From the Shawnee Indians come the name of Piqua, in their lore signifying "ashes" and the story of the rising of the wraith of a white man whom they had tortured and burned to death and the awed exclamation of the chief "Otatha-ha-wagh-piqua." "He has risen from the ashes" is a familiar local tradition.

Job Gard, a storekeeper with General Anthony Wayne’s army, was the first white settler in this section, building his cabin and clearing ground in the fall of 1806 at "Upper Piqua" about two and one-half miles northwest of the present city of Piqua. It was at Upper Piqua that Fort Piqua was established by the British. In the spring of 1807 he migrated down the Miami river, and built a cabin at what is now the corner of Harrison and Water street. Other settlers arrived this same year including one by the name of Hunter who settled in what was first Huntersville. The land west of the river was included in the famous Symmes land grant and was barred from settlers at that time.

The first hamlet of Piqua consisted of seven log cabins occupied by Benjamin Leavell, John and Edward Manning, Alexander Ewing, Nathaniel Whitcomb, Armstrong Branden, Casper Henderschott and Joseph Porquette ; and the first white child Elias, son of John Manning, was born in 1800.

In the summer of 1807 the first survey was made and John Manning was granted a patent deed by President Madison to 101 acres covering the land from what is now Wayne street on the east to the river as a boundary line west and north, and extending to what is now South street. Mathew Caldwell secured land to the west of the Manning section. It was also in 1807 the first wedding was celebrated when Benjamin Seawell married Martha McCorkle.

Washington was the first name given to this settlement in 1808. The records show that Washington extended as far south as Sycamore street, east to Harrison street, north to Green street, and west to Downing street. Piqua bore the name of Washington until 1816 when by the wishes of the people and an act of the legislature it was restored to the old Indian name of Piqua.

In the war of 1812, Gen. William Henry Harrison had quarters at Upper Piqua on the Swift Run creek, called Camp Washington. Blockhouses for protection from the Indians had been established ; previously one stockade house of logs had been built in 1811 about where Harrison street intersects Water street ; one in Huntersville and one on what was afterward the old Turk farm west of town. At this time Col. John Johnston was the Indian agent here and by his tact and courage, kept the Indians well in hand, holding a number of them on his land. There were about six thousand Redmen at one time under his surveillance and his success in keeping them neutral was the saving of much bloodshed in this territory.

The signing of the treaty of Peace between the United States and Great Britain gave the settlers a chance to return to the development of their little communities. With the organization of Miami county into townships in 1814 Piqua (Washington) was located in Washington Township, the smallest but now the most populous and wealthiest in the county.

In 1822, a petition to the State legislature bearing the date of November 7th was signed by 57 of the householders that Piqua be incorporated as a town. The list of the signers included Robert Young, John O’Ferrall, William McLean, Benjamin S. Cox, Alexander McClintock, Robert Bigger, James Jugrum, Jacob Lauder, William R. Barrington, Barnard Arstingstate, Joseph Bennett, Joseph Caldwell, John Orbinson, W. Johnston, John McCorkle, Phebe Shaw, John P. Finley, David Morris, Jacob J. Cox, John Heller, Joseph Sage, James DeWeese, Boyd Edinger, John Blange, Mary Donally, John Chatham, Charles Royal, Joseph Porquette, John Brown, William Perrue, Asa Dunham, William Royal, John Lorton, James Tamplin, William Julian, Nicholas Greenham and Nicholas Smith. These early settlers came mostly from Pennsylvania and Kentucky. In 1825 the population of Piqua had increased to 348 souls.

Additional territory was added to Piqua by a special act of the general assembly of Ohio, March 9, 1835, and John L. Johnston was elected the first mayor of Piqua. Robert Young was the first treasurer and filled this office for four successive terms, the terms being or one year. Joseph G. Young was also town treasurer for several terms. An act incorporating Piqua as a city of the the second class was passed March 19, 1850, and the first city officials were : Stephen Johnston, mayor ; M. H. Jones, recorder ; and John Morrow, treasurer. By the census of 1860 the population was shown to be 4,616. When the Civil war broke ou