The Town & Crossroads Index

**The Town & Crossroads Index**

Welcome to the The Town & Crossroads Index. You can search the index one of three ways, first you can search by business category using the drop down menu. Second you can search the list by entering a key word in the text box. Finally you can search the entire list by putting a check mark in the check box next to the submit button. To activate any of the searches you must hit the submit button after choosing your search. After hitting submit your search results will appear at the bottom of the screen.
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Name:	ACHOR

Location:	Achor is in Middleton Township, off the State Route 170, south of state Rout 154, near Negley in Columbiana County.

How ACHOR Got It's Name:	The meaning of the word Achor is unknown, but a local settler named Abraham Z. Rogers gave the name "Valley of Achor" to the village he founded in the turn of the 19th century. Years later when the post office was established, the name was shortened to Achor.

ACHOR Landmarks:	Many of the buildings that made Achor Town (as it was known in the 19th century) a pioneer landmark are no longer standing. Gary Winterburn of Frederickstown, who has written three books on the history of this area, said that he thinks that the area has been inactive since the early 1900s. The only remaining evidence of Achor Town is Achor Town Church and Cemetery of East Palestine Country Club in Middleton Township. At one time, Achor was also the home of the first operating distillery in Middleton Township in 1808, as well as a tannery, Achorstown School, a corn mill and a sawmill. There was also a general store, a few mechanics's shops,

The People of ACHOR :	Winterburn noted that many Achor residents were actively involved in Achor Town Church, adding that they were also instrumental in the development of other churches in the area, particularly in Frederickstown. Baltzer Young, a longtime resident of Achor, operated a tavern in his residence for many years. Dr. William Wilson was Achor's first resident physician during the 1830's, followed by Dr. W.H. Young in 1875.

The history of ACHOR :	Overall, Achor played a major role in the manufacturing interests of Middleton Township, especially in milling. The mill installed in Achor in 1803 by Aaron Brooks, was the first of its kind with a special bolting apparatus. The Young family, Baltzer and his sons, Peter and David, gained control of the two mills and developed Achor's strongest industry. The Achor Town Church spawned many new churches in the area, and Achor Town schoolteachers were vital in the development of schools in East Liverpool and Lisbon.

ACHOR Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer Pete Rhoda


Name:	ADAIR

Location:	Adair is at state Route 172 and McCann Road in Hanover Township, about 1-1/2 miles west of New Garden, in Columbiana County.

How ADAIR Got It's Name:	In its early days, the settlement was called Millersburg because of the number of families who lived there. It was settled in about 1816 according to the Columbiana County historical records. The name was changed to Adair when a post office was established there in 1893. A new name had to be found because Millersburg was already taken in a town in Holmes County. Elwood Miller chose Adair, after a cousin.

ADAIR Landmarks:	The area is primary a farm community. Although it was apparently a thriving industrial community around the turn of the century, nothing remains today.

The history of ADAIR :	Millersburg was a stop along the trail for wagons making supply trips between Massillon and Lisbon. There was an inn and a tavern where the travelers could find rest and refreshment. County records indicate that when rural mail delivery was initiated into Adair from the Kensington Post Office in 1903, the Adair Post Office closed, as did its grocery store. Among the industrial concerns that were once in Adair were a cheese factory, a chair factory, a cooper shop and a blacksmith shop. Although it no longer exists, there was once a framed schoolhouse in Adair, with the roof in the shape of a cone. Because of its unique shape, it became known as the Hornets Nest. That building collapsed in 1857 and a new brick school was built. The building was blown down during a storm in April 22,1878. History books said school was in session at the time, but no one was seriously hurt.

ADAIR Researched by:	Bob Jackson of The Vindicator's Salem bureau


Name:	AVON PARK

Location:	Avon Park is not a town at all, but actually the northern-most section of the city of Girard. The area is on the east side of North State Street between the Girard cemetery and McKinley Heights.

How AVON PARK Got It's Name:	Named after the creek that flowed through the property, Squaw Creek. It was changed to Ferncliffe Park from 1901-1903; the name was again changed, this time to Avon Park because of its romantic sound.

AVON PARK Landmarks:	The Avon Oaks Ballroom, built in 1902, is at the center of the area that made up the original park. It was the western-most part of Liberty Township until 1948, when annexed to the city of Girard.

The Size of AVON PARK :	Eighty-three acres of fields and woods dissected by the Squaw Creek Country Club valley of hemlock-covered rocky cliffs.

The People of AVON PARK :	Frances Tyler Adams farmed the area until 1897, when a group of Girard and foreign investors built Squaw Creek Amusement Park. The southern section of the park was plotted and homes began being built in 1908. Due to the employment at the nearby Ohio Leather Company, park residents were mostly Slovenian descent until 1954

The history of AVON PARK :	When the original amusement park was built in 1897, it immediately became the most popular park between Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Serviced by an electric streetcar, it was not uncommon for the park to accommodate up to 25,000 people a day. Sunday baseball was illegal at the time, but still drew up to 5,000 spectators. The quarter-mile track around the baseball field attracted the best horse races. The creek was dammed in two places for swimming and boating. A roller coaster, merry-go-round and a narrow gage railway were popular sites. The Casino, a theatre that housed the best vaudeville acts available, and a huge two-story built pavilion for dancing and dining were the main attractions. A zoo featuring lions, tigers, bears and a large bird sanctuary was another attraction. A better trolley system to Idora Park in Youngstown and a disastrous flood in 1913 all but ruined the original amusement park. Fifty-four houses made up a close-knit community until 1954, when the baseball field and racetrack area was plotted and developed, followed by development of the remaining acreage east to the creek

AVON PARK Researched by:	Vindicator correspondent Frank Macek


Name:	BACONSBURG

Location:	Baconsburg was land in Bazetta Township on State Route 46. That same land is the city of Cortland.

How BACONSBURG Got It's Name:	Records indicate that the town was named after the Samuel Bacon Family, who moved to Bazetta in 1816.

BACONSBURG Landmarks:	One of the remaining landmarks is Baconsburg Family Restaurant, 168 N. Mecca Rd. Gus Taktikos, co-owner of the restaurant, said the building was originally a canning factory. Takitkos was not sure when the facility was built, but believes it was sometime before the turn of the century.

The People of BACONSBURG :	The first school was built of red clapboards. One of the main general stores was a large two-story building. Its storeroom was 40-by-50 feet, history books state. The cellar of the store was filled with farm produce, wool and maple syrup. The store also had a large safe that held the farmers' money until they could take it over the mud roads to a bank in Warren. A railroad was built in the town around 1859. The depot was first located across from the motel on Main Street but it was later moved to the Market Street crossing. There were four trains daily. The first church to be organized in the area was by the Baptists on Jan. 22, 1820. The members met in homes. In 1828, according to history books, Thomas Campbell, a traveling preacher, came to town and organized the Church of Christ in Bazetta. The church had 28 charter members. The members built a church in 1837; in 1848 the church had 125 members, the largest membership of Christian Churches in Trumbull County at that time. A new church was built in 1853.

The Businesses of BACONSBURG :	The main businesses in town were the sawmill, the grocery store, and a furniture store. There was also a motel.

