NEW LONDON
pg. 167
This interesting and rapidly growing town is situated
seventeen miles from Norwalk the county seat.
Page 168 -
The
first settler of what is now the village of New London was
John Corey, who erected the first log cabin.
This was in 1816. The Sampson’s, the
Merrifields, the Hendryx’s, Kinsley's,
Dr. Christopher Bates, W. S. Dewitt,
and others. From 1817 to 1822 New London was called
Merrifield Settlement; from 1822 to 1837,
Kinsley’s Corners; from 1840 to 1853, King’s
Corners. In 1850 the Cleveland, Columbus,
Cincinnati and Indianapolis railroad commenced to run
through the town, and the place grew rapidly. In the
fall of 1853, the village, embracing about eight hundred
acres of land, was incorporated. The first council
proceedings are recorded for Dec. 3, 1853; R. C. Powers,
mayor; John Thorn, recorder; J. Bradley, J.
F. Badger, A. Starbird, V. King, and A.
D. Kilburn, trustees, or councilmen; A. A. Powers
marshal; J. O. Merrifield, treasurer. In 1851
the village suffered from its first serious fire; and again
in 1872, November 17th, property to the value of forty to
fifty thousand dollars was destroyed. The village was
incorporated in 1853. At this date, 1909, New London
contains about one thousand five hundred inhabitants, mostly
descendants of New England and New York families. New
London is located on the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and
St. Louis and Northern Ohio railways, forty-seven miles
southwest of Cleveland. The town is progressive,
having about two miles of brick paved streets, owns its
electric lighting plant and has a number of good factories.
Its postoffice receipts exceed twelve thousand dollars
annually. Fine rural free delivery routes radiate from
this postoffice. The village is surrounded by a good grazing
and farming country where high grade cattle and sheep are
bred. A business peculiar to New London farmers is the
breeding of ferrets which are shipped to all parts of the
United States, commanding good prices and enriching those
engaged in that business.
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