Sometimes a place has to go through several names before it finds one to suit it. Such was the case with Holmesville, Ohio.

Located in Prairie Township (northern Holmes County on SR 83, between US 250 and SR 39), the village of Holmesville is home to 386* residents.

The village's history is one of the longest in Holmes County, for it was one mile northeast of what is now Holmesville that Jonathan Grant built a cabin in 1809 - the first white man's residence in the area. One year later, several more families followed, including that of Jonathan Butler, another of the founding fathers of the Holmes County area. Butler's daughter was the first baby born in the newly settled area.

In those early days, life must have been difficult and uncomfortable for the settlers. Most of the buildings were undoubtedly log or wooden structures, built with readily available area lumber. However, around 1812 Peter Croco, an early resident, built a brick house a little north of what is now Holmesville. The house still stands, although the original structure has had several additions over the years.

The village built its first post office in 1837. Two years later, the first church building appeared.

The little town continued to establish itself during the 1850s and 60s. 1854 brought the railroad through town, connecting the village to much-needed goods and supplies (and faraway relatives). In 1860 the first schoolhouse was constructed, a two-story wooden structure.

Before and during the Civil War, the Croco house was an active station on the Underground Railroad. Many tales still linger detailing the house's role in the escape of southern slaves, but one sticks out as the most exciting, even a bit humorous.

The Croco house was a hub of the Underground Railroad. As the legend goes, one morning the residents of the house were serving a meal to a large group of slaves. To accommodate everyone, makeshift tables had been fashioned using planks of wood and sawhorses.

Suddenly, the master of the house received warning that slave hunters were approaching the house. Everything was torn down quickly, and the frightened slaves were sent on their way. When the hunters arrived, the gracious family invited them to have breakfast before continuing on their hunt. They accepted, and the master of the house proceeded to pray the longest Psalm in the Bible (with 119 verses), thereby allowing the slaves even more time to escape!

Throughout its history, the town that ended up as Holmesville has had several names and locations. Originally formed as Wilmington, the village was intended to be a canal town, but the canal was never built. For a long time, the village was known as Lafayette; finally, the name Holmesville stuck.

Today Holmesville is home to many historic buildings, several churches, an elementary school, library and outlying shops. The area is primarily agricultural, with chief crops being corn, wheat, oats and hay. Dairy farms are an important part of the local economy.

* Source: 2000 Census

- Information taken from an article appearing in the Daily Record, March 11, 1976, and Our Home Town Holmesville, copyright 2001 by David A Stallman. (March/April 2002 Edition)