From Pioneering Days at Antioch by Lucy G. Morgan 1947 Antioch Press

Back to the early and roaring 20’s…..

The village had no water supply. Luckily, Arthur knew the Ohio Conservancy Act which he helped write for the flood protection work at Dayton, and knew that al almost identical law had been re-enacted for water supply districts. Under this the Yellow Spring (along with the Glen) could be appropriated as a source of water for a sewer system. Those of us who lived there will never forget the deposits of iron and lime left daily by Yellow Springs water in all ou sinks and basins, but it was wonderful to have running water. Primarily it was even more important in preventing the Glen being sold as an amusement park, as we found had been planned.

The scarcity of houses then was, as always acute. The Nashes camped out temporarily in North Hall. As soon as we knew we were to live in Yellow Springs, I began to agitate to get a house on what as then cllaed the “Means Lawn.” It had been the home of Judge Mills, who gave the original land for the college, but l;ong ago he has sold it to Mr. Means, who by 1921 was a 90 year old invalid. The property was then taken in the name of his son-in-law, W.A. Julian, of Cincinnati. We were told b y everyone that many people had tried in vain to buy it. One day in the summer of 1921, while we were living at the Englewood Dam, Arthur had a phone call from Cincinnati, saying that we could have the sixteen acres if we would pay cash. Arthur called me from Dayton to ask about our finances. Luckliy by using all our bank account and getting a mortgage for the rest, we were able to close the bargain. Next day, Julian said he preferred to keep it himsrlf, but we had it and could start planning the faculty houses. Louis Grandgent, who had recently graduated in architecture from Harvard, and had specialized in colonial houses, was added to thefaculty, and our building program was started, using college endowment funds for the college faculty homes, while we financed our own. As jobs had already become scarce, some college boys worked on the houses. For some years afterward I would frequently hear some boy at a party reamark “I helped carry the bathtub up in this house,” etc. etc.

The old Horace Mann house, (btw now Weston) on the foundation of which the college library was later built, was still standing, but Mrs. Weston, who had tried living in it, warned me, “It is a woman-killer” At any rate, it was needed as a college dormitory, so we started to build the Morgan House on the Lawn and were fortunate enough in being able to buy a brand-new house on Davis Street as a temporary home. Until after Christmas that first year, we amomg newcomers had the only house, and it became a center of social life. We had been so anxious for a home that we bought it over the telephone “sight-unseen”, and moved in without any idea of its internal arrangement. Knowing George Drake, of whom we bought it, we felt entirely safe.

By autumn Mr.eans had died, and the college was legally entitled to that big house, but “Miss Pearl” his daughter, always had some excuse for not moving out……..stay tuned for Part 3

Duffy