Uptown Westerville history: evolution of a bookstore circa 1870-1964.
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When did a store dedicated to selling books open in Uptown Westerville? A market for one may not have existed until Otterbein University’s founding in1847. Historical material doesn’t exist going back that far. The earliest source found is a February 12, 1869, issue of the local Westerville Banner newspaper. Three businesses advertised books for church and school, but also carried items such as coal oil, groceries, paints, varnishes, feed, fancy notions and pure liquors for medical purposes.
The Otterbein Dial, published monthly in 1876, appears to be the earliest source of a business dedicated to the sale of books including catering to Otterbein students. James Mossman’s bookstore was located in a two-story frame house constructed in 1839 of hewn logs by James Westervelt. It was located at the southwest corner of North State and West Main Streets. Westervelt later sold the property which then became a hotel. Ownership changed hands several times before purchase by Mossman who added the bookstore to the hotel which was called Commercial House. Mossman would be considered an entrepreneur. He was a farmer, cattle dealer, hotel operator, and in the real estate business in addition to other pursuits. Per an 1872 map, he owned a large tract of undeveloped land on the east side of North State Street. His plan was to build houses on this tract and indeed he did.
Per an advertisement in the May 1883 edition The Otterbein Record (which replaced The Otterbein Dial), ownership of the bookstore changed to I. Brown. Information about I. Brown remains to be discovered. An advertisement in the April 1884 edition of The Otterbein Record shows ownership changing to Henry Bushnell, “Successor to I. Brown.” Bushnell was a retired minister originally from Granville. In 1868-69, he served as president of Albany College (now Lewis and Clark College) in Portland, Oregon. Perhaps that environment lead to his owning a store whose primary customers were college students.
Next in line for bookstore ownership was William Alvin Doherty, a former Otterbein student. The date ownership changed hands from Bushnell to Doherty is not known. An advertisement in the Otterbein Aegis of June 1892lists an address of “Opposite Holmes House.” In 1889, Commercial House was razed and in its place rose the Hotel Holmes which still stands today and houses Expresso Air Coffee Terminal, Uptown Pharmacy and other businesses. “Opposite Holmes House” is the Weyant Block which today houses Old Bag of Nails Pub. Doherty departed the business at end of the summer of 1892. Age 26 at that time, he moved from the family home just west of Westerville in Sharon Township to what was then rural Mifflin Township where he became a farmer. He had a fairly substantial home on Cleveland Avenue a few blocks south of Morse Road.
Per the Otterbein Aegis of September 1892, the 1892-93 academic year began with a new owner at the helm of what came to be known as the University Book Store. John L. Morrison, at age 60, began a 20-year career catering to the needs of Otterbein students. He retired in 1912. There were numerous glowing remarks at his passing including “Mr. Morrison was for twenty years the proprietor of a bookstore in Westerville where with his wonderful personality and lovable disposition he won the hearts of hundreds of Westerville people and Otterbein students.” Son-in-law John Wesley Jones, who assumed management at Morrison’s retirement, moved the University Book Store in 1917 three doors south to 18 North State Street. This structure (today Pure Roots) had previously housed the Bank of Westerville. John passed away unexpectedly in 1925 at which time his wife, Olive Morrison Jones, assumed sole ownership. Daughter Ellen Margaret Jones, a 1923 graduate of Otterbein and likely already a seasoned employee, continued the business until donating it to Otterbein in 1964. That ended an amazing 72 year run by the Morrison family.
