Prior to U.S. Route 35, turn left on Heller Drive and then right on Orchard Lane.  Cross U.S. Route 35 and turn right on Yellow Brick Road.

The bridge over the Beaver Creek is the approximate location of Mr. Harbine’s distillery.  The mill dam, just north of the existing highway, divided a mill race from the main creek.  With this rudimentary dam they could control the flow to the water wheels that powered the mills.  Once the mill era passed, the new leg was filled in, and is somewhat viewable in the basin on the north side of the bridge.

Construction of the US-35 highway completely altered the land as it was, but remnants of the mills can still be found just below the surface!

The Harbine Distillery was initially constructed during a time when distilling was an accepted and honored profession. Grist and saw-milling, hog raising, and pork packing were ancillary industrial concerns that made efficient use of the infrastructure and byproducts of the distilling process. Temperance and the development of a widespread and functional railroad system precipitated the decline of this industrial system by the mid-1800s. The crushing blows to rural distilling occurred during the Civil War, when federal excise taxes soared from nothing to $2.00 per proof gallon on whiskey and other distilled spirits. By 1868, when the excise taxes were finally reduced, most of the rural whiskey making ventures had either suspended production or simply ceased. The advent, operation, and demise of the Harbine Distillery parallels the once widespread rural practice of whiskey distilling, an extinct and largely forgotten feature of the American landscape.

** Below you can download a copy of 'The Distiller's Tale' - an archaeological dig at the Harbine distillery **

• Harbine Distillery Harbine Distillery
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On May 10, 1803 (merely two months after Ohio’s admission to the Union and 27 years after Declaration of Independence of the United States of America) in the area of front yard of the former home, long before its construction, the first courthouse session in Greene County, was called to order in a brand new log building, establishing Beaver Creek Township.

The building was about 25 feet square with a main level and an attic.  The materials were hewn logs and a clapboard roof – not a single nail was used in its construction.  A rudimentary stockade provided for protection against the Indians.  About 200 yards south-southeast was a block building used as the county jail.

• Political Cartoon Political Cartoon
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As you approach U.S. Route 35, prepare to head east on Heller Drive.  Ahead of you was a lane that once traversed an orchard of over 300 fruit trees!  The majestic Georgian Colonial home on the cul-de-sac across the highway, appropriately named Orchard Lane, was constructed by John Harbine for he and wife Hettie in 1832. Historical accounts conflict as to whether John and Hettie lived in the log cabin at its original location during the construction of the Harbine House.  It might have been moved a short distance in 1825 to what eventually became the front yard of the new Harbine residence.

The home was in the Harbine family for 117 years.  A self-contained establishment, they raised grain, livestock, fruit and vegetables; they milled the grain, dried, stored and canned fruits and vegetables, butchered beef and made soap.  Their cattle provided milk and butter for the family.  Linen was woven from flax fiber, all onsite!

In 1944, the Heller family purchased the home and remaining 75 acres with plans to extensively improve the homestead.  A few years later, the State planned a new expressway; the design would cause the razing of the Heller home.  A five-year legal battle ensued with the State finally agreeing to a curve in the U.S. Route 35 to save the home.  The orchard and seclusion were destroyed.  Several small tracts are still owned by the Heller family.

The home was purchased by the Children’s Services Board in 1988 as a group home.  It was sold in 2015 at auction to the adjacent car dealer, sealing its fate.  Another, higher bid had been received at the 11th hour that would have ensured survival of the Harbine-Heller home, but was rejected by the county commissioners.  The home was bulldozed in 2017.  We don't know if any of the artifacts were salvaged prior to razing.

• Harbine House Front Harbine House Front
• Harbine House Handrail Harbine House Handrail
• Harbine House Scrollwork Harbine House Scrollwork
• Harbine House Doorknob Harbine House Doorknob
• Harbine House Stair Landing Harbine House Stair Landing
• Harbine House Threshold Harbine House Threshold
• Harbine House Butler Pantry Harbine House Butler Pantry
• Harbine House Cellar Fireplace Harbine House Cellar Fireplace
• Harbine House Cellar Doorway Harbine House Cellar Doorway
• Harbine House Cellar Door Latch Harbine House Cellar Door Latch
• Harbine House Third Level Mezzanine Harbine House Third Level Mezzanine
• Harbine House Close Harbine House Close
• Harbine House Plaster On Lath Harbine House Plaster On Lath
• Harbine House NW Attic Harbine House NW Attic
• Harbine House SW Attic Harbine House SW Attic
• Harbine House Plaster On Lath 2 Harbine House Plaster On Lath 2
• Harbine House Trap Door Harbine House Trap Door
• Harbine House Group Home Bedroom Harbine House Group Home Bedroom
• Harbine House Porch Harbine House Porch
• Harbine House Parlor Marble Fireplace 1 Harbine House Parlor Marble Fireplace 1
• Harbine House Parlor Marble Fireplace 2 Harbine House Parlor Marble Fireplace 2
• Harbine House Iron Register Harbine House Iron Register
• Harbine House Steam Heat Radiator Harbine House Steam Heat Radiator
• Harbine House Parlor Crown Mould Harbine House Parlor Crown Mould
• Harbine House Parlor View Harbine House Parlor View
• Harbine House Ceiling Medallion Harbine House Ceiling Medallion
• Harbine House Central Staircase Harbine House Central Staircase
• Harbine House Dining Room Harbine House Dining Room
• Harbine House Dining Fireplace Harbine House Dining Fireplace
• Harbine House Stair Paneling Harbine House Stair Paneling
• County Commissioner Minutes County Commissioner Minutes
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Phil Hubbell Avenue was the former connector where Shakertown Road ran into town, instead of its current merge into U.S. Route 35.  Between the last house on the left and the adjacent parking lot ran the Dayton Xenia & Ironton rail line – the Traction.  This line ran adjacent to the others east and west of town, but took a wide berth to the south in town, presumably to help allow it to pass when freight cars were loading and unloading at the grain elevator.  

