Poling Cabin Dis-Assembly Fall of 2009

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  • assembly set 50021

The Poling Cabin was originally constructed by an early pioneer of Allen Township, James Poling. In 1838, James poling purchased land off of what now is known as State Route 245, just past Wilbur Road to the East. This land was originally part of the late 18th century awards as a Revolutionary War land grant. In 1840, James constructed a log cabin, which was the family cabin for many years.  Many Poling children were born and raised in the cabin.  Reuben Poling, son of James, was born in the cabin and later became a soldier in the Civil War.  James passed away in 1888; the land and cabin were sold to the Lillie family about 1890.  About 1901, following the marriage of Reuben’s son, Lawrence to Catherine Lillie, the cabin made its way back to the Poling family.  They were believed to have lived in the cabin from the time of their marriage up until their deaths.  Through the years, the cabin required a back portion, a second story and a front porch.  The cabin sat vacant from 1937 until the middle 1960’s, when Mr. Ellsworth Ohnsman expressed an interest in the cabin.  He purchased the cabin and moved it into Marysville, where it became a part of “The Ole Village” and was one of five cabins in the village.  Mr. Ohnsman passed away in 1992 and the family took care of the village until it was sold to Nestle.  In 2009, Nestle wanted to expand and the log cabins were scheduled for demolition, if no one acquired them by April 31st.  Andrew See, a resident of Allen Township, approached the Board of Trustees explaining the historical significance the cabin has to the Township.  Nestle donated the cabin to Allen Township and a group of volunteers carefully dismantled the cabin.  During the dismantle, Rick Kingham inspected and numbered each log.  The logs were then placed into storage in a building at the Township.  Over the course of two years, following the removal of the cabin, the volunteers worked to re-construct the cabin.  The Poling cabin now sits in the Allen Township Park within a mile of its original home.  The cabin was dedicated back to Allen Township and its residents on September 17, 2011.  The volunteers hope many future residents enjoy the cabin and appreciate the preservation of history.