RICHWOOD

A short history of Richwood

Early history, 1820–1860

Union County was organized on January 10, 1820, from territory previously contained in Franklin, Madison, Logan and Delaware Counties. Claibourne Township was surveyed by Richard Claiborne in 1811. The first settler in Claiborne Township was Cyprian Lee, who with Henry Swartz took the contract to build the township's first road in 1825. The 15 feet (4.6 m) wide road was cut from the southernmost to the northernmost lines of the township, the effort consisting of clearing underbrush and small trees, leaving 'many obstacles in the shape of large timber.' This north to south road passed through what would become Richwood.

In 1832, two 1,200-acre (490 ha) land grants in Union County were received by William Pelham and Charles Blagrove of Virginia. Pelham sold his land to Blagrove that same year, who promptly gave his nieces, Catherine and Parthenia Blagrove of Washington, D.C., the two parcels. Richwood would later be laid out on Parthenia's parcel. Blagrove put her legal affairs in the hands of Delaware attorney George Bomford, who sold the land to Philip Plummer.

Philip Plummer was originally from Mt. Vernon, but he had been impressed with Union County's tree growth and rich soil. Once he had purchased Blagrove's plat he returned with his brother Thomas, who was a surveyor. Together they found that the level ground and distance from Marysville, the county seat, would make that location desirable for a city. The town of Richwood was laid out August 8,9,10 1832 by Philip, his brother Thomas and Union County Surveyor Levi Phelps, who aided the project, and whose office recorded the first boundary lines for the new town.

When the surveying was finished Richwood was platted and declared open for settlement, the plat covering a total area of 44 acres (18 ha). The north-south and east-west roads were named Franklin (after Benjamin Franklin) and Ottaway (later renamed Ottawa), respectively, both to be 100 feet (30 m) wide. Four other streets were platted: Fulton and Clinton Streets going north-south, Blagrove and Bomford going east-west, each to be 82.5 feet (25.1 m) wide.

The first building in Richwood was a one-room log cabin occupied by John P. Brookins and his family. For many years, he was the only doctor in Richwood and served as Justice of the Peace and as Postmaster.

In 1834 Richwood got its first established business, a grocery store opened by Burdick & Calloway. That same year, road work was completed, and all the roads going into the town were gravelled.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was formally organized on October 17, 1835, by Reverend William Frazell, who served as an itinerant minister.

Richwood was incorporated as a village in March 1835, and by 1840 twenty-five families were listed as living in Richwood. As of 1877, the town contained one newspaper, two banks, three churches, one brick school-house, and several stores and factories.

Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Richwood, Ohio, revision 1374799645 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.