the real estate 

were willing to pay the cost of the road, 

the commissioners could approve it. Ten 

such free roads were approved under 

these laws. 

The advent of these roads played a 

major role in the settling and development 

of the county. 

CINCINNATI- BATAVIA 

PIKE, 1797 

By Alma Aicholtz Smith, 


In February 1797, the Court of 

Quarter Sessions of the Territory North of 

the Ohio River authorized a road be laid 

beginning at Newtown in Anderson 

Township to Williamsburg and from 

thence to Chillicothe. At the November 

1797 territorial court session John 

Donnels, the surveyor, reported that he 

had completed the survey and the distance 

was 78 miles and 50 poles long. 

The court ordered the survey recorded 

and the road established and open to 

the public. 

William Lytle was a major promoter of 

the road as it would place his newly 

founded town Williamsburg on the major 

road between Cincinnati and the capital 

of the Northwest Territory, Chillicothe. 

Williamsburg became an important stagecoach 

stop. The town grew in importance 

to the extent that when Clermont County 

was established in 1800 it was made the 

county seat. 

Although the road no longer goes 

all the way to Chillicothe, it was a significant 

factor in developing Clermont 

County. The villages of Mt. Carmel, 

Summerside, Glen Este, Willowville, 

Olive Branch, Batavia, and Afton sprang 

up along its route. 

The name of the road has changed several 

times. After the road became a turnpike, 

it was called the Union Bridge- 

❖ A stagecoach in Bethel. It is not known why the 

group picture was taken. Stagecoaches and omnibuses 

were the common way to travel before the automobile. 


Batavia Turnpike, then Cincinnati- 

Williamsburg Pike. Another part became 

the Batavia-Williamsburg Pike. When 

automobiles became popular in the 

1920s, the road became SR 74. Although a 

four-lane highway, SR 32, was completed 

in 1971 to serve modern day needs, most 

of the route of the old road in Clermont 

County still exists today. State Route 74 is 

now known as Old SR 74 or, mistakenly, 

as old SR 32. 

ANDERSON STATE 

ROAD, 1804 

By Alma Aicholtz Smith, 


The second road between Cincinnati and 

Chillicothe was laid out in 1804 after Ohio 

became a state in 1803. In 1804 the General 

Assembly appropriated $17,000 for the 

laying out of 18 state roads. One of these 

roads was to run “from Chillicothe by 

Cincinnati …to the west line of the state.” 

Isaac Anderson, for whom the road is 

named, conducted the survey. It was 

opened in 1806. 

The route of the road in Clermont 

County was: from the Brown-Clermont 

Line, US 50 through Marathon, Monterey, 

Owensville, to Stonelick. A short distance 

west of the hamlet of Stonelick, the road 

veered west of the East Fork of the Little 

Miami River into Union Township. There 

it went along present Baldwin and 

Tealtown Roads to the Cincinnati-Batavia 

Pike in Glen Este. The road then went 


west through Summerside and Mt. 

Carmel to the county line. 

The Anderson State Road probably had 

its heyday during the time Chillicothe 

was the capital of the state. The road lost 

its importance because travelers preferred 

going from Cincinnati to Chillicothe on 

the Cincinnati-Batavia Pike. Moreover, 

the legislature did not appropriate 

enough money to keep up roads. As a 

result, parts of the roads were abandoned 

or became township or other roads, a 

good portion became US 50. 

MODERN 

ROADS 

The 1950s saw the beginning of major 

improvements in the roads in Clermont 

County that last to this day. Emphasis was 

on the major roads leading from the 

county to Cincinnati. US 52 was enlarged 

to four lanes through New Richmond as 

was Ohio Pike (SR 125) from Cherry 

Grove to Bethel. The completion (1971) 

of the limited access four-lane 

Appalachian Highway (SR 32) extending 

from West Virginia through southern 

Ohio opened a major new transportation 

artery. The highway enters Clermont 

County north of Williamsburg, skirts 

Batavia and exits at Mt Carmel. Coupled 

with this highway is Interstate Highway 

275 (1970s), the Cincinnati bypass. It 

runs south/north somewhat parallel to the 

Clermont County-Hamilton County line 

and intersects with the Appalachian 

Highway near Mt. Carmel. It provides 

rapid access to downtown Cincinnati, 

eastern Hamilton County and points 

north such as Columbus and Dayton and 

south to Kentucky. These highways 

spurred commercial, industrial and residential 

development along their courses. 

Union and Miami Townships witnessed 

major population growth as many new 

housing developments have been built. 

Light industries have been established in 

the townships along the highways. 

Commercial and retail centers have grown 

up at Eastgate and Milford. The county 

further enhanced the road system in the 

western section of the county to facilitate 

the demands of these developments, for 

example the Milford Parkway (1999) and 

the SR 28 bypass (1994). In 2009 the 

Clermont County Engineers Office oversaw 

almost 400 miles of roads and 394 

bridges. These figures do not include 

township, federal and state roads. 

BRIDGES 

Several wooden toll-bridges were 

authorized by acts of the General 

Assembly. They were: across the Little 

Miami at Milford in 1815; over Twelve 

Mile Creek in Ohio Township in 1821; 

and across the East Fork of the Little 

Miami River at Williamsburg in 1838. 

These and other bridges were major 

improvements in the road system. The 

late 1800s saw the advent of iron bridges 

that replaced the wooden structures. 

❖ The Jackson Pike Covered Bridge built by 

Benjamin Bower in 1876. The bridge was a single-span, 

170-foot, 16-panel Smith truss that crossed the East 

Fork River on Jackson Pike. It was removed in 1966 

because it did not have capacity for fire trucks and 

school buses. 


COVERED 

BRIDGES 

Bridges in the 1800s and early 1900s 

were made of wood. Wood was plentiful 

in the forests of the county. The importance 

of covering the wooden trusses was 

recognized as early as the late 1700s. 

Protecting the wooden members from the 

ravages of rain and snow by covering 

them could extend the life of a bridge 

from ten to over one hundred years. 

Thirty-five timber truss bridges have 

been documented in Clermont County. 

There were probably more of these 

bridges. All were covered except those 

built by the railroads. The B&O 

Railroad had five crossings on O’Bannon 

Creek. The Little Miami Railroad had timber 

crossings at Miamiville and Loveland. 

The N&W Railroad had bridges at Batavia 

and Williamsburg. Railroads typically 

built the track across the top of the 

uncovered trusses because of the 

danger of fire caused by sparks from the 

steam engines. 

The following documented bridges are 

listed by stream crossing (a “?” indicates 

documentation is not complete): 

• Little Miami River: Milford, 

Miamiville, Branch Hill, and Loveland 

• Stonelick Creek: Stonelick, St. 

Philomena, and Patchell 

• Bullskin Creek: Cedron and Lenroot Road 

• East Fork, Little Miami River: Milford- 

Round Bottom Road, Perintown, Olive 

Branch-Stonelick Road, Batavia, Red 

Bridge, Elk Lick, Twin Bridges (?), 

Tunnel Mill (?), Williamsburg, Jackson 

Pike, and Blue Sky Road (?) 

• O’Bannon Creek: O’Bannon, Goshen, 

Ramsey, and Loveland 

• Cloverlick Creek: Cloverlick and 

Starling Road 

• Big Indian Creek: Point Pleasant 

• Poplar Creek: Near Bethel 

The Stonelick Covered Bridge (1878) 

on Stonelick-Williams Corner Road is the 

last remaining covered bridge in Clermont 

County. It was placed on the National 

Register of Historic Places in 1974. 

RAILROADS 

It is impossible today to visualize the 

lack of mobility of people in Clermont 

County in the 1800s. Many people lived 

their entire lives traveling only a few miles 

from their homes. It could take all day 

just to travel from the farm to Batavia, 

Bethel, or Milford in a buggy or wagon 

Chapter IV ✦ 45

ehind a slow horse. The 

unpaved roads were rutted and 

dusty in the summer and almost 

impassable, because of mud and 

potholes, in the wet seasons. The 

development of the steam engine 

and its use in a train forever 

changed America. By the 1830s 

railroad fever was sweeping the 

nation and the citizens of 

Cincinnati were no exception. 

The first train line built out of 

Cincinnati, The Little Miami, 

was to have a major impact on 

lives of those near the western 

border of Clermont County, 

especially Milford and Loveland. 

All together, five railroads served 

the citizens and businesses of 

Clermont County. Four passed 

through the county and the fifth 

ran along the Ohio River on the 

Kentucky shore. 

By act of the Ohio General 

Assembly in 1836, a company 

was incorporated to build a railroad 

from Cincinnati to Xenia. 

Its course was to follow the Little 

Miami River and thus became the 

first railroad to enter Clermont 

County. In December 1841, Cincinnati 

City Council and other dignitaries boarded 

two Little Miami Railroad (LMRR) 

passenger cars behind a wood burning 

locomotive and made the inaugural trip 

to Milford. The train ran on rails made 

of wood with strips of iron on top. It wasn’t 

until 1850 that they were replaced 

with iron rails. The LMRR reached Xenia 

in 1845. 

The LMRR entered Clermont County 

at Miamiville and traveled 6.15 miles 

within the county before departing over 

O’Bannon Creek in Loveland. There were 

stations at Miamiville, Donnelly, Branch 

Hill, Epworth Heights and Loveland. The 

Milford station was located across the 

Little Miami River in Hamilton County. At 

many of these stations, stagecoaches or 

omnibuses met the train and transported 

the travelers to hamlets within the county. 

❖ The railroads of Clermont County. 


Loveland became a railroad crossroads 

when the Hillsboro and Cincinnati 

Railroad (H&C) joined the LMRR in 

Loveland. Both railroads maintained 

depots, just a short walk from each other, 

and a turntable in the heart of the village. 

By 1890, 123 railroad workers lived in 

Loveland. Due to the frequent train 

service to Cincinnati, many people lived 

in Loveland and commuted to Cincinnati 

to work, shop and attend school. 

The outbreak of the Civil War was 

good and bad news for the LMRR. Trade 

with the south was cut off. At the same 

time, the need for moving men and 

materials for the Union cause intensified. 

The establishment of Camp Dennison 

(1861) on the LMRR between Miamiville 

and Milford brought business. Camp 

Dennison was a training camp and later a 

general hospital facility. Soldiers came 

and went on the LMRR. 

Abraham Lincoln rode the LMRR 

for his inauguration in 1861. 

General John Morgan and his 

raiders derailed a LMRR train 

(1863) near Dungan’s Crossing, 

killing the fireman and injuring 

the engineer. He captured 150 

raw, unarmed Union recruits. 

In January 1865 the LMRR 

helped carry troops from 

Franklin, Tennessee, to join 

General Grant at the battle of 

Richmond, Virginia. 

In 1870 the Pittsburgh and St. 

Louis Railway Company leased 

the financially troubled LMRR. 

The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) 

took over the line. The PRR was a 

dominant feature in Loveland. It 

cut through the center of town. 

The depot, turntable, and other 

facilities covered a good portion 

of downtown. In 1926 the 

turntable was removed and a 

park took its place. The water 

tower that served the steam 

engines was removed in 1950. 

The depot was torn down in 

1954. Conrail took over the 

railroad in 1970 and the line was 

abandoned in 1976. In 1979 the State of 

Ohio purchased the railroad right of way 

and formed the Little Miami Park. It 

developed the right of way into a multipurpose 

paved trail from Milford to Xenia. 

Loveland, once a railroad town, became a 

mecca for bike enthusiasts. 

In 1845 the Belpre and Cincinnati 

Railroad (B&C) was chartered. It was to 

be an east-west route passing through the 

coal fields of southern Ohio. The 

proposed route was from Belpre, Ohio 

(across the Ohio River from Parkersburg, 

West Virginia) to Cincinnati. The B&C 

was renamed the Marietta and Cincinnati 

in 1851. The M&C reached Greenfield 

in 1854. 

At the same time, in 1846, the Hillsboro 

& Cincinnati Railroad (H&C) was chartered. 

It ran from Loveland to Hillsboro, but 


never was extended into Cincinnati. To 

reach the city, it was necessary to change 

from the H&C to the LMRR in Loveland. 

The H&C reached Hillsboro in 1850. 

In the mid-1850s, in order to reach 

Cincinnati from the east, it was necessary 

to take a stage from the Marietta & 

Cincinnati Railroad depot in Greenfield to 

Hillsboro, catch the H&C in Hillsboro to 

Loveland and then transfer to the LMRR in 

Loveland. Leaving Chillicothe at 5:30 a.m., 

one could reach Cincinnati at 11:25 a.m. 

for a fare of $2.90. It required a stagecoach 

almost a day to make the same trip. 

In the 1860s the Baltimore and Ohio 

Railroad (B&O) took over both the H&C 

and M&C (although it was still called the 

M&C) and connected the two railroads at 

Greenfield. Except for the ferry at 

Parkersburg, train service from Baltimore/ 

Washington, D.C. to Cincinnati was 

available. The bridge in Parkersburg 

opened in 1871. The M&C built a bridge 

across the Little Miami River (1866-1870), 

thus no longer had to depend on the 

LMRR to reach Cincinnati. 

The M&C crossed into Clermont County 

at Loveland and then followed O’Bannon 

Creek with stations at O’Bannon and Hill’s 

Station (in Goshen Township) before exiting 

into Warren County. A brick depot was built 

in Loveland (1870-1871). The B&O depot 

resides in the village today, although passenger 

service ended in 1971 and the building 

was sold to private interests. The Amtrak 

passenger train Shenandoah passed through 

Loveland until 1981. 

❖ A sketch of the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad 

locomotive Number 14, the Marietta, c. 1837. 


❖ A Little Miami Railroad train. 

COURTESY OF THE CINCINNATTI RAILROAD CLUB. 

The B&O was merged into the 

Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) in the 1960s 

and then into CSX in 1980. Freight trains 

still use the track through the village. 

In 1873 businessmen in Mt. 

Washington, Batavia and Amelia organized 

a narrow gauge railroad to open up their 

lands and businesses. They named it the 

Cincinnati and Portsmouth Railroad. The 

route entered Clermont County at Clough 

Pike and passed through Mt. Carmel, 

Summerside, Glen Este, Willowville and 

Olive Branch. South of Olive Branch it followed 

the Ohio Pike through Amelia and 

Hamlet and made its way to Bethel and 

into Brown County. 

Construction began in 1876 and the 

line reached Mt. Carmel in 1877. 

Following bankruptcy in 1880, it was reorganized 

and renamed the Cincinnati, 

Georgetown & Portsmouth Railroad 

(CG&P) and reached Bethel in 1882. 

Work stopped until 1885, when new 

investors were able to continue the line to 

Georgetown (1886). Construction stopped 

at Georgetown because the Cincinnati & 

Eastern Railway had completed a line from 

Cincinnati to Portsmouth. 

In 1901 a new owner, Andrew 

Comstock, modernized the CG&P by 

changing the line from narrow to standard 

gauge and electrifying the line. He built a 

modern electric generating plant at Olive 

Branch and formed Lake Allyn to provide 

cooling water for the plant. He also sold 

electric power to villages and farms along 

the right of way. The first electric car ran to 

Georgetown in 1904. In 1905 he built a 

line from Bethel to Felicity. A line from 

Lake Allyn to Batavia was also built. 

Highland Park was built at Lake Allyn with 

swimming, boating, picnicking and a pavilion. 

In 1903 there were plans to build a 

five-hundred-room hotel, but it was never 

built. In 1905 two new steam engines were 

bought to pull the freight trains. 

By 1918 coal shortages (because of 

WWI), strikes by employees, floods, a flu 

epidemic, competition from a traction line 

and the paving of roads that enhanced auto 

and truck travel, siphoned freight and passengers 

off the railroad. Numerous 

schemes to keep the railroad afloat did not 

work. The Depression of the 1930s was 

the CG&P’s death blow. In 1933 the 

Felicity-Bethel branch was abandoned. 

❖ The B&O passenger train Cincinnatian passing 

the Loveland Station in 1950. 

COURTESY OF FRANK PENCE. 

Chapter IV ✦ 47

❖ Hills Station depot on the Baltimore and Ohio 

Railroad served Goshen Township and was located on 

Hill Station Road. The railroad was originally the 

Hillsboro & Cincinnati RR (1846), then became a part 

of the Marietta & Cincinnati RR (1854) and the B&O 

in 1866. 


