Name/Title
Harding's Grandparents Operated Ohio HouseDescription
Harding's Grandparents Operated Ohio House from the Waupun Leader News May 6,1969
Harding's Grandparents Operated Waupun's Historical Ohio House
One of the oldest and most historical landmarks in Waupun is being razed to make way for a parking and used car lot.
The building, known in the earlier days of Waupun's history as the old Ohio House, was located west of the railroad tracks on the south side of Main St.
It was one of the early Waupun hotels (built in 1850's)...and..in or before -1861 this hotel was owned and operated by one of the oldest settler couples, Joshua and Sophia Crawford, grandpar- ents of Warren G Harding, 29th. president of the United States.
Joshua Crawford, died Sept. 9, 1868, at the age of 65. His wife died Sept. 21, 1870 aged 68. They are buried in 'Forest Mound cemetery.
The building had been in continuous use to the present time, in more recent years as an apartment house, with no architectural change. It was at this site that the community's first burial ground was located. A Towne child who was poisoned from drinking whiskey at his father's barn raising was the first interment.
The first schoolhouse was also located here, a one-room log cabin used from 1844 to 1847.
The hotel exchanged hands many times in the past 100 years, but for many years it was owned by Helen Scott who rented out several apartments. Last year Miss Scott sold the property to Nummedor Brothers who sold the building to Richard Golz who is raising the building.
The Ohio House was mentioned in a letter to the editor of the Waupun Leader from Benjamin F.
Harding, M.D., dated Mansfield, Ohio, Feb. 17 '1902.
Through the kindness of relatives that reside in your city, I have had the pleasure of reading each week the early history of Waupun, my birthplace. I recall many pleasant memories of childhood that was spent in my town. I was but ten years of age when my parents moved from Waupun to the state of Ohio and the recollections of my native town are as fresh and dear to me as if it were but yesterday.
The old Ohio House which is a few doors west of the railroad, on Main street was the place..of.. mybirth,..my grandfather being thelandlord, who no doubt many of the older citizens remernber as Joshua Crawford. This was in 1861.
Although quite young I remember the return of the soldiers home from our cival war, among them my father, A. A. Harding, Co. G. 21st Wis. Vol.
I remember quite well the friendly strife that existed between the upper and lower town citizens. "Before attending the North Ward school I becarne a summer school scholar in a country
school about three miles north of town known to me as the Amadon school house. The teacher during that season was an aunt of mine who I presume, desired to give me a preliminary course before entring upon my regular course of studies in the North Ward.
"In order to attend that school it was necessary to live in that ward and we moved from the Ohio House one block north to the first house west of the depot and on the same side of the street."
There were six daughters and two sons in the Crawford family. Dr. George T. Harding, father of President Harding, was a son of Mary Crawford Harding who never lived here, having married before the family left Ohio, but who carne here at the time of her mother's death in 1870.
The president was named for Warren Gamaliel Bencroft, at one time a resident in Waupun. He was a Methodist minister and having married one of the daughters of the Crawford family, was a great Uncle of the president.
(Portions of the above in formation is derived from research done by Mrs. Earl (Lena) Luck, Beloit.)Acquisition
Accession
2011.0500Source or Donor
Waupun Newspapers and other newspapers.Acquisition Method
Bequest,Collected byCredit Line
These are basically newspaper article that Jim cut from the newspapers and presented for documentation.