Allens Corners (Allyn’s Corners) – Troy Township, Geauga County and Hiram Township, Portage County
Location: 41.345379, -81.143172
on Allyn Rd at the intersection of SR 700 (Welshfield Limaville Rd S)
Remnants: old houses and farm buildings in the area
Description: The town was founded by brothers Ozias Allyn (1814 – 1883) and Watson Allyn (1824 – 1903). Their parents, Pelatiah Allyn (1785 – 1856) and Amelia (Taylor) Allyn (1785 – 1867), got married in 1808 and moved to Ohio from Connecticut in the early 1820s. Watson was the first member of the family who was born in Portage County. Ozias and Watson donated land for the proposed Clinton Airline Railroad which was graded and had a track bed made for it but the tracks were never laid. However, the C&W Electric Railroad later rolled through the area in the late 1800s to early 1900s. A school (Hiram Township No. 5) was about 1/2 of a mile south of the GPS coordinates on the west side of SR 700. Ozias served as the commissioner of Portage County from 1865 – 1868. The family surname is spelled as Allen in some branches. Watson and Ozias were buried with many relatives in Fairview Cemetery 3 miles south of the GPS coordinates at the intersection of SR 82 (Twinsburg Warren Rd) and Ryder Rd.
Baldwins Corners – Montville Township
Location: 41.607359, -81.072616
on Clay St (Co Rd 37) at the intersection of US 6
Remnants: none known
Description: The original proprietors were Noyes Baldwin (1801 – 1850) and Deborah (Spencer) Baldwin (1803 – 1897) who moved to Ohio from Connecticut and arrived in Montville Township in 1832. They had 4 children and one of their sons, Civil War veteran Captain Roland H. Baldwin (1827 – 1892), inherited the family’s homestead. He married Fannie (Hulbert) Baldwin (1829 – 1915). They also had 4 children and donated land for a school (Montville Township No. 4) on the east side of Clay St north of the GPS coordinates. A grange hall at the main intersection was on land owned by the Whitney family. The Baldwin family was laid to rest in Montville (Montville Center) Cemetery 1 1/2 miles northeast of the GPS coordinates on the west side of SR 528 (Madison Rd).
Beardsley – Huntsburg Township
Location: 41.548616, -81.071450
on Clay St (Co Rd 37) at the intersection of Huntley Rd (Township Hwy 115)
Remnants: none known
Description: It was founded by Enoch Beardsley (1801 – 1869) from Connecticut and Elizabeth (Smith) Beardsley (1805 – 1876) from New York. They had 5 children and Enoch served as justice of the peace in Huntsburg Township. A school was on the east side of Clay St just south of Chardon – Windsor Rd (Co Rd 13) on land donated by Ervin Beardsley (1827 – 1883) and Mary Jane (Carothers) Beardsley (1830 – 1908). There might be a cemetery in the woods on the north side of Huntley Rd next to a tower just west of Clay St. The cemetery was pinpointed on the 1857 county map and in the 1874 and 1900 county atlases. Everyone mentioned in this listing was buried in Huntsburg Township (Huntsburg Center) Cemetery about 2 miles southeast of the GPS coordinates on the south side of SR 322 (Mayfield Rd).
Beudale – Newbury Township
Location: 41.490108, -81.274913
on Fairmount Rd (Co Rd 16) at the intersection of Rockhaven Rd
Remnants: none known
Description: none found
Calm – Thompson Township
Post Office: 1890 – 1903
Location: 41.690419, -81.016406
on Thompson Rd (Co Rd 7) at the intersection of Sidley Rd
Remnants: former school in the southwest corner of the intersection
Description: The proprietors were Orrin L. Keener (1856 – 1892) and Eva (Wilson) Keener (1858 – 1939). Orrin was the first postmaster and Eva took on the position after he passed away. They got married in 1880, had a few children, and were buried with many relatives in Maple Grove Cemetery about 3 miles west of the GPS coordinates on the south side of Thompson Rd. The town’s former school is now a private residence. There was also a church on the west side of the school, but it has since been lost to time. The land was previously owned by Orrin’s parents and his mother’s family, the Baurs, prior to that.
Center Road – Claridon Township
Location: 41.561018, -81.144005
on Claridon Troy Rd at the intersection of the Maple Highlands Trail
Remnants: former railroad path
Description: Center Road was on the Pittsburgh & Western Railroad (later bought by the B&O) and had a flag stop (no station but trains would stop when signaled) on land owned by the Dimock family. The current Maple Highlands Trail is a 21-mile paved recreational path along the former railroad bed.
