History Corner
A look at our local ST. Marys History
Many have commented to the History Corner on its article describing the naming of the streets of St. Marys. With over 40 miles of streets it was impossible to tell the background of all of the streets, thus making necessary a second article. As noted in the first column, the names of some streets indicated their ultimate destination. Not mentioned in the earlier article, Greenville Road is another street under this category. Although quite a distance from our town, Greenville was the place were the founders of St. Marys had to travel to file the original plat. The History Corner recently visited the site of Annie Oakley’s grave in Darke County. He grave site is located in the Brock Cemetery near Versailles on St. Marys Road. Perhaps some evidence of the early travel between these towns.
The 1823 original plat created Wayne Street, honoring the leader of the American forces against Native Americans in 1794. In Wapakoneta there is Blackhoof Street honoring the Shawnee leader. Of course Wapakoneta was location of the Shawnee reservation and council house until 1832, when the Shawnees were removed to Kansas, a story that is told in
The Other Trail of Tears, by Mary Stockwell. There was no street in St. Marys honoring Native Americans until the 1980’s when Robert and Mike Kuck created Tecumseh Drive honoring the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. In 1794, Tecumseh was a young leader against Wayne’s forces. Later, he became much more prominent in the War of 1812, when he fought against William Henry Harrison. Harrison stayed in St. Marys at Fort Barbee. Robert (known to most as Bob) Kuck has written about this time period in an interesting historical novel, Blood and Honor, telling the story of Pierre de Lorimeier, whose trading post was at Ft. Loramie. In doing his research Bob, visited the Shawnee tribe in Kansas, and has great respect for these people
Kishler Street, leading to the West Oaks Lakes Subdivision, honors Dr. W.G. Kishler a well known medical doctor living here from 1824 to 1918. He owned property where this street is located, just off of Indiana Avenue. This is the same property which was the site of the nitroglycerine explosion in 1896. A brother of Dr. Kishler, William Kishler, fought in the Civil War and died at the Battle of Stones River in 1863. The St. Marys post of the Grand Army of the Republic (the G.A.R), the
Civil War Veterans organization, was named the “Kishler Post” in his honor.
The History Corner’s first article on street names prompted some further research. A thank you to historical work by Frank Shuffleton, brought to light by Beth Keuneke of the Community Public Library. This article, confirmed by a conversation with Gloria Spicer, tells how Spicer’s father Adrian “Hap” Howell developed a subdivision in the southern part of St. Marys. Howell allowed family members to name the streets in his plat. Gloria selected Arlington in honor of a hotel in West Virginia where her husband Richard stayed upon his release as a prisoner of war. Gloria relates that one relative chose Hackney, after a street in Muncie, Indiana but notes that it was supposed to be “Hackley.” A Google search reveals that there is a Hackley Street in Muncie. McClain street was named in honor of Harmon McClain whose building and loan loaned funds to Hap to purchase the original tract. McClain was one of the founders of the Grand Opera House and a leader in the community. He and his wife lie in a beautiful mausoleum next to the chapel in Elm Grove cemetery. He was a long time supporter of Elm Grove.
Paul Kessler, of Celina, created many of the subdivisions of western St. Marys. He named Neil Avenue for a relative, Neil Hecht and Robin Road for Neil’s son Robin Hecht. Some friends of Paul lived on Lane Avenue in Columbus, hence a Lane Avenue in St. Marys.
Edsel Quimby had an apple orchard just off of Jackson Street. His office and barn still exist at the corner of Orchard Lane and Jackson. The lots of that street were the site of his orchard.
Frank Shuffleton, who wrote the article on street names mentioned above, was a descendent of Robert Gordon. Gordon owned the land on the west side of Spruce Street extending back to the banks of the canal. The Shuffleton family developed Sprucewood and used the names of family members for the streets in that subdivision. Thus we have Gordon Grove. Bryarly Court recognized the Bryarly family who came to Maryland in 1639 and were forebearers of the Gordons and Shuffletons. Frank, as one of the developers, named Dorothy Lane in honor of his wife, Dorothy Shuffleton.
The city has now completed Sleepy Hollow Subdivision, which had actually been planned as the final stage of Sprucewood. It completes Gordon Grove and Hillcrest. It also ties in with an interesting street name: Keel Drive. The developer of Canal View Estates chose this as the name for a little stub street projecting a future tie-in with Sprucewood. Evoking the lower structural element of a canal boat, Keel Drive now extends south connecting with Gordon Grove, perhaps befitting a canal connection with the Robert Gordon, who made his livelihood with the water power from the canal in the Reservoir Mill.