Preserving History
Valley View has an amazing history that dates back 12,000 years! That's right, artifacts and Native American debris have been found in our fields that date as far back to the Paleoindian and as recently as the 1700s. And if you think about it for a moment, you'll understand why. Valley View sits at the confluence of the East Fork and the Little Miami Rivers. These major waterways, one running north and one running east were heavily traveled by many Native Americans. Our broad open plain was perfect for hunting and fishing and in later eras, for growing crops.
But the Native American history is but a piece of the Valley View story. This land was settled in the early 19th century by Revolutionary War veterans and early pioneers. Three families - Gatch, Von Egelhoff and Woodward - were the first to settle here . . . and they're still here! Today, 6th and 7th generation descendents of these three families own small parcels of land around Valley View. These family members have hundreds of photos, artifacts, tools, writings and stories that have been passed down through the generations such as the picture shown above. In fact, the Gatch family has actually published a book containing their family history and memoirs.
Intriguing . . . but perhaps a yawn? Consider this. George Washington corresponded with the Woodward family regarding 600 acres of land he owned on the other side of the East Fork from Valley View. They still have the actual letter from Washington to their ancestors. In 1803, President Jefferson saw maps of the Milford Works, which he referred to as "Those works of Antiquity" The Milford Works was a complex Hopewell mound system that existed on the bluff overlooking Valley View. It was similar to a bird in shape. In 1823 the Army Corps of Engineers mapped these mound structures.
A number of years ago, a teacher told us a story about a trip to Washington D.C. with a class of young students. On the way home, one student commented how interested he was in the history in Washington and how he "wished we had history like that in Milford." That very comment is the driving force behind our growing efforts to share the rich history of what has happened on this land with the community.
