Taken from the Morrow County Sentinel and found in Virginia Kinney’s scrapbook—
The first wedding in the township was in 1819-Eliza Whitney to George Manville; the second, Melvina Hubbell to William Sanford.
The first divorce was James D Wilson and Rebecca Wilson by mutual consent.
Benjamin Taylor, the first assessor made his first returns in June 1818.
The Mt Vernon and Delaware road through Sparta was laid out in 1811, the state road from Mansfield to Columbus through Sparta some years earlier.
Morrow county was not yet organized when we had our second war with Great Britain.
Lemuel Potter built the farm house 1 mile west of town where William Hulse lived, now owned by Mrs Burr Corwin. From 1830 to 1840, it was known as “Potter’s Tavern”. Hawley Murray, brother-in-law of William Hulse later lived there. It was then reputed to be the highest point in Ohio. The hill was covered by an apple orchard.
Lemuel Potter laid out a town in 1827 near the hill and named it Rome, but it passed into oblivion. The surveyor was Samuel Bryant.
In an early day, Sparta got mail weekly brought by a Mr Gleason who came on horseback.
Soap making and the old Ashery were abandoned in the early sixties.
A frost was reported for each month of 1816. No crops were grown.
Currency called shinplasters used to circulate in denominations of 3,5,10,25 and 50 cents.