The Wellspring of Richland County
Mansfield is the heart of Richland County and home to both a literal and metaphorical wellspring — a city that sprang up from nothing but forested wilderness on the American frontier. In 1808, the city’s founders chose an unusual spot to settle: a picturesque hilltop flanked by forks of the Mohican River. For settlers, a water source was often the primary factor for choosing a location to put down roots. Most settled in locations near rivers, but this hilltop had a unique water source and high elevation which made it quite preferable to the mosquito-plagued lowlands of the Black Fork River. The Big Spring, a natural spring an easy walk from the square (now Mansfield’s Central Park), provided early Mansfielders with an endless supply of cool water straight from the earth for the necessities of life of the frontier. More…
