Explore the Historical Towns and
Landmarks of Holmes County Ohio
BECK'S MILLS
Beck's Mills had its start in 1822 when the Beck family arrived in Doughty Valley. A dam was built across Doughty Creek and a sawmill was constructed. Later a four-story gristmill for making wheat flour and corn meal was...
BENTON
Benton was laid out in 1829, and it was the first real town to develop commercially in the county. It had gristmills, a woolen mill, a factory to make windmills and spinning wheels and several distilleries where whiskey...
BERLIN
The village of Berlin is the oldest existing village in Holmes County. It was laid out in 1816 with 108 plots, and all plots were purchased by 1821. Gradually Berlin became a thriving village and the center of commerce for...
BIG PRAIRIE
Big Prairie was laid out in 1871. It was the Monitor Sadiron Company that put Big Prairie on the map. There was also a Monitor Hotel and a Monitor Theater where silent movies were shown, and various other business shops and...
BUNKER HILL
The small community of Bunker Hill was settled in Berlin Township. A major attraction for early settlers was good soil and ample water supplied by springs that dotted the area. Farming, therefore, supported most early...
CHARM
Charm began as a village called Stevenson around the 1860s. In 1886 the community made application for a post office. The government submitted a list of town names from which the patrons of the post office could choose. The...
CLARK
Clark was laid out in Mechanic Township in 1818. It is unique in that the town portion north of Cross Street was located in Holmes County, and the part south of Cross Street was in Coshocton County. The plat was...
FARMERSTOWN
The plat for Farmerstown was recorded in 1827. The following business places were listed: a blacksmith shop, a general store, a shoe shop, a harness shop, a cooper shop, and a crockery store. But as the result of good roads...
FRYBURG
Fryburg is a small settlement in Salt Creek Township. Pioneers had arrived there by 1833. This date was determined from the earliest gravestone markings in a local cemetery.
GLENMONT
Glenmont was laid out in 1841 in a pleasant valley surrounded by seven hills. It soon became a thriving trade center for this area. In the early years Glenmont had many small businesses. There were grocery stores,...
HOLMESVILLE
The town of Wilmington was laid out in 1815 west of Killbuck Creek, in anticipation of a proposed canal down the Killbuck Valley. Because the canal never materialized, a new town, Lafayette, was laid out in a more desirable...
KILLBUCK
Killbuck was first called Palladium and then Oxford. Finally the village was incorporated in 1882 as Killbuck. In the 1820s Killbuck Creek was a navigable stream. Produce, pelts, etc. of the area were sent down the Killbuck...
LAKEVILLE
Lakeville was laid out in 1839. It was situated near Round and Long or Bonnet's Lakes. When the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne, and Chicago Railroad was constructed, the town then slowly moved toward Odell's Lake. Two ice companies...
MARTINSVILLE
The small settlement of Martinsville was established in Salt Creek Township along Martins Creek. The fertile soil of the region made this an agricultural area from the time of the first white settlers.
MILLERSBURG
Millersburg was named in honor of Charles Miller, who, in 1815, laid out lots to establish a small village that was later to become the county seat. The first building was a tavern built in 1819. A year later, a log cabin...
MOUNT HOPE
Mt. Hope was laid out in 1827. Early settlers were impressed with the fertile soil, rolling land, and good water in the area. In 1841, according to records, Mt. Hope had one store, twelve houses, a post office, a school,...
NASHVILLE
Nashville is located in both Washington and Knox Townships. The town was formed in 1828 and was built at the major crossroads that took travelers east to Millersburg, west to Mansfield, north to Wooster, and south to...
PAINT VALLEY
Paint Valley was settled in Monroe Township in the 1890s. The settlement consisted of the following: a church, a school, a flour mill, a gristmill, a cider mill, two sawmills, two blacksmiths, two barber shops, two stores,...
SALTILLO
It is not definitely known when the first true settlement was made in Saltillo, but land claims for the area in Mechanic Township were filed in 1832 and 1837. These dates therefore indicate when pioneers began to settle and...
STILLWELL
The small community of Stillwell was settled in the south part of Richland Township near the Coshocton County border. Logging & farming supported most pioneer families. Today the Stillwell Cemetery contains graves of...
TRAIL
The original name of this village was Indian Trail, but in 1883 the post office objected to the unnecessarily long name and thus Indian was dropped and the name Trail remained. Early businesses of the town were: a...
WALNUT CREEK
Situated in eastern Holmes County, Walnut Creek was surveyed and laid out in 1827. Early businesses included a hotel, blacksmith and carpenter shops, a tin shop and a warehouse. There was also a tannery and leather shop, a...
WELCOME
Welcome was a small community located in Monroe Township. Coal mining was the strong industry in this area in the early days, particularly in the early 1900s. The little village for many years had a general store that was...
WINESBURG
Winesburg, in Paint Township, was laid out in 1832. It was located on the direct route from Canton to Millersburg. Early business places were: pottery, tannery, harness, gunsmith, cooper, and saddle shops. There were small...
Historical Landmarks
BRIGHTMAN HOME - SHELBY, OHIO
Over the years it was known that the Brightman family that built the Victorian House in Millerburg had moved to Shelby, Ohio circa 1906. Up until recently no photographs of their home were known. One of the Brightman...
MILLERSBURG OPERA HOUSE
This original opera house stood in what is now the parking lot and Critchfield Law office on the corner of N. Monroe St. and E. Jackson St. City offices, fire department and a theater were included in the structure...
MURRAY TUNNEL - HOLMES COUNTY
What is this unusual underground structure found a few miles out of Glenmont. The Murray Tunnel has baffled experts such as the Ohio Preservation Office, Mid West Epigraphic Society and New England Center for the...
RARE HOLMES CO. COURTHOUSE PHOTO
This rare photo came to the Historical Society serveral years ago from the estate of Alethea Maxwell. The photo shows our current courthouse during construction and the previous courthouse is standing in the background...