Nancy Maxwell stated in an interview that she and William never had a door on their cabin southeast of Alpha, but used a blanket to cover the doorway.  When William had to be away from home, she and the children would sleep in the loft to avoid detection if Indians came around.  Supplies for William’s funeral included two pair of hinges – the extra may have been to hang a door on the cabin since William would no longer be there for protection.  He is thought to have been buried near Valley Road on the south side of U.S. Route 35 in an area early known as Allen’s Woods.

Albert Ankeney wrote, "I used to go over there (Allen's Woods) and hunt mushrooms and sometimes look for the tombstone of Mr. Maxwell.  His grave was just marked by a limestone slab that was set on edge.  It had been removed but I knew approximately where the stone could be found.  It was pretty well toward the west end of that big woods that's still there."

In 1941, the Dayton Club of Printing House Craftsmen erected a memorial monument to William Maxwell, it currently stands alongside the bike path in Trebein.  The Ohio Newspaper Association presents the William Maxwell Award in recognition of outstanding individual achievement in the advancement of the newspaper profession.

• Front Of William Maxwell Marker Front Of William Maxwell Marker
• Close View Of Front Close View Of Front
• Close View Of Back Close View Of Back
• Back Of William Maxwell Marker Back Of William Maxwell Marker
• William Maxwell William Maxwell
• David Maxwell David Maxwell
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Another notable local settler was William Maxwell (c.1766-September 10, 1809), he and wife Nancy raised nine children – son John said to be the first non-native child born in Greene County.  William was the first engraver to publish a newspaper in Cincinnati, Ohio. The paper was called the Centinel of the Northwest Territory, and the first issue was published on Saturday, November 9, 1793. The motto of the paper was "Open to all parties–but influenced by none".  He used a portable wood printing press, which he took with him to Lexington, Kentucky and set up a business. In 1793 he left for Cincinnati and began his weekly newspaper, which consisted of four pages and had a limited circulation. The printing press he used was much like the one invented by Johann Gutenberg.

In 1796 he printed Laws of the Territory of the United States Northwest of the Ohio in Cincinnati, a 225 page book with one-thousand issues printed. Subsequently known as ‘Maxwell's Code’, this was the first book printed in the Northwest Territory.  He also purchased 1,015 acres (almost 1.6 square miles!) in the eastern portion of Beavercreek Township in 1796 where he helped cut a road from Dayton east to Alpha; present Dayton-Xenia Road still follows part of that original Road.

• Gutenberg Press Gutenberg Press
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The road traveled from Cincinnati, the Old Pinckney Road it was called locally due to its proximity to Pinckney Pond, which was in the area just south of the expressway and north of Valley Road. This was literally a wagon trail along what was believed to have been an Indian route to the Ohio River.

Before the road laws were legislated and improvements began, the Pinckney Road, or Trail, was the first path accessible to the pioneers from Fort Washington (Cincinnati) to Bellbrook. It ran from the Queen City to Lebanon, passed through Bellbrook on Main Street, proceeded north toward Alpha and passed by Pinckney Pond, in which the road was supposedly so named.

A local story from the Beavercreek Historical Society's 'Beavercreek Chronicles':

One night, John and Samuel Morningstar went out on Pinckney pond in a canoe with their guns and a large torch. Proceeding slowly along the banks, they suddenly came upon a large buck standing at the edge of the water. The blinding light of the torch seemed to petrify the animal with fright and the sudden appearance of such large game gave the boys a genuine attack of what is known among hunters as ‘buckague’. The boys recovered and shot the deer. It bounded directly into the boat, capsized the hunters, and a long struggle took place in the water which finally ended when the boys succeeded in dispatching the deer.

On the downslope you’ll see a northern and southern access road into the Valley View Memorial Cemetery, look to your left between them and you’ll find a very old log cabin that we don’t know a great deal about.  It appears on the 1855 map with the name A. Russell (likely Adam Sr. 1771-2/10/1857, his father Joshua served in the Revolutionary War) attached and the 1874 map on the 100-acre property of J. Russell (likely Joshua  Sr. 1810-10/17/1879 or Joshua Jr. 1826-10/17/1857).

The Russell Cabin is in pretty rough shape, if interested in seeing it, expediency is recommended.  This is private land, so please do not trespass.

Much of the surrounding land was owned in 1874 by John C. Allen and later the Steel and Flynn families.

Shortly before turning left onto Valley Road, note that the office of the Gerdes Turf Farm was previously the farm of J. Nisonger and dates prior to the 1870’s.  The home at the first 90° curve was built prior to 1855 by G. Owen and owned by local farmer James Marshall in 1874.  You will soon drive under the runway of the Greene County – Lewis A. Jackson Regional Airport.

