About

What is Springboro Estate All About?  Being Comprehensive!

Welcome to the webs largest and only comprehensive community dedicated to living in the Springboro , Clearcreek Township area of Ohio.

When we first moved to the Springboro / Clearcreek area we,  like so many who move into a new home had a lot of questions and a lot to do! The challenge was… we didn’t know anyone yet and really didn’t know where to find the places and items we needed. We searched the yellow pages that were left behind by the previous owners and used our cell phones to acces 411.  But we didn’t even have our internet connection set up so searching online was impossible. To be honest,  we didn’t even know who to call to have our internet service set up!

So we decided to develop Springboro Estate into a comprehensive resource for those moving into the area.  We never imagined it would turn into a solid resource for those who have lived here their whole lives .. but it has!  Here at Springboro Estate you will find local information regarding:

•    Springboro Schools
•    Important Numbers ( utilities, internet services, hospitals, police etc )
•    Food and Dining
•    Events and Entertainment
•    Springboro / Clearcreek Community Information
•    Local News and Articles
•    and More!

Future plans for Springboro Estate include the deveopment of a social network where the residents of Warren County, OH can connect!

Below we have included  information and history of Springboro / Clearcreek, OH. We welcome you to our site and hopefully to our growing community!

Welcome to Springboro, Ohio! Where History Meets the Future.

Springboro, one of the fastest growing communities in Warren County, is located between Dayton and Cincinnati in southwest Ohio. Attractive housing and excellent schools set amid rolling farmland make Springboro the choice of many families coming into the area. The city’s master plan controls expansion and preserves the small-town qualities valued by residents. A six-block section of South Main Street has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Quick Demographics

Springboro is a city in Warren and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is in Warren County’s Clearcreek and Franklin Townships and Montgomery County’s Miami Township. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 12,380, up from 6,574 in 1990 and 8,000 in 1980.

The Warren County portion of Springboro is part of the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Montgomery County portion is part of the Dayton, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,380 people, 4,261 households, and 3,600 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,405.1 people per square mile (542.6/km²). There were 4,423 housing units at an average density of 502.0/sq mi (193.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.00% White, 0.99% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.60% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.

There were 4,261 households out of which 48.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.8% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.5% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city the population was spread out with 32.3% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $72,316 in 2000, and the median income for a family was $78,786. In 2007, median household income was $88,708. Males had a median income of $60,581 versus $36,790 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,257. About 2.4% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

The city is in the Springboro Community City and Franklin City School Districts. Telephone service is provided through the Springboro, Franklin, Centerville, and Miamisburg exchanges and Springboro telephone numbers have the Dayton 937 area code.

History:

Settled as early as 1796, Springboro was founded in 1815 by Jonathan Wright, a relative of the Wright Brothers, as “Springborough.” Jonathan Wright’s father, Joel Wright, was a surveyor who plotted Columbus, Ohio. Springboro was predominantly Quaker during its earlier years.

Springboro is known largely for its historical significance during the hiding of slaves through the system of the Underground Railroad due to a large portion of its residents holding an Anti-Slavery opinion. Achilles Pugh, in fact, published a local paper during this time called “the Philanthropist” to enrich the belief of abolishing slavery.

The city of Springboro is the first city to erect an Ohio Underground Railroad Historic Marker on October 17, 1999. The dedication was part of the 4th Annual Ohio Underground Railroad Summit.

From sogonow:

Old Springboro looks like a typical, quiet, mid-1800s Ohio small town with its well built brick and wood homes and shops. But right below this placid exterior is an open secret- from 1825 to 1865, this predominantly Quaker town, with 27 safe houses, was a major stop on the Underground Railroad. Stroll the streets of historic Springboro Ohio, just one-half hour north east of Cincinnati, and you will be transported to that time nearly 150 years ago.

