Once upon a time at Hoover Road-665

By James F. Hale

Grove City residents living in the area of London-Groveport Road and Hoover Road might be surprised to know the area was once known as Ridpath around 1872. A more common name was Tuckeyhuddle, a meaning long lost in the annals of time, according to Southwest Franklin County Historical Society files.

The settlement developed around the same time the Ohio Southern Railroad announced plans to extend its rail from Jeffersonville to Columbus. The rail bed was readied for workers to lay track east of Hoover Road and north of SR 665 but the company filed bankruptcy ending construction.

With the failure of the Ohio Southern Railroad, Ridpath ceased to exist; most businesses relocated to Grove City. That settlement had a general store, blacksmith, cobbler and post office. It would be another 12 years before the Columbus, Cincinnati and Midland Railroad reached Grove City in 1884.

More information about Grove City and Southwest Franklin County history can be found at www.swfchs.org.