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History Of Berlin
The village of Berlin is the oldest existing village in Holmes County, having been laid out on July 2, 1816. A man by the name of John Swigert, a native from Berlin, Germany arranged for 108 lots to be laid out along an east and west street and a north and south street. Mr. Swigert and another early settler, Joseph Troyer from Berlin, Pennsylvania, named the town after their respective home towns. Folklore suggests that Swigert chose the site of Berlin because its elevation, the highest in Holmes, County, made its defense more feasible in case of attack by Indians.
Tom Lion, an indian cheif, has been a part of Berlin historical lore from the first days white settlers arrived here. He imigrated here from Pennsylvani and is said to have taken part in many massacre's of white settlers. He was 77 years old when Berlin was laid out in 1816. He lived in a small ravine just north of Berlin along a creek that is named after him, Lions Creek, between Berlin and Bunker Hill.
There was much industry in Berlin in the 1800's, it boasted of machine shops, a foundry, dry goods stores, hotels, tailor shops, hat factories, blacksmith shops, a tannery, a grist mill and a hugely successful Berlin auction in the early to mid 1900's.
A school was started in 1818 and also a post office. A number of churches were a part of early Berlin history including Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and Mennonite. Not until nearly 1820 did Amish settlers come into Berlin Township in any numbers. The first Amish church was established around 1820.
The Pomerene family was a very prominent family in Berlin and Holmes County. Among them were doctors and a U.S. Senator. Pomerene Hospital in Millersburg is named after one of them because of money donated by the family to start the hospital. Their house still stands along east main street in Berlin.
Most of the early settlers of the Berlin area originated from Germany and Switzerland, first settling in Pennsylvania, then migrating to Ohio.
Compiled by Mary Sundheimer
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