Where did the cannon in the park come from?

“Is that an authentic cannon in the park? Did they use it in the Civil War?”

One of our patrons wanted to know more about the cannon in the Newton Falls Veteran’s Memorial Park. One of our librarians took a picture of the engraved stone sign beside the cannon, and another found a few stories about it in Ella A. Woodward’s History of Newton Falls.

The cannon is not a replica, although the wheel carriage it sits on has been rebuilt several times. It was cast in Pittsburgh and then shipped to Warren via the canal. Woodward writes that Andy Carlisle and Warren Patterson went to pick it up from Warren, and that they fired it several times in excitement on the way back.

The cannon in the park is one half of a set. Both parties had one, the Democrats and the Republicans, and they were said to set them off to celebrate elections. According to lore, the Republican cannon came closest to seeing action in the Civil War. During Morgan’s Raid in the summer of 1863, the citizens of Newton Township heard that General John Hunt Morgan and his men had crossed the Ohio River. They loaded up the cannon and went to protect Warren. By the time they reached Leavittsburg, news came that Morgan had already been defeated, so they turned back toward home.

Where is the Republican cannon now? According to one of Woodward’s stories, it injured two people during a celebration and was never used after that. It was stored for a while at the Butts’ home and seems to have disappeared after being taken in to the blacksmith for repairs.

The Democrat cannon in the park was originally mounted on a carriage. When its first carriage rotted away, it was placed on a cement base. The Jaycees restored the carriage in 1975, and it was rebuilt by the Amvets Post 112 in 2003. The Amvets also provided the engraved stone, which they donated in 2006.

When was Arlington Elementary built?

A patron interested in Newton Falls history had some pictures of Arlington Elementary School but couldn’t remember exactly when it had been built.

We checked some of the local history books in our reference section. History of Newton Falls, written by Ella Woodward and revised in 1977, mentioned the then-current principal, Sam Cappelino, but didn’t go any farther back. Lima Lyman’s Lyman’s Histories and Stories of Newton Falls named the 1970 principal (Wesley Jonah) and mentioned a school built in 1920, but didn’t say which school or give more information about Arlington that we could find.

The answer was in front of us all along. The Newton Falls Public Library webpage has a History of Newton Falls section, including a paragraph about the history of education in the town. Arlington Elementary was built in 1929. The school built in 1920 was a high school, but it was damaged in the 1985 tornado and a new one was built in 1987. A new middle school was built near the high school in 2006. The old middle school, which had been built in 1971, was remodeled. In 2007, the old middle school became the new elementary school, and Arlington was demolished the following year.

What does the Newton Falls welcome sign say?

“Can you tell me what the Newton Falls welcome sign says? I know it’s something about churches.”

The Newton Falls Public Library has a Facebook page where people are welcome to post questions. Recently, we saw that someone had posted asking about the town welcome sign. While our librarians remembered the sign, none of us could recall the exact wording.

Because the library had just opened and none of us could go out in town looking for it, we managed to find the answer without leaving the building. First, we looked through some photos from the Local History Room, but we didn’t have any luck there. Then we checked the City of Newton Falls and Newton Falls Commerce Association websites to see if either of them had posted pictures. The Commerce Associate had a picture of the sign on Route 5, which reads “NEWTON FALLS HAS ZIP 44444” and includes a list of local businesses and organizations, but there’s no mention of churches.

We took a virtual tour of the town via the street view option on Google Maps. One of the librarians remembered seeing a welcome sign in the middle of town, so we navigated to the intersection of Broad and Center and there it was. Lettered in orange, the sign says:

“Welcome to our community

Newton Falls Kiwanis Club

Attend the church of your choice.”

When are the tax forms coming in?

With tax season upon us, many patrons have come to the library looking to pick up their federal tax forms as they have in the past. We had always received a large selection of forms and publications from the IRS through the Tax Forms Outlet Program. The program provides tax forms to participating locations, primarily post offices and libraries, which then distribute them to the public.

Last fall, the library requested a variety of forms and publications from the IRS, as we’ve done in previous years. They usually arrive by the end of the year for us to put out in January. However, they did not arrive, and in January we received an email explaining the situation. Having lost $300 million in funding with the passing of the 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill, the IRS is unable to provide many forms through the Tax Forms Outlet Program this year. According to their email, they’ll be sending us copies of the 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ, Publication 4604, and one reference copy of Publication 17. We aren’t sure when these will arrive.