Chardon Centre (Chardon Center) – Chardon Township
Location: 41.604022, -81.242796
on Auburn Rd (Co Rd 4) at the intersection of Mentor Rd
Remnants: none known
Description: It was mostly a residential village and had a school (Chardon Township No. 4) on the west side of Mentor Rd northwest of the GPS coordinates on land donated by the Chase family.
Damon – Huntsburg Township, Geauga County and Windsor Township, Ashtabula County
Post Office: 1896 – 1899
Location: 41.564254, -81.001853
on SR 86 (Plank Rd) at the intersection of Chardon – Windsor Rd
Remnants: none known
Description: This short lived farming and postal town had a school on the north side of SR 86 west of the GPS coordinates on land owned by the Larson family. C. F. Alexander was the postmaster.
East Munson (Woodard’s Corners) (Walters Corners) (Garlo) – Munson Township
Post Office: 1892 – 1899
Location: 41.532673, -81.193425
on SR 322 (Mayfield Rd) at the intersection of SR 44
Remnants: none known
Description: It’s unclear when the town was referred to as East Munson, but its first known name in the mid-1880s was Woodard’s Corners with Davis Woodard (1812 – 1873) from Vermont and Eliza (Stone) Woodard (1813 – 1889) as the proprietors. They got married in 1836, had 5 children, and were buried with relatives in Chardon Municipal Cemetery about 3 1/3 miles north of the GPS coordinates on the south side of Park Ave in Chardon. The town had a school (Munson Township No. 7) in the northwest lot of the main intersection which first appered in the 1874 county atlas. After that, it started going by the name of Walters Corners with several members of the Walters family owning land around the intersection. The largest lot was a 90-acre farm owned by Irwin Walters (1839 – 1938) and Hannah (McFarland) Walters (1841 – 1897) on the south side of the intersection. They were also laid to rest with relatives in Chardon Municipal Cemetery. The post office and town name was Garlo in the 1890s to early 1900s. Reuben A. Dayton (1856 – 1943) was the last known postmaster. He was buried with relatives in Maple Hill Cemetery 4 1/2 miles southwest of the GPS coordinates at the intersection of Butternut Rd and Auburn Rd (Co Rd 4).
Fedo – Chardon and Kirtland Township
Post Office: 1897 – 1902
Location: 41.596090, -81.294398
on Kirtland Chardon Rd at the intersection of Wisner Rd along the Chagrin River
Remnants: none known
Description: Dwight L. Randall (1834 – 1907) was the proprietor and postmaster. He was buried in Chardon Municipal Cemetery 5 miles southeast of the GPS coordinates on the south side of Park Ave in Chardon.
Geauga Lake (Picnic Lake) (Giles Pond) (Pond Station) – Bainbridge Township
Post Office: 1857 – 1870 and later dates not listed
Location: 41.353941, -81.373337
on Depot Rd at the intersection of Geauga Lake Rd (Township Hwy 183)
Remnants: abandoned amusement park grounds, historical marker on the south side of the lake on the east side of SR 43 (N Aurora Rd) just south of the intersection of Moneta Ave
Description: Joel Giles settled in the area with his family in 1818 and a couple of his sons continued to live in the vicinity after he passed away. The arrival of the Great Western & Atlantic Railroad in 1856 (later bought by the Erie Railroad) led to the opening of a post office called Pond the following year, named after a small lake adjoining the Giles homestead. The pond and surrounding land was used as a picnic grounds by local residents for several decades prior to it officially opening for picnics and swimming in 1872 and was known as Giles Pond. Geauga Lake Park was established in 1887. It steadily grew with more amusement attractions over the next few decades and throughout the 1900s. The park was acquired by Six Flags in 2000 and the name changed to Six Flags Ohio. Cedar Fair (owners of Cedar Point) bought the amusement park and changed the name back to Geauga Lake in 2004. It only remained in operation for a few more years and closed in 2007.
