Riffle or Ripple ~ Which One is Correct?

There is usually much confusion regarding why there is a difference between the name of the road: Indian "Ripple" and the name of the school, Indian "Riffle".  I thought we might revisit a discussion regarding the name "Indian Riffle" vs "Indian Ripple" and the meaning of the term. First, it seems fairly obvious that the "Indian" portion of the word was a tribute to the fact that there were so many Native Americans in this area when the first European settlers arrived. Most of us are familiar with the story of Tecumseh, Blue Jacket, and the Shawnees living in this area of Ohio. But, let's look at "Riffle". We can find some information in the 1908 book of essays entitled "Greene County 1803-1908", published by the Aldine Publishing House in Xenia. In this book there are two illustrations drawn by John M. Davidson. One of these is entitled "Indian Riffle" and the other is called "Indian Riffle Bridge". Both of these apparently being in the Beavercreek Township area. Additionally, in a Dayton Herald letter to "Miss Fairfax" questioning what in the world was an "Indian Riffle", she explained the following: Riffles are currents in a river caused by stone ridges or tiny stones in the bed. The water is interrupted in its even course and small whirlpools or "riffles" are caused. Indian Ripple Road began where a "riffle" was located. We also know that it was on the Little Miami River because according to George F. Robinson's History of Greene County published in 1902 by the SJ Clarke publishing Company, George Watt, Sr., an early pioneer of Greene County, settled in 1820 "on the hilltops west of the Little Miami, between the "Indian Riffle" and the Old Eureka Mill.

As far back as 1893, there was a "Camp Riffle" in the vicinity of the "Indian Riffle" where the "Rifflers" fished and trapped game. So, it is a pretty solid guess that the correct name for the road should be "Indian Riffle". In 1951 Montgomery County Engineer, Howard Valequette, sent a request to Greene County that they change the spelling of the name from "Ripple" to "Riffle" at the county line. Greene County Engineer, Fred Lemke, refused. He argued that the Greene County spelling was correct. Montgomery County then withdrew their request, due to the fact they were already planning on changing the name of the road in this county in honor Dorothy, the daughter of John Patterson, who used to ride horseback on the road near the family home. In 1953 the "Indian Riffle Road" was officially changed in Van Buren Township to Dorothy Lane. Then, on the 8th of March, 1955, Otto Keiter came to the Kettering City Commission with a proposal that the name be changed back to "Indian Riffle". He had done research on the origins of the name and it was now agreed to by the Greene County officials that the correct spelling was "Riffle". At this point they were willing to change the spelling to match Montgomery County if they decided to revert back to the previous name. (Incidentally, at the time Greene County was planning to create an "Indian Riffle Park", which did not come to be.) Mr. Keiter believed that the error in the spelling was due to the similarity in the "double f" and "double p" in the old writing style. There were 5 people who spoke to the council against changing the name back, believing that there had been "too many name changes already". So, the name in Montgomery County remained "Dorothy Lane", while no correction was made to the "Ripple" in Greene County so it remains that way to this day. And that is the story of "Indian Riffle".......