Life in Convoy
Life in the small town of Convoy is filled with a special quality of life. The atmosphere is relaxed but not totally void of everyday pressures. A heritage of hard work has made the people of the area willing to join forces to make many community projects successful; being small has never been a detriment to our success.
A key part of the fabric of Convoy is its tradition of providing a quality education through Crestview Local Schools. Crestview High School consistently ranks in the top 100 schools in Ohio according to U.S. News and World Report. Crestview’s athletic programs foster school pride and promote community engagement while its students develop strong work effort through community service and job training. Convoy also offers a collection of welcoming churches for those seeking a regular to place to worship.
Each year, Convoy residents gather for the annual Community Days celebration. With activities for all ages, families can enjoy watching the parade on Main Street, enjoying great music and food at the Village Square, or participating in a variety of fun and games.
The Settlement of Convoy
Convoy was established as a small hamlet near the edge of the “Black Swamp” of Northwest Ohio in the 1860’s. The earliest land entries of the township were in the late 1830’s. The following is recorded in the 1872 Van Wert County History:
“Since 1840, improvement has gone apace, slowly, but steadily, until the appearance of the township with its schools, churches, dwellings, industries, and other improvements attest the enterprise, even courage of the men who have wrought such wonderful changes. True, much remains to be done, but the past gives assurances for the future, and the lapse of a few more years will show other changes as creditable as those already wrought. Farms will yet rise from beneath swamps, and prove as productive as any in the state.”
The Convoy area was part of the last “frontier” of Ohio. While a challenge to tame, the “Black Swamp” was an attractive alternative to the more expensive land around the Midwest. This land required a people who wanted to invest considerable sweat, effort, and hardship to clear the timber and drain the land, but the sheer effort and determination of the people paid off. The swamp was gradually transformed into excellent farmland, and it remains one of the most productive areas in the state.
The impetus for growth for the community centered on the building of the railroad through the county. The completion of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad in 1855 opened up transportation to the township. The settlement moved from an area along an old Native American trail to a place near the railroad, and Convoy was formed, being incorporated in 1874. There was now a market to the Midwest, plentiful lumber resources and a way to move the manufactured product. In 1872 there was a stave mill producing 20,000 staves daily. Adjacent to it on the south was a hoopmill making important parts for wooden barrels.
Growth of Convoy
Convoy gradually changed from merely a lumbering center and a railroad town to a farming community, becoming the center for the milling of grain and supporting stores and shops.
Not everything was easy for Convoy. Two fires hit the business district in the first decade of the 20th century, each time destroying about half of the buildings in the area. The residents did not give up during that disastrous decade – each time rebuilding with confidence.
Many small communities faced drastic changes in the period following World War I. Several neighboring communities declined or disappeared, but Convoy adapted to the changing world. Farming shifted from horses to tractors, and more acres could be placed in production with fewer people. The forty acre farm became a thing of the past.
The increased use of the automobile sparked several changes. With the consolidation of schools, students were bussed into Convoy and the one room school became only a memory. The automobile allowed people to get factory jobs in neighboring communities and still reside in the Convoy area. People began “car pooling” to Van Wert and Fort Wayne long before that term became popular.
The civic community and business association have worked closely together to not only keep Convoy a great place to live but to plan for the future as well. A major demonstration of that effort was the Centennial celebrated in 1975 that spawned Edgewood Park and later led to the creation of the annual Convoy Community Days celebration.
The Little Town that Does Big Things
Convoy residents take pride in the fact that their community is known as “The Little Town That Does Big Things” Convoy is a unique, self-sufficient community where people are happy to live, work, and relax. Houses in Convoy are a variety of sizes, most of which are of average size. The lawns, landscaping, and towering trees reflect the maintenance of people who were reared to care for and protect their property.
While Convoy prides itself in being a small community with traditional family values, built around civic involvement and a religious life, it is not isolated but rather functions as a window to other urban areas. Access to educational opportunities, arts, and shopping are not far considering the driving time across a city. One of the largest shopping malls in the tri-state area is within forty minutes. The area surrounding Convoy is largely composed of small- to medium-sized family-operated farms. Van Wert County is one of the leading agricultural producers in Ohio.
There are over fifty merchants, retailers, and service oriented businesses in Convoy and the community. An easy way to become an active citizen in Convoy is to join one of the many civic or service organizations or become involved with a church or the Edgewood Park program. The Convoy merchants work and grow together through the Convoy Business Association. This is an active organization with the aim in mind to promote Convoy and its many services.