The community of North College Hill, as we know it today,
was part of a million acre tract purchased by John
Cleves Symmes in 1787. All of the area was in Springfield
Township. Many of the early settlers came from Springfield,
New Jersey, the reason given for the name, Springfield.
1804 - Peter LaBoiteaux migrated from New Jersey and settled
on the west side of the Great Road (Hamilton Ave.) on property extending
to what is now Mt. Healthy. LaBoiteaux and Samuel Hill laid out
the town of Mt. Healthy.
1813 - William Cary bought 491 acres in College Hill and
75 acres across North Bend Road in Springfield Township - North
Bend Road was the southern boundary of Springfield Township.
Robert Cary, a relative of William, bought the land, which is now
Clovernook Home for the Blind.
He had 27 acres, and called it Clovernook Farm. Robert Cary laid-out
the town of NCH., as we know it today. It was originally called
Clovernook and was located east of Hamilton Ave. He left out the
definite date, but the birth date has been set as 1814. The
small 3-room house he built is still standing on the property
of the Clovernook Home for the Blind.
About 1814 - John Bodine, an uncle by marriage to Peter
LaBoiteaux, migrated to this area and owned the land where Laboiteaux
Cemetary is located at the corner of Hamilton and Galbraith.
Mr. Bodine has a burial place for his own family and neighbors donated
the land. The cemetery was larger than we see it today. When the
road was widened, some of the graves were moved to Spring
Grove Cemetery.
Goodman Ave School Kindergarten Class of 1940.
Click to enlarge.
NCH Fire Tower 1916. Click to enlarge.
The Nobles owned 160 acres of timber and cleared the land
on which was constructed a house at 7345
Hamilton Ave. in 1833. This is where the Paul Young
Funeral Home is today.
Dr. Isaac Wise migrated to this country from Austria in 1846,
since Jews could not own land in Austria. He bought a farm
here in 1861, 42 acres. His original brick house that
stood at 6816 Hamilton Ave. is now the Isaac Wise Memorial
Park.
In the early 1900's a sawmill owner named John Meyer
used his surplus lumber and began building houses at economical
prices on the northwest side of Hamilton Ave. The most unusual
thing about his development was that persons with little or
no down payment were able for the first time to own their
own homes.
In 1906 - John Meyer built, at his
own expense, a community church at Noble and Galbraith. A few years
later the Methodist Church purchased it. It is understood that this
tiny community north of Galbraith (then called Van Zandt) was unofficially
called Meyerville.
1908 - "Buck" DeArmand formed the Ohio Land Improvement
Co. and bought a large track of land south of Galbraith (Van Zandt),
west of Hamilton and for sales purposes the promoters called the
development "SUNSHINE". Billboards were put up which had
a picture of a tree on either side, with a large sun in the middle
with the caption "UP WHERE THE SUN SHINES AND THE MONEY GROWS
ON TREES." It's been reported that all that was needed was
$5.00 down and payments of $1.00 a week for one of his homes.
The Victory Garden memories are written
by Jo Ann Fleugeman. Click to enlarge.
aerial photo of NCH circa 1940 (click to enlarge).
The main road running northwest is Hamilton Ave.
The "circle" in the upper left is the driveway for
the high school
Weiss Meats Engelhardt Grocery 1938.
Click to enlarge.
The three subdivisions: Clovernook, Meyerville and Sunshine, with
a combined population of about 500 were united to form a village
named North College Hill in 1916.
In 1916, the community had a population of about 500 and
had incorporated. Village Council met at Williamson's Drug Store.
A year later, a volunteer fire department was organized.With the
advent and growing popularity of the automobile, the village grew,
helped again by the promise of affordable housing. In the decade
between 1920 and 1930, the population of the village
exploded, going from about 1,100 to 4,100.
By 1941, when the population exceeded 5,000, the village
incorporated as a city. The post-war years saw the population jump
from close to 8,000 to 12,000 by 1960.
At just about two square miles, with little room
to grow or develop, the city's population stabilized and even dropped
to 11,000 with the the completion of Ronald Reagan Cross County
Highway in the 1990's
Steuben Social Park 1950 Click to enlarge.
Frisch's Big Boy Menu 1951
Click to enlarge
For more information on NCH History, Come to a Historical Society
meeting and learn more about the place you call home. We meet on
the last Saturday of each month at 11:30 at the Methodist church,
1930W Galbraith Road. Things can be left at City Hall and marked
for the Historical Society or call 521-7413 to leave your name and
phone # or email address and we will return your call.
(2) photos
of North College Hill showing tract work of the Cincinnati & Lake
Erie Railroad Company. This line ran from Cincinnati north until about
1938 when it was discontinued.
