The North Baltimore Area in the War of 1812

During the early months of the War of 1812 American General William Hull’s 2,600-man army blazed a path through the Black Swamp on its way to Detroit. Hull camped for at least one night on what is now the site of North Baltimore. By June 26, Hull’s army had reached the south side of the Blanchard River and erected a blockhouse named Fort Findlay. On June 27th, Hull resumed his march north to the Rocky Ford Creek near what is now the town of Van Buren and from there along the west bank of Rocky Ford Creek. Moving at the rate of 10-15 miles a day—a reasonable rate for difficult terrain—most of his army arrived at the present site of North Baltimore on June 28, 1812, a day after departing Fort Findlay. (2)

Because of the swampy conditions, the army moved and camped along the few ridges and other high ground available. When General Hull reached the present day site of North Baltimore he camped on the high ground which is the present site of Maplewood Cemetery and the former Memorial Field Stadium. On June 29th, Hull’s force proceeded north to present day Portage where he camped. Hull finally reached the Maumee River on June 30 having taken four days to traverse the Black Swamp. From there his forces crossed the river and continued north, reaching the vicinity of Detroit, Michigan by July 5th. (3)

Early Settlement History

Swampy southern Wood County was not extensively drained and settled until the 1830s. Henry Township’s first settler, Henry Shaw, purchased his land in 1829. Other families soon moved into the area, although remained sparsely settled for the next forty years. Once there was a sufficient population, these early settlers organized and elected the first township officials on December 3, 1836. Henry Shaw was given the right to name the township so he named it “Henry” after his first name. (4)

While the first settlers cleared some of the forest for farmland, much of the township remained tree covered. This extensive local hardwood forest supported a logging industry and several stave mills until the late 1870s. It was only after the eradication of wolves and other carnivorous wild animals by the 1840s that raising livestock become feasible for the farmers. Transportation was difficult because the few roads were often impassible during wet weather. These pioneer farmers’ lives were greatly improved in 1834 when John Beeson established the first gristmill on the banks of Rocky Ford Creek which ran through the township. (5)

A Quiet Village 1900-1950

After the United States entered World War I in 1917, local citizens supported war bond drives and participated in patriotic meetings to support the war effort. North Baltimore furnished many men for the American military, five of whom died in the war. Among these men was Vernon Wymer, the first Wood County soldier to be killed in action. The community experienced increased prosperity as prices for farm crops improved giving local farmers more money to spend with the town’s merchants. (19)

However, in October 1918 the village was hard hit by the Spanish Flu Epidemic. At one point, with over 300 cases of influenza and many deaths in the village, the mayor ordered the schools closed and all businesses to limit their hours of operation. All public gatherings, including funerals, were prohibited. Eventually the epidemic ran its course and business and daily life returned to normal. With the end of the war in 1918, most of the local servicemen returned to their families and life returned to a slower pace. (20)

During the 1920s, North Baltimore was a relatively quiet town with little growth in either population or its economy. Many villagers worked in three local factories, a stone quarry, a grain mill and elevator, on the railroad, or Main Street businesses. Social life centered on churches or the numerous social clubs such as the Masons or International Order of Odd Fellows. World War I veterans were very active in the newly formed American Legion. National Prohibition had led to the shutdown of all the town’s saloons, although there were several local bootleggers who supplied thirsty local citizens with their alcohol. Several major fires destroyed local landmarks such as the high school and the Rockwell Flour Mill. For most of its citizens, life in this small Mid-Western town was peaceful and mildly prosperous, but this came to an end with the 1929 Stock Market Crash. (21)

By the end of 1930 the town began to suffer the same hardships as the rest of the United States due to the Great Depression. Many citizens ended up on welfare, farmers lost their farms to foreclosures, and some local businesses were forced to close. But by the late 1930s, the local economy began to slowly improve. Various New Deal programs such as the WPA brought relief for many of the town’s poorer citizens. Local merchants also saw an upturn in their sales by the late 1930s as the national economy improved and the country slowly worked its way out of the Depression. (22)

The beginning of World War II in Europe in September 1939 also marked a turning point for the town. Many townspeople found work in the larger cities around North Baltimore in factories which had received orders for military equipment for the expanding US armed forces. With the advent of conscription in 1940, many young men left for military service. Large numbers of local women were employed in local and area factories replacing men on the production lines. Although the town’s citizens were subject to rationing and a scarcity of consumer goods, they experienced a prosperity they had not seen since the 1920s. (23)

The commercial area of Main Street underwent many physical changes during the 1950s and 60s. Although the basic buildings remained, owners began modernizing facades and store entrances with aluminum siding and roofs overhanging the sidewalk. These efforts to follow new architectural design trends destroyed many of buildings original 19th Century features as ornate roof pinnacles and decorations, balconies with cast iron railings, and windows were removed. Multicolored neon light advertising signs that glowed brightly at night replaced more traditional painted business signs. However, in the 21st Century, many historic preservationists consider these types of modifications a form of architectural vandalism (26)

Main Street’s abandoned streetcar tracks were removed and the brick street surface was covered by asphalt. Although considered cheaper to maintain, the asphalt road surface further reduced the historic ambiance of the town’s major thoroughfare. Perhaps the most positive change on Main Street was the replacement of sidewalk utility poles and power lines with metal light poles and underground transmission lines. (27)

Unfortunately many of Main Street’s most historic and architecturally significant buildings were lost to fire or demolition during this period. These buildings included the First National and Hardy Bank buildings and the 1890 City Hall building. The loss of the City Hall building was very tragic as it was the village’s most significant example of 19th Century civic building architecture. (28)

However, a number of civic improvements were made in the second half of the 20th Century. The North Baltimore Emergency Medical Service was organized in November 1975. To improve the village’s water supply, the two reservoirs were constructed as well as a new water treatment plant. A waste water treatment plant was also built. A new school building, Powell Elementary, was built on the north side of town. A new library building was constructed in 1958 on Main Street and the library has undergone several expansions since then. The North Baltimore Volunteer Fire Department continued to replace old fire engines with new fire trucks to provide the town with good fire protection. Major additions to the town during this period were the Country Squire Apartments, the Westhaven apartments and Senior Citizen Center, and the Briar Hill Health Campus. Other new construction included a new Masonic Lodge and American Legion post. The American Legion also erected a war memorial monument listing the names of all local servicemen who died in the service of their country in the 20th Century. (29)

The community’s recreational facilities were expanded during the latter part of the 20th Century. The village park was expanded and the Slippery Elm Bike Trail was constructed from Bowling Green to North Baltimore. A commercial golf course was also built on the south end of town in 1965. Additional sports field were added as well as improvements made to existing athletic fields. (30)

In 1971, a musical venue called The Park was opened about one mile west of North Baltimore on State Route 18. The 13 acre site had formerly been a slaughter house. However, it was converted to a place where thousands of young people gathered during the summer of 1971 to listen to Rock music. Among the famous music groups of the era to perform there were Ike & Tina Turner and the Allman Brothers. However, tension soon developed between the Park’s owners and some of the townspeople over accusations of rowdiness and drug use. A series of incidents led the Wood County sheriff to close the facility, but it did reopen for a short period of time in 1972 before finally closing. (31)

The 21st Century