The railroad was sold to an electric company, 

which had no interest in the railroad, 

but in the electrical service and right of 

way. In 1934 the railroad was sold to junk 

dealers and the Batavia branch abandoned. 

When the mail contract expired in 1935, 

the railroad stopped passenger service. 

Some freight was hauled until April 1936. 

The CG&P provided important services 

to Clermont County for fifty years. 

Before the days of paved roads and 

improved autos and trucks, it was a major 

mover of people and freight. It provided 

electricity to many villages. Because of the 

rural nature of the line and with no major 

industries or towns along its right of way, 

it was never a financial success. 

In 1876, Samuel Woodward conceived 

the idea of a railroad serving the central 

part of Clermont County and incorporated 

the Cincinnati, Batavia, and Williamsburg 

❖ A Cincinnati, Georgetown and Portsmouth 

Railroad passenger car. 


Railroad, which began construction that 

same year. Feeling they had not 

thought big enough, the board of directors 

changed the name to Cincinnati & Eastern 

Railroad (C&E). 

The railroad opened for business from 

Batavia Junction (later called Clare), near 

Newtown, to Batavia in October 1876. The 

narrow gauge track followed the East Fork 

of the Little Miami River. After crossing the 

river at Batavia, it climbed up the steep 

grade out of the valley and proceeded to 

Williamsburg (March 1877). In August 

1884 it reached Portsmouth. The train 

made stops in Clermont County at 

Williamsburg, Afton, Summit Heights, 

Batavia, East Liberty, Cahoon, Elston’s and 

South Milford. From Cahoon (near 

Perintown), an omnibus provided service 

to Eastfork and New Boston (Owensville). 

The Ohio River Branch, New 

Richmond Junction (near Newtown) to 

New Richmond, was incorporated in 

1877. It reached New Richmond in 1880. 

The C&E had financial problems and in 

1877 was bought out and renamed the Ohio 

and North Western (O&NW). However, the 

Ohio River Branch was bought by W. P. 

Devou, Jr. The O&NW converted to 

standard gauge, so it could operate with 

other railroads in Cincinnati; whereas, the 

Devou Line did not. Cargo from the Devou 

Line had to be reloaded at New Richmond 

Junction to move on other railroads. This 

was one of the reasons it failed in 1889. 

Further financial problems resulted in 

the O&NW being reorganized as the 

Cincinnati, Portsmouth and Virginia 

Railroad (CP&V) in 1891. The line was 

acquired by the Norfolk and Western 

Railroad (N&W) in 1901. Further mergers 

occurred in 1982 and the railroad became 

part of the Norfolk & Southern Railroad. 

In April 1971 passenger service 

stopped on the N&S Railroad. The depots 

in Williamsburg and Batavia were closed 

in 1973. The Williamsburg depot was torn 

down shortly after that and the Batavia 

depot (built in 1898) was removed in 

1989. The only depot structure left in 

Clermont County is the one in Cahoon. 

❖ The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad depot in 

Loveland. Built in 1870-1871, passenger service at the 

depot ended in 1971. The depot has been used as a store 

and the structure still exists today. 


The N&S continued to have freight service 

between Cincinnati and Portsmouth 

(called the Peavine Branch) until 2003. The 

Peavine was closed to traffic from Cincinnati 

to Portsmouth because of problems with the 

bridge over the Scioto River near 

Portsmouth. Service from Cincinnati 

through Clermont County to Winchester, 

Adams County, continues on a limited basis. 

Two historic train wrecks occurred in 

Clermont County. On October 17, 1884, 

the railroad bridge over the East Fork of the 

Little Miami River at Batavia collapsed 

under a passenger train. The locomotive 

and cars fell into the river, killing the engineer 

and fireman and seriously injuring a 

score of passengers. One car remained precariously 

balanced on the edge of the bridge 

with thirty panic-stricken passengers. They 

miraculously escaped death and injury. 

On August 8, 1885, the 800-foot trestle 

on the Devou Line (Three Forks near Nine 

Mile Creek) gave way and dropped the 

locomotive, three flat cars and a baggage 

car 30 feet to the creek below. Three were 

killed and nine injured. 

In 1873 the C&O was completed across 

the Allegheny Mountains connecting 

Virginia and Huntington, West Virginia. In 

order for the railroad to reach the Cincinnati 

markets, it contracted with the packet ship 

company, the White Collar Line, to handle 

its freight and passenger service from 

Huntington to Cincinnati. At the same time 

the C&O continued laying track along the 

Ohio River and built a fifteen-hundred-foot 


idge across the river at Covington into 

Cincinnati. The first train ran from 

Huntington to Cincinnati in 1888. 

The C&O never entered Clermont 

County, but provided a valuable service to 

the villages along the shores of the Ohio 

River. Passengers, freight and mail were 

carried across the river by ferries. In the villages 

of Point Pleasant and Chilo when 

ferry service ended the mail was rowed 

across the river in small boats. The C&O’s 

Ivor and New Richmond Stations were 

established (there were never towns at 

these locations) to provide service to 

Moscow and New Richmond. The C&O 

even owned the ferry at New Richmond. 

The advent of better roads, automobiles 

and trucks, and railroad and traction lines to 

New Richmond were ultimately the demise 

of the use of the C&O. Passenger and freight 

service ended in the 1930s, except for New 

Richmond, which ended in 1950. 

The C&O was merged into the CSX 

Transportation system in 1987 and still 

provides service from Cincinnati to the 

East Coast through Huntington. 

TRACTION 

LINES 

With the improvement of electric 

motors in the 1880s, their use in electrified 

railroad cars was quickly adopted. 

The first successful street car in Ohio 

began operation in 1888. The traction, 

street or trolley car is one that is powered 

❖ Norfolk and Western Railroad Cahoon depot that 

served Perintown. After being closed by the railroad, it 

became a residence. This 2006 picture shows the 

structure as it is today. It is the only N&W station 

remaining in Clermont County. 


❖ The N&W bridge at Batavia that crossed the East Fork River. On October 17, 1884, the bridge gave way under 

a passenger train. The engineer and fireman were killed and many passengers injured. Thirty people were trapped in 

the car precariously perched on the edge. The conductor rescued each person one at a time. 

COURTESY OF HARPER’S WEEKLY. 

by electricity and runs on tracks. It 

receives its power either through the rails 

or by overhead wires. A “trolley’ is the 

pole that connects the car to the overhead 

wire and conducts the electricity to the 

car. By the 1890s and 1900s traction lines 

were a hot issue. Many cities built trolley 

lines and soon they were extended into 

the surrounding countryside (called 

interurbans). Traction lines carried passengers, 

light freight, milk and produce, 

and mail. They were important in providing 

reliable and fast transportation from 

the rural areas of the county to Cincinnati 

and other population and market centers. 

Four traction lines were built in 

Clermont County; all connected the 

county to Cincinnati. Milford was the first 

site of interest for building into Clermont 

County because of the bridge across the 

Little Miami that existed there. 

The Cincinnati, Milford & Loveland 

Traction Co.’s (CM&L) first car crossed the 

Milford Bridge and entered Milford in 

1904. A power plant was built in Milford to 

provide electricity to the traction cars and 

by 1906 was also providing electricity to 

the village. The CM&L was unable to proceed 

to Loveland for financial and legal reasons 

and turned its sights on Blanchester. It 

was renamed Cincinnati, Milford, and 

Blanchester Traction Company (CM&B) in 

1918 to better reflect its service. In June 

1906 the first car reached Blanchester. 

The CM&B followed Main Street out of 

Milford and SR 28 to Mulberry where it 

turned directly east to Newtonsville. It then 

❖ One of the Cincinnati and Columbus Traction 

Company’s Hillsboro Short Line cars. Note that 

the traction company also picked up milk from 

local farmers. 


Chapter IV ✦ 49

proceeded northeast to just east of Edenton 

and out of the county. 

Stops in Clermont County were: Milford, 

East Milford, Mulberry, Mt. Repose, 

Salvation Park, Goshen Station, Belfast, 

Manila, Modest, Clarks, Newtonsville, 

Woodland Park, and Edenton. A trip from 

Milford to Edenton took 47 minutes. 

Salvation Park was a place where religious 

camp meetings were held. Woodland Park 

was a major resort at the time, located a 

short distance from Newtonsville. The 

twenty-five-acre site had a lake for boating 

and fishing, picnic grounds, ball fields, a 

refreshment stand and auditorium. Summer 

chautauquas were held each July. 

The CM&B stopped service to 

Newtonsville in 1922 and by 1926 all 

service to Clermont County, except 

Milford, ceased. 

The Cincinnati and Columbus Traction 

Company (C&C) was organized in 1901 

and planned to follow the Chillicothe Pike 

(US 50) from Milford to Hillsboro, then 

north to Washington Court House and 

finally to Columbus. It never went further 

than Hillsboro. It was in competition with 

the CM&L for the use of the Milford Bridge 

and service to the village. After the CM&L 

gained control of the Milford Bridge, the 

C&C built a bridge adjacent to it (1905- 

06). The line was completed across 

Clermont County to Hillsboro in 1905. A 

power plant was built at Cahoon adjacent 

to Perintown (1905). Until the bridge was 

❖ A car in the Cincinnati, Milford and Loveland 

(CM&L) Traction line. The CM&L never went to 

Loveland, but to Blanchester. 


❖ A map showing the traction lines in Clermont County. 


completed, service ended in Milford. The 

C&C had a major set back in 1907 when a 

flood washed away the bridge. The second 

bridge was destroyed in the 1913 flood and 

rebuilt in 1914. 

Stops along the C&C in Clermont 

County were Milford, Perintown, Stonelick, 

Boston (Owensville), Monterey, Hartman’s 

and Marathon. Specials were run to Boston 

for the County Fair. An amusement park 

was located at Perintown alongside the East 

Fork of the Little Miami River. A trip from 

Marathon to Milford took about 45 minutes. 

To illustrate the advantage of the C&C, 

a wagon pulled by horses took almost two 

days to reach Cincinnati. The C&C took 

only 2 hours and 15 minutes. 

WWI placed a great strain on the C&C 

because of the shortage of coal. In 1917 

and 1918 the traction line had to shut 

down at times because of the lack of coal 

needed to produce electricity. It also 

impacted the villages that received electricity 

from the C&C. 

By 1919 the rural population and hamlets 

no longer looked on the C&C as an 

important means of transportation for they 

had their personal cars to come to town 

and trucks to haul their products to the 

city. The line was abandoned. 

The Interurban Railway & Terminal 

Co. (IR&T), nicknamed The Black Line 

because their cars were painted a dark 

green that looked black, had three divisions. 

Two of the divisions operated in 

Clermont County. The Eastern Division 

ran from Coney Island to New Richmond. 

The Suburban Division ran from Mt. 

Washington to Bethel. A power plant was 

located at Coney Island. Besides passenger 

trolleys, they operated “Express Cars.” 

These cars carried merchandise for stores 

along the route and in turn brought farm 

products such as milk and produce to 

the city. 

The Black Line entered New Richmond 

in 1902 and for the next twenty years provided 

much faster and more reliable transportation 

to Cincinnati than the packet 

boats or railroads. The trip from New 

Richmond to Cincinnati took an hour and 

a half. Stops made in Clermont County 

were New Richmond, Blairville, New 

Palestine, and Nine Mile. 

The Eastern Division was completed to 

Bethel in 1903. It made stops in Clermont 

County at Tobasco, Withamsville, Merwin, 

Amelia, Hamlet, Mt. Holly, Bantam and 

Bethel. A trip from Bethel to Cincinnati took 

two hours. The line closed in 1918 and the 

tracks pulled up for steel during WWI. 

The IR&T passed the Coney Island 

Amusement Park, which was a popular 

destination of the traction line. 


CHAPTER V 

T HE A BOLITIONIST M OVEMENT AND C IVIL W AR 

B Y G ARY L. KNEPP 

From the very beginning Clermont 

County played a prominent role in the 

antislavery movement. Southerners opposed 

to slavery flocked to the county because the 

institution was banned by the Northwest 

Ordinance. By 1802 enough people had 

settled in the territory to call a 

Constitutional Convention to organize the 

new state of Ohio. The legalization of slavery 

in the new state was sure to be a major issue 

of contention at the convention. Virginians 

who settled in the area near Marietta favored 

its legalization while residents in the western 

regions near Cincinnati opposed it. Obed 

Denham, the founder of Bethel, wanted to 

insure that Clermont County voted for a free 

state. He promoted Philip Gatch of Milford 

and James Sargent of Franklin Township as 

the county’s delegates to Ohio’s 

Constitutional Convention because he knew 

that both of these former slave owning 

Methodist ministers could be counted on to 

oppose slavery’s legalization in Ohio. 

Legalization of slavery quickly escalated 

into a major issue at the convention. 

Clermont County residents sent a strongly 

worded petition opposing it. One delegate 

read a letter from President Thomas 

Jefferson urging the delegates to approve 

slavery’s legalization. Jefferson argued that 

extending slavery to Ohio would hasten 

the institution’s demise by diluting its 

strength. In reality, he was probably trying 

to open a new market for Virginia slaves. 

The issue was hotly debated. When all of 

the oratory was over, the measure to legalize 

slavery in Ohio lost by one vote. Both Philip 

Gatch and James Sargent voted no. 

At the beginning of the nineteenth 

century, slavery was of marginal concern. 

But as time wore on, it enveloped 

antebellum America. Every institution of 

society was affected—the church, 

community, politics, and the law. And so it 

was with Clermont. 

❖ The Cranston Memorial Church, New Richmond, 

took an early lead and uncompromising stand against 

slavery. At a previous location, the church hosted the 

organizational meeting of the New Richmond Anti- 

Slavery Society in 1836. The church hosted a number of 

anti-slavery speakers.The present building, located at 

Union and Washington Streets was built in 1856. 

COURTESY OF CRANSTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 

Churches, such as the New Richmond 

Presbyterian, drafted antislavery 

memorials. Baptists formed a proslavery 

church. Methodists, disgusted with the 

mild antislavery stance of the northern 

Methodist church, split off to form radically 

antislavery Wesleyan congregations. 

Local chapters of the American 

Colonization Society, whose purpose was 

to voluntarily transport free blacks back to 

Africa, were formed. Prominent Methodist 

minister, George Light of New Richmond, 

became the county’s agent. Those who 

favored the immediate end to slavery 

joined the American Antislavery Society. 

Dr. John Rogers of New Richmond, 

Reverend Andrew Coombs of Lindale, and 

Brice Blair of Batavia were all active 

members of this organization. 

Small numbers of Clermonters joined 

the Liberty Party in 1840. Its sole purpose 

was to end slavery. Former U.S. Senator 

Thomas Morris of Bethel was the party’s 

nominee for vice president in 1844. The 

Free Soil Party, whose mission was to 

keep slavery from spreading to the new 

territories, found members in Clermont. 

Eventually, antislavery voters coalesced to 

form the Republican Party in 1854. 

Former Clermont County Prosecuting 

Attorney John Jolliffe, defended three 

Clermonters in a case involving slavery. 

The case landed in Ohio’s Supreme Court, 

where the court adopted Jolliffe’s argument 

that a slave who came to Ohio with his 

owner’s permission or acquiescence 

became free the moment he stood on 

Ohio’s free soil and breathed her free air. 

The case was overturned shortly 

afterwards by the U.S. Supreme Court in 

the Dred Scott decision. 

Despite the risks, there were 

Clermonters, both black and white, who so 

hated slavery that they were willing to 

become criminals by helping slaves to 

freedom. Felicity resident Juliette Miles died 

in the Kentucky penitentiary for trying to 

help her own children and grandchildren to 

freedom. Robert Fee of Moscow stood under 

indictment for several years in Pendleton 

County, Kentucky, for “slave stealing.” 

Oliver Perry Spencer Fee was known as 

the “High Priest” of Felicity’s Underground 

Railroad operation. Teenager William 

Thompson guided fugitives from Bethel 

through the Elklick Valley to Williamsburg. 

Charles Huber of Williamsburg helped 

an estimated three hundred slaves along 

the road. 

