On June 24, 1806, Edward Phelps and his family set out for Ohio from Windsor, Connecticut. He had purchased 500 acres of land along Alum Creek. The area was wild and densely wooded but the promise was there, rich soil and a plentiful water supply. They cleared the land and built a cabin.

Soon others joined these first settlers and by 1838 there were about 900 people in Blendon Township. Land was donated by the Westervelt family for a new school, called the Blendon Young Men's Seminary. In 1840, when a name for the new postoffice was needed, the townspeople called it Westerville in honor of the Westervelts' generosity. The Blendon Seminary was short lived and in 1846 its land and two small buildings were acquired by the United Brethren Church and Otterbein College was opened in 1847. The new school, named after the church founder, enrolled men and women regardless of race and prefaced Westerville's involvement in the emerging anti-slavery movement.

One of Otterbein's best known students was Benjamin Hanby. He composed more than 70 songs in the pre-civil war era including, Darling Nelly Gray and Up On The Housetop. His father, Bishop William Hanby, was an active participant in the underground railroad of which Westerville was an important stop.

The village was incorporated in 1858 and later that year a law was passed that banned the use or sale of "fermented spirits." Thus Westerville's long and lively temperance history began. Westerville's Whiskey War of 1875 was fought for dignity and gunpowder. Henry Corbin opened a saloon on Main Street and was the target of many demonstrations that included the town's leading citizens. Corbin ignored the citizens' appeals and the town law prohibiting "fermented spirits." The war came to an abrupt end when an explosion lifted the roof and blew out the windows of Corbin's Saloon. Four years later another battle was fought, at another location with 52 pounds of gunpowder. The results were the same and "fermented spirits" have not been sold in Westerville since the Whiskey War!

In 1909 the headquarters of the Anti-Saloon League was moved from Washington D.C. to Westerville. As the national headquarters of the Anti-Saloon League, Westerville became known as the "Dry Capital of the World." It was the smallest town in the U. S. with a first class post office, due to the large volume of printing and promotional material produced by the League.

In 1920 "Prohibition" was voted in and the world went dry along with Westerville. The Anti-Saloon League had won with "the noble experiment." The "roaring twenties" saw Westerville prosper. The population had grown to 2500 and the 3-C highway was completed through town and beyond. Kilgore Manufacturing Company had over 175 employees and was the world's largest producer of children's play guns and caps. A new high school was constructed and a Masonic Temple was built on South State Street.

The 18th amendment was repealed in 1933, a bitter disappointment to the Anti-Saloon League. Although the world was wet again, Westerville remained dry, true to the temperance tradition. The depression gradually faded into the ominous clouds of World War II. After World War II, Westerville grew quickly. Many new homes were built, municipal services were expanded to meet the demand and the interstate highway system reached Westerville. In 1960, Westerville became a city. Today Westerville, reflects the American spirit. It has shared its moments of pride and sorrow with the nation. It has lived through joy and sadness. It is a small town, it is a good place to live.