| Paulding County Place Names |
This article originally appeared in "Visions of Paulding County", January 2005.
It is included here for the assistance of those researching their family in Paulding County, and is not intended for use in any other form
By Melinda Krick - Visions Editor
Emerald Road. Antwerp. Benton Township.
Auglaize
River. We hear and see dozens of familiar place names every
day
around Paulding County, but give them little thought.
However,
there's a history behind every name of every township, waterway, town,
school, and landmark. As you study a map of Paulding County,
the
words printed on it reflect the times and the circumstances of the men
and women who settled there.
Some names have their origins in other cities and countries. Politicians, military heroes and other famous people were memorialized by some communities. In other places, names given by Native American peoples are still in use after several hundred years. The region's early French and British influences colored some choices for place names. Still other sites were named for the surroundings, local industries, or the men who founded the town. The sources of some names may be lost to history forever.
Antwerp - W. Wilshire Riley, General Horatio N. Curtis and Samuel Rice surveyed the town in 1841. They consulted a post office directory to find a name not already used. Riley suggested "Antwerp." It comes from Antwerp, Belgium. The area had many settlers from Germany and Holland.
Arena - Unknown. It was a crossroads community in Paulding Township in the late 1890s.
Arthur - Named in honor of Chester A. Arthur, then President of the U.S. when a post office was established there in 1884.
Auglaize - Mentioned in the writings of early explorers as though it was a Delaware Indian village situated on a branch of the Maumee River; meaning "at the lick." Another version says "The French gave it the name in the 1600s; it means river at or of the clay and loam banks." The French word "glaise" means loamy or clay. Still another source claims that in the Shawnee Indian language it meant "fallen timbers."
Baldwin - Timothy Baldwin platted the town in Benton Township on May 19, 1890 on the Findlay and Fort Wayne Railroad.
Batson - For Andrew (or A.W.) Batson, who first petitioned for a post office there and was the town's first postmaster in 1891.
Benton (Township) - Named in honor of U.S. Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri, an outstanding national figure. He was said to have many admirers in Ohio.
Black Swamp - No one knows the origin for certain. Eighteenth century land speculators claimed that it referred to the rich black soil, but usually it is thought to be from the fact that the forests were so dense that sunlight hardly reached the ground - an "impenetrable gloom."
Blue Creek (Township, Creek) - Probably descriptive. The township is named for the creek.
Briceton - For the Honorable Calvin T. Brice, a U.S. Senator from Ohio who lived in Lima. He helped build the N.Y., Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, later known as the Nickel Plate, which crosses the county.
Broughton - Possibly for someone named Broughton who was connected with the stave mill there. Also possibly for the first Baron Broughton, a British statesman.
Brown (Township) - Also Fort Brown. For "Colonel Brown" who constructed Fort Brown during the War of 1812 and is believed to be buried at the site.
Canalport (Also Canal Port) - Literally, a canal port or export spot for quarried stone and timber along the Miami & Erie Canal.
Carryall (Township) - For a large rock in the Maumee River, just above Antwerp; shaped like a boat used by the French voyagers in navigating the river, called by them a "carryall."
Cecil - Supposedly from the first engineer on the Wabash Railroad who made the first run between Fort Wayne and Toledo; his name was Cecil.
Charloe - For an Indian chief known as Charloe Peter.
County Line - Descriptive; a crossroads community near the Paulding-Putnam County Line.
Crane (Township) - For Oliver Crane, one of its early settlers.
Cranesville - A trading post settlement named for Oliver Crane, an early settler.
Crooked Creek - Probably descriptive; also known as Flat Rock Creek.
Dague - For Hamilton Chauncy Dague, a promoter who platted the town. He was a real estate dealer and an early postmaster.
Doylestown - For Samuel Doyle, Sr., who ran a packet line on the Miami & Erie Canal and carried mail between Cincinnati and Toledo.
Emerald (Township) - For the many early settlers who originated from "The Emerald Isle" (Ireland).
