Editing New Bremen, Ohio (section)

==History==
The town was first a farming community started by Bavarians and Hanoverians, following a route from Bremen, Germany to America,  through [[West Virginia]] and along the [[Ohio River]] to [[Cincinnati]]. Once Cincinnati was reached the founders formed a group called the City of Bremen Society, which drew up a charter among its 33 members. This charter authorized the purchase of 80 acres of Ohio land to build a town. Land within [[German Township, Auglaize County, Ohio|German Township]] was first established as a farming community in 1832, and by 1833 the plat of Bremen was recorded with 102 shares of land to be given away by lottery.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newbremen.com/community-life/new-bremen-history|title=New Bremen History {{!}} New Bremen|website=www.newbremen.com|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref>

A village was established, but growth had been stunted by lack of accessible markets, and [[malaria]]. Transportation through swampy terrain was slow and expensive compared to other areas. This all would change with the completion of the [[Miami and Erie Canal]]. There were so few in the town that subcontractors had to rely on "jiggers" or 2oz bottles of [[whiskey]] to attract workers. The Canal was soon finished and opened. When opened, the Canal brought new markets to New Bremen, lowering transportation costs thus adding value to agricultural products that before the canal had little cash value. Increased potential profitability also lowered the risks of additional investments. The town became a busy place very quickly, with hundreds of freight boats moving frequently, along with dozens of passenger boats filled with people making the trip from Cincinnati.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newbremen.com/community-life/new-bremen-history/building-opportunity|title=Building An Opportunity {{!}} New Bremen|website=www.newbremen.com|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref> The locks from the Canal have been restored, along with the addition of a lock keeper's house and can be seen in New Bremen's downtown area.