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MUSEUMS
Aberdeen-Huntington Museum,
PO Box 123
99 Main Cross St.
Aberdeen, Ohio
(937) 795-2160
The Aberdeen-Huntington
Museum includes many historic
items as well as documents and research material on the history of Aberdeen and Huntington
township. Located in the former Aberdeen
school, the collection is being rejuvenated and reorganized.
Open April-October and Saturday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.. For information, call (937) 795-2667; (937) 549-2993.
Internet: www.aberdeen-hunt-twp-ohio-museum.com
Brown County Genealogical Library and Brown County
Historical Society,
PO Box 83
200 East Cherry St.
Georgetown, Ohio 45121
The Genealogical Library and the Historical Society are located in the
former county jail, a stone structure built in 1870.
Both are open Thursday and Saturday, 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. or by
appointment. Call Ned Lowick (937) 378-6334 or
Dorothy Helton (937) 444-3521.
Grant Homestead
219 East Grant Ave.,
Georgetown, Ohio
45121
Boyhood home of Ulysses Grant,18th
president of the United
States. Built by Jesse Grant in 1823,
with additions in 1825 and 1828. A National Historic Landmark. Open June 1
to Labor Day, Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 P.M. or by
appointment.
Call (937) 378-4222 or visit the Thompson House Gallery at 202 Grant Ave.
for information and tours.
Internet: www.ohiohistory.org/places/grantboy/
Grant Schoolhouse
State Memorial,
508 South
Water St.,
Georgetown,
Ohio 45121
Built as a public school in 1829. John D. White, the first schoolmaster,
taught two future generals and an admiral - U.S. Grant, Jacob Ammen, and Daniel Ammen. Open
Memorial Day to Labor Day, Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 P.M. or
by appointment, and Sept.-Oct. Sat. and Sun. noon to 5.
Call (937) 378-4222 or visit the Thompson House Gallery at 202 Grant Ave.
for information and tours.
Internet: http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/grantsch/
Ohio Tobacco Museum,
PO Box 61
703 South 2nd St.
Ripley, Ohio
45167
The Ohio Tobacco
Museum is dedicated to preserving
the history of tobacco farming in Ohio.
Open April through December on Saturday
10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and Sunday 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Open year-round by appointment.
(937) 392-9410 or (937) 392-1352
Old Timer’s Building,
Brown County Fairgrounds,
325 West State St.,
Georgetown, Ohio
45121
Located adjacent to the main show ring. Photographs and mementos of Brown County history from the mid-19th
century to the 21st century. Owned and operated by the Brown County
Historical Society.
Open during the Brown County Fair and by appointment. Phone: (937)
378-6574 or (937) 378-3731.
Rankin House
State Memorial,
6152 Rankin
Hill Rd.
Ripley,
Ohio 45167
Home of Rev. John Rankin, Presbyterian minister, writer, and noted
antislavery leader. Known as the “father of
abolitionism.”
Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, Wednesday through Saturday 10 A.M. - 5
P.M. and Sunday 12 - 5 P.M. Open on weekends September through October,
Saturday 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. and Sunday 12 - 5 P.M. Admission $3. Students $1.
Last tour at 4:30. To schedule tours call (937) 392-0245. For information,
call (937) 392-1627 or 800-752-2705.
Internet: www.ohiohistory.org/place/rankin/
Ripley
Museum,
219 North 2nd St.,
PO Box 176
Ripley, Ohio
45167
The Ripley
Museum collection and
research library is housed in an 1850s frame home of
Federal architectural style. The 10 rooms are filled with
collectibles dating from the late 18th century to the mid-20th
century.
Open April through December on Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and
Sunday 12:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. or by appointment.
Phone: (937) 392-4660
E-mail: curator1224@yahoo.com
Internet: www.ripleymuseum.org
COMMUNITIES
& HISTORIC SITES
Covered Bridges
Brown Bridge - From New Hope two miles
northeast on New Hope-White Oak Station Road
(County Road 5).
George Miller Bridge - From
Russellville south on US 62 for ½ mile, then left on George Miller Road
(County Road 77) for two miles.
McCafferty Bridge
- From Vera Cruz two miles southwest on US 50, then left on McCafferty Road
(County Road 105).