Emmett (Also Emmitt) - Possibly derived from its original name of Emerald Station; also possibly a family name
Englewood - Named for the Englewood Tile Mill at the site.
Ettiesburg - Platted in 1860 by Samuel Shisler and named for his daughter, Etta.
Exchange Bridge - A canal town named because the canal towpath changed sides at this location.
Five Span - Named for a five-span iron bridge built across the Auglaize River.
Flat Rock (Creek) - From the flat limestone bed for the distance of a mile from its mouth at the Auglaize River.
Flat Rock City - Descriptive; community along the Flat Rock Creek.
Folmer (Also Follmer, Fulmer, Fullmer) - Probably named for an early resident of Blue Creek Township.
Forder's Bridge - For local landowner George Forder, who built the stone abutments and pier for the bridge in 1889. The bridge was replaced in 1995.
Fort Brown - See "Brown"
Furnace - in 1861-64, a company from Pittsburgh known as Evans, Rogers & Co. established what was then called a Catalan Bloomery and Forge for the reduction of iron ore by direct process. This plant was located on the north side of the Wabash & Erie Canal in Crane Township, 1.5 miles south of Cecil. It was later referred to as the old furnace farm. It included 23-35 beehive shaped charcoal kilns of brick, plastered outside with lime, each 15 feet in diameter and 15 feet high. The company built a furnace of seven fires and a forge close to the canal. The Cecil Furnace employed as many as 250 woodchoppers and sawyers at one time.
Giauque - Unknown. (Pronounced "gee-oak") Of French origin; possibly a family name. A post office was located in this community from February 1903 to February 1904.
Gilbert's Mills - Named for Philander Gilbert, who built a sawmill and gristmill there starting about 1866.
Goodwin - A railroad town possibly named for the Goodwin family.
Grover Hill - Named in honor of former President Grover Cleveland, and former Congressman W.D. Hill. The name was changed to one word, Groverhill, from 1895-1905, then changed back to two words.
Hamer - Believed named for Gen. Thomas L. Hamer, an officer in the Mexican War, and a congressman in the 1830's.
Harrison (Township) - Probably for William Henry Harrison, a general in the War of 1812 who marched his men up the Auglaize River and built Fort Brown. He also was a U.S. Senator and the ninth President of the U.S.
Haviland - For John F. Haviland, a proprietor who owned land in the area.
Hedges - For W.C. Hedges, who laid out the town along the Nickel Plat Railroad.
Henpeck - Unknown. This settlement was located in Crane Township. There were also towns called Henpeck in Clermont and Warren counties in Ohio.
Hipp's Lock - John J. Hipp settled at the site of the lock on the Miami & Erie Canal and erected a store and mill. He was the first postmaster in 1868. The community also was known as Timberville.
Holcombeville - For Major A. B. Holcombe, who owned a stave and lumber mill. Also see Morrison P.O.
Indian Bridge - Unknown. The bridge is located on Road 123 over Flat Rock Creek in Jackson Township.
Jackson (Township) - Probably for President Andrew Jackson.
Jacquette - Unknown. Possibly a family name. A post office was established there from 1867-69.
Junction - For the junction of the Wabash & Erie Canal and the Miami & Erie Canal, once thought destined to become a metropolis.
Knox (Also Knoxdale) - Possibly for the first Secretary of War, Henry Knox. Other possibilities are that it was named for Knox County, Ohio, or for a family named Knox.
Latty (Township, Village) - The township was organized in 1855 and named in honor of Alexander Sankey (A.S.) Latty, who was county auditor at the time. Latty later platted the town on his land.
Leslie's Crossing - Founded by George Leslie II, the town later was called Briceton.
Link Post Office - Unknown. The crossroad community in Carryall Township may have gotten its name for a local family, or it may have been considered a "link" between Antwerp and Hicksville.
Llewellyn (Also Lewellyn) - Tom and Sam Llewellyn built on the north side of the Paulding-Van Wert County Line; the area on the south side of the road was Scott. Townspeople had to choose between the names of Scott and Llewellyn.
