DeGraff, Ohio has an extended history with records dating back to 1700. Below is a timeline of historic events in DeGraff, Ohio.
1700 – Miami and Shawnee Indians come to the DeGraff area – they built their village, Old Town,” about one and a half miles southwest of present day DeGraff on Stony Creek.
1795 – Chiefs Logan, Blackhoof, Bokengehelas, and Tarhe sign Treaty of Greenville; Tecumseh and Captain Lewis refuse. Indians relocated north of treaty line, but Chief Lewis and his tribe remain at Old Town.
1805 – Site of DeGraff, 503 acres, purchased by John Boggs of Pickaway County. Settlers move into the DeGraff area including George McCulloch who settles north of Old Town and Jeremiah Stansbury settles to the east.
1806 – Tecumseh meets Simon Kenton south of town, averting an Indian uprising. Jeremiah Stansbury begins constructing the first flour mill.
1810 – Stansbury Mill finally operational. The mill is leased to John Provolt and disagreements between the men soon arise. The mill burns and arson is suspected.
1813 – 1st school in the area. The school was a log cabin with a roof covered with leaves and made solid by dirt.
1817 – Chief Lewis moves his tribe to the Lewistown Reservation after signing a new treaty.
1825/6 – John Boggs gave the DeGraff land to his son William who settled the land with his wife and child. Dr. James Canby moves to DeGraff from Lebanon, Ohio.
1828 – The Newmans, Leaches, Saylors, Kress’ Kinnans, and other families of The Methodist Society build a church four miles south of DeGraff, known as Olive Chapel.
1831 – Treaty of Lewistown pushes remaining Indians west of Mississippi.
1831 – Daniel Strayer moves his family to DeGraff from Virginia and opens a blacksmith shop.
1832 – Miami Township is divided in half, with the northern half becoming Bloomfield Township.
1833 – Sawmill constructed by William Boggs.
1840 – William Boggs has Joseph Shriver build a flour mill and Shriver becomes the first miller in the DeGraff area. Shriver later builds the elevator.
1841 – Pleasant Township breaks off from Miami Township.
1845 – 1st white child born in DeGraff, William Wolfe the son of John and Nancy Wolfe.
1848 – The Cemetery Association of DeGraff formed. Five acres of land was donated by the Murphey family and incorporated.
1850 – Col. Andrew DeGraff began surveying routes for the Bee Line Railroad, Col. DeGraff also surveyed the town site and it was named after him.
1851 – The 1st business in DeGraff, J.K. Askin’s store, opened.
1852 – The railroad comes to DeGraff. The ladies of the town served a dinner for the railroad men and were treated to a ride on the new railroad. Over 200 people took part in the festivities. The 1st church in the village built, the Presbyterian Church of DeGraff, all denominations worship here.
1853 – 1st school in DeGraff, classes were held in a room over the old railroad hotel. Later the Catholic church was DeGraff’s first school building.
1861 – The 132nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) was raised to answer President Lincoln’s call for volunteers to fight in the Civil War. The 132nd was primarily composed of men and boys from Logan County. The Cemetery Association adopts the name “Greenwood Cemetery”.
1864 – The village of DeGraff was incorporated and elected its first mayor, A.J. Lippencott. The Catholic Church is built and used as a school house.
1865 – The Civil War ends. Owin Conkiln is named Marshal of DeGraff.
1867 – A brick schoolhouse was built and used until 1877 when a new 6 room school was constructed. In 1889 a two-room addition was built onto the school. 1922 a new schoolhouse was built and the old building was closed.
1871 – Ordinance prohibiting the sale of beer, ale, and porter passed.
1872 – A tornado went through DeGraff killing two children (Lulu and Callie Rall), seriously injuring many others and causing $22,000 in property damage. DeGraff’s first big band forms. 1st Hook and Ladder company formed.
1873 – DeGraff’s population reaches 711. Hook and Ladder Truck purchased for $225.
1877 – Land purchased for the construction of a town hall and the cost of constructing the Town Hall was $3,300. Improved sidewalks were ordered by the Town Council.
1885 – The Citizen’s Bank of DeGraff opens.
1886 – 1st livery barn fire.
1887 – DeGraff drills for natural gas but finds little since the wells are ruined by saltwater. Village gets a No. 5 nickel-plated Silsby steam fire engine and hose for $3,750 and names it the William Boggs. Evangelical church is built.
1890 – Koogler and Sons Flour Mill fire caused $10,000 in damage.
1891 – The Creamery Company forms as a stock company. | FULL DETAILS |
1893 – Municipal Electric Light Plant built and electric street lamps were installed.
1894 – Earsome’s Restaurant burns down and causes $10,000 in damage to the town.
1895 – Crockett Tannery fire.
1898 – Inland Telephone Company comes to DeGraff.
1902 – 2nd Livery fire, 16 horses and $16,000 in machinery were lost.
1904 – William Williams buys the first car in DeGraff.
1905 – Lockharts begin Ford dealership.
1908 – 3rd Livery fire.
1913 – Flood of 1913.
1914 – DeGraff fire, over $100,000 in damages and the southern part of DeGraff’s business district was destroyed. | FULL DETAILS |
1922 – Present school was built.
1936 – Water Works System built.
1945 – DeGraff Chamber of Commerce forms.
1950 – DeGraff celebrates its 100 year anniversary.
1956 – Addition built onto school.
1958 – Library built.
1964 – DeGraff holds 1st Gourd Festival.
1966 – Train wreck, a diesel train hits a derailed passenger train baggage car cuts the electricity to DeGraff.
1967 – Village Park Association forms and builds community park.
1972 – DeGraff grows with land annexations.
1975 – DeGraff gets ambulance service.
2000 – DeGraff celebrates its 150th anniversary.
2020 – Covid-19 Pandemic begins in the United States forcing the closure of schools in Ohio (including Riverside Local Schools) on March 13, 2020 through the remainder of the school year.