The history of BACONSBURG :	Samuel Bacon moved to Bazetta in 1816 and owned and operated a sawmill. The Bacon family owned the mill - which was the only one in the area - until 1850, according to the Trumbull County history books at Warren-Trumbull County Public Library. The Bacon family also built a dam in the area in 1829 so they could be sure they would have enough water to operate the mill. Also, in 1829, Samuel Bacon and his son, Enos, opened the town's first store. Bacon's store boasted that it carried the finest stocks of teas, cigars and tobacco. History books stated that Samuel wanted to see the area progress so he began building some of the first frame buildings in the township. Bacon laid out some land into lots, which were the first steps in building the town. People knew the area as Baconsburg, but the town was never officially called Baconsburg. The post office was known as Bazetta and the town's name was later changed to Cortland.

BACONSBURG Researched by:	Peggy Sinkovich of the Vindicator Trumbull County Staff


Name:	BEST

Location:	Best is the crossroads of Best and Bandy Roads in Smith Township, about three miles northwest of Sebring

How BEST Got It's Name:	Darwin Diver, 85, who has lived since 1914 on a farm that adjoined the station, said Best may have been named for a man who once owned a great deal of property in this area.

BEST Landmarks:	Best Station was a three-sided, flag-stop train station that once stood at the southeast corner of Best and Bandy roads. People waiting in the station would hear the train coming and would wave a flag so the train would stop. There was also a railroad siding on the east side of Bandy Road.

The People of BEST :	No stores ever developed around Best Station, which served the farm community residents.

The history of BEST :	Darwin Diver said people often walked for miles to reach Best Station, and then Alliance via the New York Central Railroad. Diver rode the train every morning for three years to attend Alliance High School. He had to find other transportation for his senior year because the train didn't reach town in time for the classes he needed for graduating in 1926. At one point, 17 students rode the train each day, and on Fridays, another car was added to handle all the people going to town to bank, see the doctor or shop. After graduating, Diver helped unload slag at Best Station that was used to improve the roads. As the roads improved and more people had cars, the train stopped carrying passengers. Eventually, the station was dismantled. Diver said many area young people don't know the train existed, even though the train tracks were removed from Best Road only this past summer.

BEST Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer D.A. Wilkinson


Name:	BOWMAN

Location:	Bowman is located at Western Reserve Road and State Route 45 (Salem-Warren Road), where the townships of Ellsworth, Green and Goshen meet.

How BOWMAN Got It's Name:	The town was named after the Bowman Family, many of whom eventually sold their acreage.

BOWMAN Landmarks:	There is little to distinguish the area today, which is residential on three corners. Countryside Veterinary Clinic on the northwest corner is its most noticeable feature. Some land is still farmed in the vicinity.

The People of BOWMAN :	The Bowman's at one time owned property on all four sides. The family arrived here in 1806 from Fayette County, PA, after arranging to purchase 640 acres in what was then considered to be Green Township in Columbiana County before it was remapped to Mahoning. Christian and Elizabeth Bowman, Joshua and Mary Bowman, and Catherine, wife of John Bowman, were among the original 14 members of the Presbyterian Church in Ellsworth.

The history of BOWMAN :	Farming was the primary pursuit of the Bowman's and there seems to have been little other business or industry in the neighborhood. The family's mail arrived from the Salem Post Office. Clyde Bowman, 70, said his relatives operated a general store in what he believes was the late 1940s and early 1950s. The building, which was eventually sold to another family, now houses the veterinary clinic.

BOWMAN Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer John Goodall


Name:	BOYER

Location:	Boyer is at the south end of Detwiler Road, west of East Lewistown on state Route 165, near state Route 46, in Beaver Township, Mahoning County.

How BOYER Got It's Name:	As with many small crossroads, Boyer took its name from a prominent landowner, or, in this case, several owners who settled the land in the mid 1850's. Although "Boyer" is shown on a current county map, the crossroads was often referred to as Boyer's Corners (and still is by those who live there.)

BOYER Landmarks:	Boyer's Corners School, a one-room schoolhouse at the southeast corner of State Route 46 and 165, is now a private home. An 1879 school census listed 85 students. At the northeast corner is the South Range Quick Shop, a convenience store that had been a gas station for many years. The once-thriving Bolt Meat Packing Company, on west State Route 165 closed after a fire that caused more than $100,000 in damages.

The Size of BOYER :	An 1874 plat map depicts about 100 acres split between H.J., H.B. and George Boyer. In 1899, the plat map depicts the acreage in the name of Christian Boyer, whose land was bordered to the east by Enos Detwiler's property, the present location of Detwiler Road. In 1916, Boyer's land was valued at $7,670 in a pamphlet listing Mahoning County real estate owners (found at Mahoning Valley Historical Society).

The People of BOYER :	Farmers and coal miners were among the populace, as were those who worked at the sawmill and tannery in North Lima. Most families were of German heritage, who migrated here from Lancaster and York counties in Pennsylvania. The acreage remains sparsely populated, much as it was in the 1800's.

The history of BOYER :	Old-timers tell how, in the 1930's, rumors floated around the town that a man, whose body was found by boys collecting coal from a shed one morning behind the schoolhouse, was "murdered by the Mafia". It's difficult to determine fact from fiction in this case without a definite year to research. In 1948, township officials eased limits on strip mining and voted to permit it anywhere. Residents asked for protection from strip mining in 1950, but trustees turned down the zoning plan.

BOYER Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer Patricia Meade


Name:	BRIDGEWATER

Location:	The words (Bridgewater Acres) on George Hardy's red barn is only the physical marker of the spot on the Columbiana County map known as Bridgewater. Hardy's brother, Elmer says the intersection of Rochester and Winona roads in southeast Knox Township has changed little over the years

How BRIDGEWATER Got It's Name:	Elmer Hardy said no one knows how Bridgewater got its name, but the explanation most offered is the area was named for a bridge that spanned an unnamed creek nearby.

The People of BRIDGEWATER :	As Elmer and George were growing up, their father, Earl Hardy, operated a sawmill and threshing machines. The Hardys along with the Crist, Stoffer and Saffel families were the main farming families in the area. With the aid of the Hardys' threshing equipment, they all joined to bring in the crops.

The history of BRIDGEWATER :	Its claim to fame in the area during the 1900s was Everett Sommer's cheese house and a log cabin near the intersection. Earl and Olive Hardy moved to the area in the early 1900s. About a quarter-mile down Winona road to the west is a red house, now a private residence, which for many years was the one-room, Bridgewater School. Elmer Hardy said all the Hardy children attended that school, as did most of the area children. The teachers taught first through eighth grades, and there was a new teacher nearly every year, Elmer said. Wendell Berger, Carie Stoffer and Juanitia Boron were three Bridgewater teachers Elmer remembers. Many students who completed all eight grades at Bridgewater School went on to Goshen High School at Damascus.

BRIDGEWATER Today:	George and his wife, Audrey, and Elmer and his wife, Alice, own land at the east corners of Rochester Road. George and Audrey live in the original farmhouse, which was the home for Elmer and George, a sister and nine other brothers. The area now falls in the West Branch Local School District. Goshen High School building houses West Branch Elementary and Junior High.