Logtown - Probably descriptive; a timber site in Benton Township.
Malottville - In 1872, Peter Lehman and Joseph Malott platted a village on the present site of Payne. The new town was called Malottville. In 1882, petitions to change the name from Malottville to Payne were filed in the Court of Common Pleas.
Mandale - Named for Dale Mann. A plat for the town was filed in June 1889 by D. Mann and Alice Mann.
Marble - Unknown. Possibly a family name.
Marie DeLarme - One version says it was named in honor of a daughter of an early French boatman. However, another source indicates the name is a corruption of the phrase "marais de l'orme" meaning "elm swamp."
Maumee - According to one writer, the French explorers meeting the Miami Indians understood from them the name of their tribe as Me-ah-me or Me-au-me, which they record in French as Miami. The rapid pronunciation of this three-syllable word, Miami, led the settlers here after the War of 1812 to pronounce it in two syllables as Maumee. The name also was sometimes written as Omi or Omee, which may have been short for the French "au Miami" and "aux Miamis" meaning to or at the Miami or Miamis.
McDonald Pike - Another name for Road 107. A road often was named for the person who petitioned for it.
McGill - Named for John McGill, an organizer of Benton Township, described as "that old wolf hunter and veteran of the War of 1812."
Melrose - Believed named after the Melrose Abbey in Scotland. The town was platted by two Scotsmen in 1845.
Molasses Gap - For a sorghum mill there, used to press juice for sorghum cane; the juice is boiled down to make molasses.
Morrison Post Office - Named for Chief Justice of the U.S. Morrison R. Waite. The site was also known as Holcombeville.
Murat - A canal town named for Joachin Murat, a French statesman and military leader.
Newberg (Also Newburgh) - Probably descriptive; literally, "new town." Also see Royal Oak.
New Harrison - Unknown. Probably named in connection with William Henry Harrison (See "Harrison").
New Rochester - One source indicates the town was named by Johnny Appleseed, who traveled through Paulding County. Possibly for Rochester, NY or East Rochester, Ohio. There were Rochester in Noble, Stark and Lorain counties in Ohio, and a New Rochester in Wood County.
Nindeville (Also Nineville) - One source states it was named for the Nine family, who had a mill there. An 1896 newspaper mentioned the Ninde family at Nindeville, while the 1900 Census lists a family named Ninder.
Oakwood - The town was originally called Wide-A-Wake, but later received the more prosaic name of Oakwood, largely because of the heavy stand of oak trees in the area, according to one source.
Ohio - From an Iroquois word meaning "great river."
Oquanoxa's Reserve - Named for a chief who resided in a village there with about 600 Indians of the Ottawa tribe until the reservation was sold in 1820.
Paulding - For John Paulding, who along with David Williams and Isaac Van Wart captured Revolutionary War spy Major Andre.
Payne - Probably for Henry G. Payne, a U.S. Senator from Ohio and lawyer with financial interests in the railroads. A post office called Payne was established there in 1858. The suggestion has been made that the post office was named Payne by a grateful community for Mr. Payne's efforts on its behalf with the Post Office Department. Other speculation is that it was named for a general in the army or for an early postmaster. The railroad station and later the town adopted the name of the post office. The community changed its name from Malottville to Payne in 1882.
Plumb's Crossroads - For Caleb Plumb, who established the crossroads settlement and built a store.
Point Pleasant/Pleasant Grove - A post office settlement established on the Paulding and Van Wert Pike; probably descriptive.
Reid (Also Reids) - Named for Capt. Robert M. Reid, who was largely instrumental in securing the establishment of a post office for this canal town.
Renollet - For the Renollet family, who had large holdings at the site.
Roselm (Also Roselms) - From the family name "Rose" and the elm trees in the vicinity.
Royal Oak - A man named Darling opened a small grocery in the front room of his cabin at the site. Darling fashioned a sign from a store packing box and wrote on it with charcoal the words "Royal Oak Grocery." He then nailed this sign to a stately old white oak tree. It was from this grocery and sign that Newberg got its other name, Royal Oak. Also see Newberg.
