Extracted from The Marietta Daily Times Thursday April 7, 1938 150th Anniversary Edition pgs. 14-16 MANY CHANGES WERE MADE IN BOUNDARY LINES WHEN TOWNSHIPS WERE FORMED ---Adams Township Earliest settlers in Adams Township, which was established in 1797, were the COBURNS, ALLISONS, DODGES, FRYES, KINNEYS, OWENS, BUELLS, DEVOLS AND SPRAGUES. Building of locks and dams in the Muskingum River about a century ago was the making of what is now known as upper Lowell. Buell’s Lowell was incorporated in 1851. the first officers were Theodore SCHRINER, mayor; S. N. MERRIAM, recorder; John SCOTT, Solomon SHARPE, John B. RIGNIER, Joseph COX and George FLECK, trustees; and William BARTLETT, marshal. The first store was opened in what is Lowell in 1822. Lowell mill was built in 1842. The first postmaster was E. SHORT, who served in 1820 when the office was known as “ADAMS.” The COBURNS came to Marietta in 1788. Phineas COBURN, one of the sons of Captain Asa COBURN of the Revolutionary War who came to Marietta, was one of the 48 pioneers. Descendants of the COBURNS were prominent in Adams Township for many decades. Robert ALLISON moved to Cat’s Creek in 1795. His daughter, Nancy ALLISON FROST, who lived to be 107 years old, was for a long time before her death in 1891 the only survivor of pioneer life in Campus Martius stockade. She is remembered by Marietta’s older generations who have heard her give recollections of events in Campus Martius stockade, and especially of the Sunday School taught by Mary Bird LAKE. Mrs. FROST died near Lowell in the summer of 1891. Other of the old settlers in Adams Township were William and Daniel DAVIS, sons of Captain Daniel DAVIS of the 48 pioneers, William MASON, Stephen FROST, Joseph and David WELLS, Gilbert SEMON, George FOX, Alfred HALL, John J. WOOD, David M. REED, Albert CHANDLER, Philip MATTERN, Jacob SCHNEIDER and Frank BUELL. ---Aurelius Township Aurelius Township was formerly a part of Monroe County and became a part of Washington County in 1818. It was reduced to its present size when Noble County was formed in 1851. Dr. John Baptiste REGNIER, who went from Marietta to the site of Macksburg when he bought a farm there in 1819, had been called the “father of the township.” He named the township and called it Aurelius, perhaps for the old Roman Marcus AURELIUS. anyway, the name was such a favorite with him that he named one of his sons Aurelius. The first settler in the township was Levi DAINS, a Revolutionary War soldier. Others of the early families were the DUTTON, the HUTCHINS, DELONGS, WICKENS, ST. JOHNS, DAVIDSONS, SMITHSONS, HALLS, VAUGHNS and RAYLEYS. William MACINTOSH, son-in-law of Dr. REGNIER, opened the first store in Macksburg in 1827. Dr. REGNIER built the first mill; he was the first postmaster, the first doctor, the first manufacturer, the first treasurer of Aurelius Township. The first brick house was built in the township at Macksburg by Dr. REGNIER in 1820. The first frame barns in the township built by Dr. REGNIER and Joseph DUTTON in 1822-23. The two villages of the township are Macksburg and Elba, and both prospered during the developments of the Macksburg oil fields. ---Barlow Township Barlow Township was organized in 1818. The first settlers were the LAWTONS, VINCENTS, GREENS, PROCTORS, BRECKENRIDGES, HOUGHLANDS, COOKES, McGUIRES, DEMINGS, TOMPKINS, BEEBES, HARVEYS, FLEMINGS, PRESTONS, JONES, FISHERS, SCOTTS, MERRILLS, PUGHS, PALMERS, FORDS, TUTTLES, MOORES, MORRIS’S, CANFIELDS, SHAWS, FINCHES, LASURES, LAFLINS and others. A number of the early families were of Scotch descent. Barlow village was laid out in 1840. Lyman LAFLIN opened the first store and was the first postmaster. Barlow fair organization was made in 1871. The house in which pioneer children of Barlow Township learned their ABC’s was of rough hickory logs with chimneys of “cat and clay” and with the fireplace wide enough to hold fence rails which also were used for seats. ---Belpre Township The original Belpre Township was created by resolutions of the Court of Quarter Sessions in 1790. The township had a larger area than it has today. It included a part of the territory out of which Decatur and Wesley Townships were formed. The incorporated village of Belpre extends about a mile along the river front and as far back as the hills. The early settlers of Belpre Township were the DANAS, ROUSES, BATTELLES, CUSHINGS, STONES, PUTNAMS, BROWNINGS, GREENES, BENTS, AMES, ELLENWOODS, FOSTERS, HOWES, OAKES, CURTIS’S, LORINGS, GUTHRIES, GOODNOS, PORTERS, PORTERFIELDS, COLES, ARMSTRONGS, DUNFEES, KNOWLES, BANGILDERS, COGGESHALLS, SAWYERS, MILES and others. The Belpre of today reflects creditably the intellectual and cultural characteristics of the stalwart pioneers of the “block house” days. There are still families of pioneer stock, and historic points of interest are cherished and protected by the citizens. ---Decatur Township Decatur Township was organized in 1820. The first settlers came about 1816 and were the LOVELLS, JOHNSONS, DUFURS, FAIRCHILDS, GIDDINGS, BALLARDS, MOREYS, PLACES, NOLANS, ROOTS, SCHRADERS, SMITHS, IRVINS, WELCHS, TRICKLES, GAMBLES, MILLERS, and BALLS. The general route of the “underground railroad” ran through Decatur Township. In this township lived a number of settlers who protected run away slaves. Three of them, Peter GARNER, Creighton LORAINE and Mordecai THOMAS, whose abduction by Virginia officers in 1845, were among the “underground railroad conductors.”