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    North Ridgeville
    North Ridgeville
    North Ridgeville
    Ebook172 pages1 hour

    North Ridgeville

    By Carol G. Klear

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    About this ebook

    North Ridgeville took root when 17 men, mostly members of the Beebe and Terrell families, left Waterbury, Connecticut, traveled west to Ohio, and established the first permanent settlement on May 10, 1810. Ridgeville Township was organized in 1813, centered at State Routes 20 and 83, and by the mid-1800s welcomed many people of German and English descent. In 1829, due to frequent mail mix-ups with Ridgeville, a town near Dayton, the postmaster general requested that the post office be named North Ridgeville. What was once a small farming community began to grow and prosper, and by 1958, North Ridgeville was incorporated as a village; two years later it became a city. Today the population nears 30,000, and North Ridgeville is flourishing, thanks to the hard work, determination, and pride of its forefathers.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781439635223
    North Ridgeville
    Author

    Carol G. Klear

    Carol G. Klear retired in 2006 after 26 years as a reporter and editor for weekly newspapers in North Ridgeville. She moved to North Ridgeville with her husband and seven children nearly 30 years ago, joining the fabric of the community life. In this collection of photographs and writings, she hopes to share with others the pride she feels for the history of her adopted hometown.

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      Book preview

      North Ridgeville - Carol G. Klear

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      INTRODUCTION

      It was a bold and daring idea for that small band of men from Waterbury, Connecticut, but the more they discussed it, the more excited they became with the prospect of heading west. They had heard there was some public land in Ohio that lay west of Pennsylvania, and the men were more than a little anxious to blaze a trail to what could be a new life.

      The territory, which included both Pennsylvania and Ohio, had originally been deeded by England to the Connecticut Colony and was known as the Connecticut Western Reserve. After the Revolutionary War, Connecticut held fast to the land in Ohio but in 1795 sold the portion now known as the Western Reserve to a group called the Connecticut Land Company. The owners had the property surveyed, and by the early 1800s, the western part was apportioned into townships.

      In 1810, 17 men, many of them from the Terrell and Beebe families, set out. As they trudged westward from Connecticut, the pioneers undoubtedly faced what lie ahead with some trepidation and apprehension. After all, they may not have been rich or well known in Connecticut, but it had been home, and they were leaving it for the unknown. But they would not turn back. The decision had been made.

      The journey was long and not at all easy, but the men were determined. As they made their way along, they encountered wildlife that was not always friendly and weather that was sometimes harsh. As they rode their horses or directed their wagons, the men talked about what they were going to do when they reached their destination. On May 10, 1810, they reached the end of their journey and established the first permanent settlement in what became known as North Ridgeville.

      Within a few weeks, the word got back to Connecticut, and additional pioneers arrived, including the first woman, Electa Wilmot Terrell, who joined the others living in the wilderness, at least until there was time to clear land and build a community. In some parts of the settlers’ new home, the land was ridged, the result of Lake Erie receding many years before. The ridges added to the settlers’ difficulties, making the land harder to till and the soil less workable, but those early people were courageous and determined in purpose.

      Today there are five roads in North Ridgeville named for those ridges—Center Ridge, Stoney Ridge, Sugar Ridge, Chestnut Ridge, and Butternut Ridge.

      Center Ridge Road ran east and west and became the main thoroughfare, extending from Buffalo to Detroit. It was where the first homes were built and perhaps the first farms were established. Within a few decades, rows of maple trees were planted along the main road. As they grew tall and stately, they provided beautiful, arched shelters for those traveling from one end of the community to the other. Today Center Ridge Road continues to be the prime artery of North Ridgeville, and although the appearance has changed dramatically from the time of the first settlers, some parts of the road are still recalled as the area of the Pitts farm or the Diederich farm.

      After building places to live, the pioneers set about providing for their children’s education, and in 1812, a log schoolhouse was constructed, which served for three years until it burned down. Again, undeterred, they built another school, and in time, the area was divided into school districts.

      As time went on, a few smaller settlements developed, including what was known as Fields Corners, which was located at Butternut Ridge and Root Roads and was served by a general store and a post office. Near the railroad tracks on Avon Belden Road, now Route 83, a band of German, English, and Irish immigrants gathered and built homes at what was called Shawville.

      All the while, those first people strived to take their places in a new life, but they never forgot the Creator who guided their lives. The first church was organized in 1822 and eventually became what is now known as the First Congregational United Church of Christ, located on Center Ridge Road at Stoney Ridge. It was followed by what is now called the Fields United Methodist Church and then by St. Peter Catholic Church.

      Over time, small businesses sprang up out of a necessity to serve the people. There were gristmills, blacksmith shops, cheese factories, and general stores; however, farms were the mainstays in those times. Tilling the soil and working the crops kept entire farming families busy from sunup to sundown, but they were happy and, for the most part, healthy.

      Today North Ridgeville is a very different place from what it was in 1810. From the first 17 men who set out to carve niches in a new territory, the population has grown to nearly 27,000, and Ridgeville Township is now the city of North Ridgeville. There is one school district with several elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. There are also two private schools. The three original houses of worship have been expanded to approximately two dozen churches of various denominations. The former farms have been replaced by numerous housing developments. The dirt roads are now paved streets. There are stores, restaurants, gas stations, motels, and other businesses to serve the residents.

      North Ridgeville has undergone many changes over the years, but one thing that remains constant is the courageous and sometimes feisty spirit of its people, all in the name of the city they call home.

      One

      FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

      The journey from Waterbury, Connecticut, to Ohio was long and perilous. With every step the pioneers took, or with each turn of the wagon wheels, there was the fear of the unknown. Wild and unfamiliar animals seemed to lurk everywhere. Native Americans were also a concern, although by the time the settlers arrived in Ridgeville, Moses Cleaveland had already reached the Western Reserve, met with Native American chiefs and pledged friendship, which quelled the uprisings. The small band of men and one woman hoped and prayed

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