Beth Richards
At just 2% of the population of our Findlay, the small town in Illinois is a tiny sibling to ours, but is a town with just as much heart. Located along the parallel of Interstate 70 that runs from Columbus to Dayton, past Indianapolis and beyond, Findlay Illinois has just over 700 residents. How are our two towns related? According to Bill Wheeler, a native of Findlay, Illinois, who migrated to Springfield in the 1960s, the area in which the other Findlay now sits was once called Midfield. This small town began to rise in 1860 and died shortly after. The town of Findlay began taking shape in 1883. This time the town grew quickly with the help of the railroad running through town and Findlay became incorporated in 1892. The story of his hometown probably shares roots with many other towns west of their namesakes, “with many people moving west and remembering their communities fondly by naming the new towns the same. However, this is the only account of the history I've actually heard.” As the story goes: The first store building upon the ground where Findlay proper now is, was built by George W. Mauzey in 1883, in the northwest corner of the township. He put in a stock of general merchandise and made application for a commission as postmaster, the mail to be carried by star route from Henton. The commission finally came in the shape of a special office. The store enjoyed a very generous patronage and was headquarters, as is usual in such cases, for the young men of the community, for a loafing place. Old Mr. Bare was a general helper about the store and was full of stories about his old time home in Findlay, Ohio. He entertained the crowds that flocked to this store of evenings telling of things that had happened “back yonder in Findlay.” The boys soon began calling the store Findlay, and when Mr. Mauzey made application for the post-office, he gave it the name of Findlay, and thus it became known. Agriculture, a key element Typical of Midwestern towns, the Illinois town is largely founded on farming. According to Wheeler, “Findlay has been justly termed the queen of Prairie Villages. The deep, black soil surrounding furnishes ample foundation for the permanent and continued prosperity. It is the natural center of one of the most prolific corn producing regions in the grand old State of Illinois, which nature has graciously endowed with a wealth of advantages that make it a most desirable spot for a thriving business and manufacturing center... agriculture is the mainstay. Also, many of the people there now are from the Chicago area. They were often attracted to the large lake built in the 1960s and bought homes there, attracted also by the relatively low housing costs.” Schools, the heart of the community The residents of Findlay have always put an importance on a great school system and Bill estimates that Findlay probably had a high school up and running by the early 1900s. In 2001, consolidation of area schools created the Okaw Valley School District and the former FHS now serves as a K-8 facility. Thankfully different: The waters that put Findlay in the national spotlight in August 2007 and again recently spared our namesake to the west. In fact, according to Wheeler, their area of Illinois had a “pretty dry summer” and flooding is not a normal concern. One more important similarity: People, the heart of the community The extent of Wheeler’s website is impressive. It is his hope that his work will help people connect with each other and to understand the history of Findlay, Illinois. “ I am always amazed at how friendly Findlay residents are when I have an opportunity to visit, despite the fact that I have only seen most a few times in the last 40 years. It is a good feeling and I hope that (his efforts) can return that feeling in a small way. A great history of the Illinois Findlay, along with many interesting articles and photos, can be found on the Bill’s website http://www.findlayhistory.com/. © Copyright 2003-2006 by Findlay Living™ and DynamiKComm, Inc. |
