ABOUT US
A Historic Place
Valley View 1888 is situated on the edge of Columbiana County just over the borders from Stark and Mahoning Counties near the city of Alliance. In this quiet little corner of Northeast Ohio lies a rich history of Swiss-German culture from the influx of Swiss immigrants in the 19th century. It is the Swiss heritage that is reflected by the house's distinctive gingerbread roof. The house dates back to the mid-1800's, with the additions of the east porch in the early 20th century and the glass 4-seasons sun room and the first floor bedroom suite in the early 2000’s. The barn dates back to the 1840’s with an addition in 1888. The barn is still used for farming activities today.
A Family's Beginning In America
Valley View 1888 is owned and operated by
members of the Brunner Family. It was Jacob
and Eliza Brunner who braved the journey from
a small village in the Canton of Bern,
Switzerland near Lake Interlochen to the United
States in 1891. They purchased a farm half a
mile up the road from Valley View 1888 where
Jacob's barn still stands today.
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​Though Jacob and Eliza Brunner arrived
in the late 1800's, the family tree has roots in
America. In 1803, the year Ohio became a state,
members of the Swiss-American Fryfogle family
took title to farm land in Knox Township. In
1836, Jacob and Katherine Zurbrugg emigrated
from Switzerland to Ohio and later went on to
build the first commercial Swiss cheese
operation in the United States.
Eliza & Jacob Brunner
A Love Story
The Zurbrugg family legacy is connected to the
development of a prosperous dairy farming
community in Knox Township where Vally View
1888 is located. There is framed news article in
the living room area recounting that history. By
the early 20th century most farms in the area
had a cheese house, including Valley View. This
time also was the start of a love story. Sofia
Zurbrugg, daughter of Jacob and Katherine,
married a man also of Swiss heritage, Franklin
Fryfogle. In 1922 Franklin sent his
granddaughter, Lera, to Valley View to deliver a
piece of cheesemaking equipment on a rainy
Sunday afternoon. The horse had to ford the
nearby flooded Mahoning River at 3 different
places, and by the time Lera arrived, she was
soaked through. The owners of the house
invited her to dry off by the fireplace. It was there
she saw a group of young men playing cards
and when she first laid eyes on a boy from a
neighboring farm, 18-year-old George Brunner,
son of Jacob and Eliza. Six years after they met,
Lera and George married and went on to have 4
children. The fireplace where they met has been
rebuilt in the same location in the living area of
the house today.
George & Lera Brunner
A Family Home
George and Lera's oldest son, Kenneth Brunner,
or as many people knew him, "Kenny", met a girl
by the name of Ruth Powell at Alliance High
School in 1949. Ken and Ruth fell madly in love
and were married in 1950. The newlyweds lived
in an apartment in the home of Ken’s parents,
George and Lera, about a mile and a half away
from Valley View farm until they could afford a
place of their own—Valley View. Many of the
buildings at Valley View were in rough shape,
including the farmhouse, which left Ruth not
loving the idea of living there. But Ken told her,
"We can fix the house. Just look at the land." It
was the spectacular view from the front of the
house and down the hill to the valley below that
made her realize how special this place was. So,
in 1953, when Hartley Road was still a dirt road,
they pulled up to their first and forever home in a
slow moving caravan with all their possessions
loaded in a hay wagon pulled by Ken's first
tractor. The lead cow in Ken’s dairy herd was
tied to the wagon and the remainder of the herd
followed her untethered, herded just in case by
Ken’s 2 young brothers on foot and Ken and
Ruth’s dog, Goofus. Ruth slowly followed this
crew in their 1951 Studebaker. Ken and Ruth
would go on to raise four children at Valley View
with Ken doing most of the work to improve the
farmhouse and property over the years. Family
weddings were held in the front expanse, in the
4-seasons sun room and at the pavilion by the
lake. The house became the touchstone for
gatherings of both of their extended families for
generations. Nearly every family reunion,
holiday gathering and summer vacation included
time at Valley View with children, grandchildren
and many members of the community. Ken and
Ruth became fixtures in their church and in Knox
Township and communities beyond, taking in
and helping many people in need of family. They
were married for over 63 years and lived at
Valley View until they each moved to hospice
care. It is the two youngest children of Ken and
Ruth, a brother and sister and their spouses,
who have opened their childhood home to share
with you the special place that was their family
home and to offer you the opportunity to make
memories with your family and friends.