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Wednesday 1pm - 4pm Thursday 1pm - 4pm Friday 1pm - 4pm Saturday 1pm - 4pm Sunday 1pm - 4pm

Logan County History Center, 521 E Columbus Avenue, Bellefontaine, OH (2026)

05/30/2026

Charles L. Robb
by Mary E. Mortimer

Charles L. Robb was born on December 24, 1853, in Zanesfield, Ohio, to Dr. James S. and Elmyra Robb. He spent his childhood in Zanesfield and attended the small brick schoolhouse that once stood on the site of the present Dr. Earl Sloan Library. After completing his early education, he studied for three years at Geneva College in Northwood. Following his college years, Robb traveled through a number of western states and worked as a salesman for a shoe company.

Shortly after the death of his father in 1882, Robb returned to Bellefontaine and opened a shoe store at the corner of Main Street and Columbus Avenue. In December 1886, he married Rose McKee.

While operating his shoe store, Robb recognized the need for a better method of fitting customers with shoes. In response, he designed a combination footrest and stool that made the fitting of shoes and boots more convenient and efficient. He applied for a patent for the invention and was granted one in January 1888.

At first, the castings for Robb’s stools were manufactured in Cleveland, but production was later moved to Springfield. The stools themselves were assembled in Bellefontaine by the Kendall Brothers. Robb’s invention received favorable attention in Boot and Shoe Weekly of New York and Boot and Shoe Recorder of Boston, and it was soon being used in some of the largest boot and shoe stores in Chicago and other major cities. The stool proved so successful that Robb sold his entire stock of boots and shoes in order to devote himself fully to manufacturing the popular new device. At one point, he reported selling 270 stools in just twenty days.

In 1890, Robb became a traveling salesman for the W.B. Forsyth Company of Sidney, selling shoe polishes and corn-relief remedies. In January 1891, the Bellefontaine Republican reported that he had received a letter of thanks and a “handsome diamond ring” in recognition of his excellent service to the company.

Robb’s stool warehouse on South Main Street was destroyed by fire in July 1900. According to reports, his former workshop, which had been moved from the front of the lot to the rear, contained turpentine, oil, and varnish that ignited almost instantly once the fire began. The blaze spread to the nearby hay-filled barn of A.G. Carter and threatened the stables of Mrs. Ellen Ansley and C. Weymouth, though Carter’s horses and vehicles were removed safely.

In 1902, Charles Robb introduced a corn-relief remedy called “Rescued.” Its bottle label featured a photograph of his young daughter, Esther, lying on the shore of Silver Lake, watched over by “Major,” a large dog belonging to Craig Zearing, Deputy Postmaster at Bellefontaine. The image was intended to suggest the drama of a rescue, with the dog shown panting as though he had just pulled Esther from the water.

By January 1904, Robb was working as a traveling salesman for Whittemore Bros. & Co. of Boston. The Bellefontaine Republican reported that he had won a $100 prize for selling the greatest volume of high-priced goods, along with an additional $25 for introducing the largest amount of special goods for the company.

Robb also produced his own line of shoe polishes, including “Oil Glow” shoe polish and “Ladies Choice” liquid polish. A 1915 newspaper advertisement proclaimed: “Oil Glow contains the purest Neats Foot Oil and gives a brilliant luster. Ladies Choice gives a handsome shine. It contains glycerin, which keeps the leather from cracking. For best results try this line. Price, 10 cents at all dealers.”

The C.L. Robb Manufacturing Company was incorporated in April 1915 with a capital stock of $25,000 by F.F. Leonard, C.S. Allen, and Charles L. Robb. Business was strong, and Robb was widely regarded as an able salesman. His career came to a tragic end on March 13, 1919, when he died from injuries sustained in a fall down a flight of stairs at the Neil House in Columbus.

Throughout his career, Charles L. Robb combined practical invention with salesmanship, building a reputation through both his shoe-fitting stool and his work in the boot and shoe trade. Variations of his early combination stool continued to be used for years.

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County History. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday - Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center Blog page at www.loganhistory.org/blog and Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

05/27/2026

Greg Shipley Program
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Location: Transportation Museum Atrium

Local archeologist, Greg Shipley, will be presenting a program "Investigating Early Military Related Sites in Western Ohio".

