In the early days, in the 16 and 1700s, present-day Springdale was home to the Miami Indians. And they were actually the ones who first cleared a path through this area so they could hunt and gather, farm and grow. It’s where they honored their tribe and their ancestors.

That path was called the Miami Trace. It was a powerful and important point of passage that was respected by everyone who came through it.

Then, after the passing of The Northwest Ordinance (1787) – which established the blueprint and precedent for westward expansion - more and more white travelers and explorers started to come into the area. And in 1805, a fellow by the name of John Baldwin, plotted what would become the earliest incarnation of Springdale. And soon, that Miami Trace became a major transportation route. And over time, it became known as the Great Road.

As Springdale grew, everyone who entered used The Trace – that Great Road - as their main connection point. It became a symbol of growth and opportunity. And it was an essential building block in the development of all things that were to come.

With the Great Road serving as its foundation, more and more settlers began to come to the area. Those days, which were just a few decades past the American Revolution, Springdale was essentially situated along the western edge of "civilization."

For the folks who ventured through here, it was all new. But they were bold enough to embrace that unknown. They were driven by the idea of creating a new life, and building a new opportunity. They were among the most adventurous of all Americans.

And they came here full of hope. And yes, they wanted a chance to create wealth, but they also wanted an opportunity to create meaning. And build things that matter with – and for – the people they cared about most.

Mr. Baldwin, was a blacksmith and a scythe maker. He appreciated the ability to create something with his own hands. And he chose this site – and his neighbors well.

On the other side of the Inn, Mr. Hilts had his own blacksmith shop. He was the patriarch of what became a family of manufacturers and merchants.

Just north of the Hilts’ shop, on the righthand side of the road was "Cobblers' Row." And Mr. Striker, had the busiest workshop on the Row. His shop was actually attached to the back of his house, which sat on the corner of Plum and the Pike.

A block down the road, on Plum and Main, is where Mr. Van Dyke made his legendary saddles. He softened them, and shaped them, and stitched them all by hand. His saddles became one of the most treasured gifts a father could give his son.

These families, along with most others, lived over, behind or next door to some type of workshop. The shop was more than where you plied your craft. It was where memories were created, and relationships were forged.

It was the center of family and social life, so that work and home were completely integrated.

Springdale was made up of farmers, merchants, mechanics, blacksmiths, cobblers, tailors, inventors and manufacturers. It was a true Artisan Village, where local meant everything.

And soon, all of these elements came together to form a community. But, truth be told, during its early history, the village was a rough place.

Down at ol’ Turner's Tavern, loud, swearing, whiskey-drinking mule-train drivers mingled with stank and stinky hog drovers who stopped on their way to market. It got rowdy at times. But it also created the grit that was necessary to see the village through some of the trying years that were to come.

As time passed, the village grew and prospered. Respectability spread through every part of village life. The quality of life was elevated. The church elders and farmers and tradesmen began to create a culture; create a “brand” of their own.

By 1816, Springdale was one of the wealthiest villages in Hamilton County.

And, as often is the case in life, its growth had come full circle, with the whole community centered on the traffic generated by the trace-now-turned-turnpike.

And because of the noise and dirt from the Pike, most of the homes had their porches on the side of the house instead of the front. They tried to put shutters up on the windows that faced the street to get a bit of privacy, but you could never escape the sound of that Old Great Road.

There were trees along the Pike that gave a little bit of buffer from the noise and a bit of elegance for the scene. But the most impactful ornament was this beautiful white-picket fence that surrounded it – one of the most iconic elements of Americana, that symbolized the ideal middle-class lifestyle. A place where you could build a family, raise children, create a home, and live with peaceful ambition.

Springdale had truly become a place that anyone could go and call home.

And now today, more than 200 years later. We want to make it that place again.