Stories:

Story_1: Home built of bricks made on the spot and stones from the abandoned Covalt Station. Soldiers from Fort Washington were stationed in the back stone barracks to protect travelers from the Indians. (Conflicting story with 2) or was it soldiers from Cincinnati's Ft. Hamilton who were stationed to defend the trail from Indians?
Story_2: Built in 1810, this home was originally planned to serve as a defense post and a home, but actually it was never used for defense purposes. The dwelling which stands today (Price Coomer owner) is the result of a remodeling scheme and therefore does not truly represent the original home that bordered the pike when it was only a rough dirt road and when Terrace Park was not even a village. As it stands today, the dwelling is of brick and stone, with a center hall, dining room, breakfast nook, kitchen, library, two bedrooms, bath and a lavatory on the first floor. A section, taking in two additional bedrooms and a bath is on the second floor. (Note with Stan Millers archives.) Story 3 There is much more information on this house in the Terrace Park Historical Society archives.
Story_4: Built in 1810 - partially from stones from the Covalt Station. At first a small detachment of soldiers was stationed there because the Indians did not exactly honor the treaty signed as far back as 1795. This was to protect the increasing tide of white travelers along the Indian Trail which was the favorite war path of the Delawares, Shawnee and Wyandot braves on the road to raid the settlements in Kentucky. This path (now Wooster Pike). They forded the Little Miami at Montauk. It led straight to Columbia over John Smith's property. From a card perhaps written by Stan Miller. It includes some notes in ink in Stan's handwriting.
Story_5: Jacob & Theodosia Traber owned both sides of Wooster Pike from Elm to New St. & to the RR. The property from New St. to the RR underpass & to the hill, where the 1st road is (left off Wooster Pike before entering the underpass. This hill was the one that was terraced and planted in vineyards, the old home was at the top of the hill, and was destroyed by fire. (This property was bought from Mrs. Gilliland by the Drewrys).
Story_6: The Trabers had at least 3 daughters: Mrs. Gilliland, Mrs. Peebles & Mrs. Harding.
Story_7: ??? Stella Galloway, daughter of J. L. Galloway (725 Wooster Pike) lived here (also at 410 Elm). She married Walter Boone, son of Thomas Boone.
Story_8: Virginia Marquett remembers brothers Harry & Ed Boone living here. A cousin and her husband also lived there to manage the house. Harry Boone owned the barn across the street that had belonged to the McMullens at 607 Wooster Pike. He also had a team of horses. Ed had a riding horse that Virginia often rode after Ed died. After the cousin and her husband were no longer living there, Clarence and Mildred Beekley and daughters, Doris & Ginny (Virginia Ann), moved in. They lived there until Harry Boone died.
Story_9: Edgar W. Boone was born in 1882 and died 29 December 1931 and was buried in Section 15 of Greenlawn Cemetery, Milford OH, C. T. Johnson Funeral Home. Harry Conkling Boone died 9 June 1945 and was buried in Section 15 Greenlawn Cemetery, Milford OH, John Craver Funeral Home. Other Boone burials in Evergreen Cemetery, Miami Township OH according to their records: Thomas Boone was born 25 February 1826 and died 3 April 1906, aged 80 years, Wm. Motsinger Funeral Home. His wife, Nancy S. Boone was born 21 August 1831 and died 12 February 1911, aged 79 years, Wm. Motsinger Funeral Home. Ira Joseph Boone, a son of Thomas and Nancy Boone, was born 10 November 1860 and died 20 March 1927, aged 66 years. Clarence D. Boone, a grandson of Thomas and Nancy Boone, was born 1 November 1887 and died 5 November 1948, aged 61 years. Blanche Brenner Boone (listed with Clarence D. Boone in deeds to 407 Elm) was born 13 October 1886 and died 30 June 1947, aged 60 years. Is she his wife? Deborah Boone Humphrey is probably a daughter of Thomas and Nancy Boone. She died 26 January 1950, aged 85 years. Emma Boone Carman was born 21 November 1867 and died 5 September 1943, aged 75 years. Who is she?
Story_10: Terrace Park Historical Society has [with house pictures] 3 tax bills from 1899 & 1900 for Jacob Traber Jr. Lot 62 of Camden City. Lot 62 of Camden City is about half way between New Street and Elm - 613 Wooster, not 601.
Story_11: There is no substantiated historical documentation that this house was ever used as a station on the Underground Railroad. However, the Knight family took a sledge hammer and broke through a cellar wall to find a small hidden chamber. It was empty but ran from its dirt floor up to the underside of the first floor and was just large enough for a few people to sit down (maybe 4 feet deep and 6-10 feet long). It's on the right hand side of the cellar if you stand looking at the house from Wooster Pike. We do not know its use.(The Knights did not repair the wall.)
Story_12: Mable T. Culter to Jean G. Knight 8/7/1962; to H. Fletcher Knight Jr. & 8/7/1962; to Terrace Park Charitable Trust (Pat Henley President, Louise Halley Secretary) 2/11/1980; to Jean G. Knight 7/9/1980; to H. Fletcher Knight Jr. & 7/9/1980; to Steven A. & Linda M. Yokel 9/5/1986.
Story_13_Article written by Frank Y. Grayson for the Times-Star newspaper 3/27/1933.

