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Village History Read below to find out information on your Village.
Background: The Village of Waynesville was founded in 1797 by Samuel Heighway. Waynesville is known for its many antique stores an the annual Sauerkraut Festival. On the 22nd day of February, 1796, Samuel Heighway, John Smith and Evan Banes, all residents of Columbia, signed an Article of Agreement to purchase approximately 30,000 acres of land along the Little Miami River from John Cleves Symmes for $1.25 an acre. They then signed an Article of Agreement that made them equal partners in this endeavor. On this land, they named a town in honor of General Wayne. Heighway had sold nearly half of his land. He received $2.00 an acre for land outside the village and the town lots, consisting of ½ acre, sold for $6.00. These sales carried the stipulation that the new owners were obligated to build a house on this land within a certain period of time. Although Heighway, Banes, and Smith had drawn up a contract that made them equal partners in this venture, Heighway alone is recognized as the founder of Waynesville. A legal contract was drawn between the partners and Symmes, ownership of the land in and around Waynesville fell into dispute when it was discovered that Symmes did not have a title to the land. In 1807, David Faulkner got a patent for 208 acres of land that included most of the old town plat and then resold the land to the people who had previously purchased their lots from Heighway. Freedom Place for Slaves: Waynesville was of major importance in our history because the Northwest Territory was free, meaning that slavery was forbidden. This land that was free of slavery brought members of the Society of Friends to Waynesville as early as 1799. They held their first meeting for worship in Waynesville in 1801. By 1805 they had built their first Meeting House which was made of logs. Waynesville property's have been nominated as a National Historical District, that includes the two meeting houses, the Friends Home, and the Quaker Heights Nursing Home. Waynesville, with its Quaker Heritage and its northern background, became a major station in the Underground Railroad. Today a number of buildings along with the tunnels that lead from the Little Miami to these buildings that were involved in this endeavor. The old Miami House, built in 1826, was located on the corner of Main and North Streets. It had a hidden room in the attic, which could be entered by pressing on a board in the wall. Steps between the walls led from the cellar to this room. The Seth Silver Haines house on Third Street, built in 1855, had a tower from which a watchman could see down to the Little Miami river. The Old Mill, located on the Mill Race was involved and the Brick house at 88 South Main Street, built in 1839, were also prominently involved. Tunnels that still exist today connect all of these buildings with the Little Miami River. Just outside of Waynesville, Moses McKay’s house, located on New Burlington Road, has a hidden room under the kitchen, which could hold as many as eight slaves. Devastating Fire: The Fire of April 7, 1900 had a great impact on the history of Waynesville. The fire leveled all but the two northern most buildings on the west side of Main Street on the block from North Street to Chapman Street. The fire caused a great deal of financial loss, but also, since the village offices were located here, it destroyed all of Waynesville’s Village records. The leaders of Waynesville realized that another tragedy could occur if they did not take action, so on June 10th, just 2 months after the fire, the residents of Waynesville passed a $30,000 bond issue and by April 10, 1901, the water and electrical systems in Waynesville had been completed. Businesses: Waynesville, through the years, had many businesses which included mills, trade goods stores, millenaries, restaurants, jewelry stores, etc. People would come into town, usually on a weekly basis, to conduct all of their business during their stay. Saturdays were particularly busy and Main Street would be crowded until well into the evening. The activity reached a peak in the years around World War II. Gasoline was rationed and the local people stayed close to home for their needs. By the 1950’s, conditions began to change. U.S. 42 and State Route 73, both of which had run through the center of town and shared Main Street for part of their routes, were relocated so that traffic no longer came into the downtown area. Businesses had been locally owned and operated. Everyone knew the owners and they knew their customers. But as local business was lost, many owners closed their doors. Many small communities that were going through this same phenomenon did not meet the challenge and the nature of America’s small town “downtowns” changed forever. Waynesville, however, did adapt to this change and one by one as building became vacant, new businesses were started that promoted visitors and tourists from greater distances. Antiques & Sauerkraut: In the late 1960’s, Waynesville opened its first antiques shop. Then antiques shops began opening more rapidly, and by the 1980’s we had earned the title as the “Antiques Capital of the Midwest”. Now, more than 35 antiques shops line Main Street and they have been joined by many crafts, gifts, and specialty shops along with fine dining spots. In 1970, the merchants met to develop an event to promote business for the new shops. It was decided to have a one-day sidewalk sale. One businessman mentioned that we should serve food and another thought a sauerkraut dinner would be well received. So a one-day festival was held, with parades, games, street sales, largest head of cabbage contest, best home-made sauerkraut contest and, among other events, a sauerkraut dinner. This annual event, The Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, is now held for two days, and is undoubtedly one of the most successful festivals in the nation, drawing nearly 300,000 people to Waynesville each year.
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"Founded 1797, Pride Community Wide" |
