An old document uncovered in the files of the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society states before the first banks opened in Grove City in 1903, residents either traveled to Columbus or borrowed money from private individuals at exorbitant interest rates.

Eugene C. Wagner, Adam G. Grant and Emil Kiesewetter realized an opportunity and organized the Grove City Savings Bank on April 21, 1903 with a capital of $25,000. Local business owners and area farmers were quick to purchase stock in the new bank located in a small building on the west side of Broadway near Grove City Road. As the bank prospered, more space was needed and in 1905, it relocated to new office space in the Elias A. White building, at the southeast corner of Broadway and Park Street until 1923 when a new bank building was constructed across the street. Grove City Savings was later purchased by Tiney M. McComb changing the name to the Franklin Bank. Kiesewetter, one of the founders of Grove City Savings Bank also organized the Ohio Savings Bank that eventually became Ohio National Bank.

Grove City’s second bank, The Farmers and Merchants Bank, opened in Grove City in the spring of 1903 but it wasn’t capitalized with $25,000 until June 11. At that time, the bank’s name was changed to The First National Bank. The men who established the bank included Joseph M. Briggs and Daniel Weygandt. That bank was located at the southeast corner of Broadway and Columbus Street eventually becoming part of Huntington Bank. For many years, the Ohio Bell Telephone Company operated its office and exchange on the second floor.

The first school in Grove City was an existing log structure located on Lot 32 at School Street (Park Street) and Alley #2 (Arbutus Avenue), according to research by Faye Morland in her book, Epoch of the Park Street School. A new wood frame structure was built on the site around 1862 and replaced in 1888 by a brick, two story school. A three-year high school curriculum was offered at the Park Street School around 1893 and three years later, the first graduation class was all girls, as shown. By 1908, an issue over a Presbyterian or Methodist prayer caused a community uproar just before a commencement service. The school board wanted to hold the ceremony at Adam Grant’s auditorium but he initially refused because he wanted a “good old Methodist prayer” so the board made plans to hold the commencement at the Presbyterian Church. Grant backed down and allowed the school board to used his auditorium with a Presbyterian sermon and prayer.

The Concord Chapel Animal Hospital at the corner of 665 and Hoover Rd resembles a church and there’s good reason…it once was. Concord Chapel’s congregation, once a Methodist Episcopal Church, dates to 1847 and was built at a cost of $1,800, according to the files of the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society. That makes it one of the oldest organized churches in Jackson Township. In the early 1800s, the church had a “pew board” that separated seating inside the church requiring men to sit on one side and women and children on the other. It was also common to have two entrances, one for men and another for women but that might not have been the case at Concord. Sometime around 1907, members of the church purchase their first bell which remained in the steeple until 1990 when it was removed because of safety concerns. Martin Addy provided the equipment to remove the bell assisted by Rick Weber and Jeff Wellman. It has since been moved to a permanent site at Century Village.

One hundred and twenty-seven years ago, two 12-foot tusks were unearthed in Grove City in a pit where a company manufactured clay tile. A partial skull and teeth were also found. The remains were identified as a Mastodon by a professor from the Ohio State University but an examination of the photo might indicate the find was misidentified, instead being a Mammoth. [Note the shovel in upper left for size comparison.] Mastodon tusks have a slight curve; the Mammoth tusk has a more dramatic curve. The find was uncovered in an area behind St. John’s Lutheran Church on Columbus Street. What do you think, Mastodon or Mammoth? Source: A History of Grove City, Ohio

Gary Burley, of Urbancrest, is an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh where he played defensive lineman. He attended Grove City High School and Brookpark Middle School. Burley was a 1975 round three pick in the National Football League draft.