« Return to Clintonville History home page »

David Beers

David Beers was another early pioneer with an exciting life story of having been captured and released by the Native Americans. Beers came to Ohio in 1802. Descendents of David Beers still live in the area to the present day. (Photo courtesy of Terry Miller)

Beers had a log house near the intersection of Dodridge and North High Street. The cabin still exists but has been moved to Norwich Avenue. This photo appeared in the December 29, 1904 Dispatch, on the house’s centennial. The people included friends, relatives, and associates of the cabin’s next owner, Conn Baker, and they were reminiscing with him about early Columbus and marking the 100th anniversary of the cabin after the its move and reassembly to E. Norwich.

The Beers family operated a mill which existed until the early twentieth century. For many years the father of the well-known poet John James Piatt operated it. The future poet spent his boyhood days playing about the mill, and some say that the impressions made by its surroundings found expression in his work. The mill was considered to be one of the most picturesque spots in Ohio. Built around 1810, the mill burned in 1902.

There are still vestiges of the mill (foundation stones) below North Street, at the river.

The reason for this gathering is unknown, but it includes several Beers descendants (and likely many who are not related) and was taken about 1905, probably at Olentangy Park. (Photos courtesy of Marty Cottrill)

Tags: , ,

4 Responses to “David Beers”

  1. annie Says:

    we bought our home in clintonville from a man named divid beers… i am wondering if there isnt some relation, though i never met him…

  2. Marty Cottrill Says:

    Annie,
    I’d be interested in knowing how to contact the David Beers you bought your home from. He may be a cousin of mine, since I’m a descendant of the David Beers on the Clintonville history website. So please email me at mdcottrill@roadrunner.com if you know how to contact the one who sold you the house.
    Thanks! Marty Cottrill

  3. Daniel Wilkens Says:

    Hello, I was paging through your book the other day and found the reference to the David Beers farm and mill. It sounded familiar, so I looked through the journals of two War of 1812 artillery officers, Captain Daniel Cushing and 1st Lt. Joseph Larwill. On the snowy new years day of January 1st, their company got stuck on the Worthington Road near Beer’s farm. The captain and lt stayed out with their two wagons while the other enlisted men and officers took shelter in the Beers cabin and barn. The next day they had to leave some equipment in the barn to get the heavily-laden wagons moving. They had to send an additional team of horses from Worthington to get thier vehicles out of the mire.

  4. Beccie Downey Says:

    It was great to come across this! David Beers was my great grandfather x7!!! Thanks for posting!!!

Leave a Reply