Focus on Englewood

“Focus on Englewood”
Written by Sue Cummings
A review of some of the events leading up to the settlement and founding of Harrisburg
(Englewood).
Lands around the Stillwater River were first explored by white prospectors in 1798. They
found the area rich in water, fertile soil, and friendly Indian inhabitants. When Congress first
opened the Ohio public lands for private purchase in 1800, these early pioneers were quick to
establish land claims. In 1802, a group of Quakers from Randolph County, North Carolina
emigrated to the West Branch Meeting (Stillwater Valley). Among them were David and Daniel
Hoover, David and Jeremiah Mast, William Willis, Benjamin Iddings and others who purchased
large tracts of land for $2.00/acre. As the Ohio frontier opened, changes came quickly.
On March 1, 1803, Ohio became the 17th state in the Union. Montgomery County was
established in May of 1803, and the original Randolph Township was formed on November 6,
1804. The boundaries of the township as we know it (which consists of the three cities –
Clayton, Englewood and Union) were established in 1825.
Harrisburg (Englewood) was founded on June 18, 1841, some twenty-five years after
Salem (Clayton) and Union. The main reason the town developed so late was the absence of
major roads and traffic through the immediate area. When the National Road and Dayton-
Covington turnpike were completed in 1838 and 1839, the original owners of the land around
the intersection (including Daniel and David Rasor, Mathias Gish, Samuel L. Herr, Thomas
Kearns, and David Longnecker) saw an opportunity for growth and laid out the first boundaries
of the town they named Harrisburg. It consisted of 49 lots and a school section and covered
about five city blocks.
Harvey Iams was the first postmaster and the local post office opened in 1870. It was
known as Iamtown because a Harrisburg post office already existed elsewhere. On July 11,
1899, the names of the town and post office were changed to Englewood, Ohio. In 1914,
Englewood became a village, and its first mayor was Jacob Hoover. The Flood of 1913 damaged
the covered bridge which took National Road travelers over the Stillwater River and it was taken
down in 1919. When the Englewood Dam was completed in 1922, the National Road was
moved so that it crossed over the dam. The Dayton, Toledo, and Chicago Railroad discontinued
service in 1923. Traction cars served residents of the village until 1926.
Englewood has been served by many local papers: the Stillwater Valley News, Englewood
Enterprise, the Argus, Argus-Sentinel, and Englewood Independent. Some of the early issues
can be seen in the History Center.