Long before Ohio entered into the union in 1803, many frontier forts had been built and numerous military activities had already transpired, in what was a part of the Old Northwest Territory, back then. Even after Ohio had become a state, conflicts with Great Britain and the Native American tribes brought about several more years of military activities and related turmoil in the western part of our state.

This PowerPoint presentation will allow program participants to see British army buttons found on a Logan County site, that are from the same units that had fought at Bunker Hill and a pewter “USA” button from a coat that had been worn by one of General Washington’s Continental Army troops.

During the summer of 2021, Mr. Shipley’s group of amateur archaeologists located where one of the wooden stockade walls had been built at one of the outposts that was constructed by General Mad Anthony” Wayne’s troops, in October 1795. This program includes images and explanations about thousands of 1790s Wayne’s Legion and War of 1812 period artifact finds and about the military site locations where they were recovered.

Another discussion subject will be “Why have so many Civil War buttons and military belt buckles been found scattered across our part of the state, when no large battles connected to the “War between the States” had occurred in Ohio?”
If you are interested in military history, you should enjoy this presentation.
Admission is free.

05/24/2026

Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, is observed on the last Monday in May to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Military.

After the Civil War ended, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was founded by Union veterans. On May 5, 1868, GAR Commander-in-Chief General John A. Logan issued General Order No. 11, setting aside May 30th as Decoration Day. He called on GAR members to make it an annual observance “for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”

The graves of veterans killed in the Civil War were decorated with flags, flowers, and wreaths. Approximately 620,000 service members died in that conflict. Historians believe May 30th was chosen because flowers would be in bloom across the country.

The first large observance of Decoration Day was held at Arlington National Cemetery. Washington officials, including General Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, attended the ceremony, which drew an estimated 5,000 people. After the speeches, GAR members and children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home walked through the cemetery singing hymns, reciting prayers, and placing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves.

After World War I, the observance expanded to honor Americans who died in all wars, not only the Civil War. In 1967, federal law established Memorial Day as the holiday’s official name. An act of Congress in 1971 declared Memorial Day a national holiday and placed its observance on the last Monday in May.

The National Moment of Remembrance Act was signed into law on December 28, 2000. The act designates the minute beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day as the National Moment of Remembrance, when Americans are asked to pause, reflect, and honor fallen service members.

The History Center will be closed on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day.

05/23/2026

The DeGraff Centennial of 1950
by Mary E. Mortimer

DeGraff was surveyed and platted by Col. Andrew DeGraff and William Boggs in 1850, and the village was incorporated in 1864. One hundred years later, in May 1950, the village marked that milestone with a grand four-day celebration. Thousands came, filling the streets and turning front porches into natural meeting places where friends and relatives could visit, reminisce, and renew old ties. Residents entered into the spirit of the occasion by dressing in 1850s clothing, and many of the men grew beards, goatees, and sideburns for the festivities. Contests for costumes, beards, and parade floats added to the fun and gave the celebration an unmistakably festive character.

Over the course of four days, the centennial offered a lively program of events for residents and visitors alike. Some of them included a tractor-pulling contest, home talent shows, the high school commencement and alumni dinner and dance, softball games, basketball games between the Bloomer Girls and the DeGraff High School girls, and the bearded men against the men who did not grow facial hair (who purchased a shaving permit for $1.00), a greased pig contest, square dances, and a model airplane show.

One of the most memorable moments of the celebration was the crowning of the queens. Mrs. Lester Rairdon was crowned Queen of 1850, and Miss Ellen Corwin was crowned Queen of 1950, Large bouquets of roses were presented to both queens, and each attendant received a single rose.

The parade brought much of the celebration’s excitement into full view. Jess Comer served as grand marshal, and R.G. Shreve announced the parade and other events. Among the units were bands from Quincy, Rushsylvania, Belle Center, and Sidney; the Willard Stout Post of Belle Center; the Harold Kerr Post Drum and Bugle Corps; the Centennial Queen float; the Women of 1850 float; and a unit of thirty horses from several riding clubs. The Given Feed Company float featured women dressed in feed-sack garments, while a display of McCormick-Deering tractors, from the lightest models to a heavy diesel-powered engine, depicted DeGraff’s growth over the years. The DeGraff Garden Club entered two floats, one covered with flowers and attended by four young girls, and another featuring a pony and cart labeled “Future Garden Club.”

