Spring Borough is located three miles north of Conneautville on Conneaut Creek, in the western part of Spring Township. It is not compactly built, but extends chiefly along Main and Beaver Streets, which intersect at "the center." Its residences are mostly new, neat and handsome, and quite a number are almost palatial in size and beauty. Probably in no other village in the county of similar size will an equal number of fine residences be found. The population of the borough in 1870 was 323, and in 1880, 379. It has since materially increased, and now exceeds 400. The business of the place consists of three dry goods stores, two hardware stores, one boot and shoe, one variety, one millinery, one furniture, one drug and two grocery stores. The Coming Wagon Works were erected in 1883, and give employment to about twenty-five workmen. Brown & Eighmy own and operate a steam saw-mill, and I. T. Welch & Son a steam saw-mill and hoop factory. An extensive tannery has recently been removed to Conneautville. Of lesser industries the village contains a cheese factory, two blacksmith-shops, one shoe-shop, one wagon-shop and one harness shop. One hotel provides for the entertainment of the traveling public, and two physicians are sufficient to attend to the bodily ailments of the community.

Spring is a village of slow but steady growth. The first settlers within the limits of the borough were James Orr and Thomas Ford. It was shortly before the canal was opened that the locality began to assume the appearance of a trading point. Harry Pond opened the first store about 1835. About the same time, or earlier, Collins Hall erected a woolen, fulling and saw-mill. The second saw-mill was built by Hawley Dauchey, about forty years ago. The impulse given the village by the canal developed it slowly. During the last fifteen years it has grown more rapidly.

The postoffice was first kept a mile north of the village, but was subsequently removed to Spring Corners, as the place was known until its incorporation as a borough in the spring of 1866. The first election was held March 16, 1866, and the officers then chosen were: Jonathan Sheldon, Burgess; W. C. Booth, W. D. Lefevre, H. West, Jr., E. E. Eighmy, and A. V. Baldwin, Council; F. W. Oliver, Justice of the Peace; F. H. Cook, Constable; Timothy Sturtevant, Assessor; Oliver Baldwin, Jonathan Sheldon, H. P. Knickerbocker, O. F. Sheldon, F. W. Oliver and C. L. Fisher, School Directors; A. M. Baldwin, Judge of Election; G. R. Cook and O. F. Sheldon, Inspectors; and J. B. Bradley, Auditor. The Burgesses subsequently elected have been: C. L. Fisher, 1867; George Hall, 1868; A. K. Stone, 1869; A. F. Crane, 1870-71; E. E. Eighmy, 1872; L. F. McLaughlin, 1873; A. K. Stone, 1874; Levi Lozier, 1875; L. W. Brown, 1876-77; H. C. King, 1878; A. J. Greenfield, 1879; Roswell 0. Head, 1880; L. K. Chapman, 1881; L. W. Brown, 1882; M. E. Hall, 1888; Ria Ferguson, 1884.

The schoolhouse is a handsome two-story frame structure, erected in 1880 at a cost of $4,500. It contains four apartments, but three of which are now required. The first schoolhouse was a primitive log structure, which stood on the hill east of the village. hen the borough was incorporated it contained a frame one-story schoolhouse in the east part of the village, which was occupied until about 1872, when the Odd Fellows' Hall on Beaver Street was purchased. It was used until the erection of the present commodious school building on the same site.

The village contains three churches. The Christian Church of Springboro dates its origin back to 1825. In or about that year Rev. Asa Morrison organized a large congregation. Among the earliest members were Samuel Whitman, Elisha Bowman, Elan, Daniel and Asa Sturtevant, William Forsythe, Frank and Amos Wells, Orrin Baldwin, and Ebenezer and Lyman Hall. The first meetings were held in the schoolhouse, and about 1845 the present commodious frame building, located on the south side of Cussewago Street, was erected. It was the first religious edifice within the limits of the borough. The membership is about seventy-five. Rev. E. M. Harris is the pastor. His immediate predecessor was Rev. J. G. Bishop, before whom Rev. J. J. Summerbell preached for years. The congregation now numbers about seventy five members.

Springboro Methodist Episcopal Class was organized in 1828 by Rev. Daniel Ritchie, of Albion Circuit, with five members — Joel Jones and his wife Patty, Mary Cook, Maria Cook and George R. Cook — on the upper floor of Butler's tannery. In 1829 the class was attached to Conneautville Circuit, with which it remained until 1867, when Rev. W. A. P. Eberhart, a local minister, was employed independently by the society. Spring Circuit was organized in 1868, and has had the following pastors: S. L. Wilkinson, 1868; C, W. Foulke, 1869-71; J. B. Wright, 1872-73; J. Abbott, 1874; L. L. Luse, 1875; C. M. Coburn, 1876-78; C. W. Foulke, 1879-81; S. Fidler, 1882-83. The circuit now includes four appointments — Keepville (in Erie County), Beaver Center, Steamburg and Springboro. The meetings of the Springboro Class were held for a year or two in Butler's tannery, then in the schoolhouse for five or six years. Mr. Butler then erected a store-room at the northeast corner of Main and Cussewago Streets, and meetings were held on its second floor until 1864, when the present frame structure, 36x48, was erected on the north side of Cussewago Street, at a cost of $1,200. The membership is now about ninety.

