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A Glimpse Of The Mansfield That WasPAUL L. WHITEOne of the popular Richland County areas visited by Mansfielders in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s was Hemlock Falls located just a mile and a half south of the then flourishing village of Newville in Worthington Township.The falls, located in the vicinity of BunkerhiJl North and Tugend Road, not toe far from the Pleasant Hill Lake area, was first brought to the attention of Mansfielders in 1856. In that year, Roeliff Brinkerhoff, editor and publisher of the Mansfield Herald, and Washington Township school teacher. James Franklin McGaw, “explored” that rugged picturesque area of southeastern Richland County.Brinkerhoff had embarked on a project to research Richland County history and publish the documentary in the Herald. McGaw was intensely interested in local history and volunteered to contribute writings concerning the history of the townships located in the southeastern area of the county.On the exploration trip, the two men visited the falls and McGraw romantically suggested an Indian name for the site. Brinkerhoff, noting the large number of hemlock trees and particularly the old knarled tree overhanging the cliffs by the falls, prevailed with the name Hemlock Falls.McGaw later used the locale in his romantic novel of “Philip Seymour or Pioneer Life in Richland -County’' making it the setting for the first meeting of Philip and Lily Pipe.On the first Saturday of September 1956, The Richland County Pioneer Society, forerunner of the Richland County Historical Society, met at Hemlock Falls for a picnic and a day of speeches. For many years there alter the Society met there in September and churches and other groups started to use the site. As Mansfielders learned of the beauty and the many interesting geological formations in the area the site became a popular place for church, political organization picnics and family reunions. People from the area villages of Butler, Lucas, Bellville and Newville also picnicked there often.In the early days, Mansfielders would drive out of Hemlock Falls in their horse drawn rigs armed with well filled picnic baskets. Those who were more venturesome in the group would clamber over the rocks and visit the Pioneer Threshers Floor, (a high rock formation with about 24 square feet of flat surface on top), the Eagles Nest, Slanting Rock (an 80 - 40 - foot rock with a 45 degree canted surface), Indian Hill, Prospect Hill, Lyon Falls, and the great number of caves located within a short distance of Hemlock Falls.(Photo by Milo Newlon courtesy Richland County Historical Society)
Newspaper Details
News Journal
Mansfield, Ohio, US
Sun, Jul 30, 1967
Page 57
Full Page
Clipped by
Alan W.
OH, USA 19 Apr 2019
Other Publications Near Mansfield, Ohio
News Journal
Mansfield News Journal
Mansfield News
Mansfield News Herald
Mansfield Weekly News
