Stephen and Mehitable Frazee arrived in this area in the early 1800s when it was sparsely settled, living in a log cabin, clearing forests for farmland, and remaining mostly self-sufficient. In 1825, construction of the Ohio & Erie Canal flooded their fields and destroyed their crops, forcing the family to buy feed, flour, and seeds for several years. Stephen sued the State of Ohio and won a settlement of $130. About the same time the canal opened, the Frazees built the brick farmhouse across the road, and the canal gave them and other local farmers an effective way to send their products to market.