The North Royalton’s very young Chamber of Commerce, called the Committee of Improvement, got busy with their first order of business, the placement of street signs. The first street sign was on Ridge and Royalton Roads. The Committee Board members consisted of President Mr. C.E. McCombs, who later became the first mayor, Vice President Mr. B. J. Gortner, and Secretary Mr. Annis. Under their guidance electricity was brought to the growing township. In 1923, electricity was to be run down State Road to Akins, across Royalton Road, and one half mile both north and south on Ridge Road. Subscriptions were obtained from the newest customers and a contract with Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company was made. The Ohio Telephone Company, Berea exchange, agreed to share the cost of the tall poles that held both electric and telephone lines. Electricity and telephone lines were increased as more people subscribed to the services.
In 1925 North Royalton Township was a farm and dairying community. A typical brick and mortar business would have been the General Store on the corner of State and Royalton Road. Provisions for farm and family could be purchased at the general store. The store had an ordering system that was very much like Amazon today and for about the same reasons. Farms on the edges of North Royalton did not have the time, transportation, or energy to get to the general store. The General Store developed a delivery route so that a different section of North Royalton was serviced each day. The delivery driver stopped at the house of each farm and took an order if there was one. At the end of the day the requested items were packed in bushel baskets for delivery the next day. After deliveries, the route driver moved on to the next section to take orders so everyone was assured of the day the items on their shopping list would arrive. A half bushel basket of items would cost under $5. As a courtesy, each order was accompanied by one stick of candy for each child in the household. Amazon Prime could not do it better. This was the aim of the Chamber of Commerce to do business and to do it better. Let’s not forget that the farms and dairy operations were businesses too. Produce and products were sold outside of Royalton. It was a circulation of cash and commerce.
The Committee of Improvement took over the planning of the annual farmers harvest picnic in 1925. They decided the celebration would be on the last Saturday in August, to be held in the same place it is now, the Village (City) Green. The picnic on the Village Green was, at the time, the cherry on top of the sundae for the township. It was the time that everyone was invited to partake in the best North Royalton had to offer.
In 1935 the Committee, at the urging of Mayor Edgerton and others, officially became known as the Chamber of Commerce. Its main interest was promoting the development of North Royalton by setting development goals, and creating and nurturing community interest. Entertainment was sponsored: dances at the State Road Dance hall, movies at the new High School, and entertainment with “goodies” for the school children. Such gestures of civic pride may seem quaint by today’s standards but the good will and community spirit wrapped a blanket of comfort around North Royalton especially during those lean years of depression.
Dr. John George Rosenbaum, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, suggested a non-partisan newspaper for Royalton so that the local news and events of the township could be shared with everyone. The Royalton Recorder was born in January, 1941. The Recorder was generously supported by local advertisers and civic spirited folks with the good Doctor as editor. From its beginning The Recorder and the Chamber of Commerce encouraged interest and publicized North Royalton as a good place to live.

By LINDA KWARCIANY
Contributing Writer