Charles Starrett, the founder of Sidney, Ohio, was an Irish emigrant who was born in Ireland on December 23, 1774. Exactly when he came to the U.S. is unknown.

He is believed to have lived in Pennsylvania and Virginia before coming to Ohio. The first record of him here is in Champaign County where, on April 19, 1810, he married Nancy B. Reed. Upon the death of his father, Charles and other siblings were each bequeathed 100 pounds. Perhaps these funds allowed him to purchase the large tract of land that was issued to him on October 5, 1812, via a land patent (S36, T8, R6) in Miami County, by President James Madison. Part of this land, because of its excellent location near the center of the county, would become what is now known as Sidney.

Mr. Starrett, whose original homestead was located near Starrett’s Run, along South Walnut Avenue (in the vicinity of what was Erb Lumber, 231 S. Walnut), also requested that one acre be reserved for a public square (court house), two, one-half acres for religious societies, two acres for cemeteries and one acre for a school house be included in the plat.