The DeGraff Packing Co. float carried a large replica of its canned products, while Roby Garage displayed both 1920 and 1950 Studebaker automobiles. Rexer Funeral Home brought an 1868 horse-drawn hearse, a new ambulance, and a funeral car, and Reeder Funeral Home exhibited an A.J. Miller hearse, and various antique fire equipment was also presented.

School classes from 1908, 1909, 1914, 1932, and 1948 marched together, and floats were entered by the DeGraff Hatchery, Tanger & Sons, Farm Bureau, Notestine Pure Oil, Given Feed Store, Mid-States Container Corp., and the Bloomer Girls. Many others joined on foot or rode in buggies and wagons.

The Miami Grange won first place for its float, which showed a pioneer family and men working in a “field” with antiquated wooden implements. The DeGraff Creamery took second place with its old horse-drawn milk wagon. Henry L. Madden earned third place by appearing as an 1849 gold prospector, complete with an impressive crop of whiskers, a b***o loaded with pans, a pick, and a shovel, and even a live monkey. Ronnie and Donnie Shafer won the greased pig contest, working together to capture the slippery animal donated by livestock dealer Bob Jackson.

In the beard contest, Dave Clason won best overall beard. In the goatee and mustache division, E.W. Hoke won first place. In the mustache and sideburns division, L.B. Adair received first-place honors. Kenneth Gump won for the most unique beard, and Bob Black won for the ugliest beard.

In the Most Complete Costume Made in 1950 category, Mrs. John Roby won first place. In the Most Clever Dress Made in 1950 category, Mrs. Robert E. Strayer won first place, In the Oldest Costume category, Mrs. George Amos, won first place for a dress that was 150 years old.

The four-day centennial celebration was clearly more than a series of events. It was a time when DeGraff’s streets, homes, and gathering places were filled with people coming together to celebrate the village’s past. Months of planning made it possible, but it was the spirit of the community that gave the occasion its lasting meaning. Even now, it stands as a vivid reminder of how deeply people valued their town, their history, and the friendships and family ties that bound them together.

Many of the DeGraff 1950 Centennial Celebration photos were taken by Hadley Studios in Bellefontaine. If you can identify any of the individuals in the photos, please let us know.

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County History. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday - Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center Blog page at www.loganhistory.org/blog and Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

05/16/2026

Logan County Libraries Celebrate 125 Years
by Mary E. Mortimer and Beth Marshall

The Bellefontaine Carnegie Free Library was built in 1903 at the corner of N. Main St. and E. Sandusky Ave. Before the Carnegie Library was built, Bellefontaine had a circulating library as early as 1871 that was started and maintained by Miss Lida Canby. Members paid $3 per year and were entitled to take out one book per week. Non-members could pay ten cents per book and borrow one per week. It was on the second floor of Melodeon Hall on Main Street.

Rebecca Brown was the wife of Benjamin S. Brown, one of the early physicians and surveyors in Logan County. After Mr. Brown died in 1873, Mrs. Brown donated land on E. Sandusky Ave. for Brown Park. Her dream was to have a new library and “Museum of Natural Curiosities” built there featuring her numerous books and her husband’s collection of shells and other curiosities. She also promised $3,000 to the city for a town library to be named “The Brown Library”. In 1874, the Circulating Library was incorporated as the Brown Library Association of Bellefontaine.

In 1878, The Brown Library was moved from Melodeon Hall to the second floor of the People’s Bank building in the Riddle & Rutan Block. The library reported in May of 1880 that they had “over 1,500 volumes of well selected reading matter, which is a good nucleus for a fine library.” By September of the same year, they had 2,000 volumes. Life memberships were sold for $30.00, payable in six annual installments of $5.00 each. To help support the Library, Miss Canby started a lecture series and held various entertainments.

Rebecca Brown passed away in 1887. In her will she bequeathed her home at the corner of N. Main St. and E. Sandusky Ave. to the Bellefontaine Methodist Church to be used as their parsonage.

Around 1894, a group of earnest citizens, many of whom belonged to the Woman’s Club, began campaigning for a free public library. In May of 1901, the Board of Managers of the Bellefontaine Free Public Library was formed. The new library was opened in the H.H. Good Building next to Memorial Hall with Miss Mary Reagh as Librarian. Miss Canby donated a number of her books to the library.