Filing taxes online is always an option. For those who would prefer to file on paper, there are a few ways to get the forms. It’s possible to order tax products directly from the IRS to be delivered by mail. Orders can be placed either online at http://www.irs.gov/Forms-&-Pubs/Order-Products or over the phone by calling 1-800-829-3676. Forms and publications can also be printed from http://www.irs.gov/Forms-&-Pubs. The library staff is happy to print any forms that our patrons need. (Regrettably, we aren’t able to offer the forms for free, and the printing charge will be the same as for any other black and white copies: ten cents per page, with no charge for the first five pages.) Because we aren’t legally allowed to give tax advice, we do ask that patrons know which forms they need. For those who would like more help, we can provide a list of AARP Tax-Aide locations staffed by qualified volunteers.

All links mentioned here are also linked from our website at http://www.newtonfalls.org/index.php/tax-information. We also have links to the AARP Tax-Aide locator, the City of Newton Falls taxforms and information, Ohio tax forms and where to file them online, and the Ohio Benefit Bank, where those below a certain income can file their taxes online for free. 

I'd like information about Watkins Wall

“Could you give me some information on Watkins Wall? When did it go up and why was it taken down?”

Longtime residents of Newton Falls may remember the wall, which stood from 1978 until 1986 on the corner of Broad and Center Streets. Ella A. Woodward’s History of Newton Falls (the revised edition, which had only been published in 1977) didn’t offer any information, so we turned to our Local History Room.

The Local History Room is open most Wednesdays, and one Wednesday evening Linda, our Local History Room volunteer, was able to locate an article from the April 30, 1986 issue of the Newton Falls Herald. The wall had been torn down that Tuesday.

It had been built in 1978, part of a beautification plan that involved planting trees, developing parks, and redesigning storefronts. The city built the ornamental wall, which included planters with trees and shrubbery, and put down new sidewalks on the south side of Broad Street, but unfortunately funds became unavailable before the plan could be finished.

Tearing down the wall was also part of a beautification plan. The Parks and Recreation Commission intended to create a better sense of flow in the Four Corner Parks area. Most of the wall was going to be replaced by a low planter filled with flowering trees and accompanied by a long bench. The trees and shrubbery in the Watkins Wall planter were removed. Some of them were moved to Sixth Street and some to the front of City Hall. It was one stubborn tree that ultimately brought the wall down. When workers went to remove it, it turned out that its roots had been holding together part of the wall, and taking out the tree took brick out with it.

What Used to Be Built Near the Falls in Newton Falls?

A patron was walking near the falls and grew curious about their history. “What used to be built near the falls in Newton Falls? Was there a mill or anything like that?”

We were able to find a lot of information in Fragments of History of Newton Falls and Newton Township, Ohio, compiled, edited, and annotated by Wendell F. Lauth and the Friends of the Newton Falls Public Library and History of Newton Falls, compiled by Ella A. Woodward. Fragments of History even included a picture of the falls, circa 1900, with the Hoyle Woolen Mill on one side and part of the Eagle Mills on the left.

Mr. Canfield and Mr. Ruggles (no first names available) built a sawmill in 1806 on the site that would later house the Hoyle Woolen Mill. The woolen mill itself was built in 1825, enlarged and improved in 1843, and sold to Allen Hoyle in 1857. Under Hoyle's ownership, it became well-known for the excellent quality of its products. According to History of Newton Falls, some of the blankets from the Hoyle mill were still around a hundred years later.

Canfield and Ruggles built the first grist mill (also known as a flour mill) in 1811, but a drunk man took refuge in it one winter night in 1817 and ended up burning it down.Twelve years later, Horace and Augustus Stephens (or Stevens, depending on the source) built the Eagle Mills, another grist mill, to take its place. The Stephens were bought out and their mill rebuilt by the Porter family in 1871, who renamed it the Eagle Mills of Porter and Sons.

Both the Eagle Mills and the Hoyle Woolen Mill seem to have been bought up by an electric company around 1908.