BRIDGEWATER Researched by:	Nancy Tullis, Vindicator Salem Bureau


Name:	BRISCOE SPRINGS

Location:	Briscoe Springs is a small crossroads community along the border of us south of interstate 80 in Mercer County.

How BRISCOE SPRINGS Got It's Name:	Longtime residents of the area claim Briscoe Springs was named after Father Briscoe who built a small log chapel next to the one of the numerous springs in the shallow valley in the late 1800s. The story goes that he mixed wagon repair with his ministry and that one day Father Briscoe fell in love with a young woman who stopped at the spring. He left the area with her, never to be seen again.

Other Names of BRISCOE SPRINGS :	The unincorporated community was also known at varying times as Perry's Corners, named after the blacksmith Jeff Perry, in the late 1800s and as Dye's Corners, after the Dye family that built a service station and a Durant automobile dealership there in the mid-1920s.

BRISCOE SPRINGS Landmarks:	The community is marked by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation signs on its northern and southern ends. A foundation stone said to be from the chapel built by Father Briscoe is still visible in the yard of a farm owned by John and Ruth McDougall. A one-room schoolhouse, Hemlock School, that was moved into the area when Briscoe Springs began to grow in the 1920s still stands and is now a craft shop.

The People of BRISCOE SPRINGS :	Indians were the first people to inhabit the area known for its springs. Part of Father Briscoe legend is that he came here first as a missionary to the Indians. The first settlers were farmers.

The history of BRISCOE SPRINGS :	The community didn't develop till after the state paved a six-mile section of Route 173 leading to Grove City in 1922. The first three houses were erected by Ernest Northcote, Henry Hodgson and Everet Swarts in 1923. Today, there are some 50 homes and a smattering of small businesses. Benjamin Dye and his sons opened a service station and garage to sell Durant automobiles in 1924; one of their buildings is now occupied by the Palmer-Smith linen company. The Bowie Coal Mine operated on the Nicklin Farm off what is now Nicklin Road in the 1930s, and a local resident, John Dombrosky, was reported to have been killed in a mine accident there in the late 1930s. The community is also the home of Wolf Creek Outfitters, which deals in fishing and hunting equipment, the Grove City Bus Line storage garage and Scott's Auto Body. Swarts Broom Factory moved here from Grove City in the 1960s, but is no longer a business.

BRISCOE SPRINGS Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer Harold Gwin


Name:	BROWNLEE WOODS

Location:	The original boundaries of Brownlee Woods were Midlothian Boulevard (north), Country Club Avenue (south), Youngstown-Poland Road (east), and Interstate 680 (west), but the area has expanded over the years.

How BROWNLEE WOODS Got It's Name:	James A. Brownlee, an enterprising farmer from Scotland, came to the Mahoning Valley in the mid-1800s and purchased 235 acres. He developed a section in the northeastern part of Boardman Township, which became known as Brownlee Woods.

BROWNLEE WOODS Landmarks:	Ground was broken in 1927 for Brownlee Woods Branch Library, now located on Sheridan Road. Brownlee Woods Presbyterian Church held its first service on Dec. 24, 1916. The cornerstone of the present church, on Everett Avenue, was placed in 1918 and dedicated on May 11, 1919. A horse- or oxen-powered mill in Coitsville Township - called Brownlee Mill - ran for a short time.

The Size of BROWNLEE WOODS :	About 2,651 residents, according to the 1990 U.S. Census

The history of BROWNLEE WOODS :	The area was a prime real estate location. In 1920, Brownlee Woods and Pine Hollow Place were developed and considered "choice suburban properties" by Realty Security Co. of Youngstown, along with Wickcliffe, Cochran Park, Poland Manor, Poland Heights and Tod Woods. The Brownlee Woods area was annexed to Youngstown in 1923 with population of 1,000. It's now a part of the city's south side.

BROWNLEE WOODS Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer David Lee Morgan Jr.


Name:	CALLA

Location:	On Calla Road almost a mile west of state Route 46 in Green Township, Mahoning County.

How CALLA Got It's Name:	Longtime residents of the area said the name was chosen when a post office was established in 1869. "Calla" was appropriate because it called to mind the Calla lily, a flowering house plant that fit in with the community's primary industry, a seed company and nursery. The name was also short, something required for a post office by the U.S. Postal Service.

CALLA Landmarks:	The Calla Evangelical Community Church, 6482 Calla Road, celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1989. Another landmark is the Haus Fruit Farm, which is noted for its apple cider. Rail service through the community was discontinued in 1976, and the rusting rails were eventually removed. The post office that gave the location identity was destroyed by fire not long after direct mail to Calla ended in 1933.

The People of CALLA :	Today, as in its beginnings, Calla is primarily a residential area of slightly more than 100 people. The Templin Co.'s railroad depot is now a new home. A sprinkling of new homes has been added to the old, but the community retains a rural flavor.

The history of CALLA :	A small area of about 125 people, it was generally known as Loveland, after the Amos Loveland family that owned a farm there. The place gained recognition when Lewis Templin, who was later to become a county commissioner, started a small greenhouse near what is the Haus Fruit Farm in 1860. The operation grew into a huge seed company and nursery. Every spring, 150,000 catalogs and tons of seeds and bulbs and trees were shipped out by the Templin Co. A depot built on Calla Road near the rail line by the Templins was a busy stop for the Erie-Lackawanna trains that came by four times a day, carrying customers and workers as well as the industry's goods. At one time, the post office was the largest in the county because of the Templin Co's mail-order business. In 1905, Calla Cut Flowers, an offshoot of the Templin Co., was born. It became Sigles Greenhouse in 1911. Mark Templin, the last of the original founding family, left the Templin Co. in 1912. By the following year, the company folded. The property it held in Calla was taken over by Sigles. Some of the equipment that was used to print catalogs was purchased by The Mahoning Dispatch, but the greenhouses and other assets were left to decay.

CALLA Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer John Goodall


Name:	CALVIN'S CORNERS

Location:	Calvin's Corners is at state Route 165 and Green-Beaver Road on the border of Green and Beaver townships in southern Mahoning County.

How CALVIN'S CORNERS Got It's Name:	What is believed to have been the Calvin homestead stood close to the northeast corner of the intersection until a few years ago when the log cabin was sold to another family and moved a short distance north of Green Beaver Road.

CALVIN'S CORNERS Landmarks:	Calvin's Corner's was never incorporated, but the Mahoning County Commissioner designated the intersection as "Calvin's Corners" in 1982. The best landmark is the Locust Grove Baptist Church one mile to the west. The church was created in 1842, when David Calvin signed the 'X' to the deed to give two acres to the church, of which he was a founder and member. Services were in a nearby school until the actual church structure was built in 1846. The church in 1992 celebrated its 150th anniversary complete with readings from its records. The original structure is still in use today. The adjoining cemetery is the resting place of many members of the Calvin family.

