#TBT - Blue Ball, Ohio

For today’s #TBT post, let’s take a look at historic Blue Ball, Ohio. Blue Ball is located east of Middletown, along the border of Butler County and Warren County. Presently, the community is centered by the intersection of Cincinnati-Dayton Road and Roosevelt Avenue.

The community – which officially took the name of Blue Ball in 1852 – can trace its origins back to the settlement by Joseph Parks in 1796, the first Blue Ball School in 1800, and the establishment of the Dicks Creek Church in 1810.

The Blue Ball name comes from the tavern of Jonathan Emmons, now commonly referred to as the Blue Ball Tavern. In 1823, Emmons erected a round ball painted blue to help distinguish his crossroads establishment. Prior to taking on the name of Blue Ball, the community was known as Guilford, named for a prominent local politician.

The community was a crossroads stop along the Great Miami Turnpike, which was chartered in 1816 and served as the most direct route between Cincinnati and Dayton. With the introduction of Interstate 75 in the 1960s, the community saw commercial and residential development. In 1994, the city of Middletown annexed Blue Ball and the land around it, including the Towne Mall.