CHAMPAIGN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
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Looking Back at Champaign County

Looking Back - Ewing's Restaurant

6/3/2021

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Ewing's Restaurant in Urbana Ohio
This is a circa 1974 photo of the southwest corner of Monument Square in Urbana showing Ewing’s Restaurant and Cafeteria.

Ewing’s was not only well known in Champaign County but throughout west-central Ohio. The Pooler family operated the business which included a coffee shop and a bakery. Often on Sundays at noon patrons would be lined up from the entrance around the corner on Miami Street; once inside, they would often find Carl Pooler himself carving prime rib. At the end of the line uniformed waitresses would meet patrons at the cash register and carry each tray to a table.

Ewing’s served large family meals on special occasions, such during the Christmas holiday, on the second floor of this building.

In the mid-19th century, the third floor of this building served as a meeting space known as Union Hall. It was the site of theatrical performances as well as church bazaars and political speeches.

In 1863, the Ladies Aid Society of Urbana’s St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation arranged for Frederick Douglass, the great abolitionist, to speak at Union Hall. However, it is uncertain whether Douglass spoke there as there is no documented account of him having done so. In 1910 there was a motion picture theater in this building, presumably on the third floor.

An interesting note regarding the building is that embossed on a cast iron support column within is “Willcox & Gwynne.” Perhaps this came from a local foundry as the Gwynne family members were early prominent merchants in Urbana.

The Champaign County Historical Museum is a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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Looking Forward – Urbana's First Jail

4/28/2021

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Urbana's First Jail
A 2021 photo shows the former site of the first jail in Urbana, located at the NW corner of E. Market and S. Locust streets. This Looking Forward is from the perspective of Simon Kenton, who was the jailer and prisoner here at the same time. We know that the original jail was built as a single-story building sometime before 1808 because the Champaign County Commissioners’ meeting minutes of July 22, 1808, include a proposal to enlarge and add a second story to the existing jail building. The second story provided quarters for the jailer.

In 1811-12 Simon Kenton was the jailer. Under the law at that time, imprisonment for debt was permitted. Kenton, having been “arrested” on an execution issued by Kentucky creditors, thus became his own jailer.

At this time, persons imprisoned for debt were allowed to be in an area designated as the “prison bounds.” The “prison bounds” were probably High St. to the west, Ward St. to the north, Reynolds St. to the south and perhaps to the east edge of town, basically the city limits. During the year or so of his confinement Simon Kenton frequently walked this area with a long walking staff. It is said that even when his daughter Elizabeth died, he had to observe her burial in the Old Graveyard just north of Ward St. without crossing the street.

Some years later the Kentucky Legislature remitted the charges against Kenton. The original jail served until 1832 when a new jail was built near the current courthouse. On April 14, 1832, the original jail building was auctioned off to Matthew Magrew and John Owen for $390.

The Champaign County Historical Museum is a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tues. - Fri. 10-4 and Sat. 10-2.
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Looking Forward – Elisha C. Berry

4/8/2021

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Elisha Berry House Urbana
This is a 2021 photo of the house at 413 Scioto St., Urbana, which was the home of Elisha C. Berry.
This edition of “Looking Forward features a 2021 photo of the house at 413 Scioto St., Urbana, which was the home of Elisha C. Berry. Based on property tax records this house was built on or before 1826 on 14 acres owned by Elisha C. Berry. Mr. Berry was born in 1782 in Maryland and died in 1850 in Urbana. He was associated with the woolen mill established by John Reynolds in 1816 on East Water St.

Elisha was elected Champaign County Commissioner in October 1818. This was the first county election after Logan County to the north and Clark County to the south were established and Champaign County was reduced to its current limits in 1817. Around this same time Mr. Berry was one of the associate judges during the administration of President Judge Swan.

“The Justices bench was composed of one President Judge, supposed to be learned in the law, and three Associate Justices, taken from the body of the county, and selected for their good sense and integrity rather than for their legal requirements.” (W.H. Beers, The History of Champaign County, 1881).

Thomas H. Berry, a son of Elisha C. Berry, established a grocery business in Urbana in 1845. Upon his death in 1879 the business was managed by his eldest son, Thomas C. Berry. Upon Thomas C. Berry’s death, the business was managed by his younger brothers William E. & Lou B. Berry.

