Geauga County, Ohio General Plan 2003: Cultural Resources

CHAPTER II CULTURAL RESOURCES SUMMARY AND PLANNING ISSUES The demands upon cultural resources will increase based upon current and expected demographic trends. As demand rises, devising sources of funds will need to be explored. The basic spatial distribution of such facilities in the county may need to be examined. The contribution of the arts is an essential element in the county, especially as a component of education of students. Coincidentally, the arts should expand programming to create new audiences for activities, including theater and dance. An example may be the Geauga Lyric Theater Guild’s conversion of the former Geauga Cinema in the City of Chardon to offer stage shows and related activities. Other opportunities may exist in the county to reuse buildings for the promotion of the arts. Cultural resources have an effect upon the quality of life in the county and the region. Other impacts include enhancing interaction of residents and promotion of travel and tourism. This section of the plan brings into play historic, archaeological, and cultural resources. Such resources should be inventoried, and to the extent possible, protected. Encroachment of incompatible development upon historic areas should be discouraged. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW Geauga County was originally part of the tract known as the Connecticut Western Reserve. The Colony of Connecticut claimed title to the land (see Map II-1). In 1795, Connecticut conveyed title to about 3,000,000 acres of the easterly portion of the Western Reserve to the Connecticut Land Company for $1,200,000.00. The officers of the land company decided to subdivide the region east of the Cuyahoga River into townships about five miles square. The townships were subsequently divided into sections approximately one-mile square. Some sections were further carved into tracts and lots. Geauga County was established in 1806. The creation of the various townships and municipalities followed (see Map II-2). By the end of 1800, there were about thirty-two settlements in the Reserve. However, no organized government existed. Geauga County was the second county established in the Reserve. Geauga’s name was derived from the Indian name for the present day Grand River, “Sheauga Sepe,” or Raccoon River. The county was created by an act of the legislature in 1805. In 1806, Geauga County government was established and the first meeting of the Board of County Commissioners was held. The contract to build the first courthouse was entered into in 1807. In 1811, the county seat was established in Chardon, named after Peter Chardon Brooks, the owner of the tract of land where the II-1 Geauga County, Ohio General Plan town was founded. Geauga’s total land area was reduced in the early 1800’s when Ashtabula County and Cuyahoga County were created. In 1840, Lake County was organized by taking seven northern townships from Geauga. The population of Geauga County at that time was 16,297 persons. The first courthouse in the county was a simple log building with a single room. The jail was built in Chardon and was attached to a tavern. The courthouse was replaced in 1813. It burned along with many of the other wooden structures in Chardon in the great fire of 1868. The courthouse was rebuilt after the fire out of brick and remains on the square in Chardon today. Map II-1 II-2 Geauga County, Ohio General Plan The following is a historical sketch of each community in Geauga County (see map II-2) Auburn Township: Bildad Bradley, in 1815, settled the township of Auburn. It was the twelfth township to be settled in Geauga County. Early settlers migrated primarily from Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York. Auburn was a central point in stagecoach days, situated halfway between Cleveland and Warren. During the early years, a steady influx of settlers created a thriving community at Auburn Corners. Auburn was home to a diverse industrial economy. Some industries included a stove works, a basket factory, a cheese box mill, sawmills, and cheese factories. The first cheese factory to become operational was located about two and one-half miles north of Auburn Center. By 1936, with a decrease in prior population counts of nearly 50 per cent and the immense competition from the encompassing region, factories began closing and farming became a primary occupation. Bainbridge Township: In 1811, the first settler of Bainbridge, David McConoughy, purchased and built a log cabin on 100 acres of land situated in the southeast corner of the township. Other early settlers followed suit, and the land which once had an abundance of trees, including maple, cherry, and oak, was cleared to plant wheat and build dwellings. By 1820, the first saw mill was put into operation, enabling the millers the opportunity to use the trees, which had been cleared for open land. The maple trees were also tapped for maple sugar production. As was the case