Published 1/18/2021. Revised in October 2025. Don Foster, Otterbein Class of 1973. donfoster73@gmail.com
James Mossman’s book store was located in the 3rd building from the right, SW corner of North State and West Main Streets. Originally erected by James Westervelt in 1839. Razed in 1889. Photo credit: Westerville History Musuem.An advertisement from an 1876 issue The Otterbein Dial, an Otterbein University montly publication by faculty and students.Photo credit: Otterbein Digital Commons.The Hotel Holmes replaced the building housing Mossman’s book store. The hotel was later converted to other uses and today houses Expresso Air Coffee Terminal, Uptown Pharmacy, and other businesses.Three different bookstore owners are mentioned above and below. The highlighted Locals news item in the October 1881 issue of The Otterbein Record reads: “Mr. Lewis Ranck has sold out his bookstore to I. Brown.” The advertiesment below which appeared in the same October issue indicates “Lewis Ranck (Successor to) Eli Timmons.” Per the 1880 U.S. Census, Timmons was a dealer in books. He must have purchased the bookstore from James Mossman and thus became the 2nd owner. Then Ranck purchased the bookstore from Timmons and became the 3rd owner. Ranck then sold to I. Brown who became the 4th owner. Photo credit: Otterbein Digital Commons.This advertisement showing I. Brown as owner appeared in the May 1883 issue of The Otterbein Record. An article in the Westerville Public Opinion newspaper of 9/1/1932 explained: “At the time the store was started, Otterbein was known as Otterbein University and the store took the name University Book Store.”Henry Bushnell, per The Otterbein Record of April 1884, became the 5th owner. A Granville native, Reverend Bushnell is the author of the first history of that town.William Alvin Doherty, a former Otterbein student, succeeded Henry Bushnell and became the 6th owner. This advertisement is from the September 1890 issue of the Otterbein Aegis. Photo credit: Otterbein Digital commons.This advertisement from the Otterbein Aegis of June 1892 identifies the locationas the Weyant Block(which today houses Old Bag of Nails Pub).J. L. Morrison became the 7th owner per the Otterbein Aegis of September 1892 beginning a run of 72 years of ownership by three generations of Morrisons.An advertisement from The Otterbein Review. Photo credit: Otterbein Digital Commons.The Weyant Block at 24-26 North State Street. The University Book Store is in the right (south) half of the building where the person is standing in the doorway.J. L. (John) Morrison above and below.One of “the boys” mentioned above is James H. Morrison, father of Jane Morrison Horn.Mr. W. G. Morrison in the address field above is the son of J. L. Morrison’s brother. Photo credit: Jane Morrison Horn.The interior of the store in the Weyant Block prior to the two storefronts being combined into one and prior to the stairway to the upper levels being moved to the south end of the building. Today the bar at Old Bag of Nails Pub would be where the center aisle of the bookstore was. Photo credit: Westerville History Museum.John Wesley Jones, pictured here and son-in-law of J. L. Morrison, who ran the store from 1912-1925. Photo credit: Westerville History Musuem.The Weyant Block after it was combined into one store for Bates’ Ben Franklin 5&10. Note the entrance to the upper levels has been moved from the middle of the building to the south end. Photo credit: Westerville Histoy Museum. The Weyant Block today.18 North State Streetprior to the University Book Store relocating there in 1917.
Per the Public Opinion of 2/1/1917, the entrance was changed to ground level. How the floor was altered? Puzzling.
The relocated University Book Store. The side porch was enclosed. Photo credit above and below: Westerville History Museum.The above picture is from the Otterbein yearbook of 1930. Cook House Fraternity occupied the second floor for a brief period before merging with another fraternity to form Zeta Phi Fraternity which today is located at 48 West College Avenue. Note the students standing on the roof of the second floor enclosure. Ellen Margaret Jones on the right, granddaughter of J. L. Morrison, ran the store from her father’s 1925 unexpected passing until the store ended its run in 1964. Photo credit: Jane Morrison Horn.The above picture is from the Otterbein yearbook of 1952.
Public Opinion 9/1/1932.
18 North State Street today.Public Opinion 7/30/1964. Photo credit: Westerville History Museum.The University Book Store that was sold to Otterbein opened in the Campus Center upon completion of its construction in 1964. Towers Magazine May 1963. Photo credit: Otterbein Digital Commons.
Towers Magazine July 1964. Photo credit: Otterbein Digital Commons.
The “sidewalk supervisor” above and his friend, below, mentioned in the article. Otterbein yearbook 1911.Grand opening. Photo credit: Otterbein Digital Commons.The founder of the store that eventually took the formal title University Book Store. Photo credit: Find-a-Grave website.James Mossman’s house at 50 East Broadway Avenue as it appears today. The porch was added by a later owner.Public Opinion 4/16/1914.Interment Otterbein Cemetery.
3rd bookstore owner Lewis Ranck. Public Opinion 4/10/1930.
Lewis and Medora Ranck resided at 99 North State Street. They may have built this house. This is how it appears today.
Interment Otterbein Cemetery.
Information about 4th bookstore owner I. Brown could not be located.
5th bookstore owner Reverend Henry Bushnell. The Columbus Dispatch 11/20/1905.
Public Opinion 11/23/1905.
Circa 1868.Photo credit: Granville Public Library.
