THE POASTTOWN HISTORY
Poasttown Elementary School was dedicated in 1937. Before it was a school there were multiple train wrecks with casualties within a mile of the property.
According to the Middletown Historical Society Poasttown is an unincorporated community located in northeastern Madison Township, Butler County, Ohio, on State Route 4, about one mile north of Middletown. It was laid out in 1818 by Peter Post as the town of West Liberty. In August of 1848 he was named the first postmaster of Poasttown. His salary was $57.20 a year. There being another West Liberty in Ohio, it was at this time that the U.S. Postmaster asked the name of the village be changed, and everyone agreed it should be called after its founder, Poasttown.
In 1851 the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad was built just north of the village, making Poasttown a shipping point. The Poasttown School opened in 1937 near the railroad tracks, replacing an old one-room school that had served the community for many years. The old one-room school became the Grange Hall, and later the Madison Fire Department.
The school opened on September 7, 1937, but was not dedicated until April 15, 1938. Dr. Walter Collins gave the dedicatory address, and County School Superintendent C.H. Williams also spoke. The members of the School Board were George Finkbone, Carl Seigel, Nathan Weikel, Lacy Keith, Harry Selby and Harry Augburger. The School had a long run until 2000.
Train Accidents:
The Middletown rails were pretty treacherous in the late 1800’s into the 1900’s. On July, 25th 1891 Employees of National Cash Register were on their way back up to Dayton from their company picnic. Their passenger train collided with a freight train causing 4 deaths, and 50 injuries.
On July 4th, 1910 there was a horrific train accident that occurred when an Engineer of the Big Four passenger train ran off schedule after a detour. This caused mass chaos and when the second train, full of freight, saw the original train it was too late. All passengers in the 2 cars closest to the engine either died or were seriously injured. There were 19 deaths at the scene of the accident, and countless others who were hurt. There were no hospitals at the time, so the land where the school currently sits, was used as a makeshift triage. Relief trains were sent out, and the passengers who survived were taken to hospitals in other nearby cities. In the end, there were a total of 36 deaths.
