Editing Eaton, Ohio (section)

==History==
Eaton was founded and [[plat]]ted in 1806 by William Bruce.<ref>{{cite book|last=Overman|first=William Daniel|title=Ohio Town Names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015015361465;view=1up;seq=57|year=1958|publisher=Atlantic Press|location=Akron, OH|page=41}}</ref>  The village derives its name from Gen. [[William Eaton (soldier)|William Eaton]]<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA113 | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=113}}</ref> (1764–1811), the U.S. Consul at Tunis, who led a diverse army in a harrowing march from Egypt to Tripoli to meet the U.S. Naval forces. In addition to the city of Eaton and the county of Preble, various streets in Eaton (Barron, Decatur, Israel, Wadsworth, and Somers) were named in honor of heroes of the [[First Barbary War]] and the [[Second Barbary War]].<ref name="OhioHistory">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1923|title = Eaton, Ohio - Ohio History Central}}</ref>

The town grew quickly following its establishment. In 1846, the town first had 1000 inhabitants. This growth was primarily derived from the town's location at the strategic junction of two turnpikes.  In 1849, Eaton was the site of a [[cholera]] outbreak. About half of the inhabitants fled; of the remaining 600 people, 120 died.<ref name="OhioHistory"/>

===19th century fire===
In June 1859 a fire in Eaton destroyed thirteen of its primary business establishments. The total loss was estimated at $40,000 to $50,000. Caused by [[incendiaries]], the fire scorched the courthouse and left it a brown color.<ref>''Disastrous Incendiary Fire at Eaton, Ohio'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 9, 1859, pg. 8.</ref>