Interment Maple Grove Cemetery, Granville, Ohio.Bushnell biography from Our Ancestors of the Westerville Area by Dr. Harold Hancock.The first history of Granville, Ohio, written in 1889 while Henry Bushnell was living on West Park Street in Westerville. House numbers were not assigned until 1912 (and he died in 1905) so the house identity is unknown…awaiting a lucky discovery. The Granville Historical Society refers to Henry Bushnell as “one of our heroes.”Connecticut roots of 3rd cousins Henry Bushnell and Ohio Governor Asa Bushnell. Governor Bushnells spoke at the 1896 dedication of Westerville’s Vine Street School shown below. The Bushnell mansion on East High Street in Springfield, Ohio, is now a funeral home.Vine Street School then. Today, renamed EmersonElementary School.6th bookstore owner William A. (Alvin) Doherty. His death certificate confirms burial at Riverside Cemetery, 3840 Sunbury Road. Above is from the Find-a-Grave website.William A.’s unmarked grave would be somewhere in the area of the two gravestones above. The blackened gravestone on the left is William’s wife Flora. William E., on the right, is his son.Catalog of 1890/91. William Alvin Doherty was a former Otterbein student. He did not pursue a Bachelor’s degree after enrolling in thepreparatory programwhich was equivalent to the senior year in high school. Photo credit: Otterbein Digital Commons.William Doherty’s house on South Cleveland Avenue in the same vicinity as the cemetery where he is buried. The picture is from the Franklin County Auditor website taken just prior to demolition in 2017.
7th bookstore owner John L. Morrision. The Otterbein Review 5/27/1916.
The Otterbein Review 4/3/1916.
Public Opinion 4/3/1916.
The above poem appeared in the September 1912 issue of the Otterbein Aegis. The introduction read: “In this issue of the Aegis a poem from the pen of Mr. J. L. Morrison, until recently the well known proprietor of the local book store. On Friday, the twenty-seventh of the month, Mr. Morrison will celebrate his eightieth birthday and at that time he will enjoy the privilege of having his children and grandchildren help him observe the day.“
The Morrison family home as it appears today, 64 South Vine Street.Commentary by John L. Morrison’s granddaughter, Ellen Jones.J.L. Morrison’s son-in-law who, with his wife Olive, succeeded J.L. in the bookstore business thus retaining Morrison family ownership. The Columbus Dispatch 2/3/1925.
Otterbein newspaper Tan and Cardinal 2/10/1925.
Public Opinion 1/4/1934.
The last of the Morrison family to run the bookstore business. Public Opinion 7/27/1994.
Interment (all Morrisons) Otterbein Cemetery.Pictured above is Maple Street (abandoned long ago) which ran north/south through the Otterbein campus between West Main Street and West Park Street. Alumni Gymnasium (now Battelle Hall), the tennis courts and the Science Building are on the right…King Hall is on the left. In front of King Hall was the house pictured below, owned by Otterbein, that is in the process of being moved after its sale to Bert and Jane Morrison Horn. Many of the bronze history plaques that are mounted on the exteriors of historic Uptown buildings were funded by two Westerville families…one of which was the Horns. This “evolution of a bookstore circa 1870-1964” fittingly ends with them. Jane Morrison Horn, great niece of J. L. Morrison, heading home with the newly purchased houseto be relocated at 112 North West Street.Accompanied by Sanders Frye, Otterbein Business Manager, who likely handled the sale of the house to the Horns and its removal from campus. Photo credit of the move: Tom, John and Bill Horn. 112 North West Street.A reception was held in June 2019 to recognize the Bishop and Horn families for funding the bronze history plaques. Two of Bert and Jane Morrison Horn’s sons were able to make the trip to Westerville. Pictured in front of the final Uptown location of the bookstore are Bill Horn on the left and Tom Horn and his wife and daughters on the right. John (Otterbein Class of 1980) was not available that day.The Columbus Dispatch 4/18/1916
What an in-depth and meticulous review on the history of the Otterbein bookstore. I am amazed at how you were able to follow it’s history through the years! Great information and photos!
Histories and Mysteries 
Excellent article. I really love seeing the old pictures with what is there today. Glad so many buildings were preserved in Uptown Westerville.
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What an in-depth and meticulous review on the history of the Otterbein bookstore. I am amazed at how you were able to follow it’s history through the years! Great information and photos!
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Great article,Don. Thanks for all your hard work.
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