200 Population 1918: Village of Upper Arlington incorporated

New homeowners brought school-aged children to the community. In 1917, a dozen pupils in grades 1-3 joined teacher Mary Boyer in the basement of King Thompson’s home for lessons, while older children attended Grandview schools. In the spring of 1918 residents of the newly incorporated village of Upper Arlington, believing their children deserved the highest quality education, successfully petitioned the…

Initially there were no stores in Upper Arlington, although the Thompson brothers’ sales brochures anticipated their inclusion, promising “playgrounds, schools, shops, churches, civic buildings will all be given a place in the plan.” Early residents shopped in Grandview or Columbus until retail stores opened in Upper Arlington.

Before places of worship existed within Upper Arlington, early residents traveled to Grandview, Perry Township—even to Columbus by streetcar—to attend church. It took several years before a truly local option was available.

In 1928, the Upper Arlington schools formed a committee to select an athletic team name. After reviewing mascot names in a college guide, high schoolers Wayne Geissinger and Dallas Head—with Dallas’ father, Depew—proposed the Golden Bears as “attractive and durable.” It was the winning proposal. First references are found in the 1928 Norwester yearbook, when sports teams were named as…

Upper Arlington is immensely proud of its heritage, as displayed by the well-kept home exteriors and the ever-present adornments of black and gold. Golden Bear paw prints are painted as embellishments on driveways, and lawn signs announce team memberships, participation in school organizations and college plans. Civic pride is never more apparent than on the Fourth of July. Alumni return…

On March 20, 1918, Upper Arlington became an incorporated village. That June, the 200 residents elected 10 men to serve on the first village council. James T. Miller, the man who sold his farmland to the Thompson brothers for the development of Upper Arlington, was named our first mayor. The following year a charter was adopted, changing the governing structure…

After King and Ben Thompson purchased 840 acres of farmland from James T. Miller, they hired William Pitkin, Jr., of Rochester, New York to create the design. They originally called their project the “Country Club District,” inspired by the Country Club District in Kansas City. Pitkin’s design allowed the streets to follow the contours of the land, with open park…

In 1859, Henry Miller purchased a farm in hopes of improving the health of his son James Turrell Miller. The family moved from Columbus to the farm in 1862. Seven years later, James married Esther Everitt and took over management of the farm, while his parents returned to Columbus. James and Esther had eight children in the farm’s expanded 22-room…

Over 2,000 years ago, this land was occupied by the Adena people, considered the area’s first farmers and best known for building conical mounds for burial sites. Shrum Mound at Campbell Memorial Park is the closest example near Upper Arlington. Centuries later, the Wyandot Indians lived here. By the early 1700s, they had transitioned from hunters and gatherers to farmers…