The Village
of Arnold is located on the Toledo and Ohio Central
Railroad at the crossing of the gravel road leading
from Plain city to New California
The railway station was located and the village platted
on the land of Mrs. George Arnold, for whom
the town is named, in the fall of 1893. The
station was first named New California, until
application was made for a postoffice, and the name
was then changed, as there was a postoffice at New
California.
Mr. James Arnold, who established the first
grocery in the village, was appointed Postmaster.
He discontinued business and the office was
abandoned. Fred Smith was commissioned
Postmaster in 1896, but never performed the duties,
as he sold his business just at the time his
commission arrived. Mrs. Carrie Fleck
was then appointed to the position, and she, with
her husband, Perry Fleck, established a
general store in the village in the fall of 1896.
Mrs. Fleck continued as Postmistress until the
office was discontinued, March 1st, 1910, by reason
of establishing free mail delivery, and mail is now
received from Plain City, R. R. No. 3. Mr.
and Mrs. Fleck have built up a good trade in
groceries and drygoods, and deal largely in produce
by having a wagon run on a number of routes through
the country, and deliver their produce in Columbus
every week.
There is one grocery, of which J. W. Cunningham
is proprietor; an ax-handle factory, and two
warehouses, both owned by J. R. Herriott, at
the Station. Quite a large amount of goods -
coal and other freight - is received at the Station,
and a great deal of timber and sawed lumber is
shipped from this point. There are twenty-four
dwelling houses and the village has a population of
about one hundred, the children attending the
Central School at New California. |