A house with a romantic and historic background is the comfortable stone and brick structure which stands on a slight elevation overlooking Wooster Pike and Red Bird creek in the beautiful suburb of Terrace Park.
The dwelling is on the exact site of an old fort, which in the earliest years of the nineteenth century was garrisoned by a small detachment of soldiers from Fort Washington assigned there to lend protection to the increasing tide of white travel that was flowing along the ages-old Indian trail that led from Columbia and Cincinnati to Detroit.

This trail was the favorite war path of the Delaware, Shawnee and Wyandot braves when making raids upon the newly-founded commonwealth of Kentucky. The marauding Indians would ford the Little Miami River at what was called Montauk, now Milford, follow the well-beaten path through the thick woods bordering the stream and pass within a few feet of what was to be the site of the Senator John Smith homestead, where Aaron Burr was a visitor, as has been told in a previous article of this series.

From that point the trail led as straight as an arrow to the Stites settlement known as Columbia. When the wilderness was wrested from the Indians and the white settlers began to trickle into the lonely region to establish their homes and farms, numerous little forts were erected along the historic trace at intervals of several miles.

The front part of the house above depicted was constructed of the stones of whihc the fort was built. So also was a small building, the present dimensions of which are 10 by 16 feet. The soldiers off duty utilized that little structure as a barracks. In it they had dug a well. For many years the residence was owned by the Gililand family, among the earliest settlers in that part of Hamilton County. Now it is owned by Charles Boone who, appropriately enough, has a family tree that embraces Daniel Boone, the great frontiersman of Kentucky.

The farm at one time was owned by Judge Alphonso Taft. His son, the late Charles P. Taft, founder of the Times-Star, told Mrs. Alice Gililand that he was six years old when his father acquired the property. At the time, he said there was a bountiful orchard which extended down to the banks of the creek. The Little Miami Railroad had not been constructed then, and Mr. Taft said that, as a small boy, he gained his first experience hunting wild turkeys on the farm. He also told Mr.s Gililand that the walls of the fort were below ground, but that he easily could trace the walls. Fifty years ago Red Bird Creek was a much wider and deeper stream than it is now, so much so, in fact, that the Gililands had a johnboat moored to the bank.

The brick part of the structure also is extremely old. The brick used in the building of it were made of straw by hand and the fingerprints of the makers still are visible in some of them. In those eventful days there stood an old tavern at Montauk, where there was the ford, as related previously. A grewsome legend attaches to the ancient roadhouse. The owner of it at one time was a covetous individual who resorted to murder to acquire money. It was said of him that he would climb a tree which grew alongside of the tavern and peer into the window of the bedroom of a recently arrived guest. If he ascertained that the guest had money or other valuables in his possession he would creep into the chamber and kill his patron while the latter was asleep.

The bodies of his victims, it was said, were buried on the river bank. It is further stated on good authority that a son of this man in later years confessed that his father committ4ed the atrocities when an investigation of the disappearance of a Cincinnati man was set afoot. The unsavory tavern was demolished many years ago.
Story_14_Another version about the house, probably written by Frank Y. Grayson.

The house is the oldest in the village of Terrace Park [No, it's probably the 2nd oldest, the Smith homestead, 1005 Elm, being built circa 1800]. It was built in 1810, as a defense post following the burning of the Covalt Station by the Indians. (St. Thomas church now occupies the site.) A small detachment of soldiers from Fort Washington were assigned here to protect the increasing tide of white travel to the North along the Indian trail, (now Wooster Pike), which was a favorite war-path of the Delawares, Shawnees and Wyandot braves when making raids on the newly founded commonwealth of Kentucky. The soldiers off duty utilized the small structure as a barracks. Under it they had a deep well - which still exists.

The stone sections were constructed from stones gathered from the destroyed fort - additional stones were taken from the creek area - - the fort was built approximately eight feet below the ground and two stories high. There were no stairs - a ladder led to the upper floor where the front wall contained two apertures where guns were placed. They are still visible in the attic. Horses were mounted from a door which is now the first floor bathroom window. A hitching chain is still embedded in a giant Maple near this old door. The main partitions, which appear to be solid rock and two huge stone chimneys are said to have been built during that period.

Early in the 1800's the building became a residence at which time the Greek Revival type entrance was constructed. All flooring in the "stone house" is said to be "original". Doors and woodwork were made from wood hewn in the area - the wood is extremely hard and heavy.

The brick part of the structures is also extremely old. They were made by hand - fingerprints of the makers can be observed. In the late 1880's further "remodeling" added a back stairs. In the early 1900's a connecting porch tied the barracks house into the structure.

House site - 1 acre - Irregular Lot. Red Bird Creek Area - .74 Acre - Irregular Lot.