Hammond’s Corners

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In 1810, Jason Hammond traveled west from Bolton, Connecticut. Both he and his Brother-In-Law, Jonathan Hale purchased land from Thomas Bull, a Hartford businessman and shareholder in the Connecticut Land Company in the newly surveyed “Western Reserve.” Jason purchased 1,100 acres and then solicited Hale, who then purchased 500 acres a few miles north of Hammond’s acreage.  A letter dated April, 1810 written by Thomas Bull, documenting this purchase reads:

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“I have sold to Mr. Jason Hammond in Township 3, 12th Range in the Reserve eleven hundred acres of land and also to Mr. Jonathan Hale five hundred acres of the same town in exchange for property in this state.”

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(William Henry Perrin, History of Summit County (Chicago: Baskins & Battey, Historical Publishers, 1881)

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At one time, Bath was known as “Hammondsburg” since Jason Hammond was the first permanent settler to legally purchase land in this area. Hammond’s property consisted of Lots 26-30 which included bottom land in the Cuyahoga Valley as well as, land running up along the southern slope of Ira hill to what is now Cleveland-Massillon Road.  It is at the intersection of Ira Road and Cleveland-Massillon that the beginnings of the hamlet of Hammond’s Corners took shape.

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Circa 1830, Horatio and Royal Hammond, opened the first store at Hammond's Corners. In recollections published by Augustus Hammond, descendent of Jason Hammond, he mentions that the Whitcraft family was running the store at the corners that was originally run by the Hammonds.  Although census records are sketchy, at one time there may have been 30 or more Hammond’s residing in the corners.

With many shops and businesses centered around the area, Hammond’s Corners became a popular stop to purchase goods at Whitcraft’s general store, repair a wagon wheel at Jagger’s buggy shop, mail a letter at the makeshift post office or get a room at the Landmark Inn for an overnight stay.

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There were many associated pursuits dotting the outer reaches of the Corners.  If one needed medical attention, Doctor Rufus Randall’s office was just down the street on Ira.  As was typical of the time, many of the corners also had their own schoolhouses. Located 280 feet west of the corner on the south side of Ira Road, was a small one room schoolhouse. Hammond’s Corners schoolhouse served such families as the Alexanders, Brocks, Boughtons and Osborns.

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Also located just east of Hammond’s Corners, at the dip in the road, was a cheese factory.  It appears that the cheese factory was likely built in the early 1870s by Allen Welton.  This cheese factory was Mr. Welton’s second cheese factory.  The first was located in Peninsula. The locals referred to this portion of Ira Road as “Cheese Factory Hill.”  There were many dairy farms in the surrounding area and farmers would produce excess milk.  To make use of this surplus, several cheese factories were built in the township to handle processing of the farmers’ excess milk.  With the completion of the Valley Railroad, the raw milk could then be transported by rail into the industrial cities.

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Hammond's Corners had additional residential development in the early 1900s, mostly on small lots for professional trades and retirees.

Take a closer look and appreciate the small scale, Greek Revival structures as evidence of the historic character typical of the “New Connecticut” style.  Even today there are numerous historic structures still in existence. Many of these buildings have historic designations as National Register properties.

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