Clermonters were uneasy during the 

secession crisis as one southern state after 

another left the Union. Most were loyal to 

the Union. Others, with close business or 

family ties to the South, were not so sure. 

Chapter V ✦ 51

Some abolitionists saw this as an 

opportunity to end slavery by force of arms. 

The attack upon Fort Sumter changed 

everything. Hundreds of residents 

swarmed recruiting centers around the 

county. Many went to nearby Camp 

Dennison for basic training. Home guards 

were formed in New Richmond and 

Milford. Those living along the Ohio 

River braced for what they believed to be 

an imminent attack by Kentucky rebels. 

New Richmond residents gathered at the 

Presbyterian Church, the town’s largest 

building, to discuss the situation. So large was 

the crowd that the overflow listened to the 

meeting outside in the churchyard. Suddenly, 

a loud crack was heard. Panic set in. The 

battle must have begun, they thought. It was 

soon discovered that a banister had split in 

the crush of the crowd. Embarrassed, but 

relieved, smiles appeared on their faces as 

they realized what had happened. 

In September of 1862, ten thousand 

Confederate soldiers approached Cincinnati. 

The city was panic struck. General Lew 

Wallace, author of Ben Hur, was called upon 

to defend the city. Martial law was declared. 

Defenses were built in northern Kentucky. 

Over 400 civilians from Clermont were 

among thousands from the state who 

responded to the call. After a few days 

standoff, the Confederates withdrew. The 

militiamen, known as “squirrel hunters” 

were discharged from their service with $11 

and a free train pass for their troubles. 

❖ Dr. William E. Thompson (1835-1940) 

residence. He became an active member of the Bethel 

Underground Railroad network as a teenager. He guided 

fugitives from Bethel to the Elklick area near 

Williamsburg. He would on occasion shoot hounds 

tracking the escaped slaves. 


On July 14, 1863, two thousand 

Confederate raiders, under the command 

of General John Hunt Morgan, splashed 

across the Little Miami River at Branch Hill 

into Clermont County. After derailing a 

train bound for Camp Dennison and 

engaging the Loveland militia in a brief but 

sharp skirmish, the raiders broke up into 

small groups and fanned across Clermont 

County looking for horses to replace their 

worn out mounts. They rendezvoused in 

Williamsburg for the night. 

There may have been as many as five 

thousand men from Clermont who fought in 

the Civil War. This is an extraordinarily high 

figure considering that the county’s 

population was just thirty-four thousand in 

1860. Among the regiments with large 

numbers of Clermonters were the 153rd 

Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the 89th Ohio 

Volunteer Infantry, the 59th Ohio Volunteer 

Infantry, and the 9th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. 

The men served in every branch—infantry, 

artillery, cavalry, and navy—and saw action 

in both the eastern and western theaters 

including the far west fighting Indians. The 

men from Clermont went to war for different 

reasons: some to fight for their country, 

others to liberate four million people from 

slavery and others just for the adventure of it. 

Clermont was the birthplace of the greatest 

soldier of them all: Ulysses S. Grant. At 

war’s end, he was considered to be the savior 

of the country and was widely respected 

in the South for the respect he showed to 

the southern soldier. By the middle of the 

twentieth century, his reputation was tarnished. 

He was called a butcher and a 

drunk. However, in recent years, historians 

have re-examined his reputation and Grant 

has again taken his rightful place as the 

greatest soldier of his age. 

There were many more who served their 

country well, but whose names have now 

slipped into obscurity. Henry Clark Corbin 

of Monroe Township emerged from the war 

as a twenty-two year old Brevet Brigadier 

General. After receiving a personal 

commission from General Grant, he 

remained in the U.S. Army and retired as its 

highest ranking officer. John Wageman of 

❖ Bethel Baptist Church was organized in 1798, as 

an anti-slavery church. Obed Denham, abolitionist and 

founder of Bethel, donated two lots for the church to 

build a meeting house and cemetery. He placed a deed 

restriction upon the gift, prohibiting the use by “those 

who hold slaves or commune at the Lord’s table with 

those who practice slavery.” The church became the first 

emancipating society west of the Alleghenies. The church 

joined the Baptized Licking Locust Association, an 

association of anti-slavery Baptist of Kentucky. 


Clover was awarded the Congressional 

Medal of Honor for his heroics at the Battle 

of Petersburg. Gerard P. Riley, an abolitionist 

minister and Underground Railroad 

operative, earned the nickname of “The 

Fighting Chaplain” for his exploits at the 

Battle of Perryville. Captain William Randall, 

of Goshen, was among the 104 Union 

officers who escaped from Libby prison— 

the largest POW escape of the war. Captain 

Oliver Gatch and his brother Dr. Charles 

Gatch from Milford were eyewitnesses of 

President Lincoln’s assassination. 

The county’s black citizens enlisted in the 

war effort as well. Five Clermonters joined 

up with the 55th Massachusetts Infantry. 

Marcus Simms, a forty-three-year- old black 

teamster and Underground Railroad 

conductor from Williamsburg, was killed in 

action at the Battle of Chaffin Farm, Virginia, 

in 1864. LeRoy Lee, who was rescued from 

slave owners by the people of New 

Richmond, was a member of the Second 

U.S. Heavy Artillery. After the war, he 

returned to New Richmond, becoming a 

respected member of the community. 

Clermont County played a very 

important role in this dramatic episode of 

American history. 


CHAPTER VI 

C LERMONT C OUNTY V ETERANS, GENERALS & MEDAL OF H ONOR R ECIPIENTS 

B Y R ON H ILL, CLERMONT C OUNTY H ISTORICAL S OCIETY 

The citizens of Clermont County have 

been involved in all of the conflicts that 

have faced our nation, from the 

Revolutionary War to the current wars in 

Iraq and Afghanistan. Memorials 

honoring the county’s veterans have been 

constructed by villages and townships 

throughout the county. Each Memorial 

and Veterans Day communities 

throughout the county pay homage to 

their veterans in parades and gatherings 

and decorating graves. Though not 

formally organized, veterans see that each 

gravesite of a serviceman or woman is 

marked with a small American flag. 

ULYSSES 

S. GRANT 

Grant was born in Point Pleasant on 

April 27, 1822, and was given the name 

Hiram Ulysses. The following year the 

family moved to Georgetown, Ohio, 

where he lived for the next sixteen years. 

He attended West Point in 1839 where he 

❖ Ulysses S. Grant plaque on the Grant Memorial 

Bridge, Point Pleasant. 


❖ Ulysses S. Grant’s birthplace in Point Pleasant 

Grant was born in this house on April 27, 1822. He 

only lived here one year before his family moved to 

Georgetown. In 1885 the house was removed from Point 

Pleasant and put on display for the Ohio Valley 

Centennial. Later it was put on display in Columbus at 

the state fairgrounds. In March 1936 it was returned to 

Point Pleasant where it stands today. 


❖ Civil War veterans buried in Old Bethel Church 

Cemetery, Bantam. 


❖ The New Richmond Veterans Memorial 


Chapter VI ✦ 53

HENRY CLARK CORBIN 

Corbin was born in Laurel in 1842. He 

attended the Clermont Academy in 

Clermontville and taught school in Olive 

Branch. He served in the Army during the 

Civil War and the Indian Wars in the 

Western United States. He was detailed to 

the White House in Washington where he 

served under Presidents Grant, Garfield and 

❖ Henry Clark Corbin’s plaque located in the Armory 

Building, Batavia. 


obtained the name Ulysses Simpson 

Grant. He served in the Mexican War. A 

few years after the war, he resigned 

from the military and returned to 

private life. With the outbreak of the 

Civil War in 1861, Congress confirmed 

his appointment as a brigadier general. 

He would achieve the rank of majorgeneral 

and become the greatest general 

of the Civil War. He was elected the 

eighteenth President of the United States. 

He visited Clermont County several times 

during and after his presidency. He died 

on July 13, 1885 and is buried in New 

York City. 

❖ Veterans Memorial Park, Union Township, 2009. Each cross represents a member of the military killed in the Iraq 

and Afghanistan War. The crosses are placed by Boy Scouts each Memorial Day. 


❖ New Richmond WWI veterans memorial. 


❖ Batavia Township Veterans Memorial Plaza was dedicated in November 2009. 



❖ Moscow veterans memorial. 


❖ The Batavia Veterans Memorial for members of the military lost in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. 


EDGAR 

R. ASTON 

Aston, of Amelia, was born in 1847 and 

was a private in Company L, 8th Cavalry. 

His Medal of Honor effort took place in 

San Carlos, Arizona in May 1868, during 

the Indian Wars. His citation reads: “With 

two other men he volunteered to search 

out a valley wherein an infantry column 

was immobile. This small group passed six 

miles among hostile Apache terrain finding 

the sought passage. On their return down 

the canyon they were attacked by Apaches 

who were successfully held at bay.” Aston 

served thirty years in the military and died 

in 1932. He is buried in the Tate Township 

Cemetery in Bethel. 

JOHN 

H. WAGEMAN 

❖ The Batavia Veterans Memorial for members of the military lost in World War I and World War II. 


McKinley. Corbin achieved the highest rank 

in the United States Army, major-general. He 

died in 1909 and is buried in Arlington 

National Cemetery. The National Guard 

Armory in Batavia was dedicated in his name 

and a bronze plaque hangs in the lobby. 

Wageman was born in 1841. He enlisted 

in Company I, 60th Ohio Infantry at 

Amelia. His effort that won him the Medal 

of Honor took place in the Civil War at the 

Battle at Petersburg, Virginia. His citation 

reads “Remained with the command after 

being severely wounded until he had fired 

all the cartridges in his possession, when he 

had to be carried from the field.” Wageman 

died in 1916 and is buried in Williamsburg 

Township, Clover Cemetery. 

Chapter VI ✦ 55

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY & READING LIST 

2004 State Profile, Ohio. Washington, D.C.: Woods & Poole Economics, 2004. 

Bancroft, Arthur P. Gazetteer and Directory of Clermont County, Ohio: 1882. Reprinted and Indexed. Batavia, Ohio: Clermont County 

Historical Society, 2004. 

Beller, Janet Brock. Loveland: Passages Through Time. Authors-editors: Janet Brock Beller and Maxine Elliott Nason. Loveland, Ohio: 

Greater Loveland Historical Society, 1992. 

Bennett, Libbie, ed. Monroe Township: 1803-1903. Monroe Township Bicentennial Board, 2003. 

Bethel Historical Association. Bethel: 1798-1998. Bethel, Ohio: Bethel Historical Association, 1998. 

Boklage, Mary George. Out of the Cornfields: A 25 Year History of Clermont Mercy Hospital. Cincinnati, Ohio, 1997. 

Centenary Celebration Commemorating the Birth of General Ulysses Simpson Grant: 1822-1922. U. S. Grant Memorial Centenary 

Association of the United States, 1922. 

Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Freedom Trail: Underground Railroad and Abolitionist Sites. Batavia, Ohio: Clermont 

County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2004. 

Clermont County, Ohio, 1980: A Collection of Genealogical and Historical Writings, Volume One. Batavia, Ohio: Clermont County 

Genealogical Society, 1984. 

Crawford, Richard. Lightning Across The River: The Story of John Hunt Morgan’s Raid On Clermont County, Ohio and U.S. Grant: 

Clermont County’s Most Noted Son. Newport, Kentucky: Rhiannon Publications, 1996. 

Crawford, Richard. Thunder Before the Dawn: Stories of the Early Settlers and Warriors In Clermont County, Ohio. Newport, KY: 

Rhiannon Publications, 1995. 

Crawford, Richard. Thunder in the Valley: The Confederate Invasion of Clermont County. Cincinnati, Ohio: Richard Crawford. 

Didday, Elaine, ed. Goshen Township History and Directory. Goshen, Ohio: Goshen Township Historical Society, 2005. 

Dore, Christopher C. In the Shadow of the River: A History of the Chilo Lock and Dam #34 and the Community. Batavia, Ohio: Clermont 

County Park Board, 1995. 

Eberhard, Thomas. The Loveland Story. Loveland, Ohio: Greater Loveland Historical Society, 1963. 

Ford Motor Company. Batavia Memories, 1980-2008. Batavia, Ohio: Batavia Transmission Plant, 2008. 

Germann, Kristin. Clermont County Public Library: 50 Years of Caring and Sharing, 1955-2005. Batavia, Ohio: Clermont County Public 

Library, 2005. 

Grabb, John R. The Marietta & Cincinnati in Connection with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Jackson, Ohio: Jackson Publishing Co., 1989. 

Grant, Ulysses S. Personal memoirs of U. S. Grant. New York: Charles L. Webster Co., 1885. 

Greater Milford Area Historical Society. Bridge to the Past: A History of Milford, Ohio. Compiled by Virginia C. Critchell, Carol Flum 

and Maxine Van Aken. Milford, Ohio: Greater Milford Historical Society, 2000. 

Harmony Hill Association. Olde Williamsburgh, 200 Years of History: Bicentennial Commemoration, 1796-1996. Williamsburg, Ohio: 

Harmony Hill Association, 1996, reprinted 2005. 

Hill, Ronald and Richard Crawford, ed. Clermont County, Ohio Bicentennial, 1800-2000. Batavia, Ohio: Clermont County Historical 

Society, 2001. 

Horwitz, Lester V. Longest Raid of the Civil War: Little-Known & Untold Stories of Morgan’s Raid into Kentucky, Indiana & Ohio. 

Cincinnati, Ohio: Farmcourt Publishing, 1999. 

Hughes, Clifford. Dedicated to the Progress of the Village of Amelia: Incorporated December 20, 1900: Clermont County, Ohio. Amelia, 

Ohio: Village of Amelia, 1993. 

Knepp, Gary L. Beyond the Names: A Tribute to Clermont County, Ohio Vietnam War Dead. Milford, Ohio: Little Miami Publishing 

Company, 2009. 

Knepp, Gary L. Freedom’s Struggle: A Response to Slavery from the Ohio Borderlands. Milford, Ohio: Little Miami Publishing 

Company, 2008. 

Knepp, Gary L. and Patricia Wade Bradford. Nine Who Made a Difference: Distinguished Citizens of Clermont’s First 200 Years. Batavia, 

Ohio: Gary L. Knepp, 2000. 

Knepp, Gary L., ed. The Autobiography of Henry Clark Corbin. Cragburn Publishing, 2003. 

Knepp, Gary L., ed. To Crown Myself with Honor: The Wartime Letters of Captain Asbury Gatch, 9th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Cragburn 

Press, 1997. 


Koch, James L. Before That: Scenes in Goshen Township, Clermont County, Ohio. Goshen, Ohio: Goshen Township Historical Society, 2007. 

Lloyd, W. A., J. I. Falconer, and C. E. Thorne. The Agriculture of Ohio, Bulletin 326. Wooster, Ohio: Ohio Agricultural Experiment 

Station, 1918. 

Marcotte, Fred. University of Cincinnati Clermont College: The First 25 Years, 1972-1997. Batavia, Ohio: University of Cincinnati 

Clermont College, 1997. 

McNeil, David. Cincinnati And Columbus Traction Co.: Hillsboro Short Line; The Swing Line. Cincinnati, Ohio: David McNeil, 1996. 

McNeil, David. Cincinnati, Milford & Loveland Traction Company (Cincinnati, Milford & Blanchester Traction Co.): The Kroger Line. 

Hamilton, Ohio: David McNeil, 2002. 

McNeil, David. Railroad with 3 Gauges: The Cincinnati, Georgetown & Portsmouth Railroad and Felicity & Bethel Railroad; also with 

Material on the Interurban Railway & Terminal Co. and the Ohio River & Columbus Railroad. Cincinnati, Ohio: David McNeil, 1986. 

Reprint, Batavia, Ohio: Clermont County Historical Society, 2005. 

Neville Bicentennial Committee. Historic Neville on the Ohio River. Neville, Ohio: Neville Bicentennial Committee, 2008. 

New Richmond’s “150”, Inc. 1816-1966, New Richmond’s Sesquicentennial Program, August 4-5-6-7, 1966 and “The village in the Valley,” a 

Short History of New Richmond and it’s[sic] People by Chester Hamilton. New Richmond, Ohio: Clermont Courier, 1966. 

