Charles Herbert Huber Developer of Huber Homes
Charles was the son of Herbert Charles Huber, a home builder in Dayton in the early 1930’s. During Charles’s teenage years, his father started a training program that had been started for his son, even without Charles realizing it. Herbert turned over several building lots and told him that he was now in business for himself. Charles became President of his own company at the age of 27, in 1958.
The first task was bringing the utilities to Wayne Township. Thus, Charles purchased land on the North/West area of Needmore & Old Troy PK, and soon, the first privately owned utility company in Ohio was born.
Looking into the future for shopping, churches and schools
The Planning Charles built 2000 homes in Kettering, and started to move north, to Wayne Township, an area that other builders ignored and thought was worth nothing but agricultural land.
Other builders in the region referred to this idea as “Huber’s Folly”. This was farm country and there was no water and sewer utilities, the community had been a rural farm area since the early 1800’s and had made very little change.
Section #1 of Charles’ plan. The ground was cleared and using a bulldozer, the future streets were laid out, ready for open house and future buyers to select their building lot.
This photo speaks This photo speaks for itself – for itself – 1958 opening – 1958 opening – over 28,000 in attendance over 28,000 in attendance
The Little Brick Soon Wayne School was too small, and no time to build, Schoolhouse Mr. Huber provided several homes for class rooms. Most were red brick houses. Thus the “Little Brick Schoolhouse”. While the School Board looked at high school problems, a total of 40 Huber homes served elementary students until schools were completed.
Kitty Hawk School 1959
For the first time, Wayne Township had RTA bus service. Prior to this, the nearest stop was at Troy St. near Leo St.
As you can see the community was growing at a rapid pace
Charles always remembered his father’s motto, “build a house that people want, at a price they can pay.”
This is just the beginning of the story that began 60 years ago, of a young man named Charles Huber and the City that bears his name. What started out with 200 acres of farm land, within a matter of 5 years, 5 schools were built. And a rural township of less than 2000 people has turned into a city of 35,000 with 5 elementary schools, a massive high school, a Jr. Hi School and a Catholic School. A community that only had 1 church, 2 small grocery stores, and the Snack Shop, now has shopping to fit all needs, restaurants and churches of every denomination and more. This would have, most likely, not have happened, if a young Charles Huber had not taken a risk to build his own utility company and purchase that farm on Old Troy Pike.
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