New Hope Bridge
- West of US 68 south of New Hope.
North Pole Bridge - From
Ripley go North on US 68 one mile, turn right on North Pole Road (County
Road 15) for three miles.
Aberdeen
In the spring of 1795, Captain Nathan Ellis and his five brothers,
looking for homes in the Northwest Territory, landed their flatboat at a
settlement known as Limestone (later Maysville,
KY) on the south shore of the Ohio River. The following year, Captain Ellis moved
across the river where he built a home, a tavern, and a ferry service. The
settlement on the north shore was known as Ellis’ Landing until 1816
when it was surveyed and renamed Aberdeen.
Aberdeen’s Gretna Green Festival
commemorates Squires John Shelton and Massie Beasley who,
like the magistrates of Gretna
Green, Scotland,
performed instant marriages without the formality of a license, and often
without the consent of parents. The annual Gretna Green Festival celebrates
Aberdeen’s
Scottish connection with food, games, bagpipes, and other entertainment.
The Aberdeen River Festival is a revival of “Court Days”
when citizens from the surrounding area came together to attend court
sessions held by judges riding the “circuit.” Court days became
important social events on the frontier, providing an opportunity to swap
guns, knives, dogs, horses, local news, and tall tales. The River Festival
continues the tradition in a family-friendly atmosphere.
For information on these two festivals, see the listing of events under
“Recreation.”
Decatur
St. Clairsville, laid out in 1801or 1802, was
the first town in what was to become Brown County.
When it was discovered that there was another St. Clairsville
in Ohio, the name was changed to Hard
Scrabble and finally to Decatur in honor of
Stephen Decatur, a hero of the battle of Lake Erie
during the War of 1812.
Four lots had originally been set aside for construction of the Adams County
courthouse, but were not needed after Brown County
was formed from parts of Adams and Clermont counties. These lots, in the
center of town, became the Decatur
Park.
Fayetteville
The first house in the Fayetteville
area was built by Erastus Atkins in 1811. During
the next few years, Atkins was joined by other settlers, and in 1818
Cornelius McGroarty, a native of Ireland, bought
the area now occupied by the village and named it Fayetteville in honor of
the French General Lafayette.
Early businesses included a saddle and harness maker, a carriage
manufacturer, a creamery, several water-powered “corn cracker”
mills and a steam mill. From 1902 to 1919, daily freight and passenger
service to Cincinnati
was provided by the Cincinnati & Columbus Traction Company (the
“Swing Line”).
St. Patrick’s Church was organized in 1837 and the present brick
building was erected during that same year.
St. Patrick’s Academy, founded in 1860, provided
education for boys between the ages of five and twelve. It was later known
as St. Aloysius Military Academy. In 1983 the buildings were completely
renovated and continue to serve the community as the Fayetteville-Perry High
School.
The Indian Creek Wildlife Area at Fayetteville,
managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, offers nearly 1800
acres of hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. For more
information see Wildlife Areas under “Recreation.”
Georgetown
In 1808 Allen Woods bought 200 acres of wilderness and in 1819 presented
a plat of 22 lots and four streets, which he named Georgetown
after his hometown in Kentucky.
When Brown
County was carved out
of Clermont and Adams counties in 1817, the realignment stirred up several
years of political bickering over location of the county seat. The issue
was settled in 1821 when a commission appointed by the Ohio General
Assembly unanimously recommended Georgetown
as the seat of justice for the new county.
For information on historic sites open to the public in Georgetown, please call the Brown County
Chamber of Commerce at (937) 378-4784 unless another number is listed.
Brown County Court House, 101 South Main St., Georgetown, Ohio
45121
Greek Revival architecture designed by Hubbard Baker, completed 1851. North
and south wings were added in the early 1900s. Completely renovated after a
fire in the 1970s. A public building.
Grant Schoolhouse State Memorial
See listing under museums.
Subscription School,
208 East Grant Ave.,
Georgetown, Ohio
45121
Built in 1824 for the Methodist
Church. Converted to
a school in 1827. Jesse Grant paid $2.00 for a 13-week period of classes
for his son Ulysses in 1829. A private residence.