Joint (Dow’s Corners) – Claridon and Huntsburg Township
Post Office: 1897 – 1904
Location: 41.562519, -81.100479
on Chardon – Windsor Rd (Co Rd 13) at the intersection of Kile Rd (Township Hwy 44)
Remnants: none known
Description: The town was founded by brothers Burton Dow (1798 – 1889) and Thomas J. Dow (1812 – 1888) from Windham County, Connecticut. It was originally called Dow’s Corners. Thomas owned a steam-powered saw mill in the southwest lot of the intersection and there was a cheese factory in the southeast lot of the intersection on a farm owned by Ezekiel Buell (1805 – 1887) from Hartford County, Connecticut and Harriet (Dudley) Buell (1818 – 1897). A school (Claridon Township No. 3) was on the west side of Kile Rd north of the GPS coordinates on Burton’s farm. The post office was called Joint and the town also took on its name in the late 1800s to early 1900s. John M. Brown (b. 1857) was the postmaster. The Dow brothers and Buell family were laid to rest in East Claridon Cemetery 3 miles southwest of the GPS coordinates on the east side of SR 608 (Old State Rd).
Julia – Auburn Township, Geauga County and Mantua Township, Portage County
Post Office: 1893 – 1904
Location: 41.347502, -81.223844
on SR 44 (Ravenna Rd) at the intersection of Harner Rd along Black Brook
Remnants: none known
Description: The proprietors were Adelbert D. May (1848 – 1907) and Lillian (Bidlake) May (1848 – 1930). Adelbert was the postmaster and the town had a steam-powered saw mill just southeast of the GPS coordinates next to Black Brook. The mill was built by Adelbert’s grandparents, Hezekiah May (1782 – 1854) and Artemesia (White) May (1789 – 1847) from Windham County, Connecticut. They got married in 1812 and had 4 children. Adelbert’s father, Delos W. May (1822 – 1901) was born in New York and successfully operated the mill for several decades. Adelbert’s mother, Miranda (Mitchell) May (1823 – 1853) from Connecticut, had 2 children with Delos. He married Anna (King) May (1833 – 1902) from New York shortly after Miranda passed away and had 2 more children. The family farm started out with 100 acres and expanded to 166 acres by publication of the 1874 county atlas. There were 2 local schools. One of them (Auburn Township No. 3) was 1 mile north of the intersection on the north side of Bartholomew Rd. The other one (Mantua Township No. 2) was about 1 mile south of the intersection on the east side of SR 44. Hezekiah and Artemesia were buried with relatives in Eastlawn Cemetery 3 1/3 miles southwest of the GPS coordinates on the east side of Mantua Center Rd. Adelbert and Lillian were buried with relatives, including their parents, 3 1/3 miles southwest of the GPS coordinates in Westlawn Cemetery on the north side of SR 82 (Twinsburg Warren Rd).
Kelloggs Corners (West Claridon) – Claridon Township
Location: 41.532068, -81.163385
on SR 322 (Mayfield Rd) at the intersection of Taylor Wells Rd
Remnants: West Claridon Cemetery on the east side of Aquilla Rd (Co Rd 5) south of SR 322
Description: It was founded by county pioneers Asahel Kellogg (1783 – 1843) and Amanda (Spencer) Porter (1785 – 1857) and Asahel’s brother Cotton Kellogg (1785 – 1865) and Betsey (Moses) Kellogg (1790 – 1854). They were all born in Hartford County, Connecticut and moved to Ohio in 1815 after the brothers purchased a large farm and built a saw mill the previous year. Asahel and Cotton also brought along their widowed mother, Lucy (Cotton) Kellogg (1747 – 1847). Both of the brothers had a few children and Amanda remarried after Asahel passed away. Asahel was a deacon in the local Congregational church and Cotton served as the first postmaster of the Claridon office. Church services and school were occasionally held at Cotton and Betsey’s house in the early days. The first school was constructed at the intersection on the Kellogg farm in 1821. In the mid-1800s a steam-powered cheese box factory, which first appeared on the 1857 county map, was built on the Kellogg farm on the west side of Taylor Wells Rd south of the GPS coordinates. The town likely had several school structures over the passing decades of the mid to late 1800s at the same spot of the intersection listed on the 1857 county map and the 1874 and 1900 county atlases. The last structure was Claridon Township No. 2. Cotton and Betsey’s son, Cyrus A. Kellogg (1821 – 1900), inherited the family homestead and owned a general store in the southwest corner of the intersection. One of his heifers weighed in at a whopping 1,640 pounds and produced 1,098 pounds of dressed quarters. There was also a saw mill owned by the Wilmot family on the east side of Taylor Wells Rd north of the GPS coordinates listed in the 1874 county atlas. The town’s last proprietors were Charles Kellogg (1854 – 1946), a son of Cyrus, and Alice (Wilmot) Kellogg (1855 – 1923). They got married in 1876, had 3 children, and owned the Kellogg Stock Farm Company, continuing the family tradition of farming and livestock raising on the old homestead. Everyone mentioned in this listing was buried in Claridon Center Cemetery a mile east of the GPS coordinates on the north side of SR 322.