The People of CALVIN'S CORNERS :	Luther Calvin and his five sons, John, David, Philip, Luther and Joshua, moved to the township in 1816 and once owned much of the land surrounding the intersection and along state Route 165 toward Greenford. The family consisted of farmers and allied tradesman. David's wife, Lydia, was a member of the Roller family, another prominent family with farms along state Route 165 between Locust Grove and Greenford. Most of the Calvins in the area are believed to be descendents of Joshua, according to family historian Gordon Calvin. Both the Calvin and Roller families continue to have their annual reunions.

The history of CALVIN'S CORNERS :	Calvin's Corners' only role in history was as a peaceful farming community. A 1967 history of Greenford and Green Township contains photographs from the turn of the century that show members of the Calvin family on the Greenford baseball team and the Green Cornet Band. Another photograph shows a Calvin and his friends lounging in front of a general store in Greenford.

CALVIN'S CORNERS Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer D.A. Wilkinson


Name:	CAMP PARK

Location:	Camp Park is at South Turner and Kirk roads in Austintown, just east of Meander Creek Reservoir.

How CAMP PARK Got It's Name:	Although the Camp Park is mostly forgotten in Austintown today, longtime residents remember it and trace it back to the when the area was used for evangelical services held by traveling preachers. Large tents would be set up and the gatherings would last as long as a week. The periodic services started sometime in the 1800s and continued till the 1920s. During the same time, the area was also used from time to time by gypsies as a temporary stopping place. The wandering people usually stayed until they were forced out by nearby residents.

CAMP PARK Landmarks:	An Ohio Turnpike overpass is the most noticeable landmark of the crossroads today. Waldo Clark Ewing, great-great-great grandson of Anne Woods Ewing, sold the farm to a developer in 1970 because his family had no more interest in farming. He said at the time that he regretted selling the land because word had been passed on through generations to hold on to the land as long as possible. In the past few years, the area has been Austintown's fastest growing residential area.

The People of CAMP PARK :	The owner of the land where the church services were held was the Ewing family, which had a large farm there from 1803 to 1970. Anne Woods Ewing, a widow of Scotish-Irish descent, left Ireland for America with her four adult children in 1792. They eventually settled in this part of Austintown, which at the time was a dense forest with a spring. In the early days, the family often traded with the Indians to make friends with them. By the mid-1800s, the farm had been passed from Mrs. Ewing's son, Archibald, to his son, John, and had become a large profitable operation.

The Schools of CAMP PARK :	Camp Park was home to a one-room school called Mexico School, one of 12 such schools in the township in 1874. The one-room schools faded away as the township began consolidating its schools in the early 1900s

The Railroads of CAMP PARK :	While there is no record of industry or stores in Camp Park, the coming of the railroad in the late 1800s affected this quiet area, as it did much of the western part of the township. The Niles-Lisbon Railroad had a passenger stop near there called Ohl's Crossing until the 1920s. The area was sparsely populated so trains stopped only when passengers were there to get on or off.

CAMP PARK Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer Don Shilling


Name:	CAMP PERRY

Location:	Camp Perry is at U.S. Route 19 and Pa. Route 358 in Perry Township in Mercer County, just east of Greenville and 12 miles north of Mercer

How CAMP PERRY Got It's Name:	Commodore Perry stopped there during the War of 1812 when he was on his way to Lake Erie. It's roughly half way between Pittsburgh and Erie on what is today U.S. Route 19.

CAMP PERRY Landmarks:	There are two stone cabins and two houses, along with the Camp Perry Sunoco gas station. There is also a small bookstore operated by Bess Campbell

The People of CAMP PERRY :	According to Camp Perry residents Mrs. Campbell and Jim Mills, Ben Bentley and Frank Yeager built the Sunoco building in 1923. Bentley and Yeager were known to hold auto mechanics classes at the Sunoco garage in the 1930s. The Campbell family bought the Sunoco station from Burt Sells in 1982, and they live in one of the houses behind the station. Floyd Creswell has operated the station for the Campbells since 1991.

The history of CAMP PERRY :	Mills and Mrs. Campbell noted that U.S. Route 19 was built through Mercer County in 1930 and the steam shovel that built that route dug the swimming pool at a picnic area and park, also called Camp Perry. Water from Fallen Run creek was used to fill the pool. Two large pavilions were also built in the 1930s, which made Camp Perry a prime site for family reunions, picnics and parties, as well as a starting point for bicycle rides to Greenville. The pavilions are no longer standing. Local residents remember that Camp Perry seemed to be "full every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day." The admission charge at that time was 10 cents a person or 25 cents a carload. Bicyclists from Greenville also frequented Camp Perry. Sells bought the resort property in 1945, but was forced to closed in 1968 because of rising costs and the reduction of traffic on Route 19 caused by the opening of Interstate 79.

CAMP PERRY Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer Pete Rhoda


Name:	CARLTON

Location:	Carlton is on Old U.S. Route 322 in French Creek Township in the extreme northeastern corner of Mercer County

How CARLTON Got It's Name:	Long-time residents say they don't know, but historical books on Mercer County indicate the tiny village was known as Evan's Ferry, after Samuel Evans, who opened a ferry across French Creek at the site before the War of 1812. The name was changed to Carlton after the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad ran a branch line through and put a station in the town in April 1876. It was common practice to name stations after railroad officials or contractors and engineers who built the line. The railroad line is still in use.

CARLTON Landmarks:	There is still evidence of the old canal bed from the extension of the Erie Canal that ran parallel to French Creek through the town. A brick one-room schoolhouse erected in 1878 still stands, but its been converted to a home now occupied by Randy Baker and his family. Some of the bricks have initials and dates scratched on them by early students including 1889, 1920, and 1927. A long one-lane bridge with a wooden deck, built in the 1890s, spans French Creek and, nestled against the hillside on the west end is a frame home of Harold and Dorothy Hilliard.

The People of CARLTON :	Historical evidence suggests the area around Carlton was popular with Indian tribes. The first white settlers arrived between 1802 and 1807. A famous Seneca Indian chief, Guyasutha, is reported to be buried just south of the town on the former C.W. Heydrick farm, now the Custaloga Town Boy Scout Camp. Guyasutha, reported to have been in command of the Indians in western Pennsylvania, was active in the French and Indian War. The village has about twelve permanent residences and about an equal number of cottages lining the eastern bank of French Creek, used primarily by people from the Pittsburgh and Cleveland areas as summer vacation spots.

The history of CARLTON :	The town was built on French Creek, which is a major north-south route linking Lake Erie to Pittsburgh, and records show George Washington, who later went on to become the nation's first president, passed through the area several times in 1753. Longtime residents say the most exciting thing to happen in recent history was a state police manhunt for three jail escapees from Butler County in 1948. James Dean recalls police thought the fugitives were hiding in a barn on the Dean farm, and he said the officers had just surrounded the structure when a gust of wind blew the door open. The officers opened fire and shot the door but no one was inside, Dean said. French Creek used to flood each spring , but that problem ended with the construction of dams to the north in Crawford County in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

CARLTON Researched by:	Harold Gwin, Vindicator Sharon Bureau


Name:	CENTER OF THE WORLD

Location:	Center of the World is not exactly in the center of the world, but in Braceville Township.