Grant Homestead
Boyhood home of Ulysses Grant.
See listing under Museums.
Grant Tannery, 300 East Grant
Ave., Georgetown, Ohio 45121
Jesse Grant built this two-story brick building in 1823 for his tannery
business. A private residence.
Thompson House, 202 East Grant Ave., PO Box 59,
Georgetown, Ohio
45121
Federal lines and Greek Revival features. Built in 1836. Houses wildlife
artist John A. Ruthven’s art gallery. Call (937) 378-4222.
Col. David Ammen
Home, 115 South Apple St., Georgetown, Ohio 45121
Greek Revival architecture designed by Hubbard Baker. Built in 1826. Col. Ammen’s son, Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen, was a boyhood friend of U.S. Grant.
Daniel’s brother, Jacob Ammen, was a
Brigadier General. A private residence.
Bailey House, 112 North Water St., Georgetown, Ohio
45121
Designed by Hubbard Baker for Dr. George Bailey. Built in 1830. The Baileys
were close friends of the Grants. The home is now a private residence and
bed & breakfast. For information call (937) 378-3087.
E-mail: baileyho@bright.net
Internet: www.baileyhousebandb.com
Dixon-Washburn Log House,
Brown County Fairgrounds, 325
West State St., Georgetown, Ohio 45121
Located adjacent to the main show ring. The house was built at Logan’s Gap in 1793 by William Dixon and
Cornelius Washburn, Indian scouts who became residents of Brown County.
Dixon lived
in the house until 1800. The building was moved to the county fairgrounds
in 1976.
Gist Settlements of Brown County
In 1819, two large groups of freed slaves were brought to Brown County
from Hanover, Amherst, and Goochland counties in Virginia. More than 300 were settled on
2300 acres of land in Eagle, Scott, and Clark
townships. The area in Eagle township was approximately 1180 acres, and the
area in Scott/Clark was approximately 1120 acres. In Eagle township a few
descendants still live on the Settlement. No descendants remain in the
Scott/Clark Settlement.
The slaves were manumitted by their owner, Samuel Gist, a wealthy
planter with vast holdings in Virginia.
His will contained provisions for his business associates to free all of
his slaves. The state of Virginia decided
that the slaves were to be taken to Ohio.
Land was purchased for the relocation, and the Gist Settlements of Brown
County were formed. One other settlement still exists in Penn township in Highland County.
Brush Creek Baptist
Church on Tri-County Highway
was established by the freed slaves of the Gist Settlement. Two cemeteries,
the Methodist (Five
Points-Fincastle Road) and Baptist (across the
street from Brush
Creek Baptist
Church) are the
burial places of many residents that lived in the Gist Settlement in Eagle
township.
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Hamersville
In 1838, Nathaniel Moore and George Flick laid out a village they called
Good Samaritan. The name didn’t stick, and Good Samaritan later was
known as Moore’s
Crossing. Finally, the town was renamed Hamersville
in honor of Thomas L. Hamer, a member of Congress
from the district who was instrumental in having a post office located
here. (Hamer was also responsible for U.S.
Grant’s appointment to West Point.)
In 1882 the narrow gauge Cincinnati, Georgetown & Portsmouth
Railroad reached Hamersville. While it required
several days to make the trip to Cincinnati
and back by wagon, it was now possible to make the same trip by train in a
matter of hours. Rail service expanded markets for farmers and made it
possible for local businessmen to ship their products and receive supplies
and inventory more quickly and economically.
The first volume of “Who’s Who in America” was published in
1900 by Albert Nelson Marquis who grew up in Hamersville.
He lived with his grandparents who operated a general store, post office,
and stage coach depot. The building he lived in at the corner of Main Street and
North Avenue
is still standing and is still a grocery.
Higginsport
Higginsport is one of the oldest villages in
the county. It was originally laid out in 1804 by Col. Robert Higgins and
was called White Haven. When the settlement failed to grow, it was replatted and renamed Higginsport
in 1816.
Over the years this new community became an active business center with two
hotels, two taverns, two wineries, seven warehouses, flour mills, lumber
companies, a tannery, a furniture factory, a boat yard, and an abundance of
river traffic - including showboats.