At last check, one of the concrete abutments was still visible in the creek bed from the bikeway west of town.

• The Shakertown Covered Bridge The Shakertown Covered Bridge
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In the early 1850's John Harbine and William Needles laid out the town of Alpha along the newly built Dayton, Xenia, and Belpre Railroad. The village began to thrive when the railroad went through in 1853.  A rivalry developed amongst the citizens as to who would put up the first house in the new town.  

Enoch Needles and Baur Dice each began to erect their houses across the street from each other.  The contest was an exciting one; and though Mr. Needles succeeded in getting the frame of his house up first, due to the rushed construction, it fell down the same night, giving Dice the opportunity of declaring that his was the first house built in the town of Alpha.  Enoch Needles kept the first drygoods store in the home he built.

The undated map above shows an early map of Alpha as laid out by Harbine and Needles.  Items of note:

1. Dayton-Xenia Road prior to its relocation north of the school
2. Alpha Church
3. Beginning of the famed Alpha Panhandle
4. The Dayton and Xenia Traction dips south of Alpha
5. John Harbine's home
6. Shakertown Road extended into Alpha
7. The Shakertown Road covered bridge
8. The Alpha dam
9. The mill race
10. The Alpha Road covered bridge
11. The Harbine worker housing

• Looking South Of Alpha Looking South Of Alpha
• Alpha Bed & Breakfast Alpha Bed & Breakfast
• Barth Butcher Barth Butcher
• Slaughterhouse Slaughterhouse
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A few doors to the south is the Alpha Post Office – quite possibly the finest in the land!  The workers are friendly, helpful and engaged in the community.  The more we can support them, the better chance they’ll be around for even more generations to come!

This building was build by John Harbine for his son Jacob's law practice.

George Volkenand was proprietor of 'Sycamore Stock Farm' in Alpha.  His father Herrmann  had worked as a laborer at John Harbine's oil mill as well as farm hand on Jacob Coy's farm.  Later her was the foreman in the 'Shoup & Harbine Distillery', the Alpha Post Master and the school director for 15 years!  George served as Post Master during Grover Cleveland's second Presidential term and operated the 103-acre family farm, raising Shorthorn and Jersey cattle, Duroc and Poland China hogs.

Alpha has a long history of athletic excellence, with basketball and baseball being local favorites!  The Marshall Brothers sponsored many local teams, the basketball team below being one.  Help us identify the players!

Back Row - Ray Wolf, Whitey Marshall

Middle Row - Unknown, Bob Workman, John Brill, Unknown, Unknown Koogler?

Front Row - Dawson Kendig, Richard Tobias, Buhrman Duncan, Russ Cyphers, Unknown

• Alpha Basketball Team Alpha Basketball Team
• USPS USPS
• Jacob Harbine Jacob Harbine
• Jacob Harbine obituary 1 Jacob Harbine obituary 1
• Jacob Harbine obituary 2 Jacob Harbine obituary 2
• Jacob Harbine obituary 3 Jacob Harbine obituary 3
• George Volkenand George Volkenand
• Volkenand Merry Go Round Volkenand Merry Go Round
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Alpha Seed & Grain was a bucket-style elevator operated by a steam engine, powered by a coal-fired boiler, there was always a large pile of coal to the west of the building.  A steam whistle sounded at noon every day.  A switch in the tracks would position boxcars right up against the building by the sliding doors.  Seed and grain were handled and shipped in burlap bags.

Lew Stewart, father of Mark and Ken, owned and operated the elevator for years.  In the photo of the four men on the scale below, it is believed that the second man from the left is Mr. Johnson (who later operated the mill for the Stewarts) and the third from the left is Ken Stewart.  The fourth man from the left may be a member of the Weng family.  If you can help us out, please comment below...

Local industrialist Ervin J. Nutter purchased the elevator in 1968 and used it for his agribusiness before donating it to the Alpha Historical Society.

• Alpha Seed and Grain Alpha Seed and Grain
• Alpha Seed and Grain Alpha Seed and Grain
• Alpha Seed and Grain Alpha Seed and Grain
• Seed Truck Seed Truck
• Seed Truck Seed Truck
• Men on scale Men on scale
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Just east of Alpha Road and the B&B was the Alpha telegraph office.  The original post office was in the B&B building when it was a grocery store owned by the Volkenand and later the Glass families..

The weigh station for the Alpha Seed & Grain Elevator is now the Alpha Museum.  A recent roof leak precipitated the moving of all items to the basement of the Alpha Church - the roof has since been repaired and the archives are now in both locations.

• Original Post Office Original Post Office
• Notes About Telegraph Station "AL" Notes About Telegraph Station "AL"
• Alpha Museum Alpha Museum
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When you reach the bike path, pause for a moment.  Looking west beyond Alpha Seed & Grain elevator were three parallel railroad tracks that merged at the west edge of Alpha Road.  The center track was the through-line, the northern track was the pass-line and the southern was the load-line for the grain elevator.

This collection of tracks became known as the Alpha Panhandle due to their close proximity.

The angled building at the south east corner of the bikeway and Alpha Road is former Alpha Bed & Breakfast.  Long ago there was a hook on a post at the loading platform where passing trains would grab the mailbag and toss another onto the platform.

• The Most Dangerous Tracks In America The Most Dangerous Tracks In America
• The Alpha Bed and Breakfast The Alpha Bed and Breakfast
• David Holman Obituary David Holman Obituary
• Near Miss Near Miss
• 1903 Article 1903 Article
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