About Braceville
The Connecticut Western Reserve was an area of land in what is now known as Northeast Ohio that was held, sold, and distributed by the State of Connecticut following the American Revolution. In 1795, the Connecticut government sold the eastern portion of the reserve to the Connecticut Land Company. The Connecticut Land Company sent General Moses Cleaveland to survey the territory and lay out the land. The surveyors laid out townships in five‐mile square grids beginning with Township One, Range One in what is now Poland, Mahoning County, Ohio.
Braceville Township was surveyed as Range Five, Township Four in 1802. The township was named after Jonathan Brace who was one of the original land owners. Growth and settlement was slow in the beginning. The first to settle in Braceville Township was Samuel Oviatt, Jr. and his family. Because most of the early settlers came from Goshen, Connecticut, Braceville was sometimes referred to as “little Goshen.” The first school was built in 1812. The first religious organization in Braceville was called the Bible Christian Church. Services were held at the schoolhouse until a church was built.
In the 1840s, a socialistic colony was created in the northwest portion of the township. The community was one of several throughout the country and was a result of teachings of Francois Marie Charles Fourier. His theories revolved around the idea that people should organize into “phalannes” of approximately 400 families with four members in each family. All of the families were to work together toward attaining a higher social, physical, intellectual and spiritual life. A large house was constructed where school, church services and meetings were held. Several small cabins were also built. The people of the colony all worked and divided their profits equally. The colony lasted for approximately four years.
Also in the 1840s, a man by the name of Randall D. Wilmont moved to Braceville and established a grocery store named The Center of the World at the intersection of what is now State Routes 5 and 82. He attempted to develop the area into a major economic center from scratch but was disappointed when the railroad companies chose nearby Warren as the hub.
Denman‐Myers Tire Plant (circa 1920)
In 1919, Denman‐Myers Cord Tire Company, know known as Denman Tire Corporation, was founded on Diehl South Road in the township to produce pneumatic cord tires. The company changed ownership and names several times over the years. In 2009, the plant manufactured more than 1,000 different sizes and types of tires including skid‐steer, industrial, small OTR, agricultural, on‐highway commercial truck, trailer (ST) and antique passenger tires and had a capacity to produce over 2,400 units per day. After 91 years in business, in 2010, the company closed following a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. Two hundred thirty union and 30 salary workers lost their jobs. Titan Tire Corporation purchased the tiremaking assets in a bankruptcy court auction.
In 1955, the Ohio turnpike opened, with Braceville being one of the first exits. Today, Braceville remains a primarily residential community with a smattering of commercial development along State Route 5 and a few churches that dot the town square. The population has slowly been in decline since the 1980s, similar to Trumbull County.