The Library Board sent a letter to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie requesting financial assistance to build a new library. In December 1902, a response letter was received from Andrew Carnegie offering $12,000 for the construction and furnishing of a new library building providing the Board could raise ten percent of the amount of the grant to maintain the library.

In April of 1903, The Library Board of Managers tendered control of the Library to the Bellefontaine School Board. The Commercial Club assumed the outstanding debts and it was accepted. The first duty of the School Board was to select a Librarian. Miss Laura Morgan was chosen and paid $20.00 per month. She served until her death in 1938. To help fund the new library, a tax levy of .5 of a mil was carried with a school levy and was to continue until 1937. The revenue amounted to around $1,400 per year to operate the library, and met the ten percent established by Andrew Carnegie.

At the July 1903 Library Board meeting, William Kauffman, a Bellefontaine native who had become a successful architect in Pittsburgh, donated a plan for the new Carnegie Library. The Buckeye Churn Co. from Sidney was hired to build the library.

The lots at the corner of N. Main St. and E. Sandusky Ave. including the former home site of Rebecca Brown were cleared for the new library construction. While work had begun on the new library building, the library was moved into two rooms on the first floor of the telephone exchange, next to the Presbyterian Church.

The Carnegie Free Library was completed and opened to the public on June 21, 1905. The total cost of construction was $12,707.26 Carnegie increased his donation from $12,000 to $14,000 to help pay for any additional expenses and to help with maintenance.

Over the next thirty years the library had periods of closure due to lack of funds. In 1937, the State code was revised, and libraries became eligible for State Aid from the intangible tax. The library received about $13,000 per year from this source which was apportioned by the County Budget Commission composed of the County Auditor, Treasurer, and Prosecuting Attorney.

In 1939, branch libraries were opened in DeGraff, West Liberty and West Mansfield. The library was under the jurisdiction of the Bellefontaine Board of Education, who appointed Library Trustees, until 1948. At that time, the library officially became the Logan County District Library and library trustees were then appointed by the Common Pleas Judge and County Commissioners for a term of seven years. The library had over 15,000 volumes at that time.

Branch libraries were opened in Rushsylvania in 1949 and East Liberty in 1952. Branch libraries became very popular and demand for books increased. In 1954, a station wagon was purchased for delivery of books to and from the branches. Circulation topped 100,000 for the first time.

In 1957, the Lakeview branch was opened, and in 1959 a bookmobile was purchased through a grant from the Ohio State Library and services were offered countywide. The bookmobile was in service until 1975. Also in 1959, the Library Board of Trustees accepted Trusteeship of the Susie Parker Scholarship Memorial Fund. The Susie Parker Scholarship is still awarded each year to a Bellefontaine High School graduate with a 3.0 GPA or higher that is enrolled in an Ohio accredited four-year college.

A new 4,663 square foot addition to the east side of library was completed in 1979. By 1991, the library realized expansion was once again needed. Property at 220 N. Main St. was purchased for a new larger library. Mr. Austin E. Knowlton donated $400,000 in memory of his parents to the Logan County District Library Foundation to help construct the new main library. In November 1994, the library moved into its new 17,500 square foot facility and the main library building was named The Knowlton Library. In 2002, the library purchased the Dean & Barry Paint Store north of the library for additional space. The name was officially changed to the Logan County Libraries in 2009.

Lida Canby and the early library organizers would be pleased to see how much the Logan County Libraries have helped the community and been enjoyed.

For more information on the Logan County District Library visit their website at logancountylibraries.org/ or their page at Logan County Libraries

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County history. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday - Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center Blog page at www.loganhistory.org/blog and Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day!
Wishing all the wonderful moms out there a day filled with love, laughter, and happiness!
The History Center is open today from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.

05/09/2026

Bellefontaine Ohio National Guard Armory
by Mary E. Mortimer

The Ohio National Guard Armory, located at 1021 S. Main St. in Bellefontaine, was opened in 1950. The origins of an armory in Bellefontaine date back to 1896 when Company F of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, who served in the Spanish American War, established an armory on W. Chillicothe Ave. This initial facility was a large brick home, purchased by the Logan County Commissioners. It served as the armory until 1901, when the building was sold and the armory relocated. In 1906, the F.N. Johnson wholesale grocery business acquired the former armory property, demolished the home, and constructed their new office and warehouse.

