As the population of northwestern Ohio grew in the latter half of the nineteenth century, small settlements expanded into larger centers of trade. Formal incorporation was an important step in local government organization. This map illustrates many of the positive features that the village of Waterville, Ohio could claim as it petitioned the county commissioners for incorporation, including its proximity to the Maumee River and location on the Wabash and Erie Canal. The map is 26" x 17" (64 x 44 cm).

John Pray, one of the area's first settlers, built a grist mill in Waterville in 1821, and built the Columbian House, which served as an inn, tavern, meeting hall, and jail. Pray laid out the village in 1831. Although Pray died in 1872, his family's lands are still listed on this map. The Wabash and Erie Canal brought new settlers to Waterville in the 1850s. Waterville prospered during the canal era and continued to grow with the introduction of the St. Louis and Kansas City Railroad in 1877. The canal was filled in the early twentieth century and is now U.S. Route 24.