Worthington Memory
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Worthington, Ohio was a planned community of the Scioto Company, a group of pioneers from Granby, CT who were among the first settlers on the Ohio frontier. This plat map was laid out ahead of the arrival of the Scioto Company in northern Franklin County in 1803. Historic downtown Worthington reflects this layout to date. This map of Worthington on fabric, scale of 20 rods to an inch features original... -
Front north view of the Orange Johnson House, with streetcar tracks on High Street visible. The Orange Johnson House was built in 1811 and expanded in 1819. The rear portion of the house was built in 1811 in simple pioneer style. The front portion, built in 1819, is a good example of Federal style architecture. The entryway features an elliptical fanlight over the door. The building was slated for... -
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This view of the Masonic Lodge building, located at 634 High Street in Worthington depicts the lodge ca. 1900. The New England Masonic Lodge was constructed in 1820 and is the oldest Masonic Temple west of the Allegheny Mountains in constant use. The rear shed was for horses and buggies. The Freemasons were part of the social structure on the Ohio frontier, with six lodges by 1808. The Worthington... -
The building depicted here with an unidentified group of people is presently the Worthington Inn, located at 649 High Street, Worthington, Ohio. At the time of this photograph it was known as the Hotel Central. The oldest portion of the Worthington Inn was built as a home for the family of Rensselaer W. Cowles, a Worthington merchant, civic leader and James Kilbourn's son-in-law in 1835. The Inn has... -
This photograph depicts Rufus Weaver (left) and Harry Leasure (right) with bicycles. Rufus Weaver was an accountant and lived in the house in the background. The house is known as the Buttles-Pinney-Brown House (a.k.a. Sidney Brown House) at 12 East Stafford Avenue. Harry Leasure was a druggist in Worthington whose shop was located at 693 High Street for many years. The brick house was built by Aurora... -
The Ohio Central Normal School was housed in the old Worthington Female Seminary building on the east side of High Street in downtown Worthington, Ohio. The seminary closed in 1857 as students chose to go to the new Ohio Wesleyan Female College in Delaware. The Normal School opened in the 1870's, a time when the need for trained teachers was arising. Ohio lagged far behind other states in recognizing... -
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Construction of St. John’s Episcopal Church, located on the southwest quadrant of Worthington’s Village Green probably began in 1827; the first service was held in the church in 1831. The gifted brick mason and church trustee Arora Buttles, who was responsible for Worthington’s finest early brick buildings, almost certainly had a hand in the construction of St. John’s. The raw materials of... -
Independence Day festivities in Worthington, Ohio included a parade, as reported in the Westerville Public Opinion (July 6, 1911). The march set out from Worthington’s town hall with "Comrade Aimer Andrus, marshal; Old Guard Drum and Fife Corps of Columbus; Old Guard Ex-Soldiers of Worthington and vicinity; Worthington Troop, Boy Scouts of America; Girls Club in Carriage". The parade is shown here... -
Picnicking was a popular activity in the early 20th century. As America became more industrialized and urban, outdoor recreation became more popular. The Fresh Air movement, which sent city children to spend a week in the country, the Boy Scouts, and other organized camps grew rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Outdoor life was considered healthy and invigorating. Note that the clothing... -
The map pictured here was drawn based on James Kilbourn's survey of the area. It shows land in northern Franklin County, including the town of Worthington. James Kilbourn was a leader in the Scioto Company, which consisted of forty subscribers from Connecticut and Massachusetts who settled in central Ohio. They planned their "New England-style" community before leaving the east. The Scioto Company... -
James Kilbourn (b. October 19, 1770-d. April 24, 1850) was the founder of Worthington, Ohio. Son of an impoverished farmer, he set out on his own at 16, illiterate and poor. Self-educated and self-made, his life typifies the frontier entrepreneur. In addition to founding the City of Worthington in 1803, he also founded the cities of Bucyrus, Norton, Lockbourne and Sandusky, served in the U.S. Congress... -
Harry Scatterday is pictured here in front of the Worthington Post Office which was located at 677 High Street at the time. He worked as a rural mail carrier until his death in 1919. Worthington's post office had several locations, usually in a general store. A separate post office was not built until the 1920's, due to increased population. The Scatterday family was well-known in Worthington, with... -
This image shows Columbus contractor B. F. Patterson laying the sewer system in Worthington, Ohio ca. 1920. This view is looking north on High Street from the intersection of Dublin Granville Road. A sewer system for the Village was first proposed in Village Council in 1903, accompanied by a plan for a waterworks. Worthington, like many rural towns in Ohio on the outskirts of a growing metropolis,... -
One of the signature events of both the City of Worthington and the State of Ohio's Bicentennial Celebrations in 2003 was the Wagon Train. The Bicentennial Wagon Train honored the state’s early settlers and recognized those whose courageous spirit led to the statehood of Ohio and the founding of the City of Worthington in 1803. The wagon train traveled across the State of Ohio from Martins Ferry... -
Librarian Dorothy Grove Fouts of Worthington Public Library conducts a storytime for children on the Village Green in front of the James Kilbourne Memorial Library during the summer of 1940. Miss Fouts was the first trained librarian to work for Worthington Public Library. She joined the staff in 1937 as a cataloger and became director in 1938. Library service began in Worthington as a subscription...
All items in this gallery are courtesy of the Worthington Memory project.
http://www.worthingtonmemory.org/
Worthington Libraries and the Worthington Historical Society have partnered to build Worthington Memory. The goal of this collaborative program is to collect and preserve local history materials through the creation of a digital library, providing greater access to and enhanced public awareness of Worthington, Ohio's rich history.
Your Items Are Needed!
Worthington related memorabilia is needed for Worthington Memory. Residents may bring items to be scanned and added* to Worthington Memory. Materials should have historic significance. Examples of items that may be submitted include, but are not limited to:
* Old photographs of identifiable Worthington area buildings, landmarks, events, festivals, and people (not limited to community leaders)
* Worthington area related souvenirs and memorabilia such as pamphlets, event programs (festivals, concerts, performances), brochures, etc.
* Old school items such as group photographs, programs, memorabilia, etc.
* Meeting minutes and photographs from community groups, church events, etc.
For more information please contact Susan Allen:
phone (614)807-2614
email WorthingtonMemory@worthingtonlibraries.org
