As the Northern Ohio Cooperage and Lumber Company expanded, the need for housing and services for its workers led to the creation of the Sawdust Hill community. At its peak, more than 60 structures, including shotgun-style houses, a Baptist church, a company store, two boarding houses, one black and one white, and a schoolhouse, stood within walking distance of the sawmill. Residents pulled together and built loyalty to one another and to their community. The mill community was primarily African-American and created a vibrant culture that sustained residents through hard times. Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church helped its members during crisis and provided spiritual support, while the community and the church together gave self-respect and esteem to people who rarely received support from the larger society. The schoolhouse gave parents hope for their children's future through education.