Scott - For John Scott, who platted the village in 1882. Also see Llewellyn.
Section 8 - A timber town established in Section 8 of Paulding Township around 1900.
Six Mile Creek - So called because it empties into the Auglaize River six miles above its mouth.
Smiley - For J.E. Smiley, the postmaster who ran a general store and operated a mill and a shingle and a basket bottom factory.
Sophia - Unknown. A post office town in Blue Creek Township from July 1893 - April 1895.
Spencer - Unknown. This canal town was located in Washington Township. Possibly a family name. One source mentions that "The 'state boat' best remembered by the older citizens of Washington Township was under the command of Capt. Spencer."
St. Andrews - For the patron saint of Scotland.
Sunnyside - Probably descriptive.
Tate's Landing - For Irish canal contractor Lyle (or Lyal) Tate, who purchased land there on the Wabash & Erie Canal.
Timberville - Combination of "timber" - a local product or resource - and "ville" meaning town. It was located at Lock 31 on the Miami & Erie Canal and was also known as Hipp's Lock.
Tipton - Unknown. There also are Tiptons located in Indiana and Iowa, and England.
Toronto - Unknown. Possibly for Toronto, Canada or Toronto in Jefferson County, Ohio.
Washington (Township) - Probably for George Washington. Washington is America's most common place name.
Wayne Trace - Named in connection with General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, hero of the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Wayne's army traveled through Paulding County along the Auglaize River, Flat Rock Creek and Maumee River. There's a road named Wayne Trace in Fort Wayne, and reportedly U.S. 127, which runs in front of the Wayne Trace High School, was once known as Wayne Highway.
Wildcat Creek - Probably descriptive. A pioneer reminiscence noted that in the area in 1857, wildcats, bear, wolves, deer, and panthers were numerous.
Worstville - For John Worst, who owned a sawmill in this railroad town in the late 1800s.
Wrexham - From Wrexham Lewis, who platted a town and called his Wrexham. Alexander Sankey Latty platted another portion of the town and called his Latty. The town was later incorporated as Latty.
This page is a part of the Paulding Co.
OHGenWeb Project,
coordinated by Candy Ditkowski.
These pages are sponsored by RootsWeb.
Copyright 2010
Some names have their origins in other cities and countries. Politicians, military heroes and other famous people were memorialized by some communities. In other places, names given by Native American peoples are still in use after several hundred years. The region's early French and British influences colored some choices for place names. Still other sites were named for the surroundings, local industries, or the men who founded the town. The sources of some names may be lost to history forever.
Antwerp - W. Wilshire Riley, General Horatio N. Curtis and Samuel Rice surveyed the town in 1841. They consulted a post office directory to find a name not already used. Riley suggested "Antwerp." It comes from Antwerp, Belgium. The area had many settlers from Germany and Holland.
Arena - Unknown. It was a crossroads community in Paulding Township in the late 1890s.
Arthur - Named in honor of Chester A. Arthur, then President of the U.S. when a post office was established there in 1884.
Auglaize - Mentioned in the writings of early explorers as though it was a Delaware Indian village situated on a branch of the Maumee River; meaning "at the lick." Another version says "The French gave it the name in the 1600s; it means river at or of the clay and loam banks." The French word "glaise" means loamy or clay. Still another source claims that in the Shawnee Indian language it meant "fallen timbers."
Baldwin - Timothy Baldwin platted the town in Benton Township on May 19, 1890 on the Findlay and Fort Wayne Railroad.
Batson - For Andrew (or A.W.) Batson, who first petitioned for a post office there and was the town's first postmaster in 1891.
Benton (Township) - Named in honor of U.S. Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri, an outstanding national figure. He was said to have many admirers in Ohio.
Black Swamp - No one knows the origin for certain. Eighteenth century land speculators claimed that it referred to the rich black soil, but usually it is thought to be from the fact that the forests were so dense that sunlight hardly reached the ground - an "impenetrable gloom."