How CENTER OF THE WORLD Got It's Name:	Woodbridge, Conn., native Randall Wilmot moved to Ohio from Pennsylvania in 1945 and opened a store here. Wilmot initially made a good choice. His store served stage coaches that passed between Akron and Pittsburgh or what later became state Route 5. The store also was along the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, which brought traffic from Youngstown through Girard, Warren, Leavittsburg, Newton Falls and on into Akron. The store did well until the Cleveland and Mahoning Railroad opened nearby. Historians described Wilmot as an eccentric. He painted a circle with a star in the center on a gable of his store and called the place "The Center of the World". Liking unusual names, Wilmot had a similar stagecoach store in New York called "The Beginning of the World".

CENTER OF THE WORLD Landmarks:	Center of the World's best-known landmark was covered bridge that crossed the Mahoning River and state Route 82 near state Route 5. McWilliams Bridge, named after an early settler, was one of the oldest in Trumbull County, possibly built around 1827. It was torn down in 1934 and has been rebuilt recently in the summer of 1991. Early area histories said the covered bridge was a popular place for muggers who used to ambush buggies and take where travelers could get hay for their horses. Purses from passengers, making it one of Trumbull County's highest crime areas. The bridge also had a hayloft

The Size of CENTER OF THE WORLD :	Center of the World has no official boundaries, though some old property deeds indicate "Center of the World" as the location of certain parcels. The community roughly encompasses an area near the intersections of state Route 82 and 5, just west of Warren. The community never had a post office. A couple-dozen households are in the immediate area.

The People of CENTER OF THE WORLD :	Like most of Trumbull County, the portion of Braceville Township was settled by people from Connecticut, drawn by the farmland. The area was surveyed in 1795 by the Connecticut Land Company Trappers and traders were among the first white people in the area. When the land was settled, a few Indians---roving hunters---also lived there.

The history of CENTER OF THE WORLD :	Wilmot's son, David, was born in Bethany, Pa. and became a congressman. The younger Wilmot in 1846 introduced the Wilmot Proviso, the first of the anti-slavery bills considered by Congress. Randall Wilmot died in 1876, and is buried alongside his wife, the former Mary Carr, in Disciples Cemetery, next to the Cortland Christian Church.

CENTER OF THE WORLD Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer


Name:	CHAMBERSBURG

Location:	Chambersburg is a small area along state Route 172, at the intersection of Knox School Road, in West Township, in Western Columbiana County.

How CHAMBERSBURG Got It's Name:	County records don't say how Chambersburg was named. Local resident Herbert Eglie, 60, whose family has lived there since the turn of the century, said locals have believed it was named after Chambersburg, Pa., from which some of the town's early settlers relocated. Area postal records show that it was known as New Chambersburgh from 1846 to 1894, when the spelling was changed to New Chambersburg. The post office there closed in 1904. There's no record of when or why "New" was dropped from the name.

CHAMBERSBURG Landmarks:	The building now used as the Greely Grange, located along Route 172 at the western edge of Chambersburg, was once used as a church. No firm date is available, but the building is believed to have been built in the early 1800s. Graves in a cemetery behind the grange date from the early 1800s to about 1911.

The People of CHAMBERSBURG :	Only about fifteen people live in the small area known as Chambersburg. It's primarily farmland, as it has been throughout most of its history. Most of the people who live there now belong to families who've been there for generations.

The history of CHAMBERSBURG :	County records show that the town was laid out Dec. 20, 1828, by David Myers, George Bell and William McMillan. It is the second-oldest settlement in West Township, the oldest being New Alexander, which dates to 1812. Although county history books say Chambersburg never amounted to much, Eglie said the area's vast coal supply made it a fairly prosperous little town in the early 1900s. The mines were closed in the late 1930s, but re-opened during World War II in an effort to generate more coal for the was effort. The mines were closed for good in about 1944, he said. Besides being a coal town, Chambersburg was also a stop on the stagecoach line between Lisbon and Canton. The intersection of Route 172 and Knox School Road was once known as the village square and was the site of a rather large hotel, Eglie said. History books say the hotel was built and maintained by Samuel Miller until it burned in 1830. J.D. Koffel rebuilt it and kept it for many years after that. The hotel has long since been torn down.

CHAMBERSBURG Researched by:	Bob Jackson, Vindicator Salem Bureau


Name:	CHARLESTON

Location:	Charleston is located at the intersection of the Greenfield-Charleston Road and U.S. Route 62 in Jefferson Township, about five miles east of state Route 18 in Mercer County.

How CHARLESTON Got It's Name:	Charleston was laid out by landowner Henry Campbell in 1838. He promised that the first person to buy one of the $25 lots would have the privilege of naming the town. History shows the first person to buy one of the $25 lots would have the privilege of naming the town. History shows the first purchase was made by Charles Beatty, who suggested the name "Charleston".

CHARLESTON Landmarks:	Most of the old buildings from this mid-19th century village have disappeared over the year, but one - a former clapboard hotel built in 1861 on the southeast corner of the intersection - is still being used as a residence by Gordon and Genevieve McFarland.

The People of CHARLESTON :	The little town, less than 1,000 feet square, appears to have been built to take advantage of Mercer County's main east-west traffic route of the time - Route 62. Some of the town's first occupants included a storekeeper, a blacksmith and a hotel operator. It was the only village in Jefferson Township, and residents living in the outlying farmland areas at the turn of the century considered a visit to Charleston a trip to town. The community hasn't grown much over the years. It has about two dozen homes and a number of small businesses, including auto sales and repair operations, a motel, a service station, a farm implement dealer, a small market and two churches.

The history of CHARLESTON :	There are stories that the village served as a stop on the Underground Railroad that helped escaped slaves from the South get to Canada, and that may be its only claim to fame. It was, and remains, a small, quiet crossroads community. At one time it boasted a hotel and a stage depot and had its own post office, known simply as Hill Post Office, established in 1858. The Charleston United Methodist Church sits on the site of the former Methodist

CHARLESTON Researched by:	Harold Gwin of The Vindicator's Sharon Bureau


Name:	CHEWTON

Location:	Chewton is off Pa. Route 288, just outside Wampum Township in Wayne Township, Lawrence County.

How CHEWTON Got It's Name:	In the late 1700's Benjamin Chew of Philadephia purchased the land that now includes Chewton. Following his father's death, Benjamin Chew Jr. laid out the village of Chewton in 1830 or 1831.

CHEWTON Landmarks:	The oldest building in Chewton is the First Baptist Church. It had been home to the Chewton Christian Church.

The Size of CHEWTON :	Because Charleston is unincorporated, it has no definite boundaries. Since the early 20th Century, however, the area considered Chewton has included about 200 homes and a few farms. It has two churches, some auto repair shops, a volunteer fire department, a playground and a lodge.

The People of CHEWTON :	Although Chewton is not known for any particular ethnic group, one of the largest buildings in the area is the Polish White Eagles, a social club.

