A History of Paddy’s Run Ohio

On June 29, 1801, William and Morgan Gwilym purchased land at the Cincinnati Land Office in what is now Morgan Township, laying the foundation for Ohio’s first Welsh settlement. The Welsh had initially settled in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century but moved westward, establishing themselves here in 1802. This area became a major destination for the 1818 migration from Montgomeryshire and Cardiganshire in Wales. In 1803, a Congregational Church was organized, with services held in members’ homes or outdoors. A brick Meetinghouse, featuring a traditional Welsh death door leading to the cemetery, was built in 1824 and now serves as the Community House. The current brick church was constructed in 1854. For many years, the library founded in 1852 was housed in the New London Special School District building that once stood on this site.

In 1831, a post office was established and named Paddy’s Run after a nearby stream, as the Postmaster General had rejected the local name of New London. Younger residents objected to being called “Paddies” by outsiders and lobbied for a name change. The community was renamed Glendower in 1886 but reverted to Paddy’s Run in 1888 following a boycott of the post office in 1887. As a compromise, the name was changed to Shandon in 1893. From this original Welsh settlement emerged communities like Gomer and Venedocia in northwest Ohio and others in northeastern Indiana. Welsh settlements in east Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin trace their roots back to Paddy’s Run. The area was the birthplace of notable Ohioans such as Murat Halstead, a journalist and editor known for his war correspondence; Albert Shaw, editor of the Review of Reviews; Dr. Mark Francis, a pioneer in veterinary medicine; and Dr. Edward Francis, a researcher with the U.S. Public Health Service.

The Saga of the Paddy’s Run” is an excellent exemplification of the results of a microscopic study of the origin and development of a very small community. The conquest of their primitive environment by the pioneer settlers on this segment of the American frontier is faithfully portrayed. The whole story, diligently pieced together from fragmentary remains and contemporary accounts, is a welcome addition to local history. One of the most valuable parts of the book is the depiction of the physiographic basis of the region in question.

The work is also a mine of information for the genealogist: the names. of heads of families (and others) together with brief sketches and a complete index will be of much use in their research.

Table of Contents

1. The Saga of the Paddy’s Run (Ohio Journal of Science, Vol 41, No. 4) 15
2. Early Days:
   • The Wild Animals, 31
   • Contacts with the Indians, 33
3. Implements, House and Farm:
   • Soap Day, 38
   • The Blacksmith, Shop, 39
4. 1818 Immigrants and Morgan Gwilym’s Leters to Wales, 41
5. The 1828 Squirrel Hunt, by Flora Shields, 45
6. The Migration to Gomer, 1833, 49
7. Earthquakes and Meteorites:
   • The 1811-12 Earthquakes, 51
   • The 1833 Meteorites, by Murat Halstead and John Vaughan, Jr., 51
8. The Asiatic Cholera, 1834, 54
9. Early Cabinet Makers, 63
10. The Roads, the Pike and the Bus, 71
11. The Militia:
    • The War of 1812 (also see Appendix III) 77
    • The Mexican War, 78
    • The Civil War (also see Appendix III)… 78
    • Soldiers of World War I (see Appendix I) 166
    • Soldiers of World War II (see Appendix I) 166
12. Names of the Paddy’s Run Postoffice, 83
13. Sons and Daughters of the Community, 89
14. Special Biographies, 105
15. The Old Graveyard and the Churches:
    • The Old Graveyard, by S. R. Williams and Annie F. Crafts, 113
    • The Community House, by Edith Morris, 117
    • The Catholic Church, by Thomas Scheel, 119
    • The United Brethren Church, by Edna Walther and Ruth W, Wilson, 119
    • The Congregational Church from 1856, by Clara Francis, 120
16. The Schoolhouses of Paddy’s Run………. 127
17. The Libraries of Paddy’s Run, by Martha Francis and S. R. Williams, 131
18. Houses:
    • The John Vaughan House, 139
    • The James Shields House, by Clara Francis 141
    • The Halstead Houses, by Alice Scott Robinson, 144
    • The Hewn Loghouse of the Thomas Select School, by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Robinson, 146
    • The John Evans House, by Lela Evans Walther, 150
    • The Birthplace of Albert Shaw, 153
    • The Dan Wilkins House, by Clara Wilkins Irwin, 154
    • The (Butterfield) Morris House, by Edith Morris, 157
    • The Abner Francis House, 160

Appendix I. Lists of Soldiers in World Wars 1+2, 166
Appendix II. Articles of Faith. Constitution and History of the Congregational Church of the Whitewater, by the Rev. B. W. Chidlaw, 1840, 167
Appendix III. Historical Sketch of Paddy’s Run, by the Rev. B. W. Chidlaw, July 30, 1876, 172
Bibliography, 192
Index, 193