Official Roster of the Soldiers of the American Revolution Buried in the State of Ohio. Compiled under the direction of Frank D. 

Henderson, John R. Rea, Jane Dowd Dailey. [Columbus, Ohio]: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1929. 

Rockey, J. L. and R. J. Bancroft. History of Clermont County, Ohio: with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and 

Pioneers. Philadelphia: Everts, 1880. Reprinted with Index compiled by the Clermont County Genealogical Society. Batavia, 

Ohio: Clermont County Historical Society, 1973. 

Roseboom, Eugene H. and Francis P. Weisenburger. A History of Ohio. 2nd ed. Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio Historical Society, 

c. 1953, 1967. 

Scamyhorn, Richard and John Steinle. Stockades in the Wilderness: The Frontier Defenses and Settlements of Southwestern Ohio, 1788- 

1795. Dayton, Ohio: Landfall Press, 1986. 

Sipple, Edith Beach. Monroe Township Historic Cemetery and Landmark Tour: Memorial Day 1976. Compiled by Edith Beach Sipple and 

edited by Linda McKinley. n.p., [1976]. Reprinted and illustrations added. Monroe Township Historic Society, 2009. 

Slade, Robert K. Early Days in Clermont County. Manchester, Ohio: Manchester Signal, 1964. 

Smalley, Stephen B. Interurban Railway and Terminal Company “The Black Line”, Vol. I. Cincinnati, Ohio: Stephen B. Smalley, 1972. 

Reprint, Cincinnati, Ohio: Anderson Township Historical Society. 

Smith, Alma Aicholtz. Mt. Carmel and Summerside, Ohio: from 1788 to Modern Times. Cincinnati, Ohio: Alma Aicholtz Smith, 1983. 

Smith, Alma Aicholtz. Clermont County, Ohio Land Records, 1787-1812: Surveys, Patents, Deeds and Mortgages, with Index of Grantors 

and Grantees. Cincinnati, Ohio: Alma Aicholtz Smith, 1990. 

Smith, Alma Aicholtz. The Virginia Military Surveys of Clermont and Hamilton Counties, Ohio, 1787-1849. Cincinnati, Ohio: Alma 

Aicholtz Smith, 1985. 

Thompson, Roy C. The Schools of Clermont: A Study of the Development of Education in Clermont County, Ohio. Batavia, Ohio: Clermont 

County PTA Council and the Clermont County Historical Society, 1962. 

United States Department of Agriculture–NASS. Clermont County Crop Statistics: 1918-2006. Washington, D.C.: National Agricultural 

Statistics, USDA, 2009. 

Way, Frederick, Jr. Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1983: Passenger Steamboats of the Mississippi River System since the Advent of 

Photography in Mid-Continent America. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University, 1983. 

White, John H., Jr. On the Right Track: Some Historic Cincinnati Railroads. Cincinnati, Ohio: Cincinnati Railroad Club, Inc., 2003. 

Whitt, Aileen M. 2002 Reprint of Thirey & Mitchell’s Encyclopedic Directory and History of Clermont County, O.: Plus Additions, 1902 to 

2002 and Total Comprehensive Index. Amelia, Ohio: Aileen Whitt, 2002. 

Whitt, Aileen M. Clermont County, Ohio, 1870: Atlas and History. Illustrated By Glenice Reeves. New Richmond, Ohio: Aileen 

Whitt, 1985. 

Whitt, Aileen M. Clermont County, Ohio, 1891 Atlas & History: Millennium Reprint Edition with Comprehensive Index. New Richmond, 

Ohio: Aileen Whitt, 2000. 

Whitt, Aileen M. Cranston Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1821-1993, New Richmond, Ohio. New Richmond, Ohio: J. B. Whitt, 1993. 

Whitt, Aileen M. Monroe Presbyterian Church, Nicholsville, Clermont County, Ohio. 1831-1950. New Richmond, Ohio: Aileen 

Whitt, 1996. 

Whitt, Aileen M. Veterans, New Richmond (Ohio) Area: Servicemen - Servicewomen - Historical Honor List. Amelia, Ohio: Aileen 

Whitt, 2006. 

Selected Bibliography & Reading List ✦ 57

Whitt, Aileen M., ed. New Richmond, Ohio: Historical Collections 1997. New Richmond, Ohio: Historic New Richmond, Inc., 1997. 

Williams, Byron. History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio: From the Earliest Historical Times down to the Present, in Two Volumes. 

Williamsburg, Ohio, 1913. Reprinted and indexed by Clermont County Genealogical Society. Batavia, Ohio: Clermont County 

Genealogical Society, 1987. 

Wood, Miriam. “Clermont County’s Covered Bridges.” Bridges and Byways, Journal of the Ohio Historic Bridge Association 13. 

Columbus, Ohio. 13, no. 4 (Autumn 2001) and 14, no. 1 (Winter 2002). 

Wood, Miriam. Covered Bridges of Ohio: An Atlas and History. Columbus, Ohio: Miriam Wood, 1993. 


SHARING THE HERITAGE 

Historic profiles of businesses, 

organizations, and families that have 

contributed to the development and 

economic base of Clermont County 

SPECIAL 

THANKS TO 

Mercy Hospital Clermont .................................................................60 

Shaw Farms ...................................................................................62 

Clermont County Public Library........................................................64 

Duke Energy ..................................................................................66 

AmeriStay Inn & Suites ...................................................................68 

The Myers Y. Cooper Company..........................................................70 

Clermont County Historical Society ...................................................72 

Auxier Gas ....................................................................................73 

Clermont Chamber of Commerce........................................................74 

Gastrich Re-Bar, Inc........................................................................75 

SEM Retirement Communities ...........................................................76 

Holiday Inn & Suites Cincinnati Eastgate ...........................................77 

The Pill Box Pharmacy ....................................................................78 

Little Miami Homecare Inc. ..............................................................79 

Lykins Companies ...........................................................................80 

The Lykins Companies 

Sharing the Heritage ✦ 59

MERCY 

HOSPITAL 

CLERMONT 

❖ 

Above: At the groundbreaking for 

Mercy’s Emergency Department, 

J. Kermit Smith stands at the far left 

next to Sister Mary George Boklage. 

Opposite, top: The main entrance was 

updated in 2006. 

Opposite, middle: The 2006 

expansion included larger rooms 

designed specifically for critically 

ill patients. 

Opposite, bottom: Mercy Hospital 

Clermont expanded in 2006 to 

include a new atrium and one of the 

largest ICU’s in the region. 

Since it was founded in 1973, Mercy Hospital 

Clermont has been the leading healthcare provider 

for Clermont County and the surrounding 

communities. The hospital is a member of Mercy 

Health Partners, a comprehensive healthcare 

network with more than thirty care-delivery 

sites throughout Greater Cincinnati, including 

five award-winning hospitals, senior living 

communities and health and wellness centers. 

Mercy Hospital Clermont 

continues to build on a 

growing reputation for providing 

exceptional care. 

The hospital has received 

national recognition from 

a variety of organizations 

for excellence in quality of 

care and patient safety. In 

2008, Mercy Clermont was 

again rated one of the 100 

Top Hospitals in the nation 

for overall care by Thomson 

Reuters, marking the third 

time it has earned this 

prestigious recognition. 

The hospital also continues to grow its 

services to meet the needs of Clermont County’s 

growing population. Today, Mercy Clermont 

provides a wide range of healthcare services 

and programs, including a new and expanded 

intensive care unit (ICU), cancer care, diagnostic/ 

imaging, emergency care, heart care, lung 

specialists, inpatient/outpatient surgery, and the 

first wound care center in southwest Ohio. 

The legacy of the hospital began as early as 

the 1940s as committees were created to study 

the possibility of a medical facility in Clermont 

County. But it was not until the 1960s that 

J. Kermit Smith, a prominent local business 

man, initiated efforts to build a hospital in the 

county. At that time, residents had to either 

travel east to a small hospital in Brown County, 

or drive to downtown Cincinnati, a trip that 

could take up to an hour due to the limited 

roads that were available at the time. 

Smith received some pushback from healthcare 

leaders in Cincinnati, but he had the support of 

many physicians and key leaders in Clermont 

County. He teamed with Sister Mary George 

Boklage, a Sister of Mercy who had experience in 

hospital administration. A hospital commission 

was established by the Clermont County Board 

of Commissioners in 1968. Eventually, they were 

able to get the initiative on the ballot in Clermont 

County and it was approved by voters in 1970. 

Construction began in 1972 and its doors were 

opened to patients and their families on September 

29, 1973. It remains the only hospital in Clermont 

County today. 

The hospital quickly flourished with its 

outstanding modern facility and well-regarded 

medical staff. By 1980 a third floor shell of the 

hospital was completed to increase the number 

of beds by forty-eight. The J. Kermit Smith 

Pavilion debuted in 1983 and, as the hospital 

grew through the decade, it added a psychiatric 

unit of thirty beds, while also expanding the 

radiology department and providing new space 

for therapy services. 

In the last ten years, as Clermont County’s 

population continued to grow, Mercy Clermont 

has kept up by expanding the services and levels 

of care available. 

In 2004 the first dedicated Wound Care Center 

in southwest Ohio opened at Mercy Clermont. 

The center continues to thrive today, providing 

care that is often life-changing for patients with 

chronic wounds. 

The hospital also began a new $18-million 

construction project in 2005 that added a new 

Physician Pavilion, atrium, and main entrance, 

as well as a new and expanded ICU. 

The three-story Physician Pavilion provides 

space for up to twenty-five physician offices, as 

well as more convenient access to outpatient 

services such as Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation 

and Physical and Occupational Therapy. 

The new main entrance and atrium feature 

centralized services that include registration, 

new visitor elevators, and a new gift shop. 

In 2008 the ribbon cutting was held for 

the new, state-of-the-art ICU. The unit nearly 

doubled the size of the old ICU, expanded 

from twelve to sixteen beds, and incorporates 

all of the comforts and amenities of patientcentered 

care. 

Mercy Medical Center Mount Orab opened 

in 2009. The center, which is operated by Mercy 

Clermont, enhances access to high-quality 

healthcare services and provides twenty-four 

hours per day, seven days a week emergency care 

and a full range of imaging and diagnostic care. 


Today, Mercy Hospital Clermont is one of the 

largest employers in Clermont County. It is 

centrally located at 3000 Hospital Drive in Batavia 

Township, just off State Route 32. Mercy Medical 

Imaging–Milford is also a department of the 

hospital and provides comprehensive imaging and 

diagnostic services at its location near State Route 

28 and I-275 in Milford. 

Mercy Clermont has always been an 

excellent corporate neighbor and supports a 

wide variety of local organizations that provide 

invaluable services to the community. The 

hospital has been recognized for its 

contributions to the county by a number of 

local organizations, including the Clermont 

Chamber of Commerce and Clermont 20/20. 

Mercy Hospital Clermont specializes in 

providing exceptional care that puts the focus on 

the patient’s individual needs, taking the time to 

answer questions, explain procedures and let 

patients know what to expect. It has been part of 

the hospital’s Mission since the Sisters of Mercy 

and Franciscan Sisters of the Poor first began 

caring for those in need in Greater Cincinnati 

more than 150 years ago. Today, it continues in 

the nurses, doctors, staff, volunteers and all who 

make Mercy Hospital Clermont one of the 

leading hospitals in the region. 


SHAW FARMS 

❖ 

Below: Jerry Shaw. 

Bottom: Jeff and Tyler Shaw. 

The historic Shaw Farms was originally 

established by Garold “Jerry” Shaw in 1948. 

Offering the finest in farm-fresh summer produce 

and outstanding fall family entertainment, the 

land itself speaks of a rich history that has been 

cherished in the area for two centuries. 

Before 1795, no white man had penetrated 

into what is now Clermont County. In that year, 

pioneers settled in Miami, Washington, and 

Williamsburg Townships. In 1807, Thomas and 

Martha Shaw were farmers of Quaker ancestry 

who immigrated to Clermont County from 

Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with their nineyear-old 

son, James Bedford. 

James married Mary Banghart in 1836. Four 

children, William, Martha, Sarah, and James 

were born to the couple. Sarah married Zach 

Robinson. Old deeds show that Sarah was the 

owner of the current Shaw Farm. Sarah sold the 

land to Charles W. Shaw, Jerry’s grandfather, in 

1885. James M. Shaw, Sarah’s brother, acquired 

the property adjoining the farm located in 

Stonelick Township. 

Charles died at an early age from diphtheria 

and the land was left to his widow, Elnora. 

Elnora sold the land to their only living heir, 

Charles Samuel Shaw on September 21, 1935. 

At the death of Charles Samuel, Jerry’s father, in 

1972, the land went to his three children, 

Charles, Donald and Jerry, who began sole 

operation of the farm in 1948. 

In 1952 the family’s first sweet corn was raised 

and sold at the Farmer’s Market at Second and 

Main Street in Cincinnati. Sweet corn was sold 

for fifteen cents per dozen for yellow corn and 

twenty-five cents per dozen for white corn. The 

corn was picked early each morning, but the 

market did not open until 5 p.m. so customers 

passing by the loaded truck would stop to buy 

corn before it was taken to market. Eventually, 

the family decided to open a market at home. 

The first stand consisted of a few hamper 

baskets with a board across the top where the 

vegetables were placed, while the corn was 

placed in bushel baskets beside the table. 

The first pumpkins were raised between the 

rows of corn and were picked and placed in a 

pile in the front yard. The money earned was 

given to the children to spend on their vacations. 

In the late 1970s, Jerry decided to raise more 

pumpkins. His wife, Jean, made a stuffed man to 


sit in a chair among the pumpkins. Since Jean 

was not gifted in painting, she asked Pam, her 

future daughter-in-law, to paint a head for her 

pumpkin man—and the famed pumpkin display 

of Shaw Farms was born. 

As time went on, Jerry and his two sons, 

Mike and Jeff, were the only farmers left in the 

extended Shaw family. 

In 1987 the first section of the selling barn was 

built. This area soon became too small and two 

other additions were added in 1991 and 2001. 

Today, the farm remains a family-operated 

business and many participate and contribute to 

the successful business. During the summer 

months, locally grown produce is sold in the gift 

shop. Most of the vegetables are grown by Mike 

and Jeff and their sons Tyler, Ryan, and Dakota. 

In October, guests enjoy the sights of fall at 

Shaw Farms and enjoy hayrides, watching the 

animals, and enjoying the laughter of children 

as they play among the numerous pumpkin 

people and displays. Many groups and school 

children also come for educational field trips. 

The Shaw family is grateful for such a blessed 

past and to be able to continue sharing the farm 

with others. 


CLERMONT 

COUNTY 

PUBLIC LIBRARY 

It all began in 1948 with a resounding “yes” 

vote from residents of Clermont County. A public 

library system was desired and a seven member 

Board of Trustees was appointed and organized 

in 1949. However, it was 1955 before the money 

actually became available and the Board of 

Trustees immediately began establishing the 

Clermont County Public Library. 

The Board of Trustees researched various 

service options while establishing the library. 

Since there were no large urban centers in the 

county at that time, the Trustees decided a 

bookmobile would provide the most people with 

library service. In the summer of 1955, Doris 

Wood was hired as head librarian, a bookmobile 

was ordered, books were purchased, and an 

office was set up in a storeroom at a local tire 

store. The budget permitted three support staff, 

which included the office clerk, bookmobile 

clerk, and driver. 

The Milford Branch Library was the first walkin 

location and opened as the first branch of 

Clermont County Public Library in 1959. Today, 

located at the old Rock Bottom Grocery Surplus 

building at 1099 State Route 131, the library has 

a new name better identifying its service area: 

the Milford-Miami Township Branch Library. It 

has the largest collection of materials and is the 

busiest branch. 

❖ 

Left: Williamsburg Branch Manager 

Chris Rich demonstrates the 

Nintendo Wii during a Senior 

Outreach Program. 

Right: Hap Hazard, CCPL Hands Up! 

Puppet Troupe’s star puppet. 

By the end of 1955, the bookmobile was 

traveling several days a week, serving 10 schools, 

and making 28 stops. One short year later the 

Board of Trustees realized the library needed 

more space and although property was sought, 

their immediate decision was to purchase a 

second bookmobile. The second bookmobile 

served only schools, while the original was 

reserved for adults. Bookmobiles continued to 

provide service until 1995. 

