Bruce Banks - The Olmsted Story: A Brief History of Olmsted Falls and Olmsted Township

1795

Aaron Olmsted and other Connecticut men bid for Township 6, Range 15 land.

1807

Land sale consummated for thenPlum Creek Township.

1809

Calvin and Lemuel Hoadley build mill at West View.

1814

James Geer farms land in township, then called Kingston.

1815

Geer moves family into township.

Stearns family arrives.

1816

Geer and David Stearns build Butternut Ridge Road.

1819

First wedding (Harvey Hartson and Eunice Parker) held at Geers home.

First frame house built by Hoadleys (Columbia and Butternut).

1820

Lemuel Hoadley builds mills near Cedar Point.

1820

TeGrotenhuis House (Nobottom and Columbia) built by John Adams and Maria Hoadley.

1821

First person (Isaac Scales) is buried at Butternut Ridge Cemetery.

1823

Civil township called Lenox is formed.

1825

Township is divided between Middleburgh and Ridgeville Townships.

1827

Lenox Township is put back together.

1827

Waterous Usher builds sawmill on Plum Creek near current Usher Road.

1828

Orson Spencer suggests renaming township Olmsted.

1829

Township changes name to Olmsted.

1830

Wooden schoolhouse built on land (Village Green) donated by Barnum family.

1831

Fitch family arrives.

1832

Lemuel Hoadley builds sawmill at Plum Creek.

1833

Peter and Asenath Kidney arrive.

1833

Charles Hyde Olmsted ships Oxcart Library books to Olmsted.

1834

Newton Loomis arrives.

1835

First Congregational Church organized.

1836

Lemuel Hoadley and son-in-law John Barnum build house (Water and Main).

1840

(or earlier) Rocky River Seminary built (Lewis Road).

1845

Post office name Norris Falls changes to Olmsted Falls.

1845

Church (Columbia and Sprague) built by Hoadleys.

1848

Lester, Philo and Myron Bradford establish paint factory on Minnie Creek.

1848

Congregational church built.

1849

Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad opens through West View.

1853

Methodist Church built.

1853

Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad opens through Olmsted.

1853

Home built (8008 Columbia) with Bradford bricks.

1854

Stone livery stable (Orchard and Mill) built.

1856

Olmsted Falls incorporates as a village.

1856

Father Louis Filiere founds St. Marys of the Falls Church.

1857

Plum Creek hamlet annexed to Olmsted Falls.

1858

St. Marys church built on site of current Olmsted Community Church.

1858

Seminary building moves to Columbia and Mill Streets to become Grand Pacific Hotel.

1864

Gib Doolittle builds first Water Street Bridge.

1870

Luther Barnum opens quarry in Olmsted Falls.

1870

Colonel H.N. Whitbeck operates mill in Olmsted Falls.

1870

Sam and Joseph Lay build broom and brush factory.

1873

St. Marys of the Falls moves down Columbia Street.

1873

Union Schoolhouse built (Village Green).

1876

Ed Damp buys Whitbecks mill.

1876

Olmsted Falls Depot opens.

1882

Thomas Chambers acquires Hoadleys Mill.

1883

Severe flood damages mills and bridges.

1883

Town hall opens.

1886

Cleveland Stone Company acquires quarries.

1887

Grand Army of the Republic Post #643 forms.

1888

Railroad spur to quarry built in Olmsted Falls.

Philip Simmerer joins Joe Peltz in hardware/drugstore business.

1893

Peltz and Simmerer move hardware/drugstore into hotel.

1903

First Odd Fellows Hall burns down.

1906

Ed Damp sells mill.

1908

North Olmsted incorporates as village.

1908

Olmsted Falls abolishes saloons.

1909

Second Odd Fellows Hall moves when railroad widens bridge.