Many of the roads in Union County, Ohio are named for communities and villages that no longer exist. I thought I knew quite a bit about Union County history, but I was wrong. Imagine my surprise when I found out that there used to be a village on Homer Road.
Homer, Ohio
Homer was surveyed in October 1834 by Levi Phelps, Union County Surveyor. Mr. Phelps surveyed this village for Elisha Reynolds. This survey was duly recorded on November 1, 1834 in the Union County Recorder's Office. And, the town grew fast! Within a few years there were numerous houses, a sawmill, a cheese factory, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a cabinet shop, a woolen carding mill, a furniture factory, and a wagon/carriage shop. By 1855, the town had found itself important in the commerce of Union County.
But, in 1855, the town was handed its death sentence. A railroad was built three miles from Homer. Businesses and families left the village. Many people took their homes and businesses with them! And, by 1880 there was little more left than a few houses and a couple of abandoned stores. Most of the originally surveyed townsite has been returned to farm use. Homer was located at the intersection of State Routes 4 and 36 at Homer Road in Union Township.
No comments:
Post a Comment