History

Celina was founded in 1834 in a swampy, wooded area that had to be drained and cleared before it could be settled. What remained was a level town surrounded by rich farm fields.

When one of the town's founding fathers was traveling through New York state to get the town platte lithographed, he came across the town of Salina situated on the edge of Onondaga Lake near Syracuse. Noting the similarity between Salina and the newly founded settlement in Ohio, he named the new town Celina. The spelling was changed to avoid confusion at the post office, or so the story goes.

Intersection of Main and Market Streets

History in the area :

Mercer County Historical Society Museum, Celina

MERCER COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
130 West Market Street, P.O. Box 512
Celina, OH 45822
Museum Phone: 419-586-6065

FORT RECOVERY STATE SITE & HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Fort Recovery

SHRINE OF THE HOLY RELICS
& MARIA STEIN HERITAGE MUSEUM
Maria Stein

NEIL ARMSTRONG AIR & SPACE MUSEUM
Wapakoneta

MIAMI-ERIE CANAL
St. Marys & through Auglaize County