The City of Hillsboro Founded in 1807, just 4 years after Ohio became a state, Hillsboro was plotted with wide streets and alleys in a plan that still serves the city well.  New Market, south of Hillsboro, was considered for the county seat but legend has it the town leaders got very intoxicated during discussions about building a courthouse that Hillsboro was able to raise the money first and since then has served as the Highland County seat of government.

Hillsboro grew quickly, having 868 inhabitants in 1840. By the mid 1840’s the community contained three churches, two newspaper offices, fourteen stores, and an academy for men and a school for women.  In 1880, 3,234 people resided in Hillsboro, with approximately one-third of them being children.  The town became the center of agricultural and industrial trade with two railroad lines serving the town.

Most of Hillsboro’s manufacturing businesses produced flour, carriages, and lumber for this growing community.  Hillsboro’s largest employer was J.M. Boyd & Company, which processed flour.  Manufacturing importance grew through the 19th and the 20th centuries as companies like S.S. Bell, Gross-Feibel and others added industrial capacity to the town’s abilities.  With an emphasis on learning and knowledge, educational pursuits were encouraged in both men and women leading to many lawyers, governors and community leaders crediting Hillsboro for their accomplishments.

Educated and empowered women began the Temperance Crusade here and were led by “Mother” Eliza Jane Thompson, the daughter of a governor and wife of an attorney.  They left a mark on the town that exists today as few liquor establishments remain inside the city limits.  The city still boasts an active civic life with a variety of festivals, parades and celebrations that are family friendly and display the beauty of our historic streets and heritage.

The ‘uptown’ area, named that way because all the streets lead up to the center of town, has a wide variety of shops and services for residents and visitors alike.  A drugstore is centrally located and still boasts the tin ceilings installed in 1895.  Along the main streets of High and Main are an appliance store, health food store, beauty shops, cosmetic shop and bakery.  Even a shoe repair existed for many years on S. High Street that had been in the same location since the early years of the town. Antique and collectable shops also line the streets for bargain hunters and collectors as well as restaurants featuring local foods and home cooking.  For the weekend traveler or resident Hillsboro has a lot to offer both “uptown” and in other parts of town with lumber supplies, farm supply stores, larger grocery stores and restaurants along the Harry Sauner Road and North High Street corridor.

Hillsboro is a city where you can enjoy a holiday parade, activities by various non-profit groups or the Hillsboro Uptown Business Association (HUBA), an occasional festival with live entertainment and street vended food in an old hometown setting. 

All roads lead to Hillsboro from Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati and all points east, west, north and south so getting here is easy through the picturesque countryside we call home.  For more information visit www.hillsboroohio.net and see Hillsboro where pride rings true.