The park in the center of town was donated by Col. Higgins for public use.
Another park near town was developed by the State Highway Department.
Several historic buildings in the village are still in use for business or
as private residences.
Ohio River House Bed &
Breakfast, 101 Brown St., Higginsport,
Ohio 45131
Jesse Dugan, a prominent local businessman, built Higginsport’s
first brick home in 1835 at the corner of Water and Brown Streets. The
home, along with one of the warehouses, is now a private residence and bed
& breakfast. For information, call (937) 375-4395.
E-mail: info@ohioriverhouse.com
Internet: www.ohioriverhouse.com
Mt. Orab
Daniel Keethler established the village of Mt. Orab
in 1850, laying out nineteen lots on the east bank of Sterling Fork of
White Oak Creek.
While there’s no doubt that Keethler took
the name of the new community from the Bible there’s still some
controversy over whether it was intended to be Mt. Orab,
Mt. Oreb, or Mt. Horeb.
Growth was slow until the Cincinnati & Eastern Railroad reached town
on April 19, 1877. In that same year thirty-one lots were added, and by
1880 Mt. Orab had
become an incorporated village.
While the railroad brought a measure of prosperity to Mt. Orab
and the surrounding area, the C&E itself was a financial basket case
and was finally acquired by the Norfolk & Western (now Norfolk Southern) in 1901.
The Mt. Orab
depot, built in 1884, is the oldest building in town and is on the National
Register of Historic Places. The depot is owned by the Mt. Orab Women’s Club and has been moved across the
tracks where it is on display along with a vintage wood caboose.
In June of 1929, Radio Station WHBD “went on the air” from
the rear of Doc Moler’s Garage and General
Store on East Main Street. At that time, Mt.
Orab was
the smallest town in the U.S.
with a radio station. Sunday was the big day! People gathered from all over
the area to hear and see the “live talent” on WHBD. One of the
performers was Cowboy Copas who later became a
regular on the Grand Ole Opry. Because of
increasing operating expenses, the popular station was sold and moved to Portsmouth in 1934.
Ripley
In 1812 Col. James Poage founded and
incorporated a town on the north bank of the Ohio River, which he named Staunton after his hometown in Virginia. In 1816 the name of the
village was changed to Ripley in honor of Brigadier General Eleazar Ripley, a veteran of the War of 1812.
Ripley soon earned a reputation as a major Ohio River port and in the
early years was second only to Cincinnati
in the pork packing business.
For information on Ripley’s 55 acre historic district and the
following historic sites, please call (937) 392-4188 unless another number
is listed.
The Bank Hotel, 22 Front St., Ripley,
Ohio 45167
Federal architecture, built in 1840. The hotel served as lodging for
steamboat and stagecoach passengers during the 19th century. A private
residence.
Colonel James Poage
House, 124 Front St.,
Ripley, Ohio
45167
Federal architecture, built 1816. Poage founded Staunton, later
renamed Ripley, in 1812. A private residence.
Thomas Collins House, 200 Front St., Ripley, Ohio 45167
Federal architecture, built in 1812. Thomas Collins’ father,
Nathaniel, was the first mayor of Ripley. Thomas and his brothers were
“conductors” on the Underground Railroad. A private residence.
Signal House, 234 North Front St.,Ripley, Ohio 45167
Italianate architecture, built in 1830. Home of Admiral Joseph Fyffe
who served in both the Mexican War and Civil War. A lantern in an attic
skylight signaled Rev. John Rankin on Liberty Hill that the waterfront was
safe to transport slaves to freedom. The home is now a private residence
and bed & breakfast.
(937) 392-1640
E-mail: signalhouse@webtv.net
Internet: www.Thesignalhouse.com
Parker House, 330 North Front St., Ripley, Ohio 45167
Federal architecture, built in 1846. Home of John Parker, a former slave
who became a successful inventor and businessman in Ripley before the Civil
War. He was a well-known “conductor” on the Underground
Railroad.
The home has been restored and is currently open on weekends. Dedication is
planned for October, 2003.
For information, call (937) 392-4188.
Rankin House State Memorial
Home of Rev. John Rankin.
See listing under museums.