We’re fortunate enough to have a dedicated volunteer who works in the local history room most Wednesdays and may be able to pull more information and old pictures. Give us a call any Wednesday to see if she’s available!

I Want to Find Information About My House

"I recently purchased a home in the city of Newton Falls.  It is over 100 years old and I'm trying to find more information about it. Does the library have anything that can help me?" The Newton Falls Public Library staff has several resources for assisting patrons with a question such as this one.

The first is the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. These are large scale street plans produced by the Sanborn Fire Insurance company from 1867 to 1970.  They may be accessed for free through the library's website, www.newtonfalls.org.  Once there, select Ohio Web Library, then Resources.  The maps are in the subject category Genealogy. Below the list of recent submissions, there is the option of searching within this historic map database.  Typing in the street address and Newton Falls, we found maps back to March of 1889. A great deal of interesting information can be gleaned about the city over the years, such as there was a well and pump at the intersection of Broad and Canal Streets. A notation on the August 1908 map, by the Klingensmith Bro's Flour Mill, says that the mill is to be moved that year from its site by the W. Branch of the Mahoning River.  It is to be replaced by a fire proof electric power plant of the Peerless Electric Co. Sometimes there is information about the materials used in the construction of the buildings or if there was a night watchman. Looking at the maps over the years, it is also possible to see when additions or changes were made to buildings. Viewing these maps, our patron was able to see how her home had changed over the years.

We next viewed the Trumbull County Auditor's property search site. This website includes useful information about some past sales of the property, improvements, and a sketch with construction information.

The library's Local History Room has city directories from 1963 to present which are useful for tracing ownership of houses. The collection of old photographs may also be examined to see older views of some of the homes in the community. 

There is also available a copy of the 1856 map of Trumbull County, Ohio.  Homes are marked on the map, along with the names of the property owners. While the  Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps only include homes within the city limits, this map includes township homes.  The map may be viewed by going to the library's website, selecting Local History and then 1856 Trumbull County Map.

Where Should I Live and What Can Live Here?

The Newton Falls Public Library staff is asked questions about places to live and what is allowed to live in places. One patron was thinking about her future retirement. She didn't need to know financial information, but about lifestyle, and where she and her spouse may consider relocating. Our second patron wanted to know if people are permitted to keep a monkey in the city limits of Newton Falls.

Searching for "best places to retire in the United States" brings up a long list of websites for our patron to examine.  One site, www.topretirements.com  offers not only the top places to retire but also a list of the worst places. It also had links to other sites including: CNN Money Magazine 2011 Best Places to Live, Wall Street Journal -MarketWatch  "Top 10 Places to Retire", Kiplinger's Retiree Tax Heavens (and Hells), Forbes/MSNBC Best Places to Retire,  AARP 10 Best Places to Retire Happily, and US News Best Places to Retire. www.bankrate.com also has a whole section on retirement as well as a cost of living comparison calculator.  This is very useful when considering relocation, to compare how much purchasing power an individual's income will have as compared to where she is currently living. The patron's final decision will be determined by her personal lifestyle choices, preferences, and finances.

We were able to give a second patron a more definitive answer to the question. Going to Community Links on the library's home page, we selected Newton Falls City. From the city's website we chose Mayor,City Council and Legislation. On this page one may select CODIFIED ORDINANCES – Including Charter. These have a search function. There were no results for a search of "monkey," but the term "exotic pets" brought up Chapter 505. 505.13 is Report of escape of exotic or dangerous animal addresses the escape of animals not  indigenous to this State, but not specifically monkeys. Under "505.16  Certain Animals Prohibited (a)     No person shall keep or harbor any horses, cattle, sheep, ponies, mules, goats, pigs, hogs or poultry in the City." We informed our patron of this list. Our staff remembered that several months ago an article appeared in one of the local newspapers listing individuals in Newton Falls who had applied for exotic animal licenses for a variety of animals including monkeys; unfortunately we were unable to locate the article

What is the Phone Number for Small Claims Court?

“What is the phone number for Small Claims Court in Newton Falls?” the individual on the phone asked.  The Newton Falls Public Library staff found the number for Municipal Court in the phone book, but wasn’t sure if it would be the same for Small Claims.