The history of CHEWTON :	Several general-store operations came and went in Chewton, along with a tailor shop and a wagon and blacksmith shop. There were a few coal and ore mines and the area was rich in limestone. During the late 1800s, the Pittsburgh and Western Railroad had an ore-loading station in Chewton. The Crystal Springs Brewery was a thriving business from the mid-1800s until Prohibition caused its demise in 1919. Some Chewton residents still get their water from the spring that supplied the brewery. At one time, Chewton had three school buildings for students in grades one through eight. Those choosing to go to high school had to go to either Wampum or Ellwood City. Only one of the school buildings still stands; it is a storage facility for a community playground. The Chewton Dairy kept the area supplied with milk until it closed about ten years ago.

CHEWTON Researched by:	Vindicator correspondent Nancy Bailey


Name:	CHRISTYTOWN

Location:	Christytown is at Bedell and Leffingwell roads in the extreme southwestern corner of Berlin Township, Mahoning County.

How CHRISTYTOWN Got It's Name:	The history of the Christytown name isn't clear, although Hoyle said there may have been a Christy family in the area when it was settled. "History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counties," a book published in 1882, refers to the area as Christy's Corners, where "quite an extensive business has been carried on for a number of years in the manufacture of pottery."

CHRISTYTOWN Landmarks:	The former Christytown School, one of the first one-room schoolhouses in Berlin Township, still stands but has been converted to a home. It is just beyond the southwest corner of Bedell and Leffingwell roads. It has no historical marker, however, and nothing in the area carries the name.

The People of CHRISTYTOWN :	In the early 1800s, many people of German descent settled in the area that would officially become Berlin Township in 1828. Christytown was one of the first settlements. Ivan Hoyle, a Berlin Township trustee and member of the Berlin Center Historical Society, says it was the Christytown School that led to the community's creation. "Christytown was the most active of the schools," Hoyle said, noting that many annual reunions were held there. After Berlin Township's schools were consolidated, the Christytown school building was sold in 1915 and used for various purposes. In its heyday, there were a few small businesses that incorporated Christytown into their names. Today, as in the past, farms and homes occupy the area.

The history of CHRISTYTOWN :	While some may argue otherwise, Hoyle says Christytown was always totally situated in Berlin Township. The confusion, he said, was created in the 1800s when Christytown residents were given a North Benton mailing address instead of a Berlin Center. North Benton is near the border of Berlin and Smith townships. Hoyle said the principal landowner in Christytown was Chester Bedell, who died in 1908 after gaining notoriety as a nationally recognized atheist. A November 1931 Vindicator article detailed accounts of snakes crawling in and out of Bedell's grave, which some people interpreted as a sign because Bedell once allegedly said, "If there be a God or any truth in the Bible let my body be inhabited with snakes." North Benton residents disputed the snake reports in a May 1932 follow-up story.

CHRISTYTOWN Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer Debora Shaulis


Name:	CHURCH HILL

Location:	Church Hill can be found in the southeast part of Liberty Township, Trumbull County.

How CHURCH HILL Got It's Name:	The post office was established in 1833, and the office was first known as Liberty. But when township residents were informed by a federal official that there was another office by the same name, Church Hill was suggested. It is not known exactly why the name was chosen, but local history books suggest it was given because the Presbyterian church was located on a hill. The Presbyterian Church, built around 1805, was the first local church built.

CHURCH HILL Landmarks:	All buildings from the 1800s are gone. But the Church Hill cemetery remains on the corner of Belmont and Church Hill-Hubbard Road.

The People of CHURCH HILL :	The first settlers were mostly Welsh immigrants, drawn by the prospect of working in coal mines. The mining interest attracted a large element of working-class people who lived by the coal banks. These people were regular churchgoers, and five houses of worship were erected in the small community shortly after it was settled. The churches were Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, Welsh Methodist, Welsh Baptist and Welsh Independent. Local history books, however, show saloons outnumbered churches 2-to-1.

The history of CHURCH HILL :	Church Hill in its mid-1800 heyday had a school, a dry-goods store operated by Dr. Robert H. Walker, drugstore, bookstore and barbershop; shops for blacksmithing and making wagons and shoes; five churches; ten saloons; and one hotel. History books say the area was an important stop on the Underground Railroad during slavery days. Residents' primary occupation was coal mining. The first schoolhouse was located on the west side of Church Hill cemetery directly across from the old police station. The first teacher was John Taylor. This building in 1818 was replaced by another log building and the teacher was Elias Grover. A larger school building, with three rooms, was constructed in 1871. Most of the coal had been mined by the 1890s, and Churchill became a rural crossroads.

CHURCH HILL Researched by:	Vindicator Trumbull staff writer Peggy Sinkovich


Name:	CLARKSON

Location:	Clarkson is about 2 miles south of Rogers on Sprucevale Road in Middleton Township. It is in the rolling hills of southeastern Columbiana County at the intersection of Sprucevale Road and Clarkson Road, about 1 ½ miles east of state Route 7.

How CLARKSON Got It's Name:	How Clarkson was named is a mystery. That information isn't listed in the Columbiana County History books, and local historians aren't sure either. One historian said he even has checked names on graves at the local cemetery but can't find a connection that might explain the town name.

CLARKSON Landmarks:	The only significant remaining landmarks are Clarkson Presbyterian Church and cemetery, and Clarkson Grange building. According to the Presbyterian church history, written by Tom Giambroni in 1989, the church was built in 1877 on land donated by Thomas Ashton and George Feazel. The church was established in 1839 with 17 members and now is pastored by Steve and Meta Cramer of Columbiana. The Grange building still is standing, marked with the date 1802 but is no longer in use. The Clarkson post office was established in 1839 with Richard Stock as postmaster and William Thomas as assistant. The post office had triweekly mail from New Lisbon, New Waterford and East Liverpool and biweekly mail from New Galilee. The post office closed in 1935.

The People of CLARKSON :	Robert Hanna's family sold the first goods in Clarkson in a shop operated out of a log cabin on the town square. John McCoy had the second store. Business continued to grow through 1870 with merchants including Eli Vale, W.C. Wilson, Richard Stock and William Crawford. Tavern keepers included Thomas Hanna and Isaac Pyle. According to church history, the most infamous person to visit Clarkson died there. The church history says Clarkson was the site of a shootout that resulted in the death of outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd. The shootout between Floyd and FBI agents took place October 22, 1934, on a farm owned by church member Frank Conkle.

The history of CLARKSON :	"The History of Columbiana County," written by Horace Mack in 1879, shows Clarkson was platted February 19, 1816, by William Heald for Robert Hanna. It was the only village in Middleton Township. The general plan included two streets and 12 lots. There were about 30 houses originally, then it grew north and south of the town square along what is now Sprucevale Road. By the late 1800s, Clarkson was thriving with a bank, hotel, schoolhouse, post office, sawmill and feed mill. However, the village was hampered by the lack of railroad or trolley and eventually fell in the shadows of nearby Rogers.

CLARKSON Researched by:	George Welker, Vindicator Salem Bureau


Name:	CLAY FURNACE

Location:	Clay Furnace no longer exists. It was located two miles north of U.S. Route 62 at the intersection of Clay Furnace and Hassel roads in Jefferson Township, just east of Hermitage in Mercer County. It wasn't a town but is listed in historical annals as one of the first financially successful blast furnaces built in the Shenango Valley.

