This article appeared in the Hamilton Journal - circa 1930's.

"Following is the program for the Tom Thumb wedding to be presented by the primary department of the Darrtown Lutheran church, Thursday night, under the direction of Mrs. Caroline Frederick.

President and Mrs. Hoover - Eldon Wyckoff and Helen McVicker

Governor and Mrs. Roosevelt - Edward Fowler and Betty Alston

Former Sweetheart - Mary Lou McVicker

Old Maid Aunt - Wanda Wolf

Grandfather and Grandmother - Ralph Bufler and Corrine Bufler

Mother of the Groom - Dorothy Glardon

Bride's Mother - Dorothy Ward

Minister - Donald McVicker

Groom - George Edward Manrod

Best Man - Jack Wiley

Ushers - Jack Fowler, Ray Bufler, Norbert Ward, and Charles Teckman

Bridesmaids - Grace Krebs, Mary Cory, Kathryn Williams, Elizabeth Fowler, and Vera Wyckoff

Maid of Honor - Harriet Wagonfield

Flower Girls - Sarah Jane Manrod and Mary Eleanor Bufler

Bride - Alice Mae Kramer

Bride's Father - Eugene Wagonfield

Ring Bearers - Douglas Ward and Junior Wills"

This image was taken at a Darrtown "Tom Thumb" wedding that occurred in the early to mid-1940's. The participants are identified in following image/caption that includes numerals that correlate with the names listed below the photo.

This photograph shows the Darrtown Cornet Band parading south on Main Street (Hamilton-Richmond Pike). This image was copied from an Oxford Press newspaper clipping that was contributed by Mrs. Alice (Kramer) Miller. It appeared in the Oxford Press (circa July 1976).

The newspaper caption read: "The 'Hitching Post' site is behind the horse and buggy at the left. Building at the right was constructed for a skating rink. Sign above porch advertises Martin Mason Lager Beer. The Darrtown Band was organized prior to 1895 and practiced in Frank Bufler's hall and later used the K. of P. hall, built in 1904."

This is another photo from the same Oxford Press article that Mrs. Alice (Kramer) Miller provided (above). Unfortunately, like many newspaper photos, this one did not reproduce very well.

Another version of this photo appeared in the "Remember When" section of the Hamilton Journal - written by George Cummins. The caption read "This picture could be a scene from 'Westward Ho,' but it is actually the departure of the Aten, Blair, and McKee families for a camping trip in 1904. The campers and their wagon are shown in front of the Popst Hotel, Darrtown."

Students of Darrtown history may wish to note that the "McKee" farm is mentioned on the Schultz family page. The McKee property is believed to be the farm that was located northwest of the Kirk Mee I and Kirk Mee II homestead on North Main Street.

For Darrtown historians, the"camping" photograph at the left and the "parade" photo, above, are exciting and valuable in two ways:

(1) These turn-of-the (20th) century pictures are some of the oldest images that we have on this website.

(2) These photos seem to confirm oral history. For example, over the years, older residents of Darrtown have relayed storied from their elders that:

(a) Darrtown Pike (Hamilton-Richmond Road) was a major thoroughfare for travelers and featured a stagecoach line. We also were told that the Darrtown Pike was a toll road, at some point in history.

(b) Darrtown was home to several hotels, which were used by stagecoach travelers and drovers who herded livestock through Darrtown toward the Cincinnati stockyards.

According to Dane Menke, back in the mid-1950's, a circus stopped in Darrtown!

Dane recalls that this happened during one summer in the 1950's. It seemed to be some kind of lay-over until the group moved on to its next scheduled show. For a couple of days, the traveling troupe camped in the parking lot that is located across the street from the Hitching Post.

As evidence of this special event, Dane provided the image shown at the left.

The K of P Hall "outdoor restroom facility" can be seen in the background, at the right.

Donna Laughlin contributed this image, which appeared in the Oxford Press, along with the following caption.

"Firemen Battle Blaze at Darrtown Station

Firemen from Oxford and Collinsville were summoned to Darrtown, about 4:40 p.m., Thursday, when fire damaged the roof and upstairs living quarters of the Stanley Ferguson service station and grocery, located at 4330 Main Street, Darrtown.

Sgt. Clarence Blevins of the sheriff's department said damage was estimated at "several thousand dollars." Firemen were able to save some contents from the living quarters above the store, as the photograph indicates. Defective wiring is believed to be the cause of the fire."

According to the L. A. Miller diaries, at least two corn-husking contests were conducted in the Darrtown area in the 1930's.

> One contest was held in 1933 at the Davis farm about 1/2 mile north of Darrtown.

> A second contest was held in 1936 at the Oyler farm, near McGonigle, Ohio, about five miles southwest of Darrtown.

The following news article opens with a description of a horse-pulling contest that was part of the 1933 corn-husking contest held at the Joseph Davis farm on October 31, 1933. This image, caption, and article appeared in a newspaper clipping that Harry and Sueann Fillager contributed, during the April 21, 2012 Darrtown "Gathering."

"Above is pictured a part of the 'Long Pull' taken by one team, when a weight-dragging contest was held Tuesday, as part of the Butler County Corn Husking Contest at the Joe Davis farm near Darrtown. Teams of William Hand, Jr., Reily Twp. and Joe Leslie, Milford Twp. tied for first place, when they succeeded in dragging 4500 pounds of pig iron across the earth. Nearly 2000 persons witnessed the contest."

The date and location of this event is confirmed by the following November 10th entry in the L.A Miller's 1936 diary: "Tuesday, November 10: … The corn husking contest on the Oyler farm was won by two brothers of Iowa, 1st and 2nd. Thousands attended - mud and rain regardless. A good-sized prize, in money received by the two brothers: I presumed they divided the 'pot.' Corn had to be husked clean."

The location of the Oyler farm, just south of the Milford and Hanover township border, was confirmed by Marvin Gillespie, a longtime Hanover Township resident. On April 19, 2018, Marvin offered the following information: "Mrs. Evelyn Grissom"s maiden name was Oyler. She and her husband Wilmer lived in the old farm house behind Southwest Regional Water District. Clarence Broshear bought that farm and Mike Broshear lived there for years. The farm's west side ran all the way to Lanes Mill Road where Larry Miller is operating his trucking business. That is probably why you see the name in Oyler Drive just south of the church. The Water District is also on the Grissom farm."

The Oyler farmhouse, barn, and other building were accessed by a long lane that ran south from Stillwell-Beckett Road (see orange arrow below). Today (2020) a street located west of the Oyer farm bears the name "Oylet Lane." See green rectangle below.

Larry Miller's trucking business, mentioned by Marvin Gillespie (above) is named the Stony Run Enterprise. The map shows the Stony Run stream flowing southeast through the former Olyer farm. Further downstream, Stony Run turns north and eventually empties into the Four Mile Creek at a location just north of where Hogue Road intersects with St. Rt. 177, aka...Darrtown Pike.

"Thousands attend!" Obviously, corn-husking contests in the rural Mid-West of America were popular activities, during the 1930's.

Also, consider that, at least, two contestants came from as far way as Iowa. The distance from the western border of Ohio to the eastern border of Iowa is approximately 650 miles. The two Iowa brothers who won the contest, probably traveled even further.

Perhaps the prize money was the big attraction; unfortunately, Mr. Miller did not specify the amount paid.

Cornhusking remains a valued skill and/or tradition in several mid-western states and multiple corn-husking contests are conducted annually, as evidenced at websites sponsored by: Missouri State University, Nebraska State University, Illinois State University, and "Old Time Cornhusking."