FAMILIES V-Z: WILLS ~ Granville and Georgia Wills
Granville Wills
Georgia Wills
"Granville Albert Wills (age 28) and Georgia Willa (Barr) Wills (age 22) bought the 126-acre farm at 2616 Scott Road, in February, 1932. They acquired it from the estate of Frank L. McVicker who had passed away from an accident on the farm. (He was kicked by one of his horses, and the story goes that he was brought up from the lower barn and laid on the West porch of the house, where he died.) He left his wife, Olive (later Hansel), and Daughter, Helen Lucille McVicker.
The Wills family moved from their home in Hamilton, Ohio during the month of Feb. 1932, with their 1 year and 7 month old son, Granville, Jr., and 2 month old daughter, Elizabeth Helen. They left a place with electricity, central heat and running water, to a place with none of that. Heat came from 3 working fireplaces and a wood burning kitchen stove. There was no running water. Drinking water came from a well, and washing water from a cistern off of the porch. The telephone was a wall-mounted hand-crank, connected to the Darrtown Telephone Co., run by the Millers.
Granville worked at the Ford plant in Hamilton, driving there in a 1926 Model T Ford Coupe. (Georgia did not drive, so there was no 2nd car). The Great Depression caused a lay-off from Ford for about 3 years, during which they subsisted from the farm alone. Around 1935, Granville was recalled to Ford and they bought their 2nd car, a 1932 Model A sedan.
In 1936, electricity came to the farm via TVA, and they soon had a running water line in the house. Heat was being done by a Heatrola, and the kitchen wood stove.
The children went to the Collinsville Elementary school. When Granville, Jr. completed the 6th grade and was supposed to go to the High School in Darrtown, the school was closed. The parents opted to send him to McGuffey, instead of the public school. Helen followed the same path. In 1946, June 20th, the 3rd child was born to Granville and Georgia, named Janice Lynn.
The house was built in 1839 by James Broadberry (original name before changing to Bradbury) and his brother, Hezekiah, who built the Bradbury house down on Scott. Both houses were made of 3-brick thick walls, including all interior walls, and were one story in height. The Wills house had a second story added at a later date. Both houses were made from soft brick, unfired, source unknown.
The house, barn and approx one half of the original farm was sold to Gary & Shelly Glasshagel on Nov. 22, 1996.
Granville died on Sept. 5, 1977, and Georgia died on April, 13, 2003. They both are buried in the Darrtown Cemetery."
Granville "Bill" Wills, Jr. submitted the following summary of the Wills family, via an email message on September 26, 2021.
The Darrtown webmaster inserted the "extra info" button and links.
Webmaster Note: If and when more info about the Wills family is received, it will be added here.
"The large white building is what we called the lower barn. The red one above the house was the original barn, and we called it the upper barn. ( For future orientation, that lane, which was a township section line, is running due North and South. The story goes that Frank McVicker was kicked by a horse in the East side of the White barn. The story continues that he was carried up to the house and laid on the west porch, shown in the picture and died there. I have no proof.
Identifying the rest of the picture; Beside the red barn, which was built as a horse and carriage barn. containing four foaling stalls big enough for a mare and her foal. A carriage/wagon shed on the South side. A loft that Frank had setup with a stove, sofa and etc. for his staying there when a mare was delivering.
The gray building, well to the right, was a granary on each side, with wagon storage between them; a machine storage to the left, and an attached shed on the East side.
The small white building is a two car garage my father built around 1946.
The lower white barn was probably built by McVicker, year unknown. It had more horse stables and a breeding/foaling pen. Two hay lofts, and a corn crib. On the south side, where you see the small windows, is an addition built by my father for cattle feeding."
On September 30, 2021, Bill Wills contributued the following photo of the former Wills property at 2616 Scott Road (east of Darrtown). Bill wrote the narrative that appears below the image.
The entrance to the lane that leads to the former Wills farm is located about one mile east of Darrotwn on Scott Road; see the map that appears below Bill's narrative.
RIGHT: Bill's narrative.
FARM LOCATION
These three photos were contributed by Bill Wills, son of Granville and Georgia, Wills, on Oct. 8, 2021.
LEFT: Georgia and Granville Wills, standing on Georgia's rock garden, circa 1945.
ABOVE: The Wills home
2616 Scott Road
Milford Township, Butler County, Ohio
ABOVE: On the occasion of Georgia Will's 80th birthday, June 1989.
L-R, Daughter, Janice; Georgia; son, Bill; and daughter, Helen.