The City of Eaton, A Brief History:

The town of Eaton was platted on February 20th, 1806, by William Bruce, who built the area's first gristmill. It was recorded on the same date in Montgomery County, Ohio. It was not recorded in Preble County until December 27, 1825.

The U.S. victory in the Tripolitan War against the Barbary Pirates in 1805 provided a strong influence as the United States celebrated its first naval triumph as an independent country. Our Marine Corps Hymn, of course, highlights reference to "The Shores of Tripoli" The Commander of the American Naval Fleet in the Mediterranean during the Tripolitan War was Commodore Edward Preble in honor of whom Preble County was named. The county seat, Eaton, was named for William Eaton, the U.S. Consul at Tunis, who led a diverse army in a harrowing march from Egypt to Tripoli to meet the U.S. Naval forces. Decatur, Israel, Wadsworth and Somers streets in Eaton were all named in honor of other heroes of the Tripolitan War.

The town consisted of 233 lots with St. Clair's Creek (Seven Mile Creek) forming its western boundary. Water street followed the course of the waterway. Also running north and south were Walnut, Beech, Barron, Cherry and Maple streets, intersected by Israel, Wadsworth, Preble (later Main), Somers and Decatur Streets running east and west.

William Bruce reserved for himself and his heirs the ground located between Water Street and the creek for the purpose of building mills or waterworks but specified that if the land should not be in use for those purposes, it was to remain free as a common. Mr. Bruce also laid out sixteen outlets at the northeast edge of the original plat.

He gave five lots for use as public lands. Four were at the intersection of Preble and Barron Streets. Lot A, at the southeast corner, was for building a courthouse and other county buildings; Lot B, at the northeast corner, was designated for a school; lots C and D were for churches or meeting houses. Lot E, along the east side of the row of outlots, was set aside for a burial ground.

Although instructions were specific, some were followed and some were not. Eaton was designated the county seat and Lot A, retained by the county, has been the site of all three courthouses and the jails.

A few burials were made in the public land designated as Lot E northeast of the village but the graveyard was soon abandoned. Instead, Mound Hill (Union) Cemetery was established at the west edge of town.

In 1812, Lots B,C and D were sold to private interests and schools and churches did not occupy those lots. In 1822, Cornelius VanAusdal built a three-story brick business and residence on the northwest corner. The building is still a business house.

A number of smaller frame buildings occupied the southwest corner of the main intersection until the St. Clair Building (1892-1987) was built.

W.H.H.B. Minor built his three-story building at the northeast corner about 1860. the ground floor housed business rooms and the upper floors, offices and a third-floor public meeting room. The Knights of Pythias met there until their hall was built in 1913. In 1945, when the Hiestand family purchased the building from the Minor estate for a future bank site, the building housed the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company grocery, the Style Shop and offices.

The village grew rapidly in all directions from this center, with many early frame business houses replaced in the latter part of the nineteenth century with the Italianate structures standing today.