What do Yuma, AZ; Coeur d’Alene, ID; Arlington, VA; Crown Point, IN; and Bowling Green, OH, have in common? During the mid-1920’s until the early 1950’s these cities were among fifty-two others in the U.S. referred to as “marriage mills.” Although our thoughts may turn to love and romance with this month’s celebration of Valentine’s Day, the term marriage mill doesn’t necessarily conjure up images of bouquets and cherubs. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “a place where it is possible to marry with a minimum of formality or delay.” According to research by former city resident Patricia F. Smith, “the ‘marriage mill town’ days of B.G. spanned some 27 years, two probate judges, more than 30 clergymen, and approximately eight to ten justices of the peace, one of whom married couples for more than 25 years” [Bowling Green, Gretna Green: An Investigation into the Activities of a Local “Marriage Mill Town” Patricia F. Smith, 1993, p. 6].

Charles Nearing was a Bowling Green businessman and a justice of the peace. Both Mr. Nearing’s office at 129 East Court Street and his home at 216 East Court were within a minute’s walk from the Wood County Courthouse. According to current owner Nancy Lenhart, Mr. Nearing officiated marriages for many couples in front of the fireplace in the home’s formal parlor. With a total of 454 marriages performed, “Charles Nearing married more couples between 1920 and 1942 than any other person in Bowling Green” [Smith, p. 34]....Continue Reading Marriage Mill