The Batavia Branch opened in 1961 and is 

located at the corner of 180 South Third Street 

and 326 Broadway Street. In 1990 the branch 

was renamed for Doris E. Wood in honor of 

her invaluable contributions as CCPL’s first head 

librarian. She was also instrumental in creating 

the Clermont County Genealogical Society, 

whose extensive collection is still housed and 

maintained by the library. 

The Union Township Branch Library, located at 

4462 Mount Carmel-Tobasco Road, opened its 

doors to the community in 1963. A large addition 

completed in 1988 tripled its size to an impressive 

twelve thousand square feet, providing space for a 

larger collection, programming for children and 

adults, and much needed staff workspace. In 

2004 the Union Township Branch became the 

first to offer bilingual services and programs. 


The Bethel Branch officially opened on August 

22, 1967. The library publicly announced 

construction plans for a new, larger building in 

2004 that is located at 611 West Plane Street. 

The new facility offers many firsts for CCPL: 

a drive-up window for people in a hurry, energy 

efficient utilities, enhanced children and teen 

areas, a large outside program area, and a great 

multifunctional room. 

The first New Richmond Branch opened in 

1980 offering services sixteen hours per week. It 

was located in a permanently housed bookmobile 

in the parking lot of the vacant New Richmond 

School on Market Street. After many moves 

through the years, the Harold F. Flannery New 

Richmond Branch finally settled in a new building 

at 103 Valley Boulevard on March 14, 2004. 

The Amelia Branch opened to the public on 

March 27, 1988, at 58 Maple Avenue. Just a few 

months later, on September 18, 1988, the 

Williamsburg Branch opened at 594 Main Street. 

Among its projects, the Williamsburg Branch 

developed Sidekicks, an intergenerational project 

for teens and seniors, which received the 

Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults 

Award from the American Library Association. 

With an opening day of October 29, 1989, the 

Goshen Branch is the second largest facility of 

Clermont County Public Library, with its 

fourteen-thousand-square-foot facility located at 

6678 State Route 132. The Felicity Branch opened 

on January 30, 1994, at 209 Prather Road, 

directly across from the Felicity-Franklin School 

complex. The Owensville Branch, the last of the 

originally planned libraries, is located at 2548 

U.S. Route 50. The land was purchased from the 

Owensville Methodist Church in 1989 for the 

library’s tenth and final branch. It celebrated its 

grand opening on August 25, 1997, and was the 

only branch to be online when it opened. 

Please visit www.clermontlibrary.org for 

more information. 

❖ 

Above: Felicity Branch Library 

Cardinal Quilters display their quilt 

squares. Four completed quilts have 

been donated to the library. 

Below: Executive Director Dave 

Mezack and Williamsburg Branch 

Manager Chris Rich present a 

collection of Veteran History Project 

DVDs to the Clermont County 

Veterans Service Commission. 


❖ 

DUKE ENERGY 

Above and below: The Beckjord Plant. 

Duke Energy is proud of its role in helping 

the Tristate grow and prosper, including being 

part of Clermont County’s rich history. 

Duke Energy’s Ohio utility operations are 

rooted in the Cincinnati Gas Light & Coke 

Company, which was established in April 1837. 

The company was formed to supply gas, distilled 

from coal, for lighting the homes and business of 

the thirty-five thousand people living in the 

growing community of Cincinnati at that time. 

The new lighting medium became popular and 

the gaslight era boomed. Then in 1889, and after 

Thomas Edison invented the incandescent 

electric light bulb, the Cincinnati Gas Light 

and Coke Company built a 1,200 horsepower 

electric power generating plant, “Station A,” 

on the Ohio River next to its West End Gas 

Works Station. 

In 1901 the company consolidated with 

other local interests in the electric supply 

industry to become the Cincinnati Gas & 

Electric Company (CG&E). The company’s 

major generating facility during this time was 

its Plum Street Station, located on the Miami 

and Erie Canal. From an original capacity of 

4,000 kilowatts, this station’s generating 

capacity grew to 34,800 kilowatts by 1917. 

The abandonment of the canal necessitated 

building a new plant, and West End Station 

was constructed with two 25,000-kilowatt 

units as the original installation near the site 

of Station A. By 1921 the capacity of West End 

Station was doubled to one hundred thousand 

kilowatts due to continuing service area expansion. 

Rapid load growth following the end of 

World War II, required additional generating 

capacity. In November 1948, CG&E announced 

that a new generating station would be built on 

the Ohio River, about eighteen miles upstream 

from Cincinnati near New Richmond, Ohio, 

in Clermont County. It would have an initial 

unit with a rated capacity of more than one 

hundred thousand kilowatts. During its 

construction, CG&E’s board of directors named 

the plant the “Walter C. Beckjord Station,” in 

recognition of CG&E past President and 

Chairman Walter Beckjord’s outstanding record 

of company, community and industry service. 

Beckjord Station was dedicated in June 1952 

with the first of five coal-fired generating units, 

a 115-megawatt unit going into commercial 

operation shortly thereafter. A second 113- 

megawatt unit went into operation in 1953. 

Unit 3, with 125 megawatts of capacity began 

commercial operation by late 1954. Unit 4, 

with a capacity of 165 megawatts, followed 

in 1958, and Unit 5, with 240 megawatts of 

capacity, came on line in 1962. An additional 

460 megawatt coal-fired unit was added in 

1969 along with more than 210 megawatts 

of oil-fired units. The later units gave the 

plant a total nameplate capacity of more than 

fourteen hundred megawatts. 


To meet the Tristate’s growing demand for 

electricity, the William H. Zimmer Generating 

Station, named for the company’s past 

president, began commercial operation in 

March 1991 with a total plant capacity of 

thirteen hundred megawatts. The plant is 

located on the Ohio River in Moscow, Ohio, also 

in Clermont County, about thirty-five miles east 

of Cincinnati and about fifteen miles from 

Beckjord Station. 

Zimmer Station was originally built to be a 

nuclear power plant, but it was ultimately 

converted to coal-fired generation upon its 

completion—the first such conversion project 

in the United States. The plant is regarded as the 

largest single-unit power facility in the United 

States. Zimmer Station set a world record in 

1992 for the most coal burned in a year by a 

single generating unit when it consumed 

4 million tons of coal. 

In October 1994, CG&E merged with PSI 

Energy, the largest electric utility in Indiana, to 

form Cinergy Corp. In April 2006, Duke Energy 

was formed with the merger of Duke Energy, 

headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, 

and Cinergy, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Today, Duke Energy is the third largest 

electric power holding company in the United 

States, based on kilowatt-hour sales. Its 

regulated utility operations serve approximately 

4 million customers located in five states— 

North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, 

and Kentucky—representing a population of 

approximately 11 million people. Duke Energy’s 

commercial power and international business 

segments operate diverse power generation 

assets in North America and Latin America, 

including a growing portfolio of renewable 

energy assets in the United States. 

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, 

Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded 

on the New York Stock Exchange under 

the symbol DUK. More information about the 

company is available at www.duke-energy.com. 

❖ 

Above and below: The Zimmer Plant. 


AMERISTAY 

INN & SUITES 

The Batavia hotel was opened in July 2004 

with sixty-four guest rooms and Terri Morgan 

serving as the hotel’s first manager. Previously 

an AmeriHost Inn & Suites © , the property 

consistently was rated among the top hotels in 

the chain. Cleanliness, Value, and Service are 

the values that the staff has been trained to 

provide, and those traits have carried over 

to the all-new AmeriStay. Aside from the 

deluxe guest rooms, the hotel contains twelve 

whirlpool suites, including two executive class 

rooms that overlook the indoor pool area. 

AmeriStay Inn & Suites is located at 2188 

Winemiller Lane off Ohio State Road 32 at 

Bauer Road, six miles east of Interstate 275 and 

is conveniently located to area attractions, 

restaurants and shopping. Within two miles, 

you will find a lake where you can enjoy 

boating, canoeing, or fishing. 

In April 2007, Rachel Hawks-Overstake 

became manager of AmeriStay Inn & Suites 

and has led the site through a series of 

renovations that continue to enhance the 

AmeriStay experience. 


Owned by Randall Roe and his children 

Trevor and Tara Roe, and a subsidiary of Roe 

Properties, Ltd., AmeriStay Hotels is a chain 

of luxury hotels offering affordable prices 

and catering to business and leisure travelers, 

as well as families. The company’s goal is to 

provide the cleanest, quietest rooms possible 

to make one’s stay just as if they had never left 

home. AmeriStay’s staff will go the extra mile 

to meet any needs or concerns customers may 

have and will address any issue, before you 

leave for your next destination. 

AmeriStay offers handicapped accessible 

rooms, connecting rooms as well as smoking 

or non-smoking rooms. Amenities at AmeriStay 

include Continental breakfast, cable/satellite 

television, in-room coffeemakers, hairdryers, 

iron and ironing board, free local telephone 

calls, voice mail, and much more. After a day 

of business appointments, meetings or 

exploring the Batavia area, you can enjoy the 

indoor hot tub or pool. Or if you are in need of 

a workout, a fitness center is available onsite or 

you may just want to relax in your air 

conditioned room. 

With future expansions planned, AmeriStay 

is also located in Waverly and Portsmouth, 

Ohio. For more information about AmeriStay 

Inn & Suites, please visit them online at 

www.ameristay.com/batavia. 


THE MYERS Y. COOPER COMPANY 

The Myers Y. Cooper Company is a real 

estate development and management business 

with a primary focus on commercial buildings 

including grocery-anchored shopping centers, 

neighborhood retail complexes, and medical 

professional office development. 

The company was founded in 1895 by 

Myers Cooper, an active developer of 

residential communities at Mount Lookout, 

Hyde Park, Mariemont, Forestville, and 

Montgomery. Cooper came to Cincinnati 

from Licking County to join his older 

brothers in their real estate brokerage 

business. After a few years of literally working 

“under his brothers”—they occupied the 

desirable second floor offices, assigning Myers 

to the first floor lobby—Cooper set out on 

his own. 

With his new bride, Martha Kinney, Myers 

moved out of the city to Mornington, the 

precursor to Hyde Park. Here he began selling 

home lots and building homes on the property 

of his in-laws. As this new community grew, 

so did the business of Myers Y. Cooper. The 

development of a street car system down 

Madison Road made the area accessible to the 

city and a desirable place to live. 

Myers Y. Cooper was inclusive in his 

business and social activity, surrounding 

himself with hardworking, like-minded 

individuals. His energy, strategic thinking, and 

good nature made him a natural leader and 

eventually drew him to politics. In 1928, he was 

elected the fifty-first governor of Ohio. His love 

of people and enterprise also drew him to other 

parts of the United States and resulted in 

business development in Coral Gables, Florida, 


with Geo Merrick, onion farming in south 

Texas, farmers’ fertilizer in Columbus, Ohio, 

and coal mining in Kentucky. 

Love of country and patriotic necessity drew 

Cooper’s son, R. K. Cooper, to serve in World 

War I and World War II. Before and after the 

war efforts, R. K. became an active manager of 

the family real estate business. Great Grandson 

Raymond K. Cooper II, current president 

of The Myers Y. Cooper Company, became 

interested in directing the business toward retail 

development and is now the fourth generation 

to pilot the organization. 

Raymond K. Cooper, II (Randy) identified 

Miami Township as a good place to grow 

based on plans for a Route 28 bypass highway, 

explosive home growth and a friendly business 

community. He brought Kroger, Sears, and 

other national retailers to the community. In the 

early days, plans for Mulberry Square were 

reviewed and approved by Township officials. 

Jean Schmidt, Joe Uecker, and Ed Humphrey 

oversaw the development and are now active 

in state and national politics. Attention has 

often followed opportunity, and the company 

has developed retail buildings for CVS drug 

store and other companies in Cincinnati and 

Atlanta, Georgia. Recent opportunity was 

again identified for the company in Clermont 

County with the acquisition of the Eastgate 

Professional Building. 

The present headquarters of the company 

has been located in Mulberry Square Shopping 

Center in Miami Township since 2002. 

The company has immersed itself in the 

local community by becoming involved 

with the Chamber of Commerce, a local 

Boy Scout troop, and the Miami Township 

government. Myers Y. Cooper was fond of 

farming and education and chaired the 

Hamilton County Fair and supported Hirum 

College, among many other activities. The 

current Cooper generation continues the support 

of education with active roles with the 

Springer School and Transylvania University, 

also donating time and resources to the 

Clermont County Chamber of Commerce, Fine 

Arts Fund, and Ohioana Library (founded by 

Mrs. Myers Y. Cooper). 

For more information about The Myers Y. 

Cooper Company, visit www.cooper-co.com. 


CLERMONT 

COUNTY 

HISTORICAL 

SOCIETY 

❖ 

Harmony Hill Association Building; 

office, museum and archives of the 

Clermont County Historical Society. 

The Clermont County Historical Society was 

formed in 1958 and incorporated as a nonprofit 

organization. The founding members were John 

MacKeever, Rose Cox, Hilda Johnson, Mabel 

Smith, Ruth Patchell, Fred Stairs, Evelyn 

Devine, Anna and Oscar Dumford and Diana 

Womach. The first president was Robert Hyde. 

The mission of the organization is to preserve, 

protect and promote the historical heritage of 

Clermont County, Ohio, for the betterment, 

enlightenment and well-being of it citizens by: 

• Actively collecting and preserving historical 

records, documents, photographs and artifacts 

and making them available to the public; 

• Disseminating information through interpretive 

exhibits, presentations, and publications to 

schools, civic organizations, local government, 

and the public; 

• Encouraging the preservation of buildings, 

monuments, and sites of historical value; and 

• Cooperating with other historical societies and 

organizations having purposes in keeping 

with those of the Society. 

The Society maintains an archive, small 

museum and office at Harmony Hill, 299 South 

Third Street in Williamsburg, Ohio. Harmony 

Hill was the homestead of William Lytle, the 

“Father of Clermont County.” At the same site 

the Harmony Hill Association (Williamsburg 

Historical Society) has a museum and the oldest 

structure in the county, the Lytle Dairy House. 

The museum has displays of historical artifacts 

concerning Clermont County. An extensive 

archive of documents, books, photographs 

and other materials related to county history 

is available to the researcher and public. The 

archive is indexed as an aid. The Society 

publishes ten newsletters a year with information 

of the activities of the Society and historical 

information. Meetings are held ten times a 

year at Clermont College, Batavia. 

For additional information about the Society, 

please visit www.clermonthistoric.org, email 

clermonths@aol.com, or write Clermont County 

Historical Society, P.O. Box 14, Batavia, Ohio, 

45103. 


Around 1925, Garland “Red” Auxier started 

a family business: a meat market in Amelia, 

Ohio. Soon after, he became a Hudson-Essex 

Automobile dealer in Batavia. The dealership 

became a Chevrolet dealership in 1932, and 

Auxier operated it until 1955. His son Tom 

became involved in the trucking business after 

Red retired. Tom’s business is still operating 

today with its third generation involved. 

In 1945, Red’s brother, William “Bun” Auxier 

returned from World War II and opened a small 

appliance store with Red as a 

silent partner. Bun sold radios 

and some new devices called 

televisions, as well as furniture, 

stoves, refrigerators and freezers. 

At the time, electricity was not 

available in all rural areas. He 

started selling gas (propane) 

ranges and, yes, propane powered 

refrigerators and freezers. This led 

to his need for a propane supplier 

to furnish his appliance customers 

with propane. He acquired 

a small propane company in 

Batavia, which eventually became 

the foundation of Auxier Gas, Inc. In 2010, 

Auxier Gas marked the sixty-fifth year of serving 

the Greater Cincinnati area. 

Auxier Gas has become a trusted partner in 

more than 5,000 homes in the Tri-state area. 

Today, the family-owned company proudly 

serves ten counties in Southern Ohio and 

Northern Kentucky, keeping local families safe 

and warm throughout the winter season. 

Auxier Gas is located at 2698 Old State Road 

32 in Batavia and at www.auxiergas.com. 

