William Sidle House
| William Sidle House | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Address | CR 149 |
| Town or city | Blachleyville, Ohio |
| Country | USA |
| Completed | 1838 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Brick |
Comprehensive History
While the property on which this house stands does not go back to a presidential title as many other Wayne County farms do, it was first obtained under a deed from President James Monroe by William Meeks in February 1818. Meeks' deed covered an original full section of 640 acres of land half a mile south of Blachleyville. When William Sidle purchased the property in the early 1820s, he took ownership of more than 550 acres of that section.
The two-and-a-half-story brick house was built in 1838 by James Brittain for William Sidle. All of the bricks used in construction of the house were burned at the farm, and the timber for the barn built 10 years later came from the immediate premises.
In 1848 Sidle organized a party of local citizens to travel to California and join the famed Gold Rush. As family legend tells, William Sidle became the possessor of a considerable amount of gold -- so much that other men plotted against his life, and he was slain. Sidle's death left the Plain Township property in his widow's hands, and from her it passed to the next generation.[1]
In 1888, L. P. Sidle bought the original homestead and 207 acres of land for $18,209. His son Raymond inherited the farm and raised pure-bred Guernsey cattle of "the best blood lines in Ohio." Raymond Sidle died in 1956, and in 1967 Mrs. Irene Sidle sold the farm out of the family, to George L. Firebaugh.[2]
Timeline
- 1818: William Meeks receives deed to 640 acres half a mile south of Blachleyville
- 1820s: William Sidle buys property from Meeks
- 1838: House constructed
- 1848: Barn constructed
- 1888: Homestead sold to L. P. Sidle
- 1967: Homestead sold by Mrs. Irene Sidle to George L. Firebaugh
Owners
Historical documents
Newspaper articles
Daily Record, 13 August 1936, p.5