The first Baptist Church of Spring was organized May 25, 1833, by Rev. O. L. Dunfee, of North Shenango, with the following constituent members: Nathaniel Pond, Henry Wait, John Gillett, Liba Woodard, Silas Cooper, Hiram Sheldon, Mary Pond, Polly Wait, Tryphosia Conover, Sybil Woodard, Polly Gleason, Mary Cutler, Ruth Gillett, Jerusha Mann and Sylvia Hammon. Nathaniel Pond was the first Deacon; Silas Cooper, the first Clerk. Elder Adrian Foote, of Meadville, preached occasionally for a few months, when Rev. Levi Fuller was secured as pastor, preaching every other Sunday at $75 per year. Subsequent pastors have been, with dates of commencement of pastorates: Rev. Keith, January. 1836; Benjamin Oviatt, December, 1836; Elder Cady, 1842; William Walden, 1845; Elder Dodge, 1848; J. J. Fuller, 1851; D. Beacher, 1853; Elisha Nye, 1857; B. C. Hendricks, 1860; P. Griffis, 1862; Wenham Kidder, 1863; M. Barnes, 1865; G. W. Snyder, 1869; C. H. Harvey, 1873; E. C. Farley, 1877; R. Pearse, the present pastor, since 1879. Elders Hall and James Going were also early pastors, but the records do not fix the dates of their ministry. Early services were held in the old hotel, and afterward in the schoolhouse east of town, until the erection of their church in 1853. It was burned May 31, 1880. Work was immediately commenced on a new structure, the corner-stone of which was laid August 26, 1880, and which was dedicated in September, 1882. It is a handsome building, of Gothic structure, 36x55, with chapel 20x32 in the rear. A. J. Gould is the present Clerk. The membership is large.

Spring Valley Lodge, No. 401, I. O. O. F., was organized at Spring Corners, in 1851. It maintained an existence until 1872, then surrendered its charter. The lodge was re-chartered June 4, 1881, with these officers: J. W. Wright, N. G.; W. P. Owen, V. G.; Henry West. Jr., Sec, R. H. Sturtevant, Ass't Sec.; E. C. Farley, Treas. Sheldon's Hall has been leased by the lodge, and in it the other orders of the borough hold their meetings. The membership is sixty, and meetings are held every Friday night.

Aetna Lodge, No. 93, A. O. U. W., was instituted November 8, 1875, with twenty-four members and the following officers: M. W. Oliver, Jr., P. M. W., L. F. McLaughlin, M. W.; M. E. Hall, G. F.; Hiram Morrell, O.; H. B. Burnside, Recorder; L. E. Phelps, Financier; E. E. Eighmy, Receiver; C. M. Sargent, G.; P. W. Reed, I. W.; C. D. Marlow, O. W. Monday evening is the time of meeting. Membership is forty.

Fountain Council, No. 6, R. T. of T., was instituted with forty-two members, May 28, 1878. Its charter officers were: E. E. Eighmy, S. C; Mrs. R. E. Eighmy, V. C; J. W. Tucker, P. C; C. L. Fisher, Chap.; W. J. Ford, Rec. Sec; George E. Foster, Treas.; C. P. Shoppart, Herald; Mrs. M. A. Eighmy, Dep. Her.; Mrs. Adie O. North, Guard; Uzell North, Sent.; J. W. Greenfield, Med. Ex. The membership now exceeds fifty, and meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

Springboro Union, No. 260, E. A. U., was instituted April 6, 1883. Of its initial officers A. K. Stone was President; Mrs. Richard Pearse, V. P.; Mrs. R. G. Tubbs, Sec; W. D. AVetmore, Treas.; J. F. McCurdy Accountant; Dr. Anson Parsons, Chancellor; and Rev. E. M. Harris, Advocate. Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. The membership is about forty.

J. W. Patton Post, G. A. R., was organized in June, 1883. Its first officers were: M, W. Oliver, Com.; Charles Dhrer, V. C.; Edward Prescott, Chap.; Joseph Bowman, Adj.; Irvin Hall, Q. M.; Levi Lozier, O. of D.; Lafayette Prusia, O. of G.; William Ross, Commissary; Dr. Anson Parsons, Surgeon. The membership is now thirty-nine, and regular meetings are held each alternate Saturday.