Local
History
Centerville and Washington Township,
Ohio
In 1996, Centerville and Washington Township celebrated their Bicentennial.
The first settlers, Aaron Nutt, Benjamin Robbins, Benjamin Archer, Dr. John Hole and others came as a result of land grants or war bounties given them for payment for their service in the Revolutionary War. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 designated the area north of the Ohio River as the Northwest Territory. These men and their families, lured by the opportunities of starting a new life in the wilderness, were courageous and self reliant.
Their legacy to us includes the attitudes that they came with and the high standards that they set for their new community. The story of our community, the development and progress of life in Centerville and Washington Township, starts with them.
Our community has always been a strong farming community and even though most of the farms are gone, we still value and respect the land, as evidenced in our zoning laws and the importance that we place on parks and green space. The stone that was used to build our many stone buildings was very important in our economic and cultural history, and those buildings symbolize our lasting quality as a community. And the many citizens who live here, whose families have been here for many, many generations show that Centerville-Washington Township must be a great place to live.
There are many reasons to learn local history. Fran Puterbaugh Holyoke, one of our first local history authors, is proud of our community and feels that part of that pride comes from knowing where the community has been and how it has evolved. Celia Elliott, editor of the historical society's first publication, says that the old phrase "you don't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been" describes why she thinks local history if important. And for Martha Boice, local history author and authority on the landmarks of our community, knowing local history is the process of being at home in the community.
Our community has a very interesting and rich history, and we are proud to tell the stories that are the background to today's active community.