In 1929, the newly organized 134th Collecting Co., 112th Medical Regiment, of the 37th Infantry Division of the Ohio National Guard, elected Dr. Hobart L. Mikesell of West Liberty as commander. The unit included fifty-one Logan County men. For the next 20-plus years, the armory operated out of various rented spaces throughout the city.

Planning for a new armory on S. Main St. for the 112th Medical Regiment began in 1935. However, an agreement among the County Commissioners, Fair Board, and City was never fully approved. In 1939, Representative Paul L. McCormick (R Logan County) introduced a bill in the House that included an appropriation of $50,000 for the construction of an Ohio National Guard armory in Bellefontaine. Despite this legislative effort, the project was postponed and ultimately shelved with the onset of World War II.

Renewed momentum came in 1947 when State Senator David A. Liggitt (R Belle Center) introduced a bill appropriating $165,000 for a new armory in Bellefontaine. The bill passed unanimously, and Knowlton Construction Co. of Bellefontaine secured the contract with the lowest bid to build the two-story structure on land donated by both the County and City. The Logan County Commissioners gave the newly formed O.N.G. Company H of the 148th Infantry complimentary access to Memorial Hall until the construction of the new armory was completed.

Recruitment for the new O.N.G. unit began in June 1947. Initial recruits included Bellefontaine residents Ernest E. DeForest, Charles E. McMillen, Charles C. Gildow, Edward J. Humphrey, and James A. Carmean, along with Richard W. Storer of East Liberty. In July, the unit began its annual two-week training period at Camp Perry on Lake Erie under Company Commander C.H. Hertenstein. By that time, more than fifty Logan County men had enlisted.

In March 1950, the Armory was formally dedicated to Company H, 148th Infantry, and the 2nd Battalion Medical Detachment of the Ohio National Guard’s 37th Division. The dedication ceremony was preceded by a dinner at the American Legion, hosted by the Exchange, Lions, and Kiwanis service clubs. After dinner, an open house was held for guardsmen and their families. Senator Liggitt served as the guest speaker, sharing that his vision for a new armory in Bellefontaine began after his service in the Spanish-American War. Upon his election to the Senate in 1938, he requested placement on the Military Affairs committee with the specific goal of securing an armory for Bellefontaine. He also commended former Representative Paul L. McCormick, who was the House majority leader when the armory bill was passed.

Beyond its military function, the Armory also served as a community gathering place. Beginning in the 1950s, it hosted a Home Show in conjunction with the Logan County Fair, drawing as many as 7,000 attendees during fair week in 1955. That same year, the Ohio Defense Corps Association organized an annual Art Show featuring student and adult artwork from Logan, Union, Hardin, Auglaize, Champaign and Clark counties. Shick Implements held their annual “John Deere Tractor Days” at the armory during the 1950s and 1960s, offering free programs to farm families in the area. The Armory served as a command post and refuge during the Blizzard of 1978. Guardsmen and volunteers delivered food and supplies by snowmobile and provided meals and shelter at the Armory for those affected by the storm.

The Armory closed in 2001 due to the reduction of National Guard forces. In 2004, O.N.G. Battery C of the I-174th Air Defense Artillery Battalion, formerly based in Lima, occupied the armory. Four years later, the O.N.G. made the decision to decommission the armory and return ownership of the building and property to the city and county. According to the Auditor’s website, the County Commissioners transferred their share of the property to the City of Bellefontaine in 2017.
For more than seventy-five years, the Armory served not only as the home of the Ohio National Guard but also as a venue. It hosted a wide range of events, including trade, home and antique shows, high school proms and dances, basketball games, wrestling shows, CB jamborees, youth crusades, and as a polling location on Election Day.

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County History. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday - Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center Blog page at www.loganhistory.org/blog and Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

05/02/2026

Railroad YMCA
by Mary E. Mortimer

From the 1890s through the 1950s, Bellefontaine was a thriving railroad town. It was home to one of the largest roundhouses and repair centers on the Big Four (New York Central) lines, where trains stopped to service steam engines and change crews. For a time, locomotives were built in Bellefontaine. At its peak, as many as ninety freight trains and more than forty passenger trains passed through Bellefontaine each day. The railroad was a major employer in Logan County, with more than two hundred people working in the roundhouse and shops at any given time, in addition to train crews.

