Piqua in Miami County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Main Street

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 6, 2009

1. Main Street Marker

Inscription. Main Street began as a Native American trail that paralleled the Great Miami River. The trail took a shortcut across the east bend of the river thus creating the route that would become the center of the future City of Piqua. This early trail became part of a military route known as the Detroit Trail. General George Rogers Clark in 1782 and General “Mad” Anthony Wayne in 1794 used the trail during their campaigns against area Native American tribes. European-Americans began to settle in the area at the turn of the nineteenth century. Two of these early settlers, John Manning and Matthew Caldwell decided that the most profitable venture in the area would not be raising corn but selling lots in a new village. They hired Armstrong Brandon in 1807 to survey 101 lots and lay out a series of streets for the new settlement of Washington (later renamed Piqua). Brandon centered the new village on the old north-south Detroit Trail and surveyed it as Main Street.

By 1808-1909, county roads were connecting Main Street to the rest of the Miami Valley. The Piqua-Troy Road (County Road 25-A) dead ended at Main Street on the

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south end and the Piqua-Fort Loramie Road (County Road 25-A) did the same thing on the north end. Main Street was also connected to another, more direct road to Fort Loramie (State Route 66), at the present intersection of Main Street and Riverside Drive. Main Street was a dirt road which became extremely muddy during the wet seasons and very dusty during the summer. Heavy traffic also led to rutting down both sides of the street. During the first part of the nineteenth century, the street was routinely scraped by dragging a heavy beam over the dirt to cut down on ruts and unevenness caused by the wear and tear of horses and iron-clad wagon wheels. By the 1880's, oiling the street became common to cut down on dust and diminish the depth of mud. The city would finally solve the issues of dust, mud and ruts in 1895 when Main Street was covered with thick brick pavers. During the early twentieth century, asphalt was used to cover the unevenness of the bricks and later a new cement and asphalt street was laid.

During the 1820's and 1830's, retail shops, taverns, public halls and mills were build on Main Street right next to the community's

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 6, 2009

2. Main Street Marker

The Piqua Milling Company is across Main Street in the background.

first brick homes. Piqua's government took center stage in 1845 with the erection of the first Town Hall on the east side of the Public Square facing Main Street. The 1860 “Commercial Block”, located on the northwest corner of the public square, was the first large scale retail building on Main Street. Main Street's physical appearance changed as department stores began building three and four story brick and stone structures. Benkert's was completed in 1899 (200 block), Maneer-Freeman (later Penney's) in 1907 (400 block) and Brown's in 1908 (300 block). The Second Renaissance Revival Style began to dominate downtown with the construction of the Piqua National Bank (1898) on the northwest corner of Main and High Streets (public square), the Orr-Flesh Building (1903) on the northwest corner of Main and Ash Streets and the Buntin-Young Building (1903) just north of the Orr-Flesh Building. The last two major structures to be completed on Main Street were the Ohio Theater (1928) on the southwest corner of Main and Greene Streets and the Kresge Building (1932) on the southwest corner of Main and Ash Streets.

Main Street has served

The 1860 Commercial Block image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 6, 2009

3. The 1860 Commercial Block

is shown in this 1897 photograph, covered with advertisements for the Loewi Clothing Store and the German language newspaper Die Miami Post. It was the largest commercial structure in Piqua prior to the Civil War. The first floor provided retail space, the second floor held offices and the third floor served as a lodge hall.

as a transportation hub with north-south road travel, canal traffic (a half block to the east) and a crossroads with the Pennsylvania Railroad. The street has also been the scene of parades, political rallies, community celebrations, holiday remembrances and even on occasion social strife (KKK rally, strikes and civil rights sit-ins). Main Street continues into the twenty-first century as the heart of the Central Business District.

Erected 2008 by Flesh Public Library and French Oil Mill Machinery Company.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical year for this entry is 1782.

Location. 40° 8.8′ N, 84° 14.362′ W. Marker is in Piqua, Ohio, in Miami County. It is on Main Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is across Main Street from the former railroad (now pedestrian) bridge over the Great Miami River, between Water and Wood Streets. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Piqua OH 45356, United

The Orr-Flesh image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 6, 2009

4. The Orr-Flesh

was the community's first true office building. This building, together with the Buntin-Young Building shown on the right, was built after a disastrous 1902 fire devastated most of the southern half of the 400 block of Main Street.

States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Dayton Metro,

in the Miami Valley,

and in the Till Plains.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Shawnee Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Public Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Lock Nine Riverfront Park (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Shawnee Bridge (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Shawnee Bridge (about 600 feet away); The Mills Brothers (about 700 feet away); Piqua Veterans Memorial (about 700 feet away); McCulloch (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Piqua.

Other markers no longer nearby. The 1913 Flood (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently

This 1895 view shows Main Street at Greene Street image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 6, 2009

5. This 1895 view shows Main Street at Greene Street

being scraped and leveled prior to the laying of brick pavers. Piles of bricks can be seen stacked on the sidewalk on the east side of the street.

removed); Lock Nine (was about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been confirmed missing).

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on March 24, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,434 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 24, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.