Little Ireland – Parkman Township
Location: 41.370569, -81.034972
on Farmington Rd at the intersection of Owen Rd (Township Hwy 219)
Remnants: none known
Description: Little Ireland was named after its pioneer residents of Irish descent in the early 1800s. Thomas Moore (1782 – 1837) and Mary (Donaldson) Moore (d. 1868) settled there in 1810. Mary’s brother James Donaldson (1787 – 1863) and Anna (Cummings) Donaldson (1791 – 1873) followed shortly after and another brother, Samuel Donaldson (1793 – 1848), arrived in 1815. Nathaniel Moore (1789 – 1861) also settled in Little Ireland that same year and married Anna (Evans) Moore in 1816. All of the men were War of 1812 veterans. The town had a school on the north side of the intersection of Farmington Rd and Hobart Rd which was listed on the 1857 county map on land owned by the Moore family. It was replaced by a newer school (Parkman Township No. 6) on the east side of Hobart Rd south of Farmington Rd also on the Moore’s land. Everyone mentioned in this listing was laid to rest in Old Cemetery on the east side of Nelson Rd (Co Rd 2) about 1 3/4 miles west of the GPS coordinates. Little Ireland was mentioned in 1880 county history book as successive generations of Moore, Donaldson, and other formerly Irish families in the county carried on its name.
Munson Center (Mansfields Crossing) – Munson Township
Location: 41.536838, -81.243436
on Auburn Rd (Co Rd 4) at the intersection of Sherman Rd along the Chagrin River
Remnants: none known
Description: Munson Center was the original name of Mansfields Crossing. The town had a train station on the Cleveland & Eastern Electric Railroad in the late 1800s to early 1900s. It was an interurban line laid on the failed path of the proposed Painesville and Hudson Railroad of the 1850s. The station was on a 73-acre farm owned by Vivalda Mansfield (1845 – 1900) and Lucinda (Pelton) Mansfield (1842 – 1932) in the northeast lot of the intersection. Interurban lines in rural areas provided quick and reliable transportation for small farming communities whose residents previously had to travel by horse, foot, or making a journey to less accessible steam railroads. A school (Munson Township No. 3) was on the east side of Auburn Rd about 1/2 of a mile south of the GPS coordinates. Vivalda and Lucinda were buried with relatives in Maple Hill Cemetery 2 1/2 miles south of the GPS coordinates at the intersection of Auburn Rd and Butternut Rd.
Plank Road Corners – Montville Township
Post Office: dates not listed
Location: 41.593507, -81.051341
on SR 528 (Madison Rd) at the intersection of SR 86 (Plank Rd)
Remnants: none known
Description: Bushnell Austin (1805 – 1869) and Charlotte Austin (d. 1857) moved from Connecticut to Ohio and purchased a farm at the intersection in 1835. They constructed a stagecoach stop tavern around 1836 and a hotel after the completion of a plank road from Painesville to Warren in 1848. Bushnell had a couple of children and married Sally (Woodman) Dunham (1826 – 1907) after Charlotte passed away. George A. Wells (1821 – 1906) from Hartford County, Connecticut and Sarah (Underwood) Wells (1827 – 1905) got married in 1848 and owned a general store in the southeast lot of the intersection. George was the town’s postmaster. The family later moved out of the state and founded Wellsburg, Iowa. George and Sarah were buried with relatives in Rose Hill Cemetery on at the intersection of SR 14 and M Ave in Grundy Center in Grundy County, Iowa. Bushnell Austin was buried with relatives in Montville Center Cemetery about 1 1/4 miles north of the GPS coordinates. Plank Road Corners still had a school (Montville Township No. 3) on the west side of SR 528 south of the GPS coordinates in the late 1800s to early 1900s, but the the town had already fallen into obscurity.
Roots Corners (Andrews Grove) – Bainbridge Township
Location: 41.369471 -81.339043
on SR 306 (Chillicothe Rd) at the intersection of Taylor May Rd
Remnants: none known
Description: The original proprietors were Robert Root (1799 – 1869) and Rhoda (Henry) Root (1798 – 1879) from Massachusetts. They got married in 1822, had 4 children, and donated land for a school on the west side of the intersection which first appeared on the 1857 county map. It was later replaced by a newer school (Bainbridge Township No. 2) at the same location. Robert and Rhoda’s oldest son, Delos Root (1830 – 1911) inherited the family farm. Enoch Andrews (1784 – 1872) from New Haven County, Connecticut owned a cheese factory in the southeast lot of the intersection. There was also a steam-powered saw mill for making boxes for the cheese factory on the Root farm. The cheese factory was sold to the Hull family after Enoch passed away. Everyone mentioned in this listing was buried in Restland Cemetery about a mile north of the GPS coordinates on the east side of SR 306.