Turn left onto Upper Bellbrook Road, the beautiful brick home at 1630 Upper Bellbrook Road is on the 1855 Township map as the farm and orchard of John Ginn, here is his obituary:

John Ginn, farmer, was born on the place on which he now resides, February 24, 1815, and is a son of Thomas and Rachel (Neal) Ginn. His father was born in Ireland; his mother in Kentucky. When a young man, his father emigrated to America, and located in Kentucky, where he was married to Rachel Neal. Several years after-in 1814-he came to this county, and located where our subject now lives, purchasing one hundred acres of wild military land. He was successful in life, and accumulated enough to enable him to live comfortably and pay for his land, which cost him $250, and is now worth $10,000. A year previous to his death he removed to Xenia, where he died at the age of eighty-four years. Mrs. Ginn died in 1830, in the prime of her womanhood. They were the parents of fourteen children, of whom three are living: Robert, John, and Ann. Our subject was raised on the farm, and in 1838 married Jane Hamilton, who has borne him four children, two of whom are living: Rachel, and James H. The deceased are William and Thomas W. After his marriage he worked for some years at different places, and finally purchased the old homestead. He owns one hundred and fourteen acres of land. Mr. and Mrs. Ginn are members of the United Presbyterian Church, with which they have been connected for many years. His parents were members of the old Seceder Church.

Carefully turn left onto Indian Ripple Road and proceed past Country Club of the North, a Jack Nicklaus designed golf course community.  This area remains largely rural, although many of the 100-acre+ tracts of the 1870’s and earlier, owned by the Stull, McClung, Brant and Tate families have been divided.  At the last curve before the intersection, glance left into the woods and you’ll find the remains of the home of A.R. Conklin on what is now county-owned property.

WYSO Radio did an interesting piece on how Indian Ripple Road got its name...

The Narrows Reserve is along the Little Miami River is before you at the intersection and offers fantastic hiking through both riverbank and meadow environments.    The bridge on your left was originally a long, covered bridge over the Little Miami River.  The covered bridge was located just south of the existing bridge and crossed much closer to the river.

• Indian Ripple Bridge Indian Ripple Bridge
• Indian Ripple Covered Bridge Painting Indian Ripple Covered Bridge Painting
• Indian Ripple Covered Bridge Indian Ripple Covered Bridge
• Indian 'Riffle' Road Bridge Indian 'Riffle' Road Bridge
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Turn left onto Factory Road.  Beyond the sanitary plant and just past Colonial Parkway was the location of John Harbine’s oil mill.  Here they would mill and press flax seed to make linseed oil, primarily used in the manufacture of early paints and stains.  The flax seed residue would be pressed into cakes as fuel to burn.

It is believed the Oil Mill was located far south of town due to the strong odors emitted during the milling process.  Looking closer at a high-res version of the image, one can see a man upon a buckboard wagon being drawn by 1-2 horses and another man nearby.

The 1855 Map shows the mill as being west of Factory Road, so the image would have been taken from the north looking toward Indian Ripple Road.  The terrain in the image, possibly falling toward the Little Miami River, suggests the picture was taken from near Indian Ripple Road looking north.  Comment below...

• Harbine's Oil Mill Harbine's Oil Mill
• Factory Road Wash Out Factory Road Wash Out
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Life on the south side of Alpha wasn't quite as urban.  The turnpike was well to the north of town and the traction cut right through.  South of the Harbine Industrial Complex the Beaver Creek was a little wider as the Big and Little merged above Shakertown Road.

Kids would often track down the creek from the 'Louis Branch' (just after the two Beaver Creeks merged) and would play at the dam, pull fish from the deep fishing holes, and kick even out the side boards of the Alpha covered bridge so that they could jump into the deep water.

Ruth Booher-Stafford's childhood home was the home south of the Harbine House on the previous page.  She tells great stories of fun at 'our bridge', the Alpha bridge.  One day, upon returning home from town, they noticed the bridge bowing down to the water's edge.  An over-weight coal truck taking a shortcut had tried to cross the bridge and it gave way, creating a deep V in the center.  The truck dumped it's load in the middle of the bridge and made it's escape up the slope.  He was never caught and the bridge depicted above was torn down and not rebuilt until the Yellow Brick Road bridge you just crossed was constructed in the early 21st century.

• Ina Hartman Ina Hartman
• Along Louis Branch Along Louis Branch
• Alpha Covered Bridge Alpha Covered Bridge
• Homemade Canoe Homemade Canoe
• Kids At The Dam Kids At The Dam
• Booher Household Booher Household
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