Reynoldsburg |
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Address
7232 E. Main Street.
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
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Phone
614-322-6800 |
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One hundred fifteen families were living in Truro Township when the village of Reynoldsburg, 55 lots, was platted in 1831 on John D. French's land. He may have been persuaded to do this by the coming through of the National Road from the East Coast, or by his boarder James C. Reynolds, whose visionary and energetic leadership made him sutler, postmaster, brigadier general in the militia, representative in Ohio's General Assembly, promoter and builder. Reynolds had the daring and enterprise to seize opportunities and create progress; people named the town for him.
In March 1839, the village of Reynoldsburg was incorporated. From about that time through the Civil War, Reynoldsburg was active in the Underground Railroad, transporting and briefly sheltering many fugitive slaves on their way to other "free states" and Canada.
Alexander W. Livingston, a plant and seed merchant born in 1821, was an internationally acclaimed horticulturist known for his development of the tomato for commercial use. His family resided in Reynoldsburg. 1852, Livingston purchased seventy acres of land east of Graham Road on both sides of Palmer Road. It was on this land that A.W. Livingston Buckeye Seed Gardens were located. Livingston spent years on his farm as he experimented and studied ways to develop improved vegetables for his trade as a plant and seed merchant. When Alexander W. Livingston began his attempt to develop the tomato as a commercial crop, his aim was to grow tomatoes with a smooth contour, better flavor and the ability to be processed commercially without losing significant quality.
When Alexander W. Livingston began his attempt to develop the tomato as a commercial crop, his aim was to grow tomatoes with a smooth contour, better flavor and the ability to be processed commercially without losing significant quality. In 1870, Alexander introduced the Paragon tomato and as they say, the rest is history. The popularity of the tomato has grown to the point that it is grown in every state in the union. In 1898, Alexander Livingston died, but not before contributing to Reynoldsburg's history and the history of agriculture in the United States. In 1965, the Franklin County Historical Society recognized Reynoldsburg as "The Home of the Tomato" and to honor this great man Reynoldsburg holds an annual festival in recognition of his vast accomplishments in agriculture. It is called the Tomato Festival and is held in September.
Between Gahanna, Pickerington, Columbus, and Pataskala on the eastern edge of Franklin County, the City of Reynoldsburg Ohio has remained a stable suburb, even while upscale developments sell homes in the $400,000 range. But there are also well-maintained older subdivisions where nice homes can be found for $100,000. Considered a friendly, low-key, family-oriented, middle-to-upper-middle-class suburb.
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