Samuel Hemphill House, 402 Main St., Ripley,
Ohio 45167
Greek Revival-French Second Empire architecture, built in 1841. This is the
first house in a group known as Colonial Row which features four excellent
examples of Neo-classical pre-Civil War homes in spacious, well-kept
surroundings. A private residence.
Red Oak Presbyterian Church, PO Box 95, 5754 Cemetery Rd., Ripley, Ohio 45167
The church was a station on the Underground Railroad and the cemetery is
the burial site of Rosa Washington Riles, known for her portrayal of
“Aunt Jemima” in national advertising for Aunt Jemima Pancake
Mix. A collection of Aunt Jemima souvenirs and advertising items is on
display.
Russellville
Russell Shaw, a blacksmith from New York
state, bought 200 acres of Ohio
forest in 1816. The following year he laid out a new community on the site,
named it Russellville, and in the fall of 1817 sold thirty-two lots for a
total of $840. The park in the center of town was reserved for a Market
House.
With no towns of any size nearby, the first settlers in the village had
a long and difficult trip to Maysville,
Kentucky to do their trading,
but about 1834, Mr. Shaw turned his blacksmith business over to his son
Anthony and opened a small store.
A variety of businesses have met the needs of the community in the past,
including hotels, canneries, flour and woolen mills, tanneries, shoe and
harness makers, and a carriage factory. Several cooper shops took advantage
of the high quality hardwood in the area and the village became well known
for the production of wooden tubs and buckets, as well as barrels for
flour, pork, and whiskey.
Russellville has always been a farming community, and in October of 1850
hosted the first agricultural fair in the county. Yellow Dent hybrid corn
was developed and introduced here by James L. Reid.
In 1905 the only transportation available was over primitive dirt and
gravel roads, so the arrival of the Cincinnati,
Georgetown
and Portsmouth Railroad in Russellville was a cause for some serious
celebration. The electric interurban provided a direct link with markets in
Cincinnati
and with other towns along the line. In spite of a multitude of financial
and other problems, the CG&P continued to offer comparatively fast,
economical, and convenient service for freight, passengers, and mail until
1934.
Sardinia
In March of 1833, William B. Lilley and Josiah Moore laid out sixteen
lots near the East Branch of White Oak Creek. Dr. Isaac Beck, one of the
first physicians in the area, was given the honor of naming the new
community and he chose Sardinia, the name
of his favorite tune in the Methodist hymnal. More lots were surveyed and
added to the village in 1836 and 1837
One of the oldest business buildings in the county is in Sardinia at the
corner of Winchester and Main.
This brick building was built in 1837 by Reverend John Mahan, an ardent
abolitionist who operated both a “Temperance Tavern” and a
station on the Underground Railroad.
The Feike
Building on Broad Street was built by Stephen Feike in 1889 and opened for business with four retail
stores and Sardinia’s first bank.
The second floor of the building served as the Community
Center
for basketball games, silent films, and stage plays. In the 1920s, on
Saturday evenings during the summer, band concerts were held on the public
square, followed by silent movies projected on the east wall of the
building. Admission was ten cents.
Sardinia and the surrounding area
received a substantial economic boost in 1877 when the narrow gauge
Cincinnati & Eastern Railway reached town. The railroad was eventually
extended to Portsmouth on the Ohio River and converted to standard gauge. The
C&E, however, suffered chronic financial problems and was taken over by
the Norfolk & Western (now Norfolk
Southern) in 1901.
St. Martin
In July of 1845, eleven Ursuline Sisters
arrived in St. Martin, a village of
predominantly French and Irish settlers. Under the leadership of an English
woman named Julia Chatfield, they had been invited by the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati to establish a school for young ladies on a tract of land
donated to the church by General John Lytle.
The academy they built at St. Martin,
the School of the Brown County Ursulines, earned an outstanding reputation. Girls came from
Canada and South America
as well as from the U.S.,
and the daughters of Civil War Generals from both the north and south
became students.
Today Chatfield College,
a Catholic 2-year liberal arts college, offers associate degrees in a
number of disciplines. A bachelor’s degree in business administration
from Wilmington
College is also
available on the Chatfield Campus.
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