Gates Mills, once part of a larger Geauga County, saw its earliest recorded settlement in 1805 when Abner and Samuel Johnson and David Smith arrived from Ontario County, New York. The following year, Daniel Judd—an older Revolutionary War veteran—joined them and settled in the area that later became known as “Judd Gulley.”
Settlement slowed during the War of 1812, but activity picked up in the 1820s. Two of the Gates brothers, Nathaniel and Halsey, established mills that spurred local industry and gave the place its name. Sawmills, grist mills, and later factories provided lumber, flour, and essential goods, gradually forming a small but productive community along the Chagrin River.
As roads improved, more families arrived. Some, like the Mapes, Sherman, Wilson, Dean, and Skidmore families, contributed to the growing network of mills, shops, taverns, and small businesses. Residents also built schools and churches. By the 1840s, multiple schoolhouses operated, and Methodist and Disciples congregations had permanent meeting places, reflecting the settlers’ commitment to both education and faith.
Over time, Gates Mills took shape as a village that balanced practicality and communal life. Its mills, businesses, and early infrastructure fostered growth, while the settlers’ emphasis on civic order, law, and culture set the foundation for the Gates Mills we recognize today. The Historical sketches of the village of Gates Mills details these developments and offers further insight into the people, institutions, and events that defined the village’s past.
Table of Contents
- Early Days in Mayfield Township
- “The Mills”
- Organization and Incorporation of Village of Gates Mills
- Gates Mills from 1908-1940
- Recollections of Mrs. Cora Hunscher Emery
- Wilson’s Mills and Gates Mills Business Directory 1874
- Records of the Post Office Department 1834-1943
- Gates Mills Village Shoemaker and His Shop
- The Biggest Bass Ever Caught in Chagrin River
- The Cleveland and Eastern Railway
- Acquiring the Right of Way
- Plank Road and Suburban Car Days
- Berkshire Road
- In Memoriam -Samuel Prentiss Baldwin.
- St. Christopher’s—By—The-River
- Blessing of the Hunt
- Friends’ Work at Wilson Mills
- The Chagrin Valley Hunt Club
- First Hunt Members
- Polo Comes to Gates Mills
- Letter from George W. Brown
- The Old Livery
- History of Gates Mills Garden Club
- History of Gates Mills Community Club
- History of Gates Mills Improvement Society
- Christmas Party
- Minutes of Mayfield Lyceum, 1844
- Remaking a Village From The Country Calendar, October 1905
- Leaflets: At the Sign of the Maple Leaf
Source
Fleming, Abigail B., Historical sketches of the village of Gates Mills, Gates Mills, Ohio : Gates Mills Community Club, 1943.