Miller Farm Carriage Step

Miller Farm Carriage Step. . [Left side] In horse and baggy days, carriage steps helped you in and out of a buggy, and up and down from a horse. , This carriage step was originally located at the James T. Miller farm, which included a gracious 20-room home. Miller lived there with his wife, Esther, six daughters, and two sons. It was located where First Community Village is now. , James T. Miller sold 840 acres of the farm to developers King and Ben Thompson in 1913, becoming the first part of Upper Arlington to be developed. He kept a few acres for his family. James T. Miller served as Upper Arlington's first mayor from 1918-1919. , [Bottom] Esther Almeda Miller (1917-2015) saved this carriage step from the Miller farm when the house and remaining property were sold in 1961. , Esther was the granddaughter of James T. Miller. Her father, Henry, was the older of the two Miller sons. Henry and his wife, Helen, lived with their five children at 1860 Cambridge Boulevard. It was one of the first homes built in Upper Arlington and still lies directly south of Miller Park. Esther learned to ride her pony, Peg, here in Miller Park. She walked from the Cambridge Boulevard home down to the Miller farm barn where she kept Peg and used this step. , Esther was a proud member of the Upper Arlington High School Class of 1935 and a lifelong resident. She was passionate about many things, even miniature donkeys, but especially history. , [Right side] The brick pavers in the patio below are Nelsonville Block and Hocking Block, manufactured in Nelsonville, Ohio during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The blocks originally formed the bed for the trolley line that, in the 1920s, ran up Arlington Ave. from 5th Ave. The line eventually extended to North and South Parkway near Lane Ave., where it ended. Streetcar service was discontinued in 1936 as automobiles took over, but these bricks lay beneath Arlington Ave. for another 75 years before being salvaged for reuse in various UA parks. , The trolley stopped at the eastern corner of Miller Park across from 1901 Arlington Ave. The building served many functions over the years. It was Upper Arlington's village hall, the Upper Arlington Company's field office, a voting location, and a shelter for streetcar passengers. It now serves as the Miller Park branch of the Upper Arlington Public Library. , [Captions (clockwise from top left) , . House and carriage step at the Miller farm circa 1895. , . Trolley across from 1901 Arlington Avenue in 1921. , . 1860 Cambridge Boulevard. , . Esther Miller