AUXIER GAS 

❖ 

Above: June 1957. 

Below: The Auxier fleet, 1993. 


CLERMONT 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 

❖ 

Leadership of the Clermont Chamber 

of Commerce, c. 1970. 

As one of the county’s most visible and 

critical resources for businesses in the region, 

the Clermont Chamber of Commerce was 

formed in 1969 with only a phone and a desk 

in one room in Batavia to support a part-time 

staff person. Gradually, the organization grew 

through the efforts of hard-working, visionary 

individuals who saw a different Clermont 

County in the future. 

From a county growth perspective, the 

Chamber became the place where developers, 

realtors, investors, and bankers could come 

and be seen. The Chamber was a remarkable 

resource for potential businesses to gather 

information in complete confidentiality. During 

the 1990s the Chamber also expanded its offerings 

to manage more information relating to current 

economic and demographic factors that would 

help businesses understand more of their market. 

Today, the Clermont Chamber has reestablished 

itself as a pre-eminent organization 

for business. It fills the serious need 

in coaching, counseling and developing 

entrepreneurs and remains focused upon three 

strategic concerns: economic growth, advocacy 

and member/investor benefits. 

The Chamber strives to be a highly effective 

voice in advocating for its members in order 

to influence public policy and is a relationshipbuilder 

to facilitate responsible public 

decision making. 

The Chamber works to provide effective and 

active involvement with the state government 

issues, to actively work with lobbyists to address 

issues of concern, to pursue involvement with 

fundraisers that support Clermont Chamber 

goals, to create and publish the Chamber’s 

public-policy agenda and 

to identify, recruit, 

educate and evaluate 

current and potential 

individuals interested in 

public service positions. 

The role of the 

Chamber in economic 

growth focuses on its 

expertise and ability to 

anticipate, navigate, simplify, 

and educate both the 

public and private communities. 

Within that role, 

the Chamber works to direct proactive educational 

initiatives for workforce development, advance 

land/infrastructure initiatives, advocate and facilitate 

in the areas of transportation and growth and 

partner with businesses and chambers throughout 

the region to develop strategic associations while 

working to align goals and resources. 

The Chamber began presenting a Pacesetter 

Award each year to an individual who has 

shown genuine concern for the welfare of 

Clermont County and its residents and who 

has exhibited outstanding qualities of character, 

citizenship and leadership. Individuals 

presented with the award include Jeff Lykins, 

James McDonough, Andy McCreanor, Robert 

“Mick” McLaughlin, Cindy Jenkins, Denny 

Begue, George Brown, Harold Herron, John Von 

Lehman, James Sauls, Jr., John Greer, Joseph 

Boruszewski, Ed Parish, James Meyer, Dan 

Rolfes, Roger Barry, Daniel Earley, R. James 

Parker, Sister Mary George Boklage, William 

Over, Ralph Hill, August Schwark, Jr., Thomas 

Ruthmeyer, David Tipton, Jeff Wyler, Frank 

Middleberg, Jesse Smith, James Sauls, Sr., 

Harold and Horace Flannery, William Harsha, 

Ralph Houser, Lois Brown Dale, J. Kermit 

Smith, Harold Nichols, and Carl Sedacca. 

The Chamber supports the University of 

Cincinnati Clermont College with two annual 

scholarships and supports Clermont 20/20, a 

leadership development organization, as well as 

United Way of Greater Cincinnati Eastern Area. 

The Clermont Chamber is currently located 

in the Eastgate Professional Park, 4355 

Ferguson Drive, Suite 105 in Clermont 

County’s Union Township, and online at 

www.clermontchamber.com. 


“Small Enough to Serve You” best describes 

Gastrich Re-Bar, Inc., a small full service steel 

company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Established in 

1991 by an industrious couple from Clermont 

County and specializing in steel reinforcing bar 

fabrication, it has served hundreds of customers 

while providing jobs for many people from 

the community. Originally confined to less than 

10,000 square feet and finding their niche with 

twenty ton jobs or smaller, the company has 

grown to a facility of 30,000 square feet and can 

easily produce up to one hundred ton work, but 

continues to stand by its motto of providing 

good customer service. 

GRI had its roots in several events that 

occurred in the 1980s. Formerly owners of a 

small transport company, and entrepreneurs at 

heart, Dennis and Virginia Gastrich were looking 

for new employment opportunities when two 

events converged in 1983 that led them into the 

steel industry. Those two events were: trucking 

deregulation and the closing of a large rebar 

fabricator in Cincinnati. Not only was it a good 

time to get out of trucking, but also the plant 

closing left a void in the reinforcing bar market. 

Therein began a journey that would take many 

twists and turns, culminating in the present day 

Gastrich Re-Bar, Inc. 

After a few false starts, they decided a key to 

their success was the partnership between them 

and began their journey in earnest, with Virginia 

at the helm as president, and Dennis serving as 

vice president. Securing the necessary start up 

cash, they opened the doors of Gastrich Re-Bar, 

Inc., on April 1, 1991. The mission statement, 

“Our principle is to provide quality products 

and excellent service to our customers at 

competitive rates. Our goal is to be a viable force 

in the reinforcing steel market in the Tri-State 

area” helped them focus their energies on their 

goals. With the help of one employee, the future 

looked bright as sales were strong and steady, 

but they proceeded with caution. They focused 

on developing strong relationships with 

suppliers and customers, which created a secure 

base upon which to build. They were right on 

target with sales totaling just under $400,000 

at the end of the first year of eight months and 

by the end of 1994 sales topped one million 

dollars. This bred confidence and a need for 

more space. 

Purchasing the building they had previously 

leased, they continued to expand and develop 

it into the current facility. In addition to 

improving facilities, they added several key 

people who ensured their success. 

Being on target and hiring skilled personnel 

did not protect them from a volatile economy, 

though. That required ingenuity and perseverance. 

Conservative and focused, they managed to find 

a foothold in a struggling economy. The turning 

point came when they began a campaign to change 

the internal workings of GRI. Those changes 

included directly buying larger quantities of 

accessories, and expanding services offered to 

customers. Neither of these was a huge departure 

from what they were already doing, but both 

enhanced the main occupation. These changes 

brought good results as they felt a higher level of 

satisfaction in their efforts; and that translated into 

steady profits. 

The Gastrichs have come a long way. They 

have made some mistakes; they have made 

some good decisions, too. They feel blessed 

with skilled employees, loyal customers, and 

vendors that believe in them and trust their 

ability. Gastrich Re-Bar, Inc., has made a 

difference in Cincinnati and the lessons they 

learned have improved their lives and those of 

their employees and customers. As residents of 

Clermont County, they continue to maintain a 

strong connection there—and hope to continue 

to use their ingenuity and experience to make 

GRI a success. 

GASTRICH 

RE-BAR, INC. 


SEM 

RETIREMENT 

COMMUNITIES 

A beautiful campus, rich in history, awaits 

our senior citizens at the SEM Retirement 

Communities, a nonprofit ministry sponsored 

by the Southeastern Ecumenical Ministry. The 

fifty-five acre campus, bordered by the Little 

Miami River was first settled in 1895 by a 

Cincinnati stockbroker who built a mansion 

that could accommodate twenty-three guests. 

They had lavish, colorful parties for up to 400 

people. In 1925 the estate was sold to St. Xavier 

College and an impressive Novitiate for the 

Jesuits was constructed. 

In 1971 the property was purchased by SEM 

and, the novitiate was remodeled into SEM 

Villa. It currently provides 127 private rooms 

with a large central dining room for meals. 

Residents still enjoy the gorgeous chapel and 

grounds. In 1976, SEM Terrace was constructed 

with 115 living units, each with its own 

patio. All meals are served in a beautiful, 

central dining room. In 1979, SEM Laurels 

was built, providing 122 efficiency, one and 

two bedroom apartments, each equipped with a 

full kitchen. 

SEM Haven Health Care Center opened in 

1980 and offers assisted living, short-term 

rehabilitation, nursing care, and Alzheimer’s/ 

memory care. Inspired by the Eden Alternative 

philosophy, the home is alive with pets, plants, 

children, and visitors. The household design 

allows a lifestyle in which residents have ample 

personal space, privacy, and participation in 

decision-making about their life and care. 

SEM residents enjoy affordable living 

with amenities such as large activity rooms, 

drugstores, beauty shops, transportation, 

garden areas, on-site managers and on-site 

laundry facilities. 

At the SEM Retirement Communities elders 

are respected and can continue to grow. Most 

folks in Milford and Miami Township know a 

friend or relative who has enjoyed many good 

times and great friendships on the campus. 

For more information about the SEM 

Retirement Communities, visit them online at 

www.semcommunities.org. 


HOLIDAY INN 

& SUITES 

CINCINNATI 

EASTGATE 

Owned and operated by Winegardner & 

Hammons, Inc. Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn 

& Suites Cincinnati Eastgate provides guests 

with a wide range of outstanding amenities that 

have become its signature trademark. 

The hotel was originally established in 1983 

when its owners were considering construction 

in a growing market and found that Clermont 

County offered that experience. 

The hotel has shared in many unique and 

historic events throughout its existence. When 

the historic Zimmer power plant was set to be 

built near Route 52 in Moscow, the company 

held offices at the hotel, which included an onsite 

real estate office for relocation of engineers 

and other employees to the Cincinnati area. 

During his Presidential re-election campaign, 

then President George H. W. Bush visited the 

hotel to accept the nomination of the GOP. For 

three days the hotel was occupied by Secret 

Service agents to prepare the hotel for his visit. 

Entire rooms were cleared and inspected for 

their use, which included secured phone lines 

and added security. The hotel associates had to 

undergo security clearance checks and were 

required to wear special badges to allow access 

to certain areas of the hotel. 

Late actor Charlton Heston was the first 

celebrity to stay at the hotel, shortly after its 

opening. Heston was participating in a local 

charity event that included the premiere of his 

movie “Chiefs.” He stayed at the hotel for several 

nights and attended the movie premiere. 

Interestingly enough, all items that he used while 

in his room (towels, sheets, etc.) were given to 

the charity and were auctioned off for donations. 

The hotel has undergone an exciting new 

renovation. New guest rooms include marble 

countertops and flat screen LCD televisions, as 

well as a fresh new approach to bedding and 

décor. Of major note, the guest tower of the hotel 

has been transformed and now includes thirtytwo 

suites. The suites feature two and three 

rooms, two full baths, a separate living room with 

queen sofa bed, refrigerator, microwave, wet bar, 

and two or more thirty-two inch LCD televisions. 

Given these exciting additions, the hotels’ 

name has been officially changed to the Holiday 

Inn & Suites Cincinnati Eastgate. Also as part of 

the renovation, all outlets including the atrium 

lobby, McKenna’s Restaurant, and the ballroom 

have a completely new look. 

The hotel is located at 4501 Eastgate Boulevard 

in Cincinnati and is available for reservations 

online at www.holidayinn.com/cvg-eastgate. 


THE PILL BOX 

PHARMACY 

The Pill Box Pharmacy has been locally owned 

and operated since its opening in 1979. The 

mission and purpose of The Pill Box, since taking 

over from the Wiesenhahn family, has been to 

deliver affordable, personalized medication and 

care for the people of the community. 

The store offers state-of-the-art computer 

services and record keeping, but keeps 

prescription services efficient so the customer 

does not have to wait. The staff is also very 

willing to take the necessary time to answer 

questions and concerns and to know each 

customer personally. 

Mediset and delivery services are available to 

all The Pill Box customers. Delivery is available 

Monday through Saturday, for a small fee. 

Mediset service is also available on a weekly 

(preferred), biweekly, or monthly basis and 

allows the pharmacist to monitor medication 

usage and ensure the prescriptions do not run 

out of refills, so there is no lapse in medication 

treatment if the prescriptions are being filled at 

The Pill Box Pharmacy. Mediset service is also 

available to customers who do not get their 

prescriptions filled at The Pill Box Pharmacy, for 

a nominal fee. 

The pharmacists at The Pill Box Pharmacy 

are always willing to take the time necessary to 

answer customers’ questions and concerns. In 

addition, each new prescription that is filled is 

checked against the medication history for 

interactions and allergies. The pharmacists also 

check for alternatives for medications when 

insurance dictates. The Pill Box is an A.A.D.E. 

certified site for diabetes care. 

For those patients with asthma and/or 

diabetes, programs have been developed 

specifically aimed at these disease states. These 

programs help the patient to understand both 

the disease and the treatments and are 

individualized to each person’s needs. 

The Pill Box Pharmacy is located online at 

www.pillboxamelia.com and at 1400 SR 125 in 

Amelia and is open Monday through Friday 

8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. 

to 4:30 p.m. 


Here is another interesting little story in the 

history of Clermont County. Susan Flynn, her 

husband Tom and their three children moved to 

the Cincinnati area in 1993. It was not long after 

that Sue found she could use her skills as a nurse 

and help fill a growing need in the community. 

Sue founded Little Miami HomeCare, Inc. 

Dedicated to the highest quality service in 

personal home care, Little Miami HomeCare 

offers elderly family members the opportunity to 

remain in their homes as an alternative to going 

to a nursing home. 

Sue, a registered nurse and graduate of St. 

Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, 

Pennsylvania, originally moved to Ohio in 1974 

and spent the first ten years of her career in an 

operating room. In 1980 she joined a Home 

Health Agency, and her career evolved from 

direct patient care to administration. Sue realized 

she liked what she was doing. 

While searching for their new home in 

relocating to Cincinnati, Sue discovered the 

SEM Retirement community. She stopped in 

the facility, talked with the staff and got a tour. 

As they talked, Sue learned that residents who 

needed assistance had to move to an Assisted 

Living arrangement or to a Nursing Home. That 

was not what either the facility or the residents 

wanted. Sensing she could help both the 

SEM and their residents, Sue convinced the 

administration that a homecare service would 

allow their residents to “age in place.” Offering a 

little assistance in the morning as well as tuckin 

services and medication prompting was all 

that was needed in many instances. 

Little Miami HomeCare incorporated in 1993. 

Sue provided all the services singlehandedly. The 

business grew due to the tremendous needs of 

the residents in Clermont County, and Sue hired 

aides to keep up with the growth. Over the years 

Little Miami HomeCare grew to providing 

services across the community. 

Sue understands what goes through the 

minds of her patients. “Imagine working all 

of your life for the things that you have, and 

then having to give all of that up to move to 

a nursing home or assisted living. Although, 

those decisions are sometimes necessary, 

there is a very gray area between living 

independently and having to move to a 

nursing home. That is why Little Miami 

HomeCare, Inc. is proud to have been 

serving Clermont and the eastern side of 

Hamilton County since 1993.” 

The primary focus of Little Miami 

HomeCare is to provide services such 

as bathing and dressing, light housekeeping, 

laundry, and meal preparation. 

Companionship is very important to the 

elderly. Every client is individually assessed 

by an RN to determine their needs. 

Little Miami HomeCare also offers 

respite care and care for at-home Alzheimer 

patients as well as relief for patients’ caregivers. 

Little Miami HomeCare strives to provide the 

compassionate and caring help clients deserve. 

At the same time, Little Miami HomeCare 

offers the patients’ caregivers time to handle 

personal needs, such as surgery, shopping, 

doctor appointments, hair appointments or just 

to enjoy being with friends. 

Little Miami HomeCare was the first home 

health agency in Clermont County. The needs 

of the community have grown with an aging 

population. Sue and her staff now find themselves 

caring for the adult children of past clients. 

Assignments at Little Miami Health Care 

are flexible and offer opportunities to moms 

who have small children or children to get 

off the bus, student nurses, and older workers, 

who would have difficulty working a full 

time job. If interested, more information 

about the outstanding service and assistance 

offered by Little Miami HomeCare is available 

online at www.littlemiamihc.com or by calling 

513-248-8988. 

❖ 

LITTLE MIAMI 

Susan Flynn. 

HOMECARE 

INC. 


LYKINS 

COMPANIES 

Lykins is a family owned and operated 

business. Founded in 1948 by Guy Lykins, Sr., and 

now in the third generation of management, 

Lykins Companies has a rich and diverse heritage. 