During my walk around town, I remembered stories passed down about my great-grandfather, who escaped from a plantation in Kentucky with the aid of “safe” houses. He and his 2 brothers came to Ohio to enlist in the Union army. I imagined him finding Springboro, named for the many springs running through the area, and feeling safe.Â

I could imagine him traveling in darkness, coming upon Jonathan Wright’s house with its white washed chimney on one side, just like he had been told by the conductor at the last stop. He would be hidden in a secret room in the attic. Or maybe he would see the Star quilt hanging in the back room of Joseph Stanton’s house. This design on quilts represented the North Star, the star to freedom for slaves. Possibly he would hide at John Bateman’s tannery. This was an excellent hiding place because the strong odors generated by the tanning process kept the slave catchers and their dogs away!

The Springboro Historical Society used written and oral resources to verify the existence of the Underground Railroad in Springboro. By definition it was secretive with little written documentation, except for escaped slave narratives and correspondence of the period. The society has letters written during this period referring to helping slaves, as well as a book written by William Siebert from the early 1900s. He interviewed family members and reviewed correspondence from the time period. In addition, the houses themselves reveal their use for hiding slaves.

Springboro was founded in 1815 by Jonathan Wright, a Quaker opposed to slavery. It is not surprising that he and others in the town aided escaped slaves on their way to freedom in Canada. A walk through modern day Springboro takes you past many of their beautiful homes including Jonathan Wright’s house, currently a Bed and Breakfast. From a guest room, visitors can view a hiding place built into the attic of the house.

Many of Wright’s family were involved with the Underground Railroad. A warm meal, fresh clothes and a place to stay for a few hours or days until it was safe to move on could be found at these homes. His son Mahlon Wright’s home was connected by a tunnel to a property across the street. Mahlon and his brother, Josiah, also ran the general store, built in 1854 and run by the family until 1895. Later he served as an Ohio Legislator.

Jonathan Wright’s nephew, Warner Bateman, was an Underground Railroad agent and later a U.S. district judge. As a Quaker, he answered to conscience, breaking the law against slavery while upholding laws as an attorney and later judge.

One of the more interesting sights to visit in Springboro is the Friends Cemetery. Jonathan Wright, his wife and many of their family members are buried here, as well as 8 other known Underground Railroad conductors. Although there are more traditional headstones now, originally Quakers marked the graves with simple river stones with no inscription. Local legend says that a runaway slave, who died of natural causes while hiding in the Penrose House, was buried in the middle of the night in the cemetery. There is one grave, marked simply “unknown”. It is suspected that this is the grave of that unknown slave.

Ohio was strategically located as a first step to freedom for the fugitive slaves. In addition, Cincinnati and towns to its north and east, like Springboro, had large Quaker and anti-slavery Presbyterian and Methodist populations. These religious groups established an informal underground network in the southern Ohio counties that were across the river from Kentucky. Slave narratives document their passage through southwest Ohio. Because of the secretiveness, it is hard to know how many slaves actually escaped. However, in 1998, the National Park Service released a study estimating that about 1,500 slaves successfully escaped to freedom every year.

It was a difficult passage often traveling at night. A “conductor” for the Railroad assisted the fugitives to pass from place to place, sometimes actually taking their “passenger” to the next stop. The “stations” were safe places to stay for a day or longer on the route to freedom. Often the stations were areas beneath floors or behind walls (as in Jonathan Wright’s house) that allowed the runaways to rest and eat before they continued on their journey. Since most slaves could not read or write, songs were used as code for how to travel. The song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” referred to the Big Dipper and an easy way to locate the North Star.

Today, you can imagine following a part of the path of the escaped slaves as you take a self-guided walking tour and explore the identified houses. Stop at the historical society offices to pick up a map and chat about the town. The whole family will enjoy this trip.

Go anytime of year, but the special weekend to step back in time is during the Freedom Festival, the weekend before Memorial Day. Experience re-enactments from the mid-1800s when slaves escaped and slave catchers came looking for them. The store owners and residents dress in period clothing, as they involve visitors in the re-enactments. Visit a Union Army Civil War encampment. Ride a carriage down Main Street, just as you would have in 1860.