This looking back features the Runkle Family Singers of St. Paris. The photos are from a 1923 promotional brochure outlining “A Tentative Program” that could be presented by the Runkle family which would be suitable for Chautauquas, Churches, and organizations of various kinds. The brochure includes photos of Mr. & Mrs. Glen Runkle, their daughters Harriet & Helen and their sons Roderick, Norman, & Dick. Later Dick Runkle formed a dance band which included his son and his sister Harriet and her sons. The Dick Runkle Orchestra performed locally in the 1960s.

On Sunday, February 6 at 2 p.m. in the museum at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Marty Reich and Dan Walter will present a related program focusing on local jazz history. Click here to learn more..

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 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is a circa 1912 photo (#1867) of the Gravel Pit School (built 1874) located at the northeast corner of N. state Route 560 and Millerstown Road in Concord Township, Champaign County.

This photo was contributed in 1952 to the Champaign County Historical Society by A.B. Graham, 4-H club founder. Mr. Graham noted that Gravel Pit School was one of the first one-room schools in western Ohio to be abandoned. In 1898 students were transferred to the centralized school in Westville which was a mile south in Mad River Township. Sometime later the Gravel Pit school building was converted into a residence, which it remains to this day. Many of the photos of people, places and events in Champaign County have been donated to the museum, just as Mr. Graham has donated this photo.

Such photos, when accompanied by relevant information – including who, when, and where – document Champaign County history.

CCHS encourages you to donate photos with relevant information which document people, places, and events of Champaign County. You can donate the photo itself or have it scanned and digitized and returned to you.

In either case it is preserved indefinitely as a permanent part of the museum’s archives.

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 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This Looking Back installment features the homestead of Ezekiel Arrowsmith. This is a photo of a print of a painting of the Arrowsmith Homestead. The date and artist of the painting are unknown. The homestead was in Mad River Township at 1051 N. State Route 560. The house sat on a hill facing east overlooking the Mad River valley.

Ezekiel was born on March 26, 1771, near Baltimore, Maryland. He married Elizabeth Kenton, a niece of Simon Kenton, on April 6, 1797, in Mason County, Kentucky. The marriage resulted in 10 children. Ezekiel and Elizabeth came to Champaign County in 1801 where they lived the remainder of their lives. Ezekiel died in 1849 and Elizabeth in 1867.

The Westville Methodist Church is the offspring of the first religious organization in Mad River Township. The first class was organized on Ezekiel Arrowsmith’s property. In 1801 a sermon was preached by Rev. James Davidson under a sugar tree on the land of Ezekiel Arrowsmith. Soon after a society was organized which eventually became the Westville Methodist Church. After meeting for several years in members’ log homes, a log house of worship was erected on the land of Christian Stephens in 1820. About 1826 due to increased membership a one-story brick church building was built in Westville.

Source: The History of Champaign County, Ohio W. H. Beers & Co. 1881
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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 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This Looking Back features the northeast corner of Monument Square at Scioto Street. It was at this site that Henry Weaver erected a building (Photo 1 circa 1866) in 1833. It was regarded as one of the finest brick buildings west of Columbus. Mr. Weaver with his son Lemuel operated a business on the first floor of this building. At the time of his death in 1872, Henry Weaver was regarded as the wealthiest man in Champaign County.

Hitt & Fuller was a general merchandise store located at 19 Monument Square (southeast quadrant). Photo #1 is a postcard photo of the store in 1913. In the foreground of this photo is the “Man on the Monument” whose 150th anniversary will be celebrated this year. (Note: there is no record of Monument Square, formerly Public Square, ever being known as Fountain Square). Photo #2 is a photo of this building just prior to its demolition in March of 2000.

Initially, at this location stood a two-story dry goods and general merchandise store built and operated by John & Isaac Reynolds. In 1852, Samuel W. Hitt, a longtime clerk in the store, bought an interest in the business. In 1868, he added a third floor to the building and in 1895 a walkway over the alley connecting to the Endowment Building. Subsequently the business was known as Hitt & Fuller closing in 1937. In 1938 Marsh Dry Goods moved into the building and in 1968 Main News occupied the building until its demolition in 2000.
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Source: Then & Now in Downtown Urbana, Ohio from 1805 by Barbara Stickley Sour 1998.

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 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is a circa 1910 postcard photo (#A139) of the C.B. Hatton Drug Store at the corner of Monument Square and North Main Street (40 Monument Square).

At this time Otway Cooper Saddlery Co. was located on the first floor of this building just west of Hatton’s (#1690) and a clothing store, a building currently under renovation, was immediately west of that.

The pharmacy was started in 1881 at 34 Monument Square by Frank Valentine who sold the business to Charles B. Hatton in 1897. The store was moved in 1907 to the location shown. This became known as “Hatton’s Corner.” Nearly a century before, Doolittle’s Tavern had stood on the same site and served as the headquarters of Gov. Return J. Meigs during the War of 1812.

In 1910 at the age of 13 John J. Enright began working for Hatton. Shortly after earning a pharmacy degree in 1918 at The Ohio State University, Enright became a partner with Hatton and the business became Hatton & Enright. In 1928 the store moved to 205 N. Main St. next to the Champaign National Bank (#2898). In 1940 upon the death of Charles B. Hatton, Enright became sole owner of the pharmacy. Also about this time John Enright purchased the Bunnel Monument Co. on E. Church St. which had been started in 1868. The name of the business was changed to Urbana Monument Co. which is still in business making it one of the longest continually-operated businesses in Urbana.

Thomas J. Crowley came to work at Hatton & Enright while in high school. He continued to work at the drug store and earned a pharmacy degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1951. The store moved to 108-112 N. Main St. in 1963. Crowley became Enright’s partner in 1977 and sole owner in 1985 and served several terms as Mayor of 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 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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.

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.