WAYNE COUNTY OHIO 
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File Contributed for use in the Wayne County Biographies Project by
Name: John and Cordelia Hall
Email: johnh2all@earthlink.net
Date: January 2003
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"The History of Wayne County, Ohio" published in 1910 by B. E. Bowen & Co.

Town of Orrville

   Orrville is located in Green and Baughnman townships and has a population of 
something over three thousand.  The town owns its own water plant and electric 
light plant and has recently put in a sanitary system of sewerage.  The place 
was incorporated in 1864 and the following have served as its mayors:  William 
Gailey, 1865; William M. Orr, Alexander Moncrief, Dr. A. C. Miller, Mahlon 
Rouch, J. F. Seas, S. D. Tanner, G. W. Barrett, N. L. Royer, Warren Ramsey, Levi 
Neiswanger, J. M. Fiscus, Dr. Faber, George Starn, D. F. Griffith.  The present 
town officials are: D. F. Griffith, mayor, Charles Arnold, marshal; A.L. Reed, 
clerk; E. M. Tanner, treasurer; board of public service, Frank Reichenbach, E. 
C. Bowman and Ralph Kinney; councilmen, John Kropf, Adam Fogel, H. P. Shantz, E. 
E. Schrantz, E. P. Willaman, H. P. Leickheim.
   Orrville was named in honor of Hon. Smith Orr.  The town has an excellent 
town hall, a brick building, of two stories, with town offices and engine rooms 
attached.
   The accompanying reminiscences will give the reader a fair comprehension of 
the way this place was started and will prove interesting, as well.
   There are four churches in Orrville and the Catholics expect to build soon.  
The present churches are the Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal, Reformed and 
English Lutheran denominations. 
   The fraternal societies of the town are the Masonic, Odd Fellows, Royal 
Arcanum, Knights of Honor, National Union and Maccabees orders.
   The physicians are Doctors Blankenhous, Brooks Campbell, Grady, Irvin and 
Shie.
   A postoffice was established at this point in 1863-64 and the postmasters who 
have served came in the following order: Alexander F. Clark, J. F. Seas, David 
L. Moncrief, Henry Shriber, J. W. Hostetter, Proctor Seas, Henry E. Taylor, G. 
D. McIntyre.
   In 1902 there were two free rural delivery routes established out from 
Orrville, and in 1905 two more.
   There are two excellent school buildings--one erected in 1860 and one 
dedicated in 1908, a fine structure.
   The town has the distinction of owning its excellent equipped electric 
lighting plant and its water works, which were installed in the nineties.  The 
water works were put in  in 1897 and derive the best quality of drinking water 
in Ohio from four tubular wells sunk to the great depth of eight hundred feet.  
Drinking fountains for man and beast are found on the principal streets.  With 
paved streets and good sewers, electric lights and an abundant supply of the 
purest water, the place is fast putting on "city airs."
    The town is well advertised and is served with the latest news by two good 
local newspapers, spoken of in the Press chapter---the Crescent and the Courier.
    The attorneys of Orrville at this date are S. N. Coe and Ryer & Starn.
    The commercial hotel of the place is an excellent one and is styled The 
Hurd.
    A Board of Industry keeps seeking out additional business firms and 
factories for Orrville.  Its secretary is now Charles Craft.
   The railroad interests are very extensive at Orrville.  The companies here 
represented are the Pennsylvania lines; the Wabash; the Cleveland, Akron & 
Columbus of the Pennsylvania system.  The latter road has its division and 
machine shops at this point and it is rumored that soon a great enlargement of 
the Pennsylvania, Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago, will be made here, in way of 
shops and division interests.