The bustling village of Buckeye Furnace was located here. The focal point, and the reason it existed in the first place, was the iron furnace. The Buckeye Furnace was built in 1851 by Thomas Price. The village contained numerous houses, which were built for the workers and the iron master. There was also a schoolhouse, company store, company office, and probably a church and a cemetery as well.

Robert W. Smith was born in 1883 in Miami County. Smith was home schooled until he was 15. He then attended public school for 6 weeks to learn geometry. He learned the wood working trade from his father, William Smith, and his brother, William Smith Jr.. During the 1850's, Robert designed a truss system, which he used to build numerous barns. In 1867, Smith designed and patented the Smith Truss. That same year, he founded the Smith Bridge Company. Smith would prefabricate the trusses and ship them on site via the Miami & Erie Canal and the railroads.