DELAWARE — 1870 was a peak year for Ohio: the state ranked first in sheep population and wool production in the United States, reporting 121 sheep per square mile.
Although Eastern Ohio was the epicenter of the wool trade in the late 1800s, Delaware County excelled in breed development (Merinos), expertise, and leadership.
The county held its own in numbers, too, recording almost 108,000 sheep and almost 607,000 pounds of wool production. About 98,000 acres of farmland in the county were devoted to pasture.
The eastern and northern sections of the county had the ideal rolling land well drained by Alum Creek, and the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers. There were many farmers who owned flocks of sheep in Delaware County, but certain townships stand out as hubs for fine-wool production and several sheep breeders/farmers are particularly notable:
- Samuel M. “SM” Cleaver of Maplewood Stock Farm (located in the southern part of Delaware Township) “wrote the book” on sheep breeding: Merino History and Merino Breeding (1918). Recognized as one of the country’s foremost experts on Merino sheep, Cleaver was a highly respected judge in national and regional competitions and was instrumental in the organization and leadership of national Delaine-Merino sheep associations. The American Sheep Breeder publication said that he had “no equal in the mating of sire and dam.”
- Walter P. “WP” Penry and Guy Penry of Radnor were also prominent livestock breeder in the county as owner of Pioneer Stock Farms. The brothers are part of the Welsh immigrant community who settled Radnor in the early 1800s. The Penry family is credited with development of the “B” Type of Standard Delaine Merino strain of sheep. The Penry’s were winners of multiple awards (an exhibit at the Radnor Museum presents some of their history). WP was also instrumental in the creation of the Radnor Plank Road (Rte. 203 today) a toll road that ran from Delaware to Radnor and then beyond-critical for transportation of market goods, farm products, livestock droving, and the passage of passengers in wagons, carriages, coaches, and on horses – it was considered a major achievement in its day (1855 +). The Penry legacy lives on in Radnor with descendants still active in agriculture and other enterprises and supporters of Radnor Township today.
Among other “keepers of sheep,” breeders and farmers listed in the publications 1866 Atlas of Delaware County, Illustrated Historical Atlas of Delaware County (1875) and History of Delaware County and Ohio published by O.L. Baskin in 1880 (edited by William Henry Perrin) include: Mr. Dyer of Genoa Twp. who reportedly was the first to import fine-wool sheep such as Merino to Delaware County; and D.H. Peters of Linwood Farm in Trenton Twp. In 1866 he won multiple county awards for his rams and ewe lambs.
A Continuing Legacy
Today, Ohio ranks 11th overall for sheep and lamb production and 4th in number of sheep operations.
Roger High, the executive director of the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association and the Ohio Sheep and Wool Program, reported in a 2024 podcast with AgCredit Said It that the Ohio sheep industry has seen significant growth in recent years, with over 4,200 sheep operations and about 120,000 total sheep.
High said that the industry is diverse with many different operations: large and small commercial farms, a large purebred and club lamb industry – showcasing lambs at the state fair and county fairs; and many hobby flocks.
Amish sheep farming is also on the rise as the dairy and other industries have declined. There is also solar grazing – sheep are the only livestock species that can graze under solar panels without damage.
Youth participation is also emphasized with committee work and advocacy as well as initiatives such as the Buckeye Shepherd Symposium and the Buckeye Young Shepherds Expo.
In Delaware County sheep farming, among other agricultural endeavors, is no longer prominent as we experience farming on the “urban edge.” However, family farms continue to produce meat for farm-to-table restaurants, ethnic markets, and the public; and there are boutique wool production operations in answer to renewed interest in “slow fashion,” artisan carding, traditional fulling processes, and fiber-arts.
Prospect Ohio (about 13 miles from Delaware) boasts Prospect Specialty Fiber Mill, established in 2023. This business typifies these trends. The co-owners, Polly and Emily are both nurses. Services include Scouring, Tumbling, Skirting, Picking, Carding, Pin Drafting, Spinning, Skein Setting, Washing, Wool Pellets (alternative to synthetic fertilizers and mulches), and felt sheets.
The owner’s goals are to “cater to shepherds like us – the small farmers who have a passion for home-grown fiber products selling on a smaller scale rather than commercial flocks. We hope this helps fiber artists like us have a faster turnaround time to be able to resale products and local fiber festivals and farmers markets.”
The public can enjoy small sheep flocks today at Stratford Ecological Center and Gallant Farm (Preservation Parks’ Depression-era history farm), where there are annual sheep shearing and wool festivals in addition to regular encounters with sheep in barns and pastures and as part of other family events.
Read Robin Mayes’ article “Bringing Up Baby” to learn more about the farm educator’s experience with sheep farming: https://preservationparks.com/bringing-up-baby/
Although no longer a sheep farm after well-known Powell resident and farmer Marjorie (“Marge”) Bennett passed away in 2023 at age 97, the family sold Bennett Farm to the City of Powell. Plans are underway to reconstruct and renovate the barn as a central feature of the new Bennett Park.
The former sheep grazing pasture will be open green space and also have walking trails and habitat areas.
The remains of the Hinkle Mill on Chapman Road, just south of the City of Delaware and near the Bieber Mill are a testament to its history (and highly photographed, although privately owned and not open to the public).
According to an online article by Brenda Krekeler, the mill site was established in 1804 by Captain Nathan Carpenter, early settler of Liberty Twp. who constructed a frame sawmill and gristmill there. Later, John Case built a sawmill.
In the middle 1800’s James Hinkle constructed the 3 1/2 story stone woolen mill. Krekeler says: “the Hinkle Woolen Mill has an exciting history. Wool blankets and army coats were manufactured for the soldiers in the Civil War.”
In the 1880s Hinkle modified the mill to become a gristmill as the wool industry in the area waned.
In nearby Morrow County, the name of the village of Cardington, OH reminds us that the site was settled by Peleg Bunker and Horton Howard, who built a carding and fulling mill along the Whetstone River (Olentangy) in 1824. First called “Bunkerville” the village was renamed for the carding mill. The mill was razed in 1949 and no known photograph exists.
As Delaware County changes, let’s preserve and treasure its agricultural roots for generations to come.
