Thursday, March 29, 2012

Byhalia, Union County, Ohio

An early Byhalia Baseball Team
Byhalia was never surveyed in an official capacity. It was a village that grew as houses were built on small lots sectioned off from larger farms. At one time the town supported a school, 4 black smith shops, two hotels, and a drug store. Byhalia also once had its own telephone exchange. The hotels burnt to the ground in 1935.

The Byhalia school district was created when the township consolidated the Bird, Sherwood, Howard, Miller, Fout, Wilderness, Grace Chapel, Byhalia, Haines, Bethany and Centennial one room school districts. The original school for this newly formed Byhalia district was a two story frame building and was erected in 1879. In 1915 a brick school was erected in the village. An gymnasium addition was built in 1939. The Byhalia School District consolidated with the York Center School in 1952 forming the Byhalia-York School District. The school district was eventually consolidated into the North Union School District based in Richwood in Claibourne Township. The North Union School district sold the school building to Washington Township for $1 in the late 1970s.

7 comments:

  1. I lived in Byhalia until I was seventeen, and my father attended this school when he was a boy. It's very cool to read about it, as I can't find any information on my own. May I ask, is all this information just pubic record searching? I was hoping to find some more information on the school and the town's origins. Thanks!

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    1. Hello - I am sorry for the very late reply. . . The information that I have found came from both the 1883 History of Union County and a County School Survey that was done many years ago. There is a website called Old Ohio Schools that has pictures and information on old schools in Union County, as well.

      Thanks for visiting this blog!

      REBEKAH

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  2. Thanks for the history it will help me out my (not sure off the top of my head) how many greats it is but g....grandfather Jeremiah Lingrel was one of the first settlers....

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    1. Hello - If I can be of assistance in your research, please send me an email at rebekahmary@chuckeryohio.com.

      I am glad you enjoyed this entry. Thanks for checking out my blog!


      REBEKAH

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  3. The Lingrel family is still there, some grew up just across the road from my dad. I'm From the Sullivan family, John Sullivan was my Great Grand father.

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  4. Hello, I found a rectangle paper weight in a box and it has a picture of a Church and a Rev.A.E.Harford from Byhalia, Ohio. Any info on the family?

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  5. I still have cousins living in this area.My grandfather, Andrew Middlesworth was born here in the early 1900's and my father was born here as well. They had a farm on a road evently named after the family. (Middlesworth Rd.)

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