Blue Creek (Township, Creek) - Probably descriptive. The township is named for the creek.
Briceton - For the Honorable Calvin T. Brice, a U.S. Senator from Ohio who lived in Lima. He helped build the N.Y., Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, later known as the Nickel Plate, which crosses the county.
Broughton - Possibly for someone named Broughton who was connected with the stave mill there. Also possibly for the first Baron Broughton, a British statesman.
Brown (Township) - Also Fort Brown. For "Colonel Brown" who constructed Fort Brown during the War of 1812 and is believed to be buried at the site.
Canalport (Also Canal Port) - Literally, a canal port or export spot for quarried stone and timber along the Miami & Erie Canal.
Carryall (Township) - For a large rock in the Maumee River, just above Antwerp; shaped like a boat used by the French voyagers in navigating the river, called by them a "carryall."
Cecil - Supposedly from the first engineer on the Wabash Railroad who made the first run between Fort Wayne and Toledo; his name was Cecil.
Charloe - For an Indian chief known as Charloe Peter.
County Line - Descriptive; a crossroads community near the Paulding-Putnam County Line.
Crane (Township) - For Oliver Crane, one of its early settlers.
Cranesville - A trading post settlement named for Oliver Crane, an early settler.
Crooked Creek - Probably descriptive; also known as Flat Rock Creek.
Dague - For Hamilton Chauncy Dague, a promoter who platted the town. He was a real estate dealer and an early postmaster.
Doylestown - For Samuel Doyle, Sr., who ran a packet line on the Miami & Erie Canal and carried mail between Cincinnati and Toledo.
Emerald (Township) - For the many early settlers who originated from "The Emerald Isle" (Ireland).
Emmett (Also Emmitt) - Possibly derived from its original name of Emerald Station; also possibly a family name
Englewood - Named for the Englewood Tile Mill at the site.
Ettiesburg - Platted in 1860 by Samuel Shisler and named for his daughter, Etta.
Exchange Bridge - A canal town named because the canal towpath changed sides at this location.
Five Span - Named for a five-span iron bridge built across the Auglaize River.
Flat Rock (Creek) - From the flat limestone bed for the distance of a mile from its mouth at the Auglaize River.
Flat Rock City - Descriptive; community along the Flat Rock Creek.
Folmer (Also Follmer, Fulmer, Fullmer) - Probably named for an early resident of Blue Creek Township.
Forder's Bridge - For local landowner George Forder, who built the stone abutments and pier for the bridge in 1889. The bridge was replaced in 1995.
Fort Brown - See "Brown"
Furnace - in 1861-64, a company from Pittsburgh known as Evans, Rogers & Co. established what was then called a Catalan Bloomery and Forge for the reduction of iron ore by direct process. This plant was located on the north side of the Wabash & Erie Canal in Crane Township, 1.5 miles south of Cecil. It was later referred to as the old furnace farm. It included 23-35 beehive shaped charcoal kilns of brick, plastered outside with lime, each 15 feet in diameter and 15 feet high. The company built a furnace of seven fires and a forge close to the canal. The Cecil Furnace employed as many as 250 woodchoppers and sawyers at one time.
Giauque - Unknown. (Pronounced "gee-oak") Of French origin; possibly a family name. A post office was located in this community from February 1903 to February 1904.
Gilbert's Mills - Named for Philander Gilbert, who built a sawmill and gristmill there starting about 1866.
Goodwin - A railroad town possibly named for the Goodwin family.
Grover Hill - Named in honor of former President Grover Cleveland, and former Congressman W.D. Hill. The name was changed to one word, Groverhill, from 1895-1905, then changed back to two words.
Hamer - Believed named for Gen. Thomas L. Hamer, an officer in the Mexican War, and a congressman in the 1830's.
Harrison (Township) - Probably for William Henry Harrison, a general in the War of 1812 who marched his men up the Auglaize River and built Fort Brown. He also was a U.S. Senator and the ninth President of the U.S.