Searching online for ‘”small claims court Newton Falls” took us to the Municipal Court’s website, newtonfallscourt.com.  Here the patron may find Small Claims Information.  There is a wealth of useful information for those both filing the claim and having a claim filed against them.  Included are: General Rules, Introduction, How to Begin, Place of Hearings, Preparing Your Case, Going to Court, Present Your Best Case, Decisions, Satisfaction of Judgment, Collecting a Judgment, Default Judgments, Lists of Assets and Liabilities, Judgment Debtor, Exams / Personal Exam, Garnishments, Limits and Exceptions, Execution, Exemptions, and Liens.

If our caller had wished, a copy of Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court by Ralph E. Warner or How to Win Your Case in Small Claims Court without A Lawyer by Charlie Mann could have been borrowed through our shared Clevnet catalog.

When Was the Newton Falls Police Department Created?

“Can you tell me when the Newton Falls Police Department was created?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff knew exactly where to look for this information.

We immediately referred to the History of Newton Falls by Ella A. Woodward [Revised 1977 Edition, pages 150-152]. In 1872, H. S. Roberts was hired as the town marshal for the hamlet of Newton Falls, Ohio. On March 12, 1873, H. C. Morley was hired as a township marshal. In 1884, the office changed to include the duties of night watchman and lamplighter with a salary of $35 a month.  The first police officer hired by the new village government, which was established on December 13, 1887, was C. S. Medley.

A police department was created by the Newton Falls Village Council on May 7, 1929. “It consisted of one first class and two second class officers who would be appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council. The officers would be subject to dismissal at the mayor’s discretion.” [p. 150]

Our patron may also wish to visit the Library’s Local History Room. The Police Department has placed on permanent loan to the library a variety of historical items including an old radio and a jug which was used by moonshiners during prohibition.

When Did Newton Falls Begin Having 4th of July Fireworks?

“When did Newton Falls begin having 4^th of July fireworks?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff found this to be a very timely question.

We searched through the History of Newton Falls by Ella A. Woodward [Revised 1977 Edition].  In the section about the Sesquicentennial (p. 188) it describes the activities which occurred from March through July 4, 1953. “The festivities were climaxed with the 8^th Annual Veteran’s Homecoming Fireworks Display.” That would have made the first display in 1946, the year following World War II and the return of the veterans.

This year’s celebration will be held on July 4 at 10 p.m. at the Community Center. There is also an interesting Facebook page showing past displays, which can be accessed by going to Newton Falls OH 4th of July Festivities .  The Newton Falls 4th of July Committee also has a page at  www.facebook.com/NFJuly44444.

The Dam, the Hydro-Electric Plant, and Electricity

It was an interesting couple of days for the Newton Falls Public Library staff, when three patrons asked related questions. “Do you have any information about the dam over the West Branch of the Mahoning River, such as who built it and when?” “I was always told that the hydro-electric plant that was once located on the West Branch of the Mahoning River was the first in the country. Is that true?” “I’m interested in the viability of hydro-electric power. The old plant in Warren powered motors, but did not actually supply electric for the city. How about the plant in Newton Falls?”

Page 15 of the History of Newton Falls noted that after river improvements were made in 1923, Samuel Oviatt erected the first dam and built a sawmill at that location on the river. In 1908, the Hydro-Electric Company power plant was built at the site . . . “and the dam was reconstructed to be 60 feet long and provide an 18 foot head [pp. 99-100].” After a hole was discovered in the spillway in 1988, the dam was repaired that summer by community volunteers.

In reference to the second question, the staff learned that “on September 30, 1882, the world's first hydroelectric power plant began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin.”  In 1881, “Niagra Falls was the first of the American hydroelectric power sites developed for major generation and is still a source of electric power today. The early hydroelectric plants were direct current stations built to power arc and incandescent lighting during the period from about 1880 to 1895.” Since the Newton Falls Hydro-Electric Company power plant was built in 1908, it was not the first.

The answer the final question was also found in the History of Newton Falls. In 1908, [Newton Falls] “city passed ordinance for perpetual franchise to Peerless Electric [then purchased by Hydro-Electric Company] to supply electric service to the village . . . [pp. 99-100].”