LYKINS COMPANIES 

AT A GLANCE 

• Annual Revenues: $750 million 

• Gallons Sold Annually: 470 million 

Lykins Companies’ business service area 

includes Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana 

throughout the Midwest, and the Southeast 

United States. 

Guy was a tenant farmer in 1948 when he 

decided to open a White Rose service station in 

Newtonsville to support his family. Guy went to a 

local bank, with his family in tow, to secure the 

$750 bank loan. His son Don was sitting in the 

lobby and overheard the loan officer tell his 

secretary, “This loan will never be repaid.” 

The business soon grew to include a lube bay, 

which increased the monthly rent from $50 to 

$100. The skeptical loan officer’s dire prediction 

proved to be inaccurate, and the loan was repaid 

in full. 

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the station 

expanded and flourished in the area even as it 

transitioned from its original distributor, White 

Rose to Sinclair and finally Gulf Oil. Don 

purchased his first fuel oil truck at the age of 

fourteen and, always the dealmaker, worked out a 

plan with the school principal to leave after 

lunch—if he would look the other way when he 


CURRENT OWNERS 

Donald F. Lykins 

Chairman 

D. Jeff Lykins 

President / CEO 

climbed out of the classroom window, he would 

supply the pricipal three dollars’ worth of gasoline 

per week. This was the beginning of Lykins 

Heating Oil business with Don and his older 

brother, Guy, Jr., supplying customers with their 

own trucks. 

Today, the company continues to strive to 

provide its customers with the highest quality 

products delivered in the most efficient 

manner at the lowest possible price. Whether 

a customer needs fuel for its business needs, 

transportation of petroleum products, or fuel 

to heat their home, Lykins Companies can meet 

their needs. Once, during a heavy snowfall, Guy 

demonstrated his devoted commitment to his 

customers. Early one morning, he woke his two 

sons to shovel a path to the station. Although they 

had only one customer that day, Guy made a point 

to his two sons…customers come first. 

Lykins employs 180 people and represents 

five major brands: BP, Marathon, ExxonMobil, 

Shell, and Clark. It is among the top 100 largest 

privately held companies in Ohio, and remains 

one of the top 10 largest petroleum marketing 

companies in Ohio. Lykins is located at 5163 

Wolfpen-Pleasant Hill Road in Milford and at 

www.Lykinscompanies.com. 


SERVICES/ DIVISIONS 

Ronald Lykins 

Vice President of Transportation 

Robert J. Manning 

Executive Vice President and CFO 

• Branded Petroleum Fuels 

• Wholesale Fuels 

• Commercial Fuels 

• Petroleum Transportation 

• Home Heating Oil 


SPONSORS 

AmeriStay Inn & Suites..................................................................................................................................................................68 

Auxier Gas .....................................................................................................................................................................................73 

Clermont Chamber of Commerce...................................................................................................................................................74 

Clermont County Historical Society ...............................................................................................................................................72 

Clermont County Public Library ....................................................................................................................................................64 

Duke Energy ..................................................................................................................................................................................66 

Gastrich Re-Bar, Inc. ......................................................................................................................................................................75 

Holiday Inn & Suites Cincinnati Eastgate.......................................................................................................................................77 

Little Miami Homecare Inc.............................................................................................................................................................79 

Lykins Companies..........................................................................................................................................................................80 

Mercy Hospital Clermont ...............................................................................................................................................................60 

The Myers Y. Cooper Company......................................................................................................................................................70 

The Pill Box Pharmacy ...................................................................................................................................................................78 

SEM Retirement Communities........................................................................................................................................................76 

Shaw Farms ...................................................................................................................................................................................62 

Sponsors ✦ 81

ABOUT THE AUTHORS 

Janet Brock Beller 

Janet was born and raised in Loveland. She has been director of the Greater Loveland Historical Society Museum since 1999 and 

author of Passages Through Time, a Loveland History. She has a B.A. degree from Ohio University and a master’s in social work from the 

University of Cincinnati. 

Libbie Bennett 

Libbie was born just a few miles from Grant’s birthplace and is devoted to preserving local history and promoting the Grant 

Birthplace. In 2003 she organized the Monroe Township Bicentennial and edited the first Monroe Township history book. In 2004 

she helped organize the Monroe Township Historical Society and serves as chair of the board. 

Janet Blackburn 

The Blackburn family has a long history in Neville. They operated a store there for years. Janet was instrumental in the Neville 

Bicentennial Celebration and the preparation of the bicentennial book about Neville. 

Richard Crawford 

Rick is noted as a Clermont County historian. He has written several books and assisted with numerous other publications pertaining 

to Clermont County history. He is a popular lecturer and tour guide on county history. He has received numerous awards and 

honors during his writing career. 

Terri Daughtery 

Terri is a member of the Bethel Historical Association and the Clermont County Historical Society 

John Dial 

John was related to Shadrach Dial who settled in Clermont County in 1804. He was a student of Batavia history and a member of 

the Clermont County Genealogical Society and Clermont County Historical Society. 

Tom Dix 

Tom has served as a Washington Township Trustee. He was instrumental in forming the Ohio River Trails, Inc., that manages the 

Ohio River Scenic Route, Ohio’s first National Scenic Byway. 

Rick Grgetic 

Rick is a member of the Clermont County Historical Society and has served as President. He has been editor of the Clermont 

Historian since 1999. 

Julia Liggett Hess 

Julia is a member of the Harmony Hill Association. 

Ron Hill 

Ron has been a member of the Clermont County Historical Society for forty years. He has held numerous positions with the Society 

including president. He was editor of the Clermont Historian for eighteen years, has been editor of several of the Society’s books, and 

written numerous articles on local history. 

Gary L. Knepp 

Gary practices law in Clermont County and teaches history and political science at Clermont College. He is author of Freedom’s 

Struggle-A Reponse to Slavery from the Ohio Borderlands. He has published several other books on local history. 

James L. Koch 

James acquired a B.S. in Botany from Miami University. He is a long-time member and officer of the Goshen Township Historical Society. 


Kathy McCurdy 

Kathy is the librarian of the Greater Milford Area Historical Society’s museum, Promont. 

Hugh L. Nichols II 

Hugh is a long-term resident of Batavia with a keen interest in local history. The Nichols Family has been active in Clermont 

County for generations. 

Bethany Richter Pollitt 

Bethany is a native of Clermont County. She received her B.S. in history from Northern Kentucky University and is currently attending 

Wright State University for her Masters in History. She has published two articles. She is a member of the New Richmond 


Greg Roberts 

Greg is a member of the Monroe Township and New Richmond Historical Societies. He has conducted extensive research on the 

Clermont Academy and the Girls’ Friendly Home. He currently owns and lives in the former Girls’ Friendly Home. 

Jim Shafer 

Jim is president of the Franklin Township Historical Society. 

Patsy Murphy Shiveley 

Patsy is a lifelong county resident and retired from the Clermont County Public Library after twenty-five years in the reference and 

genealogy department. She is a member of the Clermont County Historical Society and Historic New Richmond, Inc. 

Alma Aicholtz Smith 

Alma is a former educator and librarian and devotes her time to historical and genealogical research. She specializes in early land 

records of the area and the history of Union Township and the Mount Carmel area. She has written several books on these subjects. 

About the Authors ✦ 83

# 

153rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 52 

2nd U.S. Heavy Artillery, 52 

55th Massachusetts Infantry, 52 

59th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 15, 16, 52 

60th Ohio Infantry, 55 

89th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 52 

8th Cavalry, 55 

9th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, 52 

A 

Adams, Rosan Krippendorf, 36 

Adena, 9 

Administration Building, 13 

Afghanistan War, 15, 37, 53, 54 

Aicholtz farm, 36 

Albers, 22 

Allison, Henry, 31 

Allison, Richard, 31 

American Antislavery Society, 26, 51 

American Colonization Society, 51 

American Legion Post 406, 33 

American Micro Products, 11 

Amtrak, 47 

Anderson State Road, 21, 31, 44, 45 

Anderson, Isaac, 44 

Anderson, Noah, 24 

Appalachian Highway, 13, 36, 39, 45 

Archaics, 9 

Armory Building, 54 

Ashburn, Thomas, 27 

Aston, Edgar R., 55 

Atlantic & Pacific Highway, 24, 27, 36 

Avey, Joseph, 35 

B 

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, 20, 23, 24, 

45, 46, 47, 48 

Baptized Licking Locust Association, 52 

Barnett, Susan Stout, 17 

Batavia Brickyard, 13 

Batavia Pike, 11, 36 

Batavia Roller Mill, 11, 13 

Batavia Township Hall, 12 

Batavia-Williamsburg Pike, 44 

Battle of Chaffin Farm, 52 

Battle of Fallen Timbers, 5, 31 

Battle of Grassy Run, 19 

INDEX 

Battle of Perryville, 52 

Battle of Petersburg, 52, 55 

Bausch & Lomb, 23 

Beck, Jeremiah, 33 

Beck, Samuel, 33 

Beckjord Power Station, 28, 29 

Beecher, George, 12 

Beecher, Henry Ward, 12 

Behymer family, 29 

Belpre & Cincinnati Railroad, 46 

Ben Hur, 52 

Bethel Airport, 33 

Bethel Feed & Supply, 34 

Bethel Feed Mill, 34 

Birney, James, 25 

Bitzer, Pam, 12 

Black Line. See Interurban Railway & 

Terminal Co. 

Blair, Alexander, 33 

Blair, Brice, 51 

Blair, John, 33 

Blanchard, William, 41 

Bless, G. M. D., 20 

Boggess, John, 33 

Boone, Daniel, 13, 38, 41 

Bowdoin, Armilla "Amelia", 30 

Bower, Benjamin, 45 

Boyce, Archie Lee, 33 

Branch, John, 20 

Bridge Café, 22 

Broadwell, Lindley, 43 

Brooks, Harold "Heck", 33 

Brown, A. A., 33 

Brown, Isaac H., 33 

Brown, John, 33 

Brown, William, 33 

Brown’s Shoe store, 26 

Bryan, Morgan, 12, 14, 15 

Buchanan Farm, 36 

Buchanan, William, 36 

Buckingham family, 20 

Buerkle general store, 32 

Bullskin Trace, 13, 16, 19, 38, 39, 41, 43 

Bullskin Trail. See Bullskin Trace 

Bureau, William, 43 

Burke Park, 34 

Burke, Edmund Glenn, 34 

Bushman, Rebecca, 24 

Butler, John O., 30 

Butterworth farm, 23 

Butterworth, Samuel, 22 

C 

Camp Allyn, 11 

Camp Dennison, 46, 52 

Camp Lucas, 11 

Camp Repose, 20 

Camp Scott, 11 

Camp Shady, 20 

Carman farm, 18 

Carpenter, Elizabeth, 31 

Carter, Nicholas, 14, 15 

Cary House, 28 

CECOS International, 19 

Cemeteries 

Arlington National, 55 

Clover, 55 

Evergreen, 20 

Goshen, 18 

Greenlawn, 9 

Hartman, 19 

Mt. Moriah, 35 

Myers, 18 

Old Bethel Church, 8, 33, 53 

Paxton/Ramsey, 22 

Tate Township, 55 

United Methodist, 21 

Wood, 36 

Champion Bridge Co., 31 

chautauqua, 20, 50 

Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, 16, 24, 43, 

47, 48, 49 

Chilo (packet boat), 41, 42 

Chilo Lock & Dam 34, 42 

Cincinnati & Columbus Traction Co., 19, 

21, 22, 49, 50 

Cincinnati & Eastern Railroad, 11, 21, 

27, 29, 35, 40, 47, 48 

Cincinnati & Portsmouth Railroad, 47 

Cincinnati Camp Meeting, 20 

Cincinnati Columbus & Wooster 

Turnpike, 21 

Cincinnati Electric Railway, 29 

Cincinnati Enquirer, 20, 42 

Cincinnati Georgetown & Portsmouth 

Railroad, 11, 16, 29, 30, 35, 47, 48 


Cincinnati Milford & Blanchester Traction 

Co., 49, 50 

Cincinnati Milford & Loveland Traction 

Co., Co., 21, 22, 38, 39, 49, 50 

Cincinnati Nature Center, 18, 36 

Cincinnati Portsmouth & Virginia 

Railroad, 48 

Cincinnati Rotary Club, 11 

Cincinnati Shoe Factory, 35 

Cincinnatian (train), 47 

Cincinnati-Batavia Pike, 35, 44, 45 

Cincinnati-Williamsburg Pike, 44 

Civil War, 11, 12, 15, 20, 24, 33, 37, 40, 

43, 46, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 

Civilian Conservation Corps, 34 

Clare, Joe, 34 

Clarke Farm, 9 

Clarke, Houton, 33 

Clasgens, Henry, 28 

Clasgens, J. H., 28 

Clasgens, Joseph, 28 

Clermont (steamboat), 27 

Clermont Academy, 24, 25, 26, 54 

Clermont Airways, Inc., 7 

Clermont County Airport, 7, 11 

Clermont County Bicentennial Marker, 

12, 19, 25, 38, 39, 41 

Clermont County Fair, 11, 32 

Clermont County Farm Bureau, 34 

Clermont County Park, 19, 42 

Clermont Industrial Parks, Inc., 7 

Cleveland, Aaron, 30 

Cleveland, Grover, 30 

Cold War, 37 

Collins, Charles, 8 

Collins, John, 8 

Combs, Thomas, 20 

Comstock, Andrew, 47 

Cones farm, 24 

Cones, James, 23, 24 

Cones, Nancy Ford, 23, 24 

Coney Island, 50 

Congressional Medal of Honor, 52, 53, 55 

Conrail, 46 

Conway, Cornelius, 20 

Cook family, 18 

Coombs family, 26 

Coombs, Andrew, 51 

Cooper, 16 

Corbin, Henry Clark, 12, 25, 52, 54, 55 

Cornwell, Adeline, 17 

Country Life in America, 23 

County Courthouse, 13 

covered bridges, 31, 45 

Goshen Road, 17 

Jackson Pike, 45 

Stonelick, 31, 45 

Cox, James M., 12 

CSX, 47, 49 

Curry House, 28 

D 

Daughters of the American Revolution, 

39, 41 

Davis, Owen, 37 

Day, Mathew, 15 

Day, Timothy, 35 

Dean, Dovie, 13 

Dean, Hawkins, 13 

Denham, Mary, 33 

Denham, Obed, 33, 34, 51, 52 

Dennison house, 12 

Devanney Site, 9 

Devou Line, 27, 29, 48 

Devou, W. P., 48 

Dickey’s Tavern, 19 

Dimmitt, Ezekiel, 12 

Donham family, 29 

Donnel, John, 35 

Donnel’s Trace, 35 

Donnels, John, 44 

Dormer Brothers manufacturing plant, 28 

Dred Scott decision, 51 

Dumford Store, 32 

Duncan, Gladys, 20 

Durham, Daniel, 35 

E 

East Fork State Park, 7, 8, 9, 11, 33, 39, 40 

East Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant, 9 

Eastern Cincinnati Aviation, 7 

Eastgate Mall, 7, 36 

Edgington Mound, 9 

Eisenhower, Dwight, 18 

Elk Lick Mound, 8, 9 

Ely, George, 11, 12 

Este, Daniel, 35 

Evans, Nancy, 34 

Expressway Park, 9 

F 

Fambes, Grandville, 16 

Farmers’ Institutes, 30 

Fee family, 15, 33 

Fee Villa, 37 

Fee, Daniel, 24 

Fee, Margaret, 15 

Fee, Oliver Perry Spencer, 51 

Fee, Robert, 33, 37, 51 

Fee, Thomas, 15, 37 

Fee, William, 15 

Felicity Times, 15 

Felter, George W., 22 

Ferguson family, 26 

Ferguson, Isaac, 5, 43 

Ferris Site, 9 

Fetter general store, 32 

“Fighting Chaplain”, 52 

Fletcher, 15 

Flynn, Dick, 17 

Ford Motor Co., 7, 11 

Ford, Henry, 34 

Forester (steamboat), 27 

Fort Detroit, 13 

Fourierite Association, 14 

Franklin, Benjamin, 13 

Franklin, James, 22 

Frazee, Jacob, 33 

Free Soil Party, 51 

Fridman Lumber Co., 28 

Fridman Seating Co., 28 

Fridman, Franklin, 24 

G 

G.A.R., 15 

Garfield, James A., 54 

Gaskins, Henry, 35 

Gatch farm, 9 

Gatch Site, 9 

Gatch, Charles, 52 

Gatch, Lewis, 21 

Gatch, Oliver, 52 

Gatch, Philip, 51 

Gatts Auto Buggies, 34 

Gatts, Alfred Palmer, 34 

Gauche home, 32 

Gauche Park, 32 

Gibson, David, 42 

Gillcroft Inn, 22 

Gilliam, Melanie, 5 

Gipson, 15 

Index ✦ 85

Girls’ Friendly Home, 25, 26 

Glancy, John, 18 

Glen Mary Fish Farm, 30 

Goetz, Larry, 18 

“Gold King of the Philippines”, 27 

gold mining, 12 

Goodwin, John, 34 

“Goshen Schoolmaster”, 18 

Grange, 15, 24 

Grange Hall, 24 

Grant Memorial Bridge, 25, 53 

Grant Memorial Building, 35 

Grant Memorial Highway, 27 

Grant, Hiram Ulysses. See Grant, Ulysses 

S. 