Haviland - For John F. Haviland, a proprietor who owned land in the area.
Hedges - For W.C. Hedges, who laid out the town along the Nickel Plat Railroad.
Henpeck - Unknown. This settlement was located in Crane Township. There were also towns called Henpeck in Clermont and Warren counties in Ohio.
Hipp's Lock - John J. Hipp settled at the site of the lock on the Miami & Erie Canal and erected a store and mill. He was the first postmaster in 1868. The community also was known as Timberville.
Holcombeville - For Major A. B. Holcombe, who owned a stave and lumber mill. Also see Morrison P.O.
Indian Bridge - Unknown. The bridge is located on Road 123 over Flat Rock Creek in Jackson Township.
Jackson (Township) - Probably for President Andrew Jackson.
Jacquette - Unknown. Possibly a family name. A post office was established there from 1867-69.
Junction - For the junction of the Wabash & Erie Canal and the Miami & Erie Canal, once thought destined to become a metropolis.
Knox (Also Knoxdale) - Possibly for the first Secretary of War, Henry Knox. Other possibilities are that it was named for Knox County, Ohio, or for a family named Knox.
Latty (Township, Village) - The township was organized in 1855 and named in honor of Alexander Sankey (A.S.) Latty, who was county auditor at the time. Latty later platted the town on his land.
Leslie's Crossing - Founded by George Leslie II, the town later was called Briceton.
Link Post Office - Unknown. The crossroad community in Carryall Township may have gotten its name for a local family, or it may have been considered a "link" between Antwerp and Hicksville.
Llewellyn (Also Lewellyn) - Tom and Sam Llewellyn built on the north side of the Paulding-Van Wert County Line; the area on the south side of the road was Scott. Townspeople had to choose between the names of Scott and Llewellyn.
Logtown - Probably descriptive; a timber site in Benton Township.
Malottville - In 1872, Peter Lehman and Joseph Malott platted a village on the present site of Payne. The new town was called Malottville. In 1882, petitions to change the name from Malottville to Payne were filed in the Court of Common Pleas.
Mandale - Named for Dale Mann. A plat for the town was filed in June 1889 by D. Mann and Alice Mann.
Marble - Unknown. Possibly a family name.
Marie DeLarme - One version says it was named in honor of a daughter of an early French boatman. However, another source indicates the name is a corruption of the phrase "marais de l'orme" meaning "elm swamp."
Maumee - According to one writer, the French explorers meeting the Miami Indians understood from them the name of their tribe as Me-ah-me or Me-au-me, which they record in French as Miami. The rapid pronunciation of this three-syllable word, Miami, led the settlers here after the War of 1812 to pronounce it in two syllables as Maumee. The name also was sometimes written as Omi or Omee, which may have been short for the French "au Miami" and "aux Miamis" meaning to or at the Miami or Miamis.
McDonald Pike - Another name for Road 107. A road often was named for the person who petitioned for it.
McGill - Named for John McGill, an organizer of Benton Township, described as "that old wolf hunter and veteran of the War of 1812."
Melrose - Believed named after the Melrose Abbey in Scotland. The town was platted by two Scotsmen in 1845.
Molasses Gap - For a sorghum mill there, used to press juice for sorghum cane; the juice is boiled down to make molasses.
Morrison Post Office - Named for Chief Justice of the U.S. Morrison R. Waite. The site was also known as Holcombeville.
Murat - A canal town named for Joachin Murat, a French statesman and military leader.
Newberg (Also Newburgh) - Probably descriptive; literally, "new town." Also see Royal Oak.
New Harrison - Unknown. Probably named in connection with William Henry Harrison (See "Harrison").
New Rochester - One source indicates the town was named by Johnny Appleseed, who traveled through Paulding County. Possibly for Rochester, NY or East Rochester, Ohio. There were Rochester in Noble, Stark and Lorain counties in Ohio, and a New Rochester in Wood County.