across Geauga County, cheese production was an important industry in Bainbridge. The area of Geauga Lake was settled in approximately 1826. Geauga Lake Amusement Park opened nearly 60 years later, in 1884. The oldest road in Bainbridge, Chillicothe Road (State Route 306), was surveyed in 1801 by Edward Paine. The first rail service to pass through the township was established in 1856. From 1900 to 1915, an electric car line ran between Chagrin Falls and Garrettsville, passing through Bainbridge. Burton Township and Village: Burton Township was the first settlement in Geauga County. It was founded by Thomas Umberfield, Isaac Fowler, and Amariah Beard, all originally from Connecticut, in July of 1798. The first town hall was constructed in 1871 at the northeast corner of the square. The township relied heavily upon its agricultural economy. Dairying was significant through the early 1900’s along with the manufacturing of cheese. Colonel Henry A. Ford sold the land used as the fairgrounds to the county in 1856. In 1874, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line opened a stop in Burton, known as the Burton Station. The Burton and Mantua Hack Line also ran daily, passing through South Newbury, Auburn Corners, Mantua Corners, and to Mantua Station. The first passengers of the Burton-Middlefield Line of the Cleveland and Eastern Railroad were transported on February 22, 1900 and it remained operational until 1925. This line allowed for regular trips to Cleveland as well. Burton Village was incorporated in 1895. Chardon Township and City of Chardon: The first settlers arrived in Chardon in 1808. Peter Chardon Brooks, an early settler from Boston, dedicated the public square provided that the county seat be located in Chardon and that his middle name (a French word meaning “thistle”) would become the official name of the community. The central square began to function as the focal point for the early settlers, and would continue to do so over the years that followed. The square was used as a field for raising crops as II-3 Geauga County, Ohio General Plan well as for grazing. In addition, many celebratory events were held on the square, such as carnivals, concerts, and political events. Chardon Village was established in 1851. In 1868, a devastating fire completely destroyed Chardon’s business section as well as the courthouse. The buildings and courthouse were subsequently rebuilt. Chardon has hosted a diverse set of industries over the years. Since the earliest days, farmers came from surrounding areas for the purpose of trading goods. Several saw mills and cigar manufacturing establishments helped define the economy, as did the production of other items such as cider and cheese. Stone quarries and brick making operations were also established due to the availability of large deposits of sandstone and clay. The Chardon Macaroni Company and the Chardon Rubber Company were early industrial firms. The Painesville and Hudson Railroad Company ran a line through Geauga County in the mid to late 1800’s. The company constructed a narrow gauge track between Painesville and Chardon. From 1871 to 1872, the Painesville and Youngstown Railroad Company continued this track. When the line was purchased by the Pittsburgh and Western in June of 1886, the existing gauge was changed to the standard gauge. Service on this new line began in late summer of the same year. At the turn of the century, rail service became available to Cleveland on the Cleveland and Eastern Railway Company. This electric railroad ran from Chardon to Cleveland as well as from Burton to Middlefield. The line remained operational until March of 1925. Chester Township: Chester Township was preliminary surveyed in 1796 and settled in 1801 by Justice Miner. It was the fourth settlement in Geauga County and was named Chester for Chester, Massachusetts because a number of settlers were originally from there. Farming and dairying were the early major activities in the township. The Moss Farm Dairy was one of the major dairy farms in the township. Chester was found to be a good locality for fruit trees. From 1910 to 1915, there were large plantings of fruit trees, especially apples. Austin Turner built the first store in Chester in the early 1840’s at the northwest corner of the intersection of Center and Chillicothe Roads. About 1870, a store at Mulberry corners was built. After World War II, Chester gradually changed from a farming community to being more business oriented. Several successful business enterprises were established and included a lumberyard, sheet metal operation, a refrigeration company, paint rollers manufacturing, thermostatic controls, heater manufacturing, and an upholstery business. Chester’s early post offices were usually located in an existing store. From the earliest history, there was one located near the intersection of Mayfield and Chillicothe Roads. The address for this area was written as Chester X Roads.

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