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Village History
The area known as the Village of Whitehouse was occupied by various Native American tribes, including Miamis, Ottawas, Shawnees, Wyandots, and Delawares. During the settlement of the Village, many Native Americans traveled along what is now Weckerly Road to the "Dark and Bloddy Ground" in Kentucky from Fort Malden, which is now Detroit. Settlers began to travel west to the Nortwestern Territory after "Mad" Anthony Wayne's victory at Fallen Timbers in 1794. Many of these settlers were of Dutch or German decent and were looking for good farming land, which the area had to offer. The Canal access also attracted a lot of settlers to the area.
The land known as Whitehouse changed owners three times after its first owner sold it in 1842. In 1853, the land was sold to persons associated with the Toledo-Illinois Railroad. Construction of this railroad started in 1853, to connect Toledo to Danville, Illinois through the Maumee Valley and the Great Western Railroad. In 1856, the Toledo-Illinois Railroad was consolidated with the Lake Erie-Wabash and St. Louis Railroad.
It was not until July 5, 1864 that the town plat of the Village was officially recorded. The Village was laid out by John Osborn, a director of the railroad-owned property in the area. Edward Whitehouse, Treasurer of the Wabash Railroad, and his wife, along with John Osborn, donated the land for the Village Green. This area is now called Whitehouse Village Park. The Quarry was another conerstone of development in early Whitehouse and was opened in 1860. Later, it would be filled with water and serve as a swimming pool for residents.
The first church in Whitehouse was built in 1864 with donations from the first settlers in the amount of $606.60. The "First or Union Church" was first located on Waterville Street and all denominations worshiped there.
Early roads in Whitehouse and the surrounding areas were made of sand, clay, or planks. This made travel very difficult and often horses became stuck in the clay or mud. The early stone roads were Route 2, Monclova Road, and Weckerly Road. When automobiles were invented, this mode of transportation had a difficult time staying on the stone road, and got stuck in the clay ditches.
The Whitehouse Park Statue was dedicated on July 4, 1900 and commenorated those who fought for the United States between 1861-1865. Picture The Statue underwent major renovation in 1979 and stands fully restored on its pedestal at Whitehouse Park. The Park was also a place where circuses, "medicine men," and vaudeville shows took place in the early 1900's.
The first school in Whitehouse was known as Kent School and was located on the south side of Waterville Road, near Cemetery Road. The Noble School was also an early school in Whitehouse. The Kent School was replaced twice, once before 1867 by the Whitehouse School and before 1875 by the Burnett School. The schools went through many changes in the next century. The Anthony Wayne School District was formed in 1950 with the consolidation of Whitehouse, Monclova and Waterville Schools and still exists today.
The Anthony Wayne Community Improvement Corporation was established in 1961 and was the result of an industrial development committee in the Whitehouse Business Association. This group set out to solve the continual problem of financing education with the increase in real estate taxes coupled with the lack of business taxes. The problem was area-wide and called for assistance from Waterville and area townships. The CIC purchased its first piece of land to promote proper zoning and infrastructure development in the 1960's. Local job creation and the improvement of the area tax base still remain beliefs and goals of the CIC members today.
In 1969, during a demolition of the Standard Oil Company, an early Whitehouse log house was discovered on SR. 64 and Shepler Street. The building was built between 1840-1850 and was moved to this site around 1930. It was covered with siding and was being used as a garage when it was discovered in 1969. The log house was moved to Village property across the street. The Whitehouse Historical Society was formed in 1970 and was charged with the restoration of this historic house. Currently, the log house is used by the schools to teach the students about the history of Whitehouse and as a meeting location for the Historical Society. The second floor of the house is used as a museum for memorabilia from Maumee Valley history.
The Norfolk & Western Railway abandoned six miles of its track between Maumee and Whitehouse in 1989. At this time, the line had no customers and there were no protests filed against this movement. Earlier that year, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the abandonment of twelve miles of the same track between Whitehouse and Liberty Center. This rail abandonment did not seriously inhibit the Village's development, since truck service was available. This rail property has now been improved to a bike trail running through the Village
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Contacts
Whitehouse Historical Society PO Box 2571 Whitehouse, OH 43571
Whitehouse Area Chamber of Commerce P. O. Box 2451 Whitehouse, Ohio 43571 Phone (419)877-2747 Fax (419)877-1109 chamber@whitehouse.oh.us
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Louann Artiaga President |
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