The History of Morrow, Ohio

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The town was laid out in August 1844 by William H. Clement, George Keck and Clark Williams who were all involved with building the Little Miami Railroad which reached the town in 1844. The original plat contained 49 lots and was recorded in January 1845. The town was named in honor of the former Governor Jeremiah Morrow as was the highest bridge in Ohio which spans the Little Miami River on I-71.
The town was built on the site of James Miranda's farm. His house was built in 1805 along the Little Miami River across from the present Methodist Episcopal Church. The first building erected in town was the old warehouse just east of the present railroad depot. It was used as a freight depot warehouse and general store. The second building erected was the Morrow House built in 1844. With the railroad the town grew quickly and many more lots were added with businesses moving in from neighboring villages. In 1845 a post office was established in town.
Bartering was common in the area before Morrow was established. Once the town began to flourish actual money started to exchange hands and was used in commerce. A second rail line began service in 1853 for Morrow known as the Sheepskin Line which ran from Morrow to Zanesville, Ohio. The railroads were a major influence but so were the many roads leading to Morrow. A bridge along Route 123 just east of Morrow sits on the former Route 123 road alignment. The bridge was constructed in 1880 and was actually designed as a railroad bridge for another unknown location.
Today Morrow is experiencing a second growth with affluent subdivisions being built around the rural area. The downtown section is beginning to rebound with new businesses moving in and people finding the small town life to be more attractive and less stressful. Sitting on the bike trail and only a 40 minute drive from downtown Cincinnati, Morrow could very well be the next miracle town along the I-71 corridor.
GPS Location: 39°21'15.6"N 84°07'46.2"W