How CLAY FURNACE Got It's Name:	The stone blast furnace was built in 1845 by B.B. Vincent and David Himrod, both of Erie, doing business as Vincent, Himrod and Co. It was on land purchased from Thomas Kennedy in the extreme western part of Jefferson Township and was named in honor of Henry Clay, the well-known statesman from Kentucky.

CLAY FURNACE Landmarks:	A state historical marker on Route 62 at the Clay Furnace Road intersection announces that the site is two miles north of that intersection. However, there is nothing left to see. Robert Shields, who lives on the site today in a house that he believes may have been an office building for the furnace at one time, said the only other remains are a hole in the ground where a building foundation had been located and some iron ore boulders partially buried in the ground. This area is overgrown with trees and bushes.

The history of CLAY FURNACE :	Clay Furnace's place in the history of iron making in the Shenango Valley was assured when it became the first blast furnace to use block bituminous coal instead of charcoal in the production of pig iron in 1846, considered a major advance for the industry at the time. It was a small furnace, measuring 45 feet high and only 8 feet at its widest point. The blast furnace employed 24 people at one time and produced seven tons of pig iron a day, more than double the standard furnace output at the time. Clay Furnace was also credited with being the first blast furnace to commercially use Lake Superior ore in its operations instead of Pennsylvania ore beginning in 1856. The pig iron it made was shipped by the Erie Canal, which had a branch running just a mile north of the furnace site. Vincent Himrod sold the plant to the Sharon Iron Co. in 1851, which sold it in 1854 to some stockholders who formed the Iron Mountain Furnace Company. Iron Mountain closed it down in 1861 because it could no longer compete with more modern operations and sold it for $5,000 to Francis Allen, the man who had served as its first manager. Allen sold it off piecemeal.

CLAY FURNACE Researched by:	Harold Gwin of the Vindicator's Sharon Bureau


Name:	CLOVER HILL

Location:	Clover Hill is in northwestern Trumbull County in Bloomfield Township just west of state Route 45 at the northwest corner of Flagg West and Creaser-Ashtabula roads. It is north of state Route 87 and just south of the Ashtabula County line.

How CLOVER HILL Got It's Name:	Clover Hill was probably named because of the clover that grows wild in the area, according to Mrs. Cox.

CLOVER HILL Landmarks:	A house built in 1850 by William Haine is the home of the sixth generation of Haines to live there, Charles and Hazel Cox. Cox's grandmother, Clara Haine, married a Cox.

The Businesses of CLOVER HILL :	William Haine, who was Charles Cox's great-great grandfather, built a dam across spring-fed Haine Creek at Creaser-Ashtabula Road and put up a gristmill in 1855. The dam is gone, as is the pond it created on which the Haine family members ice-skated in winter. Nothing remains of the mill except a couple of millstones lying along the creek where the mill was located. In 1875, Haine also built a general store and a cheese factory, for which Charles' father Elmer was the last cheese maker. The factory was closed in 1920. At one point, Cox said, there was a one-room public schoolhouse named Clover Hill School at the northeast corner of Flagg and Creaser-Ashtabula roads. Today, Clover Hill is the name of the area's Amish school.

The history of CLOVER HILL :	The original 150 acres that composed Clover Hill were purchased by William Haine in 1835 from Ephram Brown of New Hampshire, who had bought the land from Thomas Howe of West Moreland, Vt., in 1814. Haine was one of the first settlers in Bloomfield, originally called West Moreland, and lived in a log cabin until the present house was built in 1850.

CLOVER HILL Researched by:	William K. Alcorn of The Vindicator's Trumbull staff


Name:	COALBURG

Location:	Coalburg is located in the northwest part of Hubbard Township near the intersection of Wick Campbell and Chestnut Ridge Roads.

How COALBURG Got It's Name:	Developed around the coal mining industry, the town boasted the most productive mines in the area.

COALBURG Landmarks:	Coalburg is a quiet suburb today. As a quickly constructed mining town, it boasted only a few examples of impressive architecture, but traces of its past remain. Still standing is the Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1871 and a Knights of Pythias hall that dates to the early 1900s. A smattering of 19th century frame houses also remain. Coalburg was the site of Hubbard Township's principal cemetery, and many of its earliest residents are buried there.

The People of COALBURG :	After William Powers and Company opened a store there in 1863, a post office was established with Jacob Sanders as postmaster. The town's substantial Welsh population was reflected in the three churches established there during the coal boom: a Welsh Baptist, Welsh Congregational and Methodist Episcopal.

The history of COALBURG :	In 1863, mines were opened in the area by Powers and Arms at a site that was later leased to Mahoning Coal Company. Coalburg's largest population, upwards of 1,000 inhabitants, was sustained almost exclusively by the mining industry. The most valuable mines in the district were operated by E.P. Burnett, where more than 86,896 tons were mined in 1873. But the best mines were largely worked out shortly after that period and by 1880 Coalburg had lost its commercial importance as a mining town. By 1882, its population was estimated at a mere 300. But the hamlet was given a new lease on life with the construction of the New York Central Railroad freight terminal there in the early 1900s. Its most prominent structure, the Knights of Pythias building on Chestnut Ridge Road, was erected during this period. When the mortgage for the structure was paid off in January 1920, Knights of Pythias from Mahoning and Trumbull counties were on hand to celebrate the event.

COALBURG Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer Tom Welsh


Name:	COALTOWN

Location:	Coaltown is in Neshannock Township, north of New Castle, at Mercer Road and Maitland Lane.

How COALTOWN Got It's Name:	According to several histories of Lawrence County, Coaltown came into being in the mid-1800s after coal was discovered in the area. For many years, it was known as Coal City. Another account, this one from an 1877 county history, refers to the area as Coal Centre: "A small mining town called Coal Centre has sprung up around the shafts of the New Castle Railroad and Mining Co. It has one religious society - the Primitive Methodists - one Justice of the Peace, William L. Pyle, Esq., two or three groceries, several blacksmith and wagon shops and some fifty or sixty dwellings. The business of the people is almost exclusively mining."

COALTOWN Landmarks:	Although some county maps show the location of Coaltown, there seem to be no landmarks to indicate its formal boundaries. The area is now dotted with homes.

The history of COALTOWN :	A county history, written by Bart Richards and published in 1968, notes that after coal was discovered in the area, A.L. Crawford and others created a "plank road" into New Castle. The road was so named because planks were laid down to make it easier for horses to haul coal carts along the road. Today, a road running from New Castle to Coaltown bears the name Plank Road. But it is unclear from the historical account whether it follows the actual path of the original plank road. Coaltown apparently faded after it was found that Neshannock Township coal was not the best type of coke production.

COALTOWN Researched by:	Norman Leigh of the Vindicator New Castle Bureau


Name:	CORNELION

Location:	Cornelion is at the intersection of Kinsman-Pymatuning and Word North roads in northeastern Kinsman Township in Trumbull County. It lies east of state Route 7 and north of state Route 5 near the Pennsylvania border.

How CORNELION Got It's Name:	The name likely came from Cornelion Post Office, which was located in the Root house from April 25, 1882 to June 30, 1902. Several longtime residents of the area said they had not heard any other explanation on how Cornelion got its name.

