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"Minford" was originally known as Harrisonville...When the name changed, some suggested "Bennettville" would be appropriate since the first settlers of record were Bennetts...However, the namesake comes from another pioneer citizen of the community- William Minford, the Village Blacksmith...There are two Bennett Cemeteries in Minford...You will find this hide in the "New Bennett Cemetery" located on State Route 139...
The first two families to live in the area were Rev. Thaddeus Bennett and family, and his son, Rev. Joseph Bennett and family...Thaddeus Bennett and his son, Joseph Bennett, lived in New York in the early 1800's...Thaddeus Bennett was a veteran of the Revolutionary War...Joseph Bennett was a veteran of the War of 1812... Around 1814, the two men decided they wanted a different life in the Northwest Territory...The Bennetts originally settled near the mouth of the Ohio and Little Scioto Rivers...
The area was heavily timbered and quite swampy at the time... The men were also aware that Shawnee Indians lived in the area, but they decided they would face the rigors of the frontier and build a cabin for their families... After a short time, the swampy area proved to be too much for the families to face...Insects and the rising river won, and the families decided to seek higher ground... The Bennetts found higher ground in the area we now know as Minford in 1819...
In 1823 the first business came to the area... Peter Laforgy started a blacksmith shop... Later, the village boasted of its three general stores, a blacksmith shop, a funeral home, a harness shop, and an apiary (a place where bees are kept)...
The first post office in the area was called Rockwells... It was run by Ephriam Rockwell... The Rockwell post office was in operation from December 28, 1825 to August 12, 1828 when its name was changed to the Scioto post office...
Other families began arriving in the area, and it was decided that the area should become a separate township as part of Scioto County... The new township needed a name... Joseph Bennett suggested that the township be named after his friend, General William Henry Harrison...Harrison Township formed in 1832...
In 1837, Joseph Bennett laid out a town on the land surrounding his home...He gave a building site to anyone who would guarantee to build a home in the settlement... Joseph named the town Harrisonville, after his friend, General Harrison... However, it would be 22 more years before the town of Harrisonville would become official... The town had not been platted in Scioto County records...
The first church known to be organized in Harrisonville was the Harrisonville Methodist Church organized in 1837... The first services were held in a log church at the northern end of the town...
As more and more families came, the town of Harrisonville was established...The area continued to grow and prosper as the Chesapeake and Ohio and the Northern Railroad laid track through the town in 1916...It was the C&O Railroad line that forced the name change from Harrisonville to Minford... There was another town called Harrisonville on the C&O Railroad line...
Railroad officials wanted to simplify matters, so they asked local resident Frank R. Minford if he thought the village would mind changing its name... Frank R. Minford was friends with one of the C&O Railroad attorneys...
Several names were suggested for the town--Harrison, Bennettville, and Minford... In honor of Frank R. Minford, (a local blacksmith) the town's name was changed to Minford on August 17, 1917... Frank R. Minford was the son of William J. Minford who immigrated to the area from County Antrim, Northern Ireland in 1846...William was the owner of a successful blacksmith business in the area... He taught his trade to his son, Frank, who took over the business when his father passed away...
A plaque commemorating the name change event is located in "New Bennett Cemetery" where you will find this hide...
Minford died in 1942 and is buried along with dozens of the Bennett Family in the "New Bennett Cemetery"...The "Old" Bennett Cemetery is located on State Route 335 and includes a cache as well... The last Minford died in 1990...The Bennett family line continues on today...It's members continue to play a vital role in the business and governmental leadership of the community today...
President Clinton truly put Minford on the map when he brought his Train Tour through downtown Minford!
Cache is a camouflaged medium sized peanut butter jar...Bring a pen...
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ybbx va gur ovt gerr, abg gur rireterra.