Bean Corners

(The following was written by Marilyn Gibboney and is reprinted from “Reflections II”, a collection of local stories available at the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum. Any opinions made in the article are from the author.)The intersection of two County Roads sometimes gave the area a particular name in the earlier days of the century. Sometimes they were named after families of the area or the streams nearby. Sometimes people don't remember why or how they got the name. Such a name is Bean Corners. This spot is located at the junction of Johnson Road and Big Run Road. Johnson Road dead-ends into Big Run Road at this point.Many years ago the township lines were more important and hear one side of the road was Prairie Township and the other was Pleasant. The nearby farm known for many years as the “Haenszel” place was in both townships. The township line did not follow the road. Near the junction of the roads Charlie Haenszel had a blacksmith shop and the neighboring farmers would take their horses to be shod there. According to Alfred Schoch who remembers “Old Charlie” he would only shoe the horses when and if he felt like it. As a boy his parents would send him down the road to have the horses shod and Charlie was busy doing something else he would tell the boy to go home and come back later.Alfred's older brother, Elvin, was nicknamed “Beany” and everyone in the neighborhood called him that. Alfred said he supposed it came from living near that area. The Schoch home place is located on Johnson Road very near Bolton Field. All but 10 acres were bought and became part of Bolton Field. Alfred said he does not know why the corner was called Bean Corners. Wilma Marcum said that she remembers some of the older generation saying that the farmers couldn't grow anything but beans in that corner because of the “V” shaped in the road. Interesting!