Nindeville (Also Nineville) - One source states it was named for the Nine family, who had a mill there. An 1896 newspaper mentioned the Ninde family at Nindeville, while the 1900 Census lists a family named Ninder.
Oakwood - The town was originally called Wide-A-Wake, but later received the more prosaic name of Oakwood, largely because of the heavy stand of oak trees in the area, according to one source.
Ohio - From an Iroquois word meaning "great river."
Oquanoxa's Reserve - Named for a chief who resided in a village there with about 600 Indians of the Ottawa tribe until the reservation was sold in 1820.
Paulding - For John Paulding, who along with David Williams and Isaac Van Wart captured Revolutionary War spy Major Andre.
Payne - Probably for Henry G. Payne, a U.S. Senator from Ohio and lawyer with financial interests in the railroads. A post office called Payne was established there in 1858. The suggestion has been made that the post office was named Payne by a grateful community for Mr. Payne's efforts on its behalf with the Post Office Department. Other speculation is that it was named for a general in the army or for an early postmaster. The railroad station and later the town adopted the name of the post office. The community changed its name from Malottville to Payne in 1882.
Plumb's Crossroads - For Caleb Plumb, who established the crossroads settlement and built a store.
Point Pleasant/Pleasant Grove - A post office settlement established on the Paulding and Van Wert Pike; probably descriptive.
Reid (Also Reids) - Named for Capt. Robert M. Reid, who was largely instrumental in securing the establishment of a post office for this canal town.
Renollet - For the Renollet family, who had large holdings at the site.
Roselm (Also Roselms) - From the family name "Rose" and the elm trees in the vicinity.
Royal Oak - A man named Darling opened a small grocery in the front room of his cabin at the site. Darling fashioned a sign from a store packing box and wrote on it with charcoal the words "Royal Oak Grocery." He then nailed this sign to a stately old white oak tree. It was from this grocery and sign that Newberg got its other name, Royal Oak. Also see Newberg.
Scott - For John Scott, who platted the village in 1882. Also see Llewellyn.
Section 8 - A timber town established in Section 8 of Paulding Township around 1900.
Six Mile Creek - So called because it empties into the Auglaize River six miles above its mouth.
Smiley - For J.E. Smiley, the postmaster who ran a general store and operated a mill and a shingle and a basket bottom factory.
Sophia - Unknown. A post office town in Blue Creek Township from July 1893 - April 1895.
Spencer - Unknown. This canal town was located in Washington Township. Possibly a family name. One source mentions that "The 'state boat' best remembered by the older citizens of Washington Township was under the command of Capt. Spencer."
St. Andrews - For the patron saint of Scotland.
Sunnyside - Probably descriptive.
Tate's Landing - For Irish canal contractor Lyle (or Lyal) Tate, who purchased land there on the Wabash & Erie Canal.
Timberville - Combination of "timber" - a local product or resource - and "ville" meaning town. It was located at Lock 31 on the Miami & Erie Canal and was also known as Hipp's Lock.
Tipton - Unknown. There also are Tiptons located in Indiana and Iowa, and England.
Toronto - Unknown. Possibly for Toronto, Canada or Toronto in Jefferson County, Ohio.
Washington (Township) - Probably for George Washington. Washington is America's most common place name.
Wayne Trace - Named in connection with General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, hero of the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Wayne's army traveled through Paulding County along the Auglaize River, Flat Rock Creek and Maumee River. There's a road named Wayne Trace in Fort Wayne, and reportedly U.S. 127, which runs in front of the Wayne Trace High School, was once known as Wayne Highway.
Wildcat Creek - Probably descriptive. A pioneer reminiscence noted that in the area in 1857, wildcats, bear, wolves, deer, and panthers were numerous.
Worstville - For John Worst, who owned a sawmill in this railroad town in the late 1800s.
Wrexham - From Wrexham Lewis, who platted a town and called his Wrexham. Alexander Sankey Latty platted another portion of the town and called his Latty. The town was later incorporated as Latty.
coordinated by Candy Ditkowski.
These pages are sponsored by RootsWeb.
Copyright 2010