A history of Glouster,
then and now
Postcards, papers and photographs of Glouster from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Glouster was originally known as Sedalia, but the name was changed in 1886 to Glouster, a variant spelling of Gloucester, England. A post office has been in operation under the name Glouster since 1887.
The area grew rapidly in the late 19th century due to its location along the Sunday Creek coal seam, part of the broader Hocking Valley coal region. Mining, brickmaking, and railroads supported the village’s economy through the early 20th century. Glouster was once home to the Wassall Brick Company, which operated from approximately 1895 to 1932 and provided structural materials for projects throughout southeast Ohio.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Glouster’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewGlouster flood, street view, Athe…, 1907: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Glouster, decade by decade
CommonsGroup portrait of children on hill overlooking Glouster, At…1903
CommonsGlouster flood, street view, Athens County, Ohio, March 14,…1907 · postcard
CommonsOpera House construction on Main Street, Glouster, Athens C…1907 · postcard
CommonsHigh Street looking north, Glouster Athens County, Ohio, 19…1908 · postcard1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as 1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - Ohio - Athens County - ED 5-25, ED 5-26, ED 5-27, ED 5-28, ED 5-29 (1850) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (6). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.