Grant, Jesse, 24, 34 

Grant, Ulysses S., 8, 24, 25, 33, 34, 46, 52, 

53, 54 

Great Depression, 12, 47 

Gregg, John, 43 

Guinness Book of World Records, 35 

H 

Hagan, Scott, 39 

Hageman, John, 21 

Hamilton, Sue, 12 

Hammock, Joe "Far Raven", 9 

Harding, Warren, 12, 25 

Harmony Hill, 39 

Harper’s Weekly, 49 

Harris, Allen Lee, 34 

Harsha Lake, 7, 8, 11, 39 

Harsha, William, 8 

Hartman Log Cabin, 19 

Hartman, John, 19 

Hartman, John Kelby, 19 

Hastings, 13 

Hastings, Peter, 15 

Haussermann, Jessie Moonlight, 27 

Haussermann, John W., 27 

Hayden, John, 16 

Hendrick, Leonard A., 21 

Hercules Missile Base, 37 

Heritage Village Museum, 8 

Heverling, Guy T., 16 

Hewett family, 34 

Hewett, Earl, 34 

Hewett-Brooks, Debbie, 34 

Hickok, Wild Bill, 20 

Highland Park, 11, 47 

Hill, John, 10, 46, 50 

Hills Station depot, 48 

Hillsboro & Cincinnati Railroad, 46, 47, 

48 

Hitchcock, Frank, 30 

Hi-Way 28 Drive-In, 17 

Holtzingterat, J. L., 25 

Hopewell, 9 

Hopper, Abram, 29 

Huber, Charles, 51 

Hughes, Edward, 21 

Hulick, James, 12 

I 

IGA grocery store, 32 

Indian Wars, 19, 41, 54, 55 

Infirmary, 11, 12, 13 

Interstate-275, 7, 19, 22, 36, 45 

Interurban Railway & Terminal Co., 27, 

29, 30, 35, 50 

Iraq War, 15, 37, 53, 54 

Iroquois Trail, 36 

Irwin, John, 18 

J 

J&H Clasgens Co., 28 

Jackson, Andrew, 19 

James I, 4 

James Madison (rail car), 21 

Jefferson, Thomas, 22, 51 

Jernegan, David, 30 

John family, 29 

Jolliffe, John, 51 

Jones, Zanis, 22 

K 

Kain house, 40 

Kearns, Charles Cyrus, 30 

Kelch Hotel, 28 

Kenton, Simon, 5, 13, 19 

Kergan. See Kirgan, Daniel 

Kirgan, Daniel, 30 

Knights of Phythias, 15, 30 

Kodak, 23 

Korean War, 55 

Kresge’s, 22 

Krippendorf, Carl, 36 

Kugler, John, 21 

Kugler, Mathias, 35 

L 

Land-of-Goshen, 17 

Lee, LeRoy, 52 

Leever, Sam, 18 

Legendary Run golf course, 29 

Lever, Nancy, 24 

Lewin, Cranston, 31 

Lewis Adams Ferry, 43 

Lewis, Susan, 12 

Libby prison, 52 

Liberty Party, 51 

Libraries 

Clermont County Public, 7 

Felicity Library and Reading Room 

Association, 15 

Milford Public, 22 

Light, George, 51 

Light, Jacob, 27 

Lincoln, Abraham, 46, 52 

Lions Club, 15, 35 

Liquor Court, 21 

Little Miami (rail car), 21 

Little Miami Park, 46 

Little Miami Railroad, 20, 21, 23, 45, 

46, 47 

Little Miami Scenic Trail, 23, 24 

Lob’s Woods, 36 

Logston, 13, 43 

Long Branch Farm, 18 

Longworth, Nicholas, 30 

Loveland, James, 22 

Lucy Run School, 12 

Luithle, Dennis, 5 

Lyceum Hall, 23 

Lytle Dairy House, 39 

Lytle, John, 40 

Lytle, William, 6, 39, 40, 44 

M 

Mace, Richard, 33 

Maddux, Charles M., 29 

Major League Baseball, 18 

Malone College, 32 

Malone, John Walter, 32 

Manchester Ferry Co., 43 

Manning, Elisha, 5 

Manning, John, 5 

Manning, Nathan, 5 

Maple Lane Farm, 43 

Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad, 23, 46, 

47, 48 

Marietta (train), 47 

Marr, Kathryn, 18 


Maslowski, Karl, 36 

Masonic Lodge, 37 

Masons, 15 

Mathews, 29 

Mathews, Edwin, 25 

Mathews, Milton H., 29 

Mattox, Nellie, 30 

McElroy, Neil, 18 

McGraw, Charles, 15 

McGraw, John, 15 

McGrew, John, 30 

McKinley, William, 55 

McLefresh, 43 

McMullen, Red, 23 

Megrue, William, 21 

Meldahl Locks & Dam, 36, 42, 43 

Meldahl, Anthony, 42, 43 

Merchant Marine Monument, 28 

Mercy Hospital, 7, 11 

Mexican War, 19, 54 

Miami Valley News, 22 

Michaels, Franklin, 17 

Midland Co., 11 

Mid-Maples house, 30 

Midway Theater, 34 

Miles, Juliette, 51 

Milford Frontier Days, 22 

Milford Shopping Center, 22 

Milford Water Works, 22 

Milford-Chillicothe Pike, 19, 20, 21, 50 

Millcroft Inn, 22 

Miller, Abraham, 16 

Moffort, Harriet, 25 

Monroe, James, 24 

Moonlight, Tom, 27 

Moore, Charles, 11 

Morgan, John Hunt, 20, 32, 40, 46, 52 

Morgan’s Raiders, 12, 20, 21 

Morris, Thomas, 40, 51 

Morse, Increase Summer, 30 

Moselle (steamboat), 21 

Motsinger, 22 

Motsinger & Eveland Funeral Parlor, 22 

Motsinger, Felix, 20 

Mt. Gilead Anti-Slavery Society, 26 

Municipal Court, 11, 13 

Municipal Courthouse, 12 

Myers, Jacob, 16 

NAACP, 26 

N 

Nader, Ralph, 8 

National Automobile Museum, 34 

National Guard Armory, 12, 55 

National Register of Historic Places, 8, 9, 

24, 25, 28, 31, 33, 45 

Native Americans, 5, 9, 10, 13, 19, 24, 

31, 36, 38, 41, 52 

Delaware, 9, 10 

Miami, 9, 10, 19 

Mingo, 9, 10 

Shawnee, 9, 10, 13, 19, 38, 41 

Wyandot, 9, 10 

Nellie Steele (ferry boat), 43 

Network to Freedom, 15 

Neville, John, 4, 37 

New Orleans (steamboat), 41 

New Richmond (ferry boat), 43 

New Richmond Pike, 27 

New Richmond Water Works & Electric 

Station, 28 

Newman, Steven, 35 

Nichols, Hugh, 25 

Nichols, Hugh L., 12 

Nichols, N. B., 24 

Nike Missile Base, 37 

Nobis, Paul B., 43 

Norfolk & Southern Railroad, 11, 13, 21, 

48 

Norfolk & Western Railroad, 11, 45, 48, 

49 

Northwest Ordinance, 4, 51 

Northwest Territory, 6, 36, 43, 44 

O 

O’Bannon Creek Wastewater Plant, 18 

O’Bannon, John, 4, 5, 13, 14, 19, 20, 37 

Odd Fellows, 15 

Odd Fellows Hall, 31, 39 

Ohio & North Western Railroad, 48 

Ohio Environmental Organization, 8 

Ohio Farm Bureau, 34 

Ohio Historical Society, 24 

Ohio National Guard, 12, 37 

Ohio Pike, 29, 30, 35, 36, 45, 47 

Ohio River Pike, 24, 25, 28 

Ohio State Fairgrounds, 25 

Ohio State University, 16 

Ohio Turnpike. See Ohio Pike 

Opera House, 22, 23 

Owens, William, 31 

Owensville Overall Factory, 32 

P 

Page, Thomas, 24 

Parker Academy. See Clermont Academy 

Parker, Daniel, 24, 25 

Parker, James, 25 

Parker, Priscilla, 25 

Parrish, Joseph, 15 

Parsons, Brooks, 28 

Pattison, John, 21, 32 

Paxton, Thomas, 5, 21, 22 

Pearl Harbor Survivors Monument, 28 

Peavine Branch, 11, 48 

Pence, Frank, 47 

Penn, E. G., 30 

Penn, Lena, 30 

Penn-Central Railroad, 24 

Pennsylvania Railroad, 23, 24, 46 

Perin family, 21 

Perin, Ira, 21 

Perin, Isaac, 21 

Perin, Samuel, 20 

Perry, Oliver, 41 

Persian Gulf War, 55 

Philanthropist, 25 

Phillips, James, 35 

Pierce, Franklin, 29 

Pinkham farm, 32 

Pinkham, Andrew, 8 

Pittsburgh & St. Louis Railway Co., 46 

Pittsburgh Pirates, 18 

Pommert family, 30 

Presley, Elvis, 18 

Procter & Gamble, 18 

Promont, 21 

Pursell, Francis Marion, 27 

R 

Ramsey, William, 22 

Randall, John, 18 

Randall, William, 52 

Rankin, John, 26 

Rapp, Sandy, 12 

Rauscher Mobil, 23 

Reed, Isaac, 33 

Reeves, Susan, 34 

Republican Party, 51 

Revolutionary War, 4, 13, 31, 53 

Rhodes, James, 7 

Rice, Benjamin, 33 

Rich, Charles Henry, 20 

Riley family, 33 

Index ✦ 87

Riley, Gerard P., 52 

River Hills Community Center, 37 

River Road, 27 

Rivers Edge Shopping Center, 22 

Riverside Park, 21 

Riverview Park, 38 

Road’s End farm, 23 

Roberts, Greg, 26 

Robinson, John, 30 

Robinson, Moses F., 20 

Rockwell, Norman, 18 

Rogers, John, 51 

Rookwood Pottery, 16 

Roosevelt, Alice, 30 

Roosevelt, Franklin D., 12 

Roosevelt, Theodore, 30 

Rose, John, 35 

Rosenhoffer, Chris, 8 

Rowe, Stanley, 36 

S 

Salt Family Home, 33 

Salt, John, 33 

Salvation Park, 50 

Sargent, James, 51 

Schmidgall, Tom, 25, 43 

Seminaries 

Felicity Young Ladies’, 15 

Goshen, 18 

Milford, 21 

Moscow, 37 

Mulberry, 20, 21 

Sharon Woods Park, 8 

Shenandoah (train), 47 

Sheriff’s House, 11 

Shiveley, Patsy, 27, 37 

Shumard, Thomas, 20 

Simons, Clara, 38 

Simpson, Hannah, 24, 33 

Simpson, John, 33 

Singleton, Shirley, 12 

Slab’s Camp, 39 

Slade house, 8 

Sleet, William, 15 

Slye, William, 24 

Smith, Alma, 4, 36 

Smith, Henry, 30 

Snead Mound, 9 

Snell barn, 39 

Snell, Charles, 39 

Snell, Lucy, 39 

South Park, 15, 16 

South, D. R., 34 

South, Edith H., 34 

South, James, 33 

South, Wilmer P., 15 

Southwestern Ohio Power Co., 27 

Spanish American War, 12, 16, 27 

Spann General Store, 28 

Sporty’s Pilot Shop, 7, 11 

“squirrel hunters”, 52 

St. Clair, Arthur, 6, 31, 40, 43 

Starlite Drive-In, 34 

Stimson, Lilly, 22 

Stonelick State Park, 38 

Stout, Bernice, 17 

Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 12 

Sunny South Shoe Factory, 34 

Supreme Court, Ohio, 12, 25, 51 

Supreme Court, U. S., 51 

Sweet Lips, 13 

Sycamore Park, 11 

T 

Tacoma (packet boat), 41, 42 

Tate-Monroe Water System, 33 

Teal, Jacob, 35 

Tecumseh, 5, 19 

Thomas-Fuller House, 30 

Thompson, William, 34, 51 

Thompson, William E., 34, 52 

Tobasco General Store, 35 

Town Hall, 22, 23 

Treaty of Greene Ville, 5 

Tri-State Warbird Museum, 7 

Tunnel Mill, 39 

U 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 7, 8, 42, 43 

Ulrey’s General Store, 32 

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 12 

Underground Railroad, 12, 13, 15, 19, 25, 

26, 33, 34, 37, 41, 51, 52 

Union Bridge-Batavia Turnpike, 44 

Union Township Civic Center, 36 

Universal Spiritualistic community, 14 

University of Cincinnati Clermont College, 

7, 11 

V 

Van Briggle Pottery & Tile Co., 16 

Van Briggle, Artus, 16 

Van Buren, Martin, 24 

Veterans Monument, 28 

Veterans Park, 36 

Vickey, Kent, 9 

Vietnam War, 55 

Vineyard golf course, 30 

Virginia Military District, 4, 5, 22, 33, 37 

Voll, John, 18 

W 

Wageman, John, 52 

Wageman, John H., 55 

Wallace, Lew, 52 

War of 1812, 19, 41 

Ward, Emit, 23 

Warner, Marvin L., 29 

Washington, George, 5, 13 

Wayne, Anthony, 5, 10, 31, 39, 41 

Whetson, Jacob, 35 

Whitaker Schoolhouse, 12 

White Collar Line, 48 

Whitney, Diana, 14 

William Tell (steamboat), 27 

Williamsburg Chair Factory, 40 

Williamsburg Saw Mill, 40 

Willing Workers, 39, 41 

Wilson, Peter, 11 

Winans, 16 

Witham, Maurice, 35 

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, 39 

Woman’s Temperance Society, 15 

Women’s Home Companion, 23 

Wood, David, 5 

Wood, Jeriah, 5 

Wood, John, 5 

Woodland Mound Park, 30 

Woodland Park, 39, 50 

Wood-Manning Station, 5, 36 

World War I, 33, 47, 50, 54, 55 

World War II, 7, 13, 16, 18, 28, 33, 55 

X 

Xenia State Road, 38, 41 

Xenia Trace, 41 

Z 

Zimmer Power Station, 36, 37 


About the Cover 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$34.95 

The cover is a picture of the stained-glass window installed in the Clermont County 

Courthouse for the Clermont County Bicentennial in 2000. Beginning in the upper, lefthand 

corner and proceeding clockwise: the Miami Township flag; Anchorage House, Goshen Township; 

Covered Bridge, Stonelick Township; Stonelick State Park, Wayne Township; Hartman Log Cabin, 

Jackson Township; Old Courthouse, Batavia Township; Lytle Dairy House, Williamsburg 

Township; Grant Memorial Building, Tate Township; the Bicentennial Celebration logo; Number 

34 Lock House, Franklin Township; Underground Railroad Signal, Washington Township; Board 

of County Commissioners logo and Great Seal of Ohio; U. S. Grant Birthplace, Monroe Township; 

Amelia Methodist Church, Pierce Township; a riverboat, Ohio Township; Mt. Carmel School, 

Union Township; and Promont Museum, City of Milford. 

ISBN: 978-1-935377-29-0

Historic Clermont County

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