City of Tiffin history

The main traveled road of the area followed the path of the stagecoaches through Oakley, which was called Fort Ball after 1824.

About 1825, 3 of the Seneca chiefs set out west to seek new homelands and new hunting grounds for their people, as indian removal was an up-and-coming topic in Congress.

1827 - Drinking Brandy at Erastus Bowe's Tavern The following is quoted from "Diary & Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes"

Finally in 1828 Hedges was successful in securing the Federal Land Office, and the town finally began to grow in population and development.

On the first day of September, 1829, Josiah Hedges sold one acre of land, adjacent to the old City Cemetery (now Little Hedges Park) to Bishop Fenwick for $33, for the purpose of establishing a catholic church.

In the fall of 1831 as the Senecas were preparing for their move to the Oklahoma country, Gen.

The first mass in the new, yet unfinished church was said on Easter Sunday in 1833.

1834 - The Old City Cemetery & Other History The following is quoted from a volume of Readings Before The Dolly Todd Madison Chapter, DAR, Tiffin, Ohio.

The town of Tiffin was officially incorporated on March 7, 1835 and 15 years later Tiffin absorbed Fort Ball after 15 years of strife between the two communities.

Great rejoicing was evident when the free bridge opened in January of 1837.

1841 - First Train in Tiffin In Lang's History of Seneca County, the following is on page 266.

The Seneca County Academy, once located in Republic, Ohio, was incorporated in 1844.

In 1846, Tiffin contained eight churches, an iron foundry, two newspaper offices, and fourteen stores.

These two communities, split by the Sandusky River, were rivals; however, in 1850, seeing that later their interests lay together, the villages merged to form Tiffin, with Fort Ball becoming a part of Tiffin in March of that year.

The first service was held on January 11, 1851 with Rev.

1853 - The Seneca County Infirmary On May 24, 1853, the Seneca County Commissioners moved to purchase a farm for the purpose of building a "poor farm". After examining a number of farms, the lands of Samuel Herrin, I. C. B. Robinson and the heirs of J. C. Murray were purchased the following year.

That building was purchased about 1856, by Y. H, Ryan, for $200, and was moved to mouth of Rock Creek, along the Sandusky River.

1859 - Heidelberg College Evolving & Growing Now well settled into their new building on College Hill, now known as Founders Hall, the young college continued it's evolution into the future.

The former Seneca County, Ohio tribe signed the treaty in October of 1861.

In 1872 Professor Richards established the Northwestern Normal School in the academy building, which operated only a short time.

1879 - Sheriff Lease & His Monday Morning Rat Hunt From the Thursday September 11 Seneca Advertiser

1887 - A Sad Accident In The Baccus Home At Green Springs August Baccus and his English wife were not able to have children of their own.

1888 - In the Blanchard and Sandusky rivers at Findlay and Tiffin, O, high water had on the 27th driven many families from their homes.

These are from the June 15, 1897 edition of the Seneca Advertiser. "Pills do not cure constipation.

In 1901 one of their circulars made it's way to the office of the Atlantic Monthly Magazine.

The present church was completed in 1907, and it still stands at the corner of South Sandusky & Clay Streets.

University Field, which was renamed Ohio Field in 1908, replaced the old North Athletic Field west of Neil Ave.

1834 - The Old City Cemetery & Other History The following is quoted from a volume of Readings Before The Dolly Todd Madison Chapter, DAR, Tiffin, Ohio. It is found under the heading of "Our Historic Sites And Buildings" by Myrtle Allbritain, 1912.

1917 - Sandusky River Walls Completed In December, 1917, working crews were engaged in pouring the last section of the river walls, adjacent to the mouth of Rock Creek.

Tiffin has been the home of Ballreich’s Bros., a potato chip company, since 1920.

Tiffin Calvert Football 1924 -The First Season The History of Tiffin Calvert Football

Tiffin is the home of the historic Ritz Theatre, built in 1928 as a vaudeville house with an Italian Renaissance design.

1947 - WTFM FM Is On The Air Tiffin's new FM station, located at 98.3, went on the air for the first time on October 3, 1947.

Nevertheless, the company has also been directly responsible for a large number of very positive capital improvements in Tiffin through the generousity of the National Machinery Foundation, which was formed in 1948.

On December 6, 1956, Visconti announced their intention to build a shopping center on the land, and Tiffin immediately began the work of extending utilities toward the site.

In November of 1957, Kroger became the first major tenant to announce their intention to move in, abandoning their downtown site.

In 1966 the Sears Roebuck Co. began construction in the northwest corner of the center, and the following year Visconti announced that they would build new storefronts in the gap between Foodtown and Sears, and Oakwood Ave. was cut through to Market St to provide further access.

1978 - The Blizzard of '78 During the last week of January an early morning rain became an incredible snow storm accompanied by high winds.

In the years following the 1980 season the relationship between the two programs became more and more cooperative.

On February 14, 1998 the newly remodeled Theater held it's Grand Re-opening.

In 2000, Tiffin was Seneca County’s largest urban center, with a population of 18,135 people.