Augusta
Augusta was platted in 1837 in Sections 15, 14, 22 and 23 in York Township by William H. Holmes, George Whittaker, Thomas Gale and R.H. Colcrick. Provision was made for a central block and public square. The street around the square was to be 80 feet wide. Other streets were 60 feet wide. Four lots were donated for schools and churches. The courthouse, completed in 1840,was a frame building which would be considered cheap today, but was the pride of the people then, and was better than any in the adjoininq counties.
In those days, Augusta had two hotels, several lawyers, several stores, mills and factories. M.A. Love, in telling about her knowledge of the early schools of Noble County at an Old Settler's meeting in l897, related that she had come with her parents to Auqusta in 1840 and was engaged to teach. She taught several terms in different rooms where she could get them, then the last term was in the county jail, or rather in one room of the jail building. Augusta would probably be the County Seat yet today had not the courthouse burned in 1843. The cause was thought to have been incendiary. The town was deserted to a few families by 1850 and soon the entire plat was farm land. As late as 1882, however, a part of the cells of the old jail remained, the only reminder of the former glory of Augusta.
Excerpted from Ghost Towns of Noble County - by T.C. Holcomb:
In the course of its existance, Augusta had two hotels, lawyers, stores and professional men, schools and churches. At one time they boasted a population of 200. Augusta had a bright future until 1843 when the Courthouse was destroyed by fire, including many County records.