A look at town names in Tuscarawas Valley

This article was provided by the Tuscarawas County Historical Society in celebration of its 100th anniversary in 2021. It was originally published in its member newsletter, The Chronicler.

An interesting aspect of Tuscarawas County is its place names. Take for instance the name in the last sentence — “Tuscarawas.” It is not the easiest county name to pronounce or spell, hence the younger generation’s new moniker, “T-County.” Tuscarawas is an Indian word that is most often translated as “ancient place” or “open mouth.” There are other place-name origins that are fun to explore.

Some of the popular place names in the county are not towns or villages, but just areas. Five Points is the intersection of West High, Tuscarawas Avenue, Union Avenue and Seventh Street in the west end of New Philadelphia. It was near this location that the county’s only public hanging took place.

The Green Gables interchange at the intersection of Route 21 and Route 39 on the outskirts of New Philadelphia was so called because of a tavern on the corner. At one time the building was white with green gables. The bridge that crosses the Tuscarawas River on Seven Mile Drive right before the Route 800 intersection is known as the White Bridge. At one time the iron bridge there was painted white.

And how about Seven Mile Drive? From Tuscora Park to Route 800 is not 7 miles. The term refers to a nice Sunday afternoon drive from the courthouse square, out Route 416 to Route 800, to the square of Dover, and back to New Philadelphia, a trip of — you guessed it — 7 miles.

A final interesting destination is Wills Dip. This location is where the Beaverdam Creek crosses Route 250 near Schoenbrunn Healthcare in the east end of New Philadelphia. Wills Dip is so named because prosperous farmer Valentine Wills lived in the area.

Some of the well-known place names in the county once had different names. What route would you take to go from Kelleyville to Keplinger, then on to Rowville? The next step of the journey would take you to Pike Run, then Trenton, Waterford and on to Philipsburg. The final stops of the trip would be Robinson, Salisbury and Neighbortown.

This journey would begin in Bolivar. The people of Bolivar wanted to name their town after the Ohio Canal commissioner, Alfred Kelley. He, however, denied the honor of having a town named for him, so instead the area became Bolivar, in honor of South American explorer Simon Bolivar.

The second stop of Keplinger is today known as Winfield. Keplinger was the surname of one of the area’s earliest settlers. The village also was known as Mechanicsburg. It became Winfield in 1853 in honor of Mexican War general and presidential candidate Winfield Scott.

The next stop on the tour is Rowville, named after Lewis Row, who platted the village. Not sure where we are? The town became Buena Vista but was renamed yet again because there was already a Buena Vista in Ohio. The village was finally named Baltic, a name chosen because it was short and easy to pronounce.

Pike Run was the original name of Barnhill. The name came from a nearby stream. The designation “Barnhill” came from Tuscarawas County judge John Barnhill, who helped the village secure a post office.

Trenton is a place that has changed names a few times. It was originally called Tuscarawas or Tuscarawastown. Its name was changed to Trenton, but like stories already told, there was already a post office in Ohio named Trenton. The town reverted back to Tuscarawas. Today it is often informally called “Tusky.”

A visit to Waterford would today be a visit to Uhrichsville. Michael Uhrich, Jr. named the town he established near his father’s mill “Waterford.” But area residents still insisted on referring to the area as Uhrich’s Mill. In compliance with their wishes, Uhrich renamed Waterford “Uhrichsville.”

Settlers originally called Stonecreek “Philipsburg.” The Stonecreek name comes from a nearby stream, but the original name of the village came from the man who platted the town, Philip Leonhard. Its name change came about because the post office was named for the creek rather than the village.

The final visits in Southern Tuscarawas County of Robinson, Salisbury and Neighbortown are better known as Bernice, Port Washington and Newcomerstown. Like so many of the others mentioned earlier, Robinson had to change its name because of the postal service. There was already one Robinson in the state, so the postmaster renamed the tiny town after his daughter, Bernice.

Port Washington was platted by Col. John Knight, who christened the town “Salisbury.” The name change paid homage to its place on the Ohio Erie Canal as a port town and to America’s first president.

The final stop on this name-changing journey is Neighbortown. The Neighbor brothers settled their town in the area of a former Delaware Indian village in 1815. The Delaware village was known as Gekelemukpechunk, translated as “Still Water.” The name Newcomer’s Town came from an Indian legend involving a chief and his white captive wife. Trouble arose when he brought another white captive woman to his home. One morning the chief was found with an ax in his head, his first wife blamed the newcomer and the new wife fled the village. The name Neighbortown only lasted about 10 years, with the name Newcomerstown being restored in 1827.

Many other towns in Tuscarawas County are named for the people who established them. Barrs Mills took its name from David Barr, who established a mill there in 1853. Dennison was laid out in 1865 by the Dennison Land Company, whose name came from stockholder William Dennison, a former governor of Ohio. Shanesville, which has now been incorporated into Sugarcreek, was named for Gen. Abraham Shane. Nathaniel Gilmore, a wealthy Irishman, gave his name to the village near his farm. Conrad Rager was the first merchant in Auburn Township and lent his name to Ragersville.

Wainwright was a mining town, and its name came from mine owner R.H. Wainwright. The burg of Cadwallader took its name from John Cadwallader, the first settler in Perry Township. Like other villages mentioned before, the town was named Westchester, but the post office was called Cadwallader. This small village was the birthplace of Tuscarawas County’s only Ohio governor, A. Victor Donahey. Donahey is a street name in New Philadelphia, near the governor’s home on the hill above Tuscora Park.

So the next time you are out and about, take a ride down some unfamiliar or familiar roads and you will encounter a lot of Tuscarawas County history. Whether it is the name of a town or just a spot in the road, the heritage is rich.

As the Tuscarawas County Historical Society looks to the next 100 years, we remember our roots and strive to carry on the work of preserving the past for the future. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Historical Society can visit the website for more information at www.tuschs.org.