In 1891 Lou B. Berry became involved in the insurance business with J. R. McDonald in Urbana. Ultimately this business became the L. B. Berry Insurance Agency located at 125 Scioto St., Urbana. Around 1900 Lou B. Berry resided in the house at 413 Scioto St. built by his grandfather.

The Champaign County Historical Society would like to express appreciation to Joe Hamilton for sharing information about his house.

The Champaign County Historical Museum, a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tues. - Fri. 10-4 and Sat. 10-2.
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Looking Forward: George Fithian

3/17/2021

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Urbana US Post Office
This “Looking Forward” segment is from the perspective of George Fithian, who established a tavern in a hewn log house in 1806 at the site that now is the Urbana U.S. Post Office, the southwest corner of South Main and West Market streets. The log house later was converted into a store by Samuel McCord. Around 1816, school was taught there by Hiram M. Curry.

When Champaign County was partitioned from Greene & Franklin counties in 1805, the house of George Fithian in Springfield was designated the temporary seat of justice for Champaign County (which then included Springfield). The county seat of justice was later established in a log structure on East Court Street in Urbana. Fithian was elected the first mayor of Urbana in 1816 and was elected county commissioner in 1818. In 1821 he was elected associate judge of the county.

Some years later George Fithian and his family moved to Danville, Illinois, where he also became active in government. One of his sons founded the town of Fithian, located just west of Danville.
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Looking Forward: Brand Whitlock

2/11/2021

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The 2020 photo with this article is of the house at 510 S. Main St., Urbana. This Looking Forward is from the perspective of Joseph Brand Whitlock, who was born at this location, though probably in an earlier house, on March 4, 1869. His parents were Elias B. Whitlock and Mollie Brand Whitlock. Brand Whitlock’s maternal grandfather was Joseph C. Brand, whose house at 132 W. Reynolds St. was previously featured in this column.

As Brand’s father was a Methodist minister who served various Ohio churches, the family moved frequently. When Brand became a teenager, the family lived in Toledo, Ohio, where he worked for a time as a newspaper reporter. Later he turned to the law and practiced in Toledo, where he became active in community and political affairs. He was elected mayor of that city in 1905 and served three more terms before declining further nomination.
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In 1913 he was appointed Minister to Belgium by President Woodrow Wilson. When World War I started Whitlock was in Brussels, Belgium, where he was admired and recognized for his assistance to the Belgian people during the war. At war’s end he was appointed US Ambassador to Belgium. In recognition of his contributions to the Belgian people, King Albert honored Whitlock with the highest decoration of his country.

The Champaign County Historical Museum, a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tues. - Fri. 10-4 and Sat. 10-2.
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Looking Forward: The Patrick House

1/19/2021

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Patrick House Urbana Ohio
The Patrick House
This is a 2020 photo of the southeast corner of Scioto and Kenton streets. Circa 1811, a small log schoolhouse was erected here. This Looking Forward is from the perspective of Joshua Antrim, author of The History of Champaign and Logan Counties – From Their First Settlement, written in 1872. Antrim attended this subscription school. He recalled teachers including William Stephens, John C. Pearson, Henry Drake and George Bell. Schoolmates surviving at that time included Col. Douglas Luce, Joseph A. Reynolds and Mrs. Horace Muzzy. This address now is 301 Scioto, known as The Patrick House, built in 1855. 

The Champaign County Historical Museum is a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tues. – Fri. 10-4 and Sat. 10-2.
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Looking Forward: Joseph C. Brand

12/30/2020

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Joseph C. Brand House Urbana Ohio
Joseph C. Brand House
Accompanying this article is a 2020 photo of the Joseph C. Brand house at 132 W. Reynolds St., Urbana. This ‘Looking Forward’ is from the perspective of Joseph C. Brand, a long-time Champaign County resident. He was born in 1810 in Kentucky. His grandfather, Dr. James Brand, a native of Scotland, came to America after graduating from medical school in 1756.

