Sign In

An Early Ohio Town Plan Produced For An Early (Failed) Ohio Bank Proprietor

Hand drawn town plat and testimonial for the town of Edwinburgh, in Richland County, Ohio, which would later become Millsboro, on the Clear Fork branch of the Mohican River.

Drawn by William Holson, one of the earliest surveyor's active in the State of Ohio, the town of Edwinburgh is laid out on the banks of the Clear Fork of the Mohican River, on the state road running west from Mansfield, where its proprietor, John Garrison, was operating a saw mill (the M(ill) Pond is located at the bottom of the plan).

The Town of Edwinburgh is beautifully situated on a main branch of the clear fork of Mohickan River in Richland County Ohio where the proprietor of said town has an Elegant saw mill in operation and expects soon to have a grist mill also in Operation at the same seat.  The lots in said Town are generally high and has an elegant prospect, the said town is laid out as followith.  . . . 

Surveyed the 5th Day of April Anno Domini 1816 for John Garrison proprietor.  Wm. Holson Surveyor

The Acts of Ohio, Volume 15, at page 225 references the appointment of John Garrison as a commissioner for Richland County, noting "In Richland County . . .on the road from Mansfield to Edwinburgh, John Garrison .. . . Edwinburgh was apparently founded by John Garrison, but "was vacated because of the collapse of the [sic]  Mansfield and Huron Bank" (no date), but "a few years later" the plat was resurrected under the name of Millsboro.  [D.W. Garber papers 8/18/2009].  The Mansfield and Huron Bank was more likely the Richland & Huron Bank, the first bank in Mansfield, located at the southwest corner of the public square, where later stood the Farmer's Bank Building and yet later the Purdy Building.  John Garrison was the president of the bank in December of 1816 (Mansfield Semi-Weekly News:  23 August 1898, Vol. 14, No. 70). The bank applied for, but was never issued a charter.  It printed its own currency in 1816, operating illegally for several years before its demise.

The following is excerpted from page 5 of The Pastinder, Newsletter of the Richland County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogy Society, January to March, 1996:

From The Ohio Register: Lots for Sale in the Town of Edwinburgh.

The Subscriber having laid off the above named town, will offer the Lots for sale on the premises, on this ___  Edwinburgh Is situated on an elevated spot of ground, six and a half miles West of Mansfield, on the State Road leading West from Mansfield, and crosses the centre of the town, with a Road leading from the South to the North on to Lake Erie. Adjoining the town there is a good Sawmill now in operation, and a Grist Mill soon will be in operation.

A large spring is in the centre of the town. sufficient to water the whole town. Liberal encouragement will be given to mechanics and others who settle and build immediately.  The sale will begin at 10 o'clock A.M. when terms will be made known by the proprietor.  May 8, 1816 John Garrison - submitted by Kcrry Kimberly

The town of Edwinburgh seems to have been largely forgotten, with virtually nothing written about it or Millsboro, its successor.