Legend
One legend involved the Indians stealing three horses from the settlement
at Nelson's Station (Madisonville). The settlers pursued them, and shot
the
Indian who was unfortunate enough to have selected a lame horse. Years
later, his body was found on a farm on a hill above Madisonville, giving
the name Indian Hill to our rural community.
By the early 1800's the Indians had moved westward,
the settlers were able to farm, run their grist,
saw and paper mills, build comfortable homes,
and organize the community about them. Three
schools were built, all of which are still standing.
The first church, Armstrong Chapel, was built
on property given by Nathaniel Armstrong, a prosperous
mill operatory. The men of the community formed
the bricks from clay on the property, cut the
beams and forged the hardware. The cemetary predates
the church. Soldiers from nearly every U.S. war,
including the Revolutionary War, are buried there.
By the end of the 19th century, the area was
a farming community of about 500 residents, many
of whom were descendants of the early pioneer
families.
In the early part of the 1900's in order to
escape the heat of the city, a few Cincinnatians
began to come for the summer. They purchased
farms or visited relatives. The virginal beauty
of its hillsides attracted more and more Cincinnatians,
and by the late 1920's it began to develop into
a suburban residential community. By the late
1930's its citizens became concerned about protecting
the handsome woodlands from the discordant elements
that were beginning to plague the outskirts of
major cities. Thus it was incorporated in 1941.
With tight zoning, imaginative leadership, and
suburban planning, created and guided by the
personal efforts of its residents, the Village
has been able to meet the pressing demands for
housing that began after World War II and yet
maintain its rural atmosphere.
For more historical information, please visit
the Indian Hill Historical Society at: www.indianhill.org
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