The first wave of Quaker settlers arrived in southwestern Ohio from the Carolinas, and by 1810, with the creation of Clinton County, the Quaker population was so great that its county seat was named Wilmington in honor of Wilmington, North Carolina. Their meetinghouses stretched across Clinton and Warren counties, creating interconnected communities between Wilmington and Waynesville. The Quakers’ legacy — including the founding of Wilmington College — continues to shape southwestern Ohio. Organizations in Harveysburg, Waynesville, and Wilmington all have exhibits and active programs to tell the story of the Quaker diaspora to Ohio.
Stops on the byway include Quaker historical societies, the Quaker Heritage Center at Wilmington College, the Clinton County Historical Society, the Museum at the Friends Home, current and historical Quaker meetinghouses, and historical points of interest — such as the first school for free Black children in Harveysburg, Ohio.
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