Sissons Corners (Eging Corners) – Hambden Township
Location: 41.576203, -81.131641
on SR 608 (Old State Rd) at the 4-way intersection of Claridon Troy Rd and Sisson Rd
Remnants: Sisson Cemetery on the south side of Claridon Troy Rd west of the GPS coordinates, historical marker in the cemetery
Description: The town was founded in 1822 by several members of the Sisson family from Hampden County, Massachusetts with Augustus Sisson (1766 – 1850) and Margaret (Stebbins) Sisson (1769 – 1834) as the patriarch and matriarch in Ohio. Augustus remarried after Margaret passed away and was buried with relatives in Willoughby Village Cemetery on Sharpe Ave in Willoughby, Lake County. There are no gravestones left in Sisson Cemetery, but the historical marker has the known interments listed on it. A school was built on the north side of Claridon Troy Rd west of the cemetery on land owned by the Dimmick family which was pinpointed in the 1874 county atlas. It was replaced by a newer school (Hambden Township No. 2) on the north side of the intersection of Claridon Troy Rd and Chardon Windsor Rd in the late 1800s. By that time, the family of George Eging (1860 – 1939) and Franciska Eging (1867 – 1947) from Lake County was more prominent in the area and the town took on their name. George and Franciska were laid to rest with relatives in Hambden Township Cemetery 2 miles north of the GPS coordinates on the east side of SR 608.
Slab City (Gilmore Mills) – Burton Township
Location: 41.497755, -81.163840
on Butternut Rd at the intersection of Osmond Rd
Remnants: Pleasant Hill Cemetery on the south side of Butternut Rd about 3/4 of a mile west of the GPS coordinates
Description: Slab City was named after its abundance stacked sawed wood. James Gilmore (1788 – 1853) and Celia (Thompson) Gilmore (d. 1884) from Massachusetts got married in Vermont in 1817 and starting heading west. James built a saw mill and grist mill next to the creek on the west side of the GPS coordinates in the early 1820s. The grist mill was replaced by a new one in 1847. A son and daughter-in-law of James and Celia, James T. Gilmore (1820 – 1896) and Lucy (Crane) Gilmore (1830 – 1895) from New York, inherited the family homestead. The mills were sold to the Alderman family in the late 1800s. There was also a cheese factory on the north side of Butternut Rd west of the intersection, a school (Burton Township No. 5) in the northeast lot of the intersection of Butternut Rd and Aquilla Rd (Co Rd 5), and a Methodist church on the south side of Butternut Rd across from the school. James and Celia had 8 children and were buried with relatives in Welton Cemetery about 3 miles southeast of the GPS coordinates on the north side of Goodwin St in Burton. James T. and Lucy moved to Lake County and were laid to rest in Evergreen Cemetery on Main St in Painesville. Some other residents of Slab City were laid to rest in Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
Smithville – Parkman Township
Location: 41.354757, -81.058091
on Nelson Parkman Rd (Co Rd 2) at the intersection of Rutland Rd (Prentiss Rd)
Remnants: none known
Description: Seth Smith (1771 – 1855) and Mary (Marsh) Smith (1771 – 1835) made the journey to Ohio from Madison County, New York and settled in Parkman Township in 1819. Out of their 7 sons, 4 of them also moved to the area. It was a typical small farming and livestock town with a blacksmith shop and wagon shop pinpointed in the 1874 county atlas on the west side of Rutland Rd on land owned by Olive A. Upham (1841 – 1899). A school (Parkman Township No. 7) was on the south side of Soltis Rd about 1/2 of a mile northwest of the intersection. A few generations of the Smith family kept the town going over the passing of the 1800s and it faded out of existence sometime around 1900. Seth and Mary Smith were buried with dozens of relatives 2 miles north of the GPS coordinates in Overlook Cemetery on the east side of SR 168 (Tavern Rd). Olive Upham was laid to rest in Park (Garrettsville Park) Cemetery at the intersection of Center St (Co Hwy 293) and Brosius Rd in Nelson Township, Portage County.