CORNELION Landmarks:	Three or four homes at the Cornelion crossroads are century homes built in the mid- to late-1800s. One home, at the southwest corner of the intersection, now owned by the Palm family, housed Cornelion Post Office. The house was previously owned by Helen Marguerite Fisk, granddaughter of Nelson Root, one of the area's earliest residents. Stateline United Methodist Church, which serves residents of the Cornelion area and recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, is just east of Cornelion, across the Pennsylvania line.

The Businesses of CORNELION :	The crossroads was not a commercial center, though one local historian said a feed mill might have been located there at one time. Another believed the Palm home might have been a stage stop as well as the post office, but could not confirm that information.

The history of CORNELION :	Shirley and Lyle Miller, who live on Kinsman-Pymatuning Road just south of Cornelion, said they have been told a school was once located on their property. An 1874 atlas shows School No. 2 in that area. Also, Mrs. Miller said when they bought the house in the 1960s, they found a boarded-up room that had a wooden slide over a passage to the basement, leading her to believe the house might have been part of the underground railroad for slaves. Apparently elaborate Halloween pranks were a part of Cornelion's history, if a story related by Charles Cole as told to him by his grandfather, is any indication. According to the story, pranksters unloaded bundles of oats from a wagon, dismantled the wagon and re-assembled it on top of a barn on Root property near the post office. For the finishing touch, they loaded the sheaves back on the wagon atop the barn, Cole said.

CORNELION Researched by:	William K. Alcorn of The Vindicator Trumbull staff


Name:	CRAB CREEK

Location:	Crab Creek was a 19th century hamlet, north of Youngstown, near the intersection of Logan Avenue and Hubbard Road. Today that area has been long absorbed into the city limits.

How CRAB CREEK Got It's Name:	The town was named after Crab Creek, which meanders under the Oak Street Bridge, through Smoky Hollow and into the Mahoning River.

CRAB CREEK Landmarks:	The town of Crab Creek once boasted three coalmines, the Crab Creek township school, a Welsh Congregationalist chape1 and the Thorn Hill train station. There also may have been a maple sugar camp in the area.

The People of CRAB CREEK :	In the last century, there were many families whose livelihoods were derived from farming and coal mining. Many early settlers were Welsh, with Thomas Morgan among the first Welsh settlers and the Rev. Thomas Evans among the first Welsh ministers there. There now is a large Italian-American population in the area.

The history of CRAB CREEK :	One of the neighborhood's chief claims to fame lies in the 1826 opening of the first coal mine in the Mahoning Valley, located on property then owned by Mary Caldwell. Also, Crab Creek-the body of water-often flooded. In 1952, for example, there was a flash flood with 17 people evacuated from their homes, two stranded in a car and many children removed by a boat. Seven years later, its overflow necessitated the closing of Andrews Avenue between McGuffey Road and East Federal Street. Many times dating back to at least the 1920s, lawmakers approached the Army Corps of Engineers for a flood-control project; in 1962, Congress agreed to spend $2.5 million on the effort. Ground was not broken for the project until 1970, and work was completed in 1973.

CRAB CREEK Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer Karen Guy


Name:	DEFOREST

Location:	The former village lies in a triangle along the border of Weathersfield and Howland townships. The area is bounded on the north by Van Wye Street, on the south by what is now the Brentwood Manor Mobile Trailer Park, on the west by the Mahoning River and on the east by North Road. North Main Street (state Route 169) and DeForest Avenue are the main thoroughfares - called DeForest Corners - and Bollin Hill serves as the northern border.

How DEFOREST Got It's Name:	DeForest was named for Nancy Van Wye DeForest, whose father, Abram Van Wye, settled in the area in the early 1800s. Miss Van Wye was born in 1828, married Theo DeForest and they later moved to Virginia, where she died in 1906. Historical documents at Warren-Trumbull County Public Library indicate she once owned much of the land in which DeForest lies, but they do not specify why it was named for her. In those times, few women were permitted to own property.

DEFOREST Landmarks:	History books identify a hotel that was once at the intersection of First Street and DeForest (then Townline) Road in the early 1900s. The former Baltimore and Ohio, Pittsburgh and Western and Erie railroad lines ran through the area. A depot was near First Street. CSX Transportation now owns the tracks. DeForest Sheet and Tin Plate Co. manufactured a galvanized sheet metal for roofing and siding from a North Main Street location until the early 1920s. Midway Place amusement park was at the northwest corner of North Main and DeForest Avenue in the 1890s, according to local historian Grace Allison.

The history of DEFOREST :	A post office was established twice during the thriving times of DeForest-from November 1895 to January 1897, and again from November 1897 to March 1903. Much of the DeForest mail now goes to Warren. In 1936, there was a slight controversy over school district boundaries. Students on the north side of DeForest Avenue attended Howland, specifically the former Bolindale school on Fairview Avenue, and southern portions went to Niles and Weathersfield schools-a practice that still exists today. The Vagabond Club Room was a popular place in the 1930s, located upstairs from the former DeArmantes store at DeForest Corners. Men attended the club often for "athletics and amusements of other types" according to documents.

DEFOREST Researched by:	Vindicator Trumbull Staff writer Cory Armstrong


Name:	DIAMOND

Location:	Diamond can be found at the intersection of Tallmadge and Palmyra roads in Palmyra Township, Portage County.

How DIAMOND Got It's Name:	History books and plat maps fail to mention the origin of its name. Like the gem, a local pastor called present-day Diamond a “small, but precious” community.

DIAMOND Landmarks:	R.H. John’s general store, long vacant near the railroad tracks, once housed the post office. The railroad station, too, has boarded up for many years.

The Size of DIAMOND :	Although it was described as being a “sizable village” at one time, the community now is a crossroads.

The People of DIAMOND :	The first settlers around 1799 were mostly from New England, but arrivals a few years later were largely Pennsylvania Dutch, with a smattering of Irish and Scotch who established churches in the county. Settlers found Native Americans from the Seneca, Ottawa and Chippewa tribes who started leaving the area before the war of 1812 and never returned in any great numbers after it was over. Coal mining was a prevalent trade.

The history of DIAMOND :	Aside from being a coal-mining hub, the area was one of the first producers of cheese in Ohio. In the early days before cheese factories, it was made in homes in tubs on the floor “and the overburdened housewife nearly broke her back stirring the curd,” a history book of the Western Reserve recalls. The railroad came in 1874. The Hutson Coal Company operated six mines centered around Diamond about 1880. In 1903, after clay was discovered in the area, Diamond Brick & Tile Co. was started; it later became Universal Sewer Pipe. Knights of Pythias Lodge 136 was formed in 1832 with 24 members. Lodge meetings were held above O.B. Mason’s store. The village was described as sizable at one time, with several stores, a Christian church, a sawmill operated by Davis Brothers and cider mill operated by Solomon Wirt. Harris Brothers opened an opera house that provided plays and other entertainment.

DIAMOND Researched by:	Vindicator staff writer Patricia Meade


Name:	DILWORTH

Location: