Tidbit #4 from Canal Winchester History

John Chaney

One of the most distinguished citizens in the history of Canal Winchester, past or present, is John Chaney. He was prominently involved, for most of his adult life, in the political, business, educational, and religious life of the community. He also studied the law.

John Chaney was born in Washington County, Maryland, on January 12, 1790, the son of Nathan and Susannah Chaney. When he was 4 years old, the family moved to Bedford County, Pennsylvania, where his father died when John was 14. His only brother died shortly thereafter, leaving the care of his mother and 3 sisters almost entirely to John. In the fall of 1810 he came to Fairfield County, Ohio, near the present location of Waterloo -- just east of Canal Winchester, and then moved to Pickaway County, Ohio. He returned to Pennsylvania from 1812 to 1815 because of poor health, then permanently moved to Ohio when his health improved, settling in Bloom Township, Fairfield County, before moving into the Village of Canal Winchester around 1860, where he remained until his death on April 10, 1881.

John Chaney is usually referred to as Judge Chaney, in reference to one of his many official titles. He had a long and illustrious political career beginning in 1821 in Fairfield County (note: Canal Winchester was part of Fairfield County until annexed to Franklin County in 1851) and later Franklin County, the State of Ohio, and the United States of America, spanning a total of approximately 40 years. He was a Justice of the Peace, Township Trustee, a member of the Ohio House of Representatives -- including a term as Speaker of the House, a member of the Ohio Senate, an Associate Judge of Fairfield County, and a Representative to the United States Congress. He was a member of the 1832 Electoral College that made Andrew Jackson President of the United States -- which he felt was an honor. He participated in the 1851 Constitutional Convention that framed the Constitution of the State of Ohio. Judge Chaney also served on the Madison Township (Franklin County) Board of Education from subdistrict No. 18, which was the Canal Winchester area. He was an officer in the Ohio Militia.

In 1834, before there were any railroads in the state, John Chaney, while a member of the U. S. Congress, introduced a resolution instructing that the Committee on Roads and Canals look into the expediency of granting lands for the construction of railroads in Ohio. The resolution died in the hands of the committee, but it makes apparent his forward thinking and concern for the people in his district and state. Judge Chaney was involved in the plans for good, navigable roads in the community -- by both sponsoring "acts" to incorporate the turnpikes and his personal monetary investment in the projects. He knew then that the state and the community needed a reliable transportation system, even as we do today.

On February 27, 1846, a "Bill for the Encouragement of Agriculture" was considered in the legislature, creating the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. Although there is no written record, the story told was that when an additional member was needed for a quorum to pass this legislation, a messenger was sent from the capital, Columbus, to Carroll, Ohio, where Judge John Chaney lived. By hard riding through a stormy night, he reached the meeting before midnight so that the bill could be passed. Thus, according to tradition, John Chaney can be given at least some of the credit for the existence of our Ohio State Fair.

Judge Chaney was in the milling business. He bought a mill on Spring Run in Bloom Township where he ran a grist-mill, saw-mill, and a distillery. He later owned the Empire Mill just west of Canal Winchester with his son Oliver -- better known as O. P. Chaney, the man who built the mill that is still standing in Canal Winchester. He had a part interest in a woolen mill near Canal Winchester, and was part owner of a powder factory at Waterloo. He was also a farmer.

Judge Chaney was married 3 times and fathered 11 children. His first marriage was to Mary Ann LaFerre in 1816. They had 5 children before her death in 1823: John and Napoleon, both of whom died in infancy, James, Caroline and Hugh, who became a doctor. He then married Elizabeth Miller and they had 6 children before her death in 1856: Oliver ( O. P. ), Edward, Nancy, Mary, John, and Lorrain. Judge Chaney’s last marriage was to Mary Stephenson, a widow with children, but they had no children of their own.

Judge Chaney’s descendants can still be found in the Canal Winchester area as well as in other parts of the country. Among the more famous of his descendants are Lon Chaney of silent movie fame, his great-grandson, and Lon Chaney, Jr.

John Chaney was one of the founders of the Betzer Church, which was Lutheran and German Reform, located outside of Lithopolis, Ohio, in Bloom Township. The home in Canal Winchester that he purchased c. 1860 still stands and is located in the East Columbus Street Historic District, thereby placing it on the National Register of Historic Places.

Judge Chaney still commands, and deserves, our respect and admiration more than a century after his death. One interesting fact is that he never solicited public office, but served when he was nominated. He was described in a family history as a "man of consequence" -- a perhaps old-fashioned but fitting phrase. One account said that the one thing that he was proud of at the end of his long life was that he had the good opinions of his neighbors and constituents -- would that we all could say the same.

Note: Among the sources for this tidbit are: A History of Madison Township written in 1902 by George Bareis, Complete History of Fairfield County written in 1877 by Hervey Scott, and genealogical information from his descendants.

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Tidbit #5 from Canal Winchester History

One of the most profound influences on the development and growth of Canal Winchester has been transportation. From its inception, Canal Winchester has had its roots in agriculture and transportation. The fertile land brought settlers to this area and gave them a means of survival and, ultimately, of profit. The timely succession of increasingly modern methods of transportation in the area has allowed for growth and prosperity.

There were few settlers in the area before 1825, mainly due to a lack of a profitable means of getting surplus goods to market. At times the streams were the only available means of transportation; the "roads" -- really just paths -- were unpaved and thus unreliable. Bareis records that one attempt was made, in 1824 or 1825, to reach New Orleans by water from Madison Township. A flat boat was built and started from Big Walnut Creek with a cargo of flour, meal and pork. The man who took the cargo to New Orleans arrived safely, but, unfortunately, "took the yellow fever and died there."

The first resolution in the Ohio Legislature regarding a canal system was introduced in 1819. Almost every section of the state wanted the canal located nearby for convenience and for the economic benefits. In 1822 the governor was authorized to appoint an engineer to survey for a canal, and authorization to secure "rights of way" was granted in 1823. In 1825 an act was passed to commence the building of a canal, and active work on the canal began in 1829. With the start of construction on the canal, economic improvement was at hand -- local workers were paid cash with which they in turn could pay their taxes and make other necessary purchases. The routing of the Ohio and Erie Canal through what is now downtown Canal Winchester led to the platting of the village. Literally, the village owes its existence to the transportation industry.

On September 25, 1831, the section of the Ohio and Erie Canal from Newark to Columbus to Circleville was finally opened for navigation. The speed on the canal was regulated to a maximum of 4 m.p.h. The first boat passed through Winchester on a Saturday night, and more arrived the next day. Crowds gathered along the banks of the canal to watch and cheer. With the coming of the canal, the area had constant, reliable transportation for goods and passengers. Many businesses opened along the canal route in the years after it opened and the boat trade was much sought after. The "laying up" of the canal boats and their crews in winter provided excitement and diversion for the natives. The last canal boat passed through town in 1902.

In the early and middle part of the 19th century, the stagecoach was an important method of transportation, especially for passengers, in the Ohio country -- although, the terrible condition of the roads, especially in winter, would have adversely affected travel by any overland means during that time period. In 1822, a tri-weekly stagecoach line from Lancaster to Columbus was in operation. Although there is no formal record, it is possible that coaches may have run at irregular intervals some years earlier. The average speed of the stagecoach was about 6 m.p.h. on fair roads. In 1849 there was a daily coach from Columbus to Pomeroy, located on the Ohio River. In the 1850’s a daily hack line between Winchester and Columbus via Groveport served the area. Winchester was fortunate to have been served by both the canal and the stage line.

The stagecoach line did improve communication in the days before the telegraph. The coach often carried the mail and other special communications in addition to passengers. Bareis records that in the Ohio State Journal on December 11th, 1829, it was reported that "by the extraordinary exertions of the Ohio Stage Company, the President’s message, which was delivered at Washington City, at twelve o’clock, noon, on Tuesday last, was received at our office at 15 minutes before 11 in the evening of the following Wednesday, having traveled the whole distance between the two places -- estimated at 420 miles -- over excessively bad roads, in the space of 34 hours and 45 minutes -- a performance unparalleled in the annals of traveling in this part of the country."

The Ohio Statesman of December 11th, 1846, recorded that "the President’s message was received on the western bank of the Ohio River, opposite Wheeling, by the Ohio Stage Company, at 35 minutes past one o’clock, p.m., on Thursday, and was delivered at Columbus -- 135 miles -- in the unparalleled short space of 6 hours and a half."

The condition of the roads in general in the state was bad for the first 50 years or so of the 19th century. Travel by stagecoach or wagon could be brought to a halt by inclement weather. The roads were often not much more than bridle paths -- winding crookedly around swampy areas and hilly terrain. Some of the roads in the area still seem to follow those crooked paths. There were few bridges and with rainy weather, some roads would become next to impassable except on foot or horseback.

In the middle to late 1800’s, turnpikes and toll roads, owned and operated by private companies with local shareholders, began to appear in the area. These toll roads were the "best" roads -- paved, with bridges over the streams -- in the area, but there was a charge to use them. By the end of the 19th century, the county began to take over the toll roads and make them public roads. These overland routes of the last century’s turnpikes are still being used today and are considered to be the "main paths" in the area.

By about 1850, the Winchester, Jefferson and Carroll Road Company had a road graded and bridges erected to enable travel from Columbus to Hooker’s (a little west of Lancaster) in Fairfield County. The Columbus and Winchester Pike (eventually part of U.S. Rte. 33) was built in 1865 and was a toll road until 1888 when it was turned over to the county commissioners and the toll gates removed. The route itself, between Columbus and Lancaster, dates to before 1830, but the surface was much improved by the turnpike company, making travel easier. The Columbus and Groveport Pike was incorporated in 1849 and remained a toll road until 1897 when the bridge over Big Walnut Creek burned. The county then purchased the turnpike from the shareholders and a new iron bridge was erected in 1898.

The coming of the railroad to Canal Winchester gave the community the opportunity to continue to exist past the canal era. In 1834 the first interest in getting the railroad to Ohio was expressed by Judge John Chaney, who was then a U. S. Representative. In 1837 the first locomotive was used in Ohio, and the railroad came to Columbus in 1850. From 1852 to 1867 there was interest in and plans made for procuring a railroad line through Canal Winchester. In 1869 the first train passed through the village on the Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad line. There were then daily runs between Columbus and Lancaster through Canal Winchester and the ability to continue to transport goods, mail, and passengers was assured. Because of the canal and then the railroad, grain elevators were once plentiful in this agricultural area -- surplus grain could be sold and shipped to other parts of the country, ensuring a profitable economy for the village.

For years before 1899, the building of an electric railway system was discussed. Electric traction lines were first incorporated in the area in 1899, but failed to materialize on schedule. By 1901 it finally seemed possible that the electric railway would actually happen when the Scioto Valley Traction Company began acquiring rights of way. On July 19, 1904, the first interurban cars on the Scioto Valley Traction Company lines reached Canal Winchester on a trial run. At one place on the trip between Canal Winchester and Groveport, the car registered a speed of 62 m.p.h. Once the line was fully established, the cars ran every two hours.

From 1910 to 1920 was the boom time for the interurban. The Scioto Valley Traction Company brought additional modernization to the area c. 1916 when they began to sell the surplus electricity that was generated by the company to the public. The last interurban train ran through the village on September 30, 1930. The decline of the interurban was a national phenomenon, mostly due to the rising dominance of the automobile.

Transportation in and around Canal Winchester today is mostly by automobile. The canal was last used in 1902; the interurban stopped running in 1930; the last passenger train stopped in Canal Winchester in 1949. Trains still pass through the village, but no longer stop at the depot that is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Canal Winchester is located along U.S. Rte. 33, which provides easy, direct access to Lancaster and Columbus and, consequently, to Interstates 70 and 71. Forty years ago, Rte. 33 passed through downtown Canal Winchester on the main streets of the village. In the 1950’s and 60’s, due to increased traffic and safety concerns, upgrading the two-lane U.S. Rte. 33 between Columbus and Lancaster became a priority. The improvements included rerouting the highway around, rather than through, Canal Winchester. Today, "33", as it is known to the locals, is a busy four-lane highway just north of the downtown area and the main highway from Columbus to Lancaster and much of southeastern Ohio. Being part of the "33 Corridor" -- an area conducive to commercial development because of the transportation access -- keeps the village alive and growing.

Canal Winchester has been fortunate to have had its transportation needs well met over the past 175 years or so. Had there been any interruption in the long line of transportation system developments over the years, the village would probably have died as have many small towns on outdated transportation routes. No community can sustain its existence for long without good, reliable access to the rest of the world and, in that respect, Canal Winchester has, indeed, been blessed.

Note: Sources for this tidbit include: the 1902 History of Madison Township by George Bareis, the 1992 Canal Winchester: The Second Ninety Years by Carroll and Steube, and the archives of the Canal Winchester newspaper, the Times.

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Tidbit #6 from Canal Winchester History

Banking in Canal Winchester

Canal Winchester was the first community between Columbus and Lancaster to open a business exclusively devoted to banking before 1900. In the early years, previous to 1887, the grain dealers did the banking business, "often holding large amounts on deposit, and frequently advancing considerable sums on grain or growing crops, all usually without interest." Many prominent Canal Winchester families have been involved in the banking businesses of the village, beginning with the early grain dealers.

On February 23, 1887, the Canal Winchester Bank opened for business "in a building especially designed for it." The original stockholders were Gilbert Shaffer (possibly spelled Shaefer or Shaffner), Stanton Needels, B. D. Gehm and William Zigler. Ervin Moore, William M. Game and C. V. Moore were among the early proprietors. The building at 8 South High Street has been remodeled over the years, but has been used continuously as a bank -- The Canal Winchester Bank, The Central Trust Company, and now Bank One. The Canal Winchester Bank was incorporated in February 1922.

The 1904 remodel of the Canal Winchester Bank included enlarging the building. Since all the new space was not immediately needed, the south portion of the building was rented to a grocery store until 1939. It should be noted that having a grocery and a bank in the same building is not new -- at least in Canal Winchester. In the 1916-17 Mirror, the Canal Winchester High School yearbook, an ad was found announcing Saturday evening banking hours commencing January 6, 1917. Since it was most convenient for the farmers to come to town on Saturday night, the businesses in the village were open and the bank followed suit. The practice of Saturday evening banking hours continued into the 1960’s.

In a 1907 souvenir publication featuring the businesses of Canal Winchester a note was made that patrons of the Canal Winchester Bank were granted the "privilege of depositing valuable papers, etc., in the vault for safekeeping, free of charge." A mural by James Wylie Huffman, Jr., depicting the town in the canal era days of 1887 when the bank opened, decorates the south wall of the interior. In the 1960’s a Schulmerick Carillon was installed and music was broadcast to the town from the bank.

The Canal Winchester Bank regularly celebrated its birthday with cake and coffee for customers. The Times recorded on the 50th anniversary of the bank in 1937: "It is the belief of the present management of this Bank that all during these fifty years there has never been a time when the solvency of the Bank was questioned. This has been due largely to the fact that we have operated in a rich and prosperous community and peopled by the best and for which we are truly grateful." In the early 1970’s, the Central Trust Company purchased the Canal Winchester Bank, with the name change becoming official on November 1, 1973. The Central Trust Company in turn became part of Bank One in September 1991. The Canal Winchester office of Bank One currently occupies the same building that was built for the Canal Winchester Bank in 1887.

In the first decade of the 20th century, banks were opened in many of the surrounding towns including Groveport, Pickerington and Carroll. A second bank opened in Canal Winchester at about the same time that these communities finally opened their first banks. The Peoples Bank was incorporated December 1, 1903, by Marion Corwin, L. W. Beery, Solomon Lehman, Herman Shade and Lee Kramer. The Peoples Bank opened on January 23, 1904, for the "transaction of a general banking business" on the southwest corner of Waterloo and High Streets with L. W. Beery, Marion Corwin, Herman Shade, Solomon Lehman and E. C. Chaney on the Board of Directors. In 1924 a building was built across the street on the northwest corner of the same intersection expressly for the Peoples Bank.

The Peoples Bank constructed an unusual and unique five-sided building (this writer’s favorite in town) whose entrance is actually in the fifth side that faces the corner of the intersection. At the Canal Winchester Centennial Celebration on the Fourth of July in 1928, a "magnificent chime clock, the gift of the Peoples Bank," was presented to the village. The Times reported that: "the electric illuminated clock . . . will add materially to the appearance of the business section of Canal Winchester, also providing a convenience greatly appreciated by the general public." The clock on the old bank building still provides the time for the public.

The 1907 publication featuring Canal Winchester businesses states that the bank had a "large fire proof vault built of hard brick and cement" with an "absolutely fire and burglar proof" safe. A feature of the establishment is the provision of Safety Deposit Boxes which "can be rented for the extremely low rate of $1.00 per year."

An article in The Times at the 50th anniversary in 1954 stated that the motto of the Peoples Bank was: Safety, Service, Stability; and that their most valuable asset was: Your Patronage. The 50th Anniversary was celebrated on a Saturday evening with "refreshments for all."

In 1962, the Peoples Bank was merged with the Huntington Bank. The building was deemed too small, so the Huntington built a new bank at the northeast corner of High and Columbus Streets, a block south of the old building, in 1964. The Village of Canal Winchester purchased the old bank building and uses it as their town hall. It is still the most distinctive building in town.

The February 10, 1928, issue of The Times featured a business and community review. In the article regarding the Canal Winchester Bank, the statement was made that "the interior is attractively fitted up and provided with all the latest facilities known to modern banking and finance. In fact this live institution has been a great factor toward material prosperity of Canal Winchester and surrounding country." Regarding the Peoples Bank the paper stated that it "takes pardonable pride in calling the public’s attention to The Peoples Bank Co., which is ‘The Bank of the People and For and People’ of this district." It is notable that both financial institutions survived the Depression; some of the banks in the surrounding communities did not.

Today, neither bank exists in its original identity, but neither is entirely gone since each has acquired a new identity through new owners: The Canal Winchester Bank has become a branch of Bank One and The Peoples Bank has become a branch of The Huntington Bank. Canal Winchester has continued to attract the banking industry through the years. The State Savings Bank opened an office in the village in 1974 and was subsequently purchased by Fifth Third Bank which still has a branch in the village. Fairfield National Bank has opened an office in the local grocery store. The village expects another bank to set up offices in the not too distant future. Canal Winchester has been most fortunate to have been provided with exceptional banking convenience for its citizens for well over a hundred years, longer than any other nearby town.

Note: Sources for this tidbit include, but are not limited to: Canal Winchester’s newspaper The Times, Bareis’s 1902 History of Madison Township, Carrol and Steube’s 1992 Canal Winchester: The Second Ninety Years, the 1907 souvenir publication Canal Winchester, Ohio: Historical and Industrial, and the Canal Winchester 1978 sesquicentennial publication In Celebration of 150 Years.

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Agriculture was a central part of life in Ohio in the 19^th century – and that certainly includes the Canal Winchester area. Fairs were an integral part of that agricultural life. They provided camaraderie, entertainment, social opportunities, competition, and a chance to learn from one another – all those components that we would call "networking" today. Therefore, as the celebration of the Ohio Bicentennial commences, a look at the history of fairs in the Canal Winchester area seems appropriate.

Many of the larger fairs in Ohio in the 19^th century were set up and governed by Agricultural Boards or Agricultural Societies. On February 27, 1846, a "Bill for the Encouragement of Agriculture" was passed in Ohio creating the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. This board established the Ohio State Fair. The first State Fair was held in 1850 and, except for the World War II years, has been held annually since. We know that residents of Madison Township¹ have won premiums at the State Fair since at least 1851. The Ohio State Fair has continued to be a much anticipated event for the people of Canal Winchester to attend as exhibitor or visitor each August.

On September 6, 1851, the Franklin County¹ Agricultural Society was organized. The first Franklin County Fair was held in October 1851. Bareis records that the citizens of Madison Township won 11 of the 64 premiums offered at that first fair – for livestock, needlework (a quilt), and even best road (the Columbus and Groveport Turnpike Co.). The premiums won by those Madison Township entrants ranged from $1 to $5 each. According to Bareis, the Franklin County Agricultural Society quickly purchased land for its fairground. Franklin Park in Columbus was used for approximately 90 years before the fairground was relocated to its present location in Hilliard, Ohio, where the fair is held annually in July. The people of Madison Township still participate in the Franklin County Fair – especially the young people in the 4–H and Future Farmers of America organizations.

In the fall of 1857, the Madison Township Agricultural Society was organized. The first fair was held that same fall and annually until 1875. The 1875 fair was a failure due to rain. The fairground was located on the Groveport and Winchester Pike and contained about seven acres. A special stable was erected on the fairground for John Rarey’s famous horse, Cruiser². In the summer of 1878, the grounds and buildings were sold under an order of execution. Bareis states that there is "no question but that the Madison Township Agricultural Society had much to do with the development of the stock and grain industries of the township." The common, but unverified, report was that "more stock was entered for exhibition at this fair during its first years than at the Franklin County or even at the Ohio State Fairs."

The Ohio State, Franklin County and Madison Township Fairs were regional fairs where area citizens exhibited their livestock, crops, and domestic items. They were events that many people attended for entertainment. In addition to these regional fairs, Canal Winchester established and enjoyed its own local fairs.

Many of the farmers in the Canal Winchester area were members of the Grange – an organization with an agricultural orientation. The Grange offered both educational and social opportunities for the farmers. There were four Granges in Franklin County in the late 19^th century: Hamilton of Groveport, Blendon of Westerville, Borror’s Corners in southeastern Franklin County, and Madison of Canal Winchester. The Pomona Granges were distinct organizations, but made up of the subordinate Granges of the county in which they were located – in effect, County Granges. The Franklin County Pomona Grange met quarterly with one meeting each year at each of the subordinate Granges.

On October 16, 1895, as part of the Franklin County Pomona Grange meeting held at Groveport, a fair for the Grange members was held. The Times reported that this was "said to be the first fair of the kind held in the state and Franklin county farmers are again at the head of the class." Categories for entries included: wheat, corn, potatoes, apples, clover seed, pumpkins, squashes, bread, cake, butter, pickles, and needlework. "The fair exceeded the expectations of the members of the Grange, both as to exhibits and attendance. The great success of this event assures that there will be similar exhibits in future years and that the interest of the public is sure to increase with each recurring event. While the exhibit was, of course, not as large as that at the State Fair, yet it was large for a county exhibit and a finer one we never saw."

On Wednesday, October 21, 1896, the Pomona Grange again had a fair at its meeting – this time at the Madison Grange in Canal Winchester. It was decided that competition would be restricted to the membership, but everyone in the community was urged to attend, without charge. Premiums ranged from 15¢ to 50¢ for first place, and from 10¢ to 25¢ for second place. There were 31 categories in the following areas: grains, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, canned goods, fancy work, and flowers. The cash premiums for the Grange Fair totaled $12.25 – which would have been a substantial sum³ in 1896.

The Pomona Grange Fair is considered to be the beginning of the Canal Winchester Fair tradition. The Times reported that there was a large audience and "all were much pleased with the fine quality and large variety of exhibits." The Times went on to "suggest that such a fair could be profitably held each year" and that if the Grange were to "undertake it they would meet with ready encouragement from the progressive people of both town and country." On October 21 and 22, 1898, a fair was held in the old skating rink with 169 exhibitors and nearly 600 entries, and despite "disagreeable" weather, an estimated 1,000 visitors. Both this 1898 fair and one in 1899 were held under the auspices of the Madison Grange, but the "expositions had grown to such proportions that the Grange felt it could no longer manage them unaided, and accordingly, the citizens of the community were asked to assist. Hence a meeting was called and a regular organization perfected."

On August 2, 1900, a constitution and by-laws were adopted, declaring the "object of The Canal Winchester Fair Association shall be the advancement of the social and educational interests of the community." In 1900, under the auspices of this new association, the Canal Winchester Agricultural and Art Fair was held at the Central Ohio Baling Company. Prior to 1901, the premiums and expenses were donated by community members in cash and merchandise. At a meeting held March 15, 1901, it was decided to charge a small admission fee of 10¢ and offer cash premiums. Citizens were solicited to establish a guarantee fund in case the receipts were insufficient to meet all the expenses. The rules printed in The Times that year included as rule number one: "competition open to the world." In 1904 The Times reported that it "is well known that every fair heretofore held by the Canal Winchester Association has been a success far beyond expectation, and it is a fact that they have been constantly growing in interest and importance."

Departments created by the Fair Association were: grains and grasses, roots and vegetables, fruits, flowers, domestics, household fabrics and fancy work, poultry and pet stock, livestock, amateur photography and painting, and prehistoric and pioneer relics and curios. On March 12, 1903, The Times announced that The Canal Winchester Fair Association had decided to add a new department for the fair exhibits. It would be known as "Book No. 11 – Display of School-work." A few of the categories for competition were: a display of general work, display of apparatus used in teaching, set of school records kept by any teacher, and a collection in nature study. As for the premiums in this new department, "in some instances cash premiums will be awarded but in most cases handsome diplomas will be given." The first rule of the new department said that the display must represent the work of all the pupils of the school, not a select class of pupils. Another rule stated that the teacher had to certify that the work was done by the pupil without assistance and during school hours, except for the nature study.

In January of 1903 the Canal Winchester Fair Association "took a long step in advance when it was unanimously decided to lease suitable ground for permanent quarters and erect thereon buildings to contain the exhibits. As a preliminary to this step, the executive committee was authorized to have the association incorporated without delay, after which it is the purpose to raise the funds by stock subscription. The committee was also authorized to make an effort to secure a suitable location." In 1906, six acres were leased north of the railroad tracks on the west side of town, new buildings were built, and there were 1,000 entries. In 1908, the Fair Board leased Gayman’s ball park south of the railroad tracks on the east side of town, and moved the buildings to the new location. The lease ran out in 1913 and the fair board sold its property.

Even though the Canal Winchester Fair Association had come to an end, celebrations in Canal Winchester with fair-type events had not. The first school fair was held by the Canal Winchester Schools on Friday, October 24, 1919, with agricultural exhibits, home economics exhibits, a relic room, and a carnival "worked up by the high school pupils." In 1925, a Canal Winchester Festival and Community Fair was held on October 8, 9, and 10, and, in 1926, the Canal Winchester Fall Festival and Agricultural and Home Economics Exhibit was held. In 1928, the Fall Festival was sponsored by the Leach Benson Post #220 of the American Legion. The Legion continued to sponsor this festival for many years. In 1930, a Community Fair sponsored by the Home Economics and Agricultural Department at the school was held and the annual fair was continued into the 1950’s.

Today, Canal Winchester continues this tradition with the annual Labor Day Festival, a three-day event held each Labor Day weekend. The first Labor Day Festival was held in 1960 and sponsored by the school’s Athletic Boosters. It was only a one-day event with a parade, bar-be-cue chicken, and a wrestling match. There is now a Labor Day Committee in charge of the event and many community groups are part of the celebration – the Historical Society has its annual ice cream social as part of the Labor Day Festival. Among the various weekend activities is still the annual Labor Day Parade.

As well as fairs, the agricultural community held "Farmers’ Institutes" or conventions that were basically educational in nature. At the annual meeting of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture in the Fall of 1880, the desire was expressed to co-operate with local or county agricultural societies and Granges in calling and organizing Farmers’ Institutes or Agricultural Conventions. These institutes were designed to be both educational and entertaining. The first Autumn Meeting of the Central Ohio Farmers’ Institute was held in the City Hall, Columbus, on October 20^th and 21^st, 1887, with the program featuring "music and appropriate addresses and essays."

With aid from the State Board of Agriculture, the Franklin Farmers’ Institute was formed and the first institute was held at Groveport on Friday and Saturday, December 23^rd and 24^th, 1887. These events featured speakers on topics of interest to the farmers, and at least one featured musical entertainment by the Winchester Brass Band. In addition to the winter institutes, the Franklin Farmers’ organization had summer picnics. The first was held in O. P. Chaney’s grove on August 13, 1891. The picnics featured speakers and entertainment, just as the institutes did. At the picnic on August 17, 1893, the attendance was estimated at between 2,000 and 3,000. The scheduled entertainment for the 1903 picnic featured the Groveport Band, the Otterbein Quartet, and a Graphophone⁴.

Farmers’ Institutes continued well into the 20^th century. Hamilton Township in Franklin County and Bloom Township in Fairfield County each held Farmers’ Institutes in the late 1920’s. (Both are neighboring townships to Canal Winchester and would have had a large agricultural community in that era.) In the 1950’s, a name change created the Community Institute of Bloom Township for Bloom Township. The Community Institute meeting held January 30^th and 31^st, 1953, at Wagnalls Memorial in Lithopolis, Ohio, featured speakers and entertainment, just like those first institutes. The entertainment was provided by school groups as well as individual members of the community. The Bloom Township Institute continued into the 1960’s.

Although Canal Winchester does not have a fair as such in the 21^st century, members of the community still participate in the county fairs, and the state fair. The competition, entertainment, education, and excitement are still much anticipated and enjoyed.