May 1817 – Thirty-seven-year-old Elisha Loomis came from New Haven, Connecticut, to settle in Millsville. Mr. Loomis, the former Captain of the ship “Oneida.” He was a picturesque character that sailed around the World twice; He has once held prisoner aboard a Spanish man-of-war on the coast of Peru. He escaped through a port hole and swam 3 miles through the shark-infested waters to the shore. Capt. Loomis became Captain of the settlement’s first Military Company on a trip on the Oneida to the Sandwich Islands (the name Capt. James Cook gave the Hawaiian Islands). The Oneida returned to Connecticut with Henry Obadiah and Thomas Happo. Both were educated at the Cornwall Mission School. Their education at the Mission School sparked local support to send missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.
Later that year, Elisha’s newly widowed twin sister, Lucretia Loomis-Cowles, arrived by horse and wagon with her 11-year-old twins, Elisha Loomis and Caroline Jerusha. The 37-year-old Loomis twins and 11-year-old Cowles twins were the first known twins in Millsville, later renamed Twinsburg.In 1827, Caroline married a twin from Aurora, Justice T. Herrick (twin of Augustus T.) In 1834 Justice and Caroline move to Twinsburg. They had a farm in the south part of town and a Sawmill. The Herrick twins from Aurora were two of sixteen children. Their youngest brother, Johnathan Herrick, also came to Twinsburg and is better known for the Stone House he built on Darrow Road in 1843 where he lived for 60 years. The Herrick House was later disassembled and restored at Hale Farm.
The lumber for the first wood-framed buildings in Twinsburg came from the Loomis Sawmill. The Alling family Barn and House were built between the spring and fall of 1818.
April 1819 – The residents of Millsville petitioned the commissioners of Portage County to organize a township. The commissioners issued a proclamation, and the first election occurred. Although women couldn’t vote, the men voted to elect a Town Clerk. Justice of the Peace was appointed by the court.
The Twinsburg Historical Society aims to inspire the community , by collecting, preserving and exhibiting artifacts from the city's past and fostering connections to people and ideas.
The Twinsburg Historical Society has an Open House from 2:00PM - 5:00PM on the last Sunday of the month. The only exception to that is December. Please check the Calendar for that date and any other changes to the regular scheduled Open Houses.