The first Railway YMCA “resting house” opened on January 10, 1901. Located on two small lots southwest of the roundhouse near Lawrence Street, it became the operating headquarters. The YMCA offered lodging and meals for railroad workers who did not live in the area while they waited for their next shifts. By 1913, the YMCA could not house everyone who needed lodging. After renting several residences, it leased the Hotel Bellefontaine on West Columbus Avenue, adding about one hundred rooms. Demand still exceeded capacity, so the Big Four provided a train of sleeping cars for the men.

Construction began on a new YMCA building at the corner of West Columbus Avenue and Elm Street in 1922. At the dedication in October 1923, all forty-nine bedrooms were occupied, and a long waiting list formed for the 12-hour period each person was permitted to remain in a room. Nearly 8,000 workers used the Railroad YMCA each year, and for or many, it became a “home away from home”. In 1963, a 34-by-62-footlocker and-shower room addition was built on the Elm Street side of the building. The Crew Dispatcher’s Office occupied a small corner of the first floor. It also served as the place where furloughed railroad employees signed up for unemployment benefits. Simon “Si” Herring was a dispatcher for many years and well-known railroad historian.

In 1966, Wynona “Winnie” Reames was hired as Secretary to the Director. She was promoted to Executive Director in September 1969. With her promotion, she became the first woman director of the Bellefontaine association, and the second woman YMCA Director in the country. Mrs. Reames was so dedicated to being Director, that she worked almost every day of the week, including Sundays. The YMCA was open 24 hours, seven days a week and she typically worked a 16-hour day. Mrs. Reames recalled “the guests resented her at first because they thought a woman couldn’t handle the job.” But, she said, “I haven’t had anything I couldn’t handle.” As Director, she had a secretary and staff of twenty-five employees. Once a month she met with the Board of Trustees that was comprised of seven railroad employees and seven local businessmen. In June 1979, after 13 years of employment with the Railroad YMCA, Mrs. Reames retired.

Bellefontaine’s importance as a railroad center waned in the 1960’s. The increased use of diesel engines and newer technology decreased the importance of the roundhouse. The emergence of newer means of personal travel, and semi-truck freight transport, greatly decreased railroad traffic through Bellefontaine. The roundhouse closed its doors in 1980 and in May 1983, Conrail, moved its terminal from Bellefontaine to Crestview, Ohio. This ended crew changes in Bellefontaine and its importance as a railroad town. Bulletin-board attendant Bill Henry, a railroad employee for thirty-nine½ years, was the last person to manage the office before it closed. The next month, it was announced that the YMCA would close after the building failed a fire-safety inspection. Even at the time of closing, the restaurant continued to draw steady daily business and was known for “good home cooking and generous servings.” The YMCA had also become a popular gathering place for late-night crowds after nearby taverns closed.

In September 1983, the City of Bellefontaine received a $350,000 Community Development Block Grant to renovate the YMCA building, and LPZ Construction was hired as the general contractor. While the funding enabled partial restoration of the first floor, it was insufficient to address the building’s extensive repair needs. Despite these limitations, the YMCA celebrated a grand reopening on May 18, 1986. More than one hundred guests toured the remodeled activities room, banquet room, kitchen, parlor, and dining room.

The optimism surrounding the reopening was short-lived, however. State-mandated requirements, including the installation of an elevator, enclosed stairwells, ramps, additional fire exits, a widened front entrance, and a sprinkler system, nearly doubled the project’s total cost. As a result, further remodeling was suspended while additional funding was sought.

In December 1987, the YMCA board of directors sold the building to Columbus businessmen Joseph Recchie and D. Joe Martin, who planned to convert it into apartments. Those plans were never realized. The property later entered receivership and was purchased in 1993 by attorneys Levi Lile and DeWayne Smith. Although restoration efforts were again considered, escalating construction costs and stringent state regulations rendered full rehabilitation impractical. Remodeling was postponed once more, and the building continued to deteriorate. The City of Bellefontaine ultimately condemned the structure, and it was demolished in 2009.

In November 2010, the Logan County Historical Society, along with former building owners Levi W. and Nancy Nicholl Lile, dedicated a historical marker commemorating the former Railroad YMCA and the vital role of the railroad in Logan County’s history.

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County History. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday - Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center Blog page at www.loganhistory.org/blog and Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

Logan County History Center

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