Remember when......

The information here was contributed by Gretchen Huffman, who grew up in New Vienna and now lives in Hillsboro, Ohio.  

New Vienna is one of the first communities in Clinton County.  It began as a farming  community and quickly grew. While the county supported many large farms, the village attracted many business people. At one time there were several doctors, dentists, lawyers, mercantile stores and other businesses. There were lumber yards, saw mills, a flour mill, a tile and brick company and more. Many churches were established and life was good in New Vienna.

            The old tree-lined streets in New Vienna still showcase beautiful old homes which remind us of a peaceful earlier time. Children can play safely in the yards and on the streets where horses and buggies used to travel, and ice cream socials were held on summer evenings. The building still stands where movies were shown on the outside wall to families who had come with their lawn chairs for an evening of entertainment. One of the biggest days of the year was Memorial Day, when the high school band would march and children would carry bouquets of fresh flowers to the cemetery, where they were placed on the graves of veterans. That tradition continues today with a parade and service at the cemetery.  

          The town’s social life centered around the school where twelve grades attended. The whole community enjoyed school plays and basketball games. For some years, we had a newspaper, published by the Leesburg Citizen, but we hardly needed one. News traveled fast in those days, and most of it was good news. We all knew if someone was ill or needed help, and help came. The meaning of neighborliness may have been invented by those people who called New Vienna home.  Not much has changed.

          Saturday nights, especially in the summer, were exciting. When the  7:00 movie at the Avon Theater was over, the sidewalks were filled with friendly folks who stopped in at Pete’s or the KenConnie Inn for a dish of ice cream and to visit with friends and neighbors. We all knew each other, and we all cared about each other. 

Now let's go back in time to early Clinton County.........