Spencer Corners – Claridon Township
Location: 41.540333, -81.179841
on Aquilla Rd (Co Rd 5) at the intersection of Spencer St
Remnants: former Spencer farmhouse on the west side of Aquilla Rd just north of the intersection, former one-room schoolhouse in the southeast lot of the intersection, West Claridon Cemetery on the east side of Aquilla Rd (Co Rd 5) south of SR 322, old houses and farm buildings in the area
Description: Around the corner from Kelloggs Corners, Spencer Corners was founded by Colonel Erastus Spencer (1805 – 1884) and Julia (Kellogg) Spencer (1810 – 1891) who both moved to Ohio from Litchfield County, Connecticut with their parents at young ages. Erastus served in the state militia and achieved the rank of colonel in 1833. He married Julia the following year and had 6 children. Erastus served as county sheriff from 1840 – 1844. Tragically, 3 of the Spencer children died of sickness at young ages within 10 days of each other in July of 1849. The Spencers donated the land for the school (Claridon Township No. 1), which is currently a private residence, and also owned a cheese factory and a chair factory on their farm. They were all pinpointed in the 1874 county atlas. An engraving of the Spencer’s house and farm was also included in the atlas. Erastus and Julia were buried with relatives and local residents in West Claridon Cemetery.
Summit (Summit Siding) – Middlefield Township
Location: 41.448141, -81.051272
on SR 528 (Madison Rd) at the former railroad crossing between SR 87 (Kinsman Rd) and Adams Rd
Remnants: old houses and farm buildings in the area
Description: Summit had a siding for loading and unloading on the P&W Railroad in the late 1800s to early 1900s.
Fowlers Mills, OH – (1834 – present farming and mill town with less residents than in the past)
Classification: historic town
Location: Munson Township, Geauga County – On Fowlers Mill Rd near the intersection of Mayfield Rd (SR 322)
Fowlers Mills was named after two brothers, Hiram Fowler (1800 – 1879) and Milo Fowler (1802 – 1860). They were born in nearby Burton, Ohio to parents from Connecticut and arrived in the area in 1829. Milo brought along his wife, Elanor (Foot) Fowler (1803 – 1875), and their 2 children. Hiram later married Minerva (Stone) Fowler (1809-1885) and had one child. The brothers built a millrace and saw mill along the Chagrin River on Fowlers Mills Rd, followed by a grist mill that opened for business in 1835.
A couple years after building the grist mill, the Fowlers traded it for a wool mill. The town’s post office was established in 1834 with Milo being the first postmaster. In 1837 Hiram was elected to one of the Munson Township trustee positions and Milo was a township treasurer. Milo constructed a new house for his family next to the grist mill in 1840. A marker for the Fowlers Mills Historic District is in the parking lot of the mill and has more info on the town and house. The two-story house was considered to be a frontier mansion when it was built, by far surpassing normal construction efforts of the time period.
The town also had a hotel, township hall, several stores, schools, and churches over the years. Hiram and Milo built more houses across the road from the mill in the 1840s. They’re easily identified while cruising through town with wooden “Century Home” plaques next to the doors. More markers can be spotted around the area and are mostly metal plaques, indicating structures that are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fowler’s Milling Company changed ownership a bunch of times. It was listed as the last operating flour mill in Munson Township in the 1878 History Of Geauga And Lake Counties, Ohio. Charles S. Johnson purchased it in 1874. The mill was in bad shape by that time and needed a lot of repairs. Local residents were going to other mills in the county to get their grains turned into flour. Charles removed the turbine that powered the mill and replaced it with a 13 foot overshot water wheel with 2 sets of buckets for 2 sets of grinding stones. He also rebuilt the dam in 1877.
Those improvements lasted until production stopped in 1966. Rick and Billie Erickson bought the property in 1985 and restored the mill, making it the last surviving grist mill in Geauga County. It’s open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is closed on Sundays and holidays. The mill can produce 700 pounds of flour per hour from locally grown corn and wheat. It’s sold in the mill store and nationally by mail-order. Visiting is an amazing experience and a great reminder that the state’s best quality products aren’t always obtainable from the giant chain grocery stores, which most residents presently rely on.
The town’s cemetery is on the east side of Fowlers Mill Rd north of the mill. It’s a beautiful resting place and seems relatively small for the size and history of the community. Many residents were buried on family farm cemeteries. The gravestones of Hiram and Milo are in Bainbridge Township at Fowler Cemetery on the east side of Haskins Rd between Taylor May Rd and Crackel Rd. It was officially established in 1825 but had some interments prior to that, like many other cemeteries in Ohio that were originally on farms. The earliest known burials there are from 1811.
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