Joseph came to Urbana in 1830 and engaged in business with his uncle, Dr. Joseph S. Carter, in a drug store. He married Lavinia Talbott in 1832, and they resided in Mechanicsburg from 1832 to 1837. He then farmed in Union Township, returning to Urbana in 1851 where he lived the remainder of his life except for service in the U.S. Civil War and a Consulship in Germany. He held several county offices including Clerk of Courts and served as a State Legislator.

During the Civil War, he helped raise the 66th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and served as its Commissary Officer from 1861-1865. He witnessed Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Later he served three terms as Mayor of Urbana. Brand and his wife spent their later years at their W. Reynolds St. home, which served as a rallying point for their children and grandchildren who were undoubtedly instilled with a sense of public service and care for others.

This was particularly evidenced in their grandson, Joseph Brand Whitlock, four-time Mayor of Toledo, novelist, and the first U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, who spent many summers with them here.

The Champaign County Historical Museum, a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tues. - Fri. 10-4 and Sat. 10-2. The museum will be closed December 24th through January 4th, but will re-open during regular hours on January 5, 2021!
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Looking Forward: Joseph C. Vance Sr.

12/15/2020

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Joseph C. Vance St. Residence
This is a 2020 photo of the northeast corner of East Reynolds and South Kenton streets. This “Look Forward” is from the perspective of Joseph C. Vance Sr., who erected on two lots at this corner in the fall of 1805 or spring of 1806 a two-story log house as a family residence and a small log building, which served as his office. He was appointed in 1805 the first clerk of the Common Pleas Court as well as recorder and auditor of Champaign County.

From this location Vance participated in the birth of Urbana, as Col. William Ward, the city’s founder, placed him in charge of the initial sale of lots in the town, some of the proceeds of which were used to construct the first county courthouse in 1807, a log structure located on the north side of East Court Street.

Vance was born in Virginia in 1759 then served in the Revolutionary War. He moved to Ohio in 1801 first settling in Green County then moving to Urbana in 1805 as noted above. His son Joseph C. Vance Jr. served as Governor of Ohio 1836-38. Vance Sr. died in 1809.

Submitted by the Champaign County Historical Museum, a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tues. - Fri. 10-4 and Sat. 10-2.
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Looking Forward: Judge Middleton

11/30/2020

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Judge Middleton Urbana Ohio
This structure at 302 W. Reynolds St., Urbana, was the home of Judge Evan P. Middleton.
The Champaign County Historical Museum starts a new historical series that takes the perspective of looking forward from the past to the present at locations in Champaign County.

Accompanying this article is a 2020 photo of the house at 302 W. Reynolds St., Urbana, which is located at the northwest corner of South High and West Reynolds streets. This “look forward” is from the perspective of Judge Evan P. Middleton, who was a long-time resident here. He died in this house in 1945 at the age of 91.

Judge Middleton was born on a farm in Wayne Township, Champaign County in 1854. As a young man he was determined to make the law his profession. To that end he and his younger brother Arthur studied the law under the tutelage of General John H. Young. They were admitted to the bar in 1878, and the following year they opened a law office in Urbana.

In 1900 their law office was located at 109 1/2 W. Court St. in Urbana. In 1901 he became Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Second Judicial District of Ohio. He wrote a comprehensive two-volume history of Champaign County that was published in 1917.

Submitted by the Champaign County Historical Museum, a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tues. - Fri. 10-4 and Sat. 10-2.
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Then & Now: Ohio Caverns Entrance

10/27/2020

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Ohio Caverns Entrance 1941
Then – This is a 1941 photo (#0336) of the entrance to Ohio Caverns: ‘Where nature carved a fairyland.’ The caverns were discovered in 1897 on the farm of Abe Reames north of Mt. Tabor. The caverns were initially referred to as the Mt. Tabor Caverns. Beginning in 1925 tours of the Ohio Caverns were offered. The formal tour takes visitors past stalactites and stalagmites of all sizes including the Crystal King, a large white stalactite more than 200,000 years old. The person in the photo is unidentified.
Ohio Caverns Entrance
Now – The Ohio Caverns entrance now is remarkably similar to that in 1941, except the arch has been replaced. The stone posts are the same, but another slab of concrete was added to the top of each to increase the entrance clearance. 

The Champaign County Historical Museum is a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum, 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays.
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    Looking Back at Champaign County

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