Smithville, Ohio

IN THE HEART OF WAYNE COUNTY

Smithville, Ohio

IN THE HEART OF WAYNE COUNTY

Smithville, Ohio

IN THE HEART OF WAYNE COUNTY

Smithville, Ohio

IN THE HEART OF WAYNE COUNTY

Smithville, Ohio

IN THE HEART OF WAYNE COUNTY

Smithville, Ohio

IN THE HEART OF WAYNE COUNTY

This is Smithville

TODAY AND YESTERDAY. WHERE HISTORY WAS MADE AND WILL BE MADE.

Smithville, Ohio is located in Wayne County, Green Township, 25 miles southwest of Akron and 7 miles northeast of Wooster on State Route 585 in an area devoted to agriculture and light to medium industries.

In the spring of 1818, a settler named Thomas Smith, along with his wife and children, emigrated from Washington County, PA. where he was numbered among the heros of the War of 1812. Taking axe in hand, Smith began felling trees to build the first cabin in what is now Smithville. Smith’s house, first located on the north side of Portage Road, was later moved across the street. The following year Smith erected a sawmill on what was later the site of the town’s grist mill.

In 1831, Smith laid out the village of Smithville a few rods west of his house on what was then the Buchanan farm. Although Smith did his best to begin development of the village, the site he had selected proved too low and wet to drain properly, and so the plan was abandoned.

Smith’s dream, however, had taken root in the minds and imaginations of other people of the township, and on May 25, 1836, the present Village of Smithville was laid out by David Brenzier, Dr. Joseph Musser, the first physician in the township; Luther Carey and John Shroll, all of whom joined in adding an allotment of 41 lots to the village. The official survey was made by Schoolmaster Campbell Bell.

Almost immediately the sounds of construction began echoing through the infant village. First, a combination commercial building and house was erected by David Brenzier, followed shortly thereafter by a house constructed by Jacob Musser, a second house which became the Widow Johnson’s Tavern, and a store opened by Reasin Bell which connected to one end of Thomas Smith’s log cabin.

Smithville was on the way…
Source: Smithville Merchants Association booklet