. ---Dunham Township Dunham Township was established in 1855 by the Washington County commissioners as an independent township with corporate powers. The first improvement in what is Dunham Township was made by Elihu CLARK, Benjamin BICKFORD, Hezekiah BICKFORD and Lemual COOPER as far back as 1803, when they built cabins. Dunham Township was named for Jonathan DUNHAM, also one of the first settlers in western Washington County. He was the grandson of Rev. Jonathan DUNHAM, first preacher at Martha’s Vineyard. Early settlers were the HOLLISTERS, TAYLORS, RATHBURNS, DELANOS, MOORES, ELLENWOODS, GODDARDS, DRAINS, PONDS, CALDERS, COLES, McCLURES, HOPKINS, SEFFENS, MANKINS, McTAGGARTS and HARVEYS. There are no villages in the township. The early postoffices were at Veto, where the first post office in the township was designated in 1850. In 1857 the post office at Dunham was established and in 1875 the old postoffice at Briggs Station was established with members of the William CALDER family as postmasters. About 1850, the farmers of Dunham Township held plowing exhibitions which developed into a general agriculture fair of which J. J. HOLLISTER was president. The Civil War put an end to the fair when the farmers went to war. The first tavern in the township was opened in 1805 opposite the head of Neal’s Island by Nathan COLE. ---Fairfield Township Fairfield Township was established by the county commissioners in 1851. It was formed from parts of Wesley, Barlow, Belpre, and Decatur townships. The early settlers of this township came over the Ohio River hiss from Marietta, following the only broken route through the wilderness to this district. Among the earliest settles were David EWELL, who came from Virginia some time before 1814 and settled near Fishtown, where he built his log cabin home. William DUNBAR settled in the township in 1814 and Walter KIDWELL came in the same year from Fairfax, Va. Hapgood GODDARD came in 1817, Phineas DUNSMOOR in 1822, Joseph GAGE in 1827. Others of the early settlers were Peter LAKE, John BURFIELD, Torrence GILMORE, Joshua SHUTTLEWORTH, Daniel DUNBAR, Charles GODDARD, Jordan SWESEY, David N. CAMPBELL, Gilbert and Carmi SMITH, William MOORE and Owen CLARK. A wood growers’ association was organized in 1876, the membership having included farmers of all townships in western Washington County. The first and only grist mill in the township stood near the home of the late George W. MORRIS at Fishtown (Layman P. O.) and the mill was the common property of all the settlers around. to this mill the early settlers brought their grain and each one in turn ground his own meal. “Mush” with bear beat or venison was a favorite dish of the first settlers. ---Fearing Township Fearing Township, on petition of John PORTER and others, was established in 1808 and was reduced in size the next year from its area of six miles square by act of legislature when a part of the township, as originally laid out, was added to other townships. A further reduction was made in 1861 when Muskingum Township was formed. Fearing Township was named for Judge Paul FEARING; first lawyer in the Northwest Territory. It contains 24 square miles. Boundary ridges of the basin of Duck Creek lie partly in and partly out the eastern and western borders, giving all their waters to Duck Creek. Whipple Run in the principal tributary of Duck Creek in the township and has been described as the “run Commodore WHIPPLE fell in.” There are also Sugar Run, Brush Run and New Year’s Run. Levi CHAPMAN and Thomas STANLEY were the first settlers in Fearing Township. then came Joel and Simeon TUTTLE, Simeon BLAKE, John AMLIN, Patrick and Daniel CAMPBELL, Henry and Richard MAXON, Seth JONES, Allen PUTNAM, Conrad RIGHTNER, Abraham SEEVERS, Charles H. MORTON, Ephraim TRUE, John E. WIDGER, William CAYWOOD, Robert McKEE, Nathaniel KIDD, Walter ATHEY, William PRICE, Reuben McVAY, James DOWLING, Thomas WARD, John P. PALMER, Dr. HICKS, John YOUNG, William BROWN and others. Nathum WARD, largest land owner in southeastern Ohio, brought many of the early German settlers and many of the early Scotch settlers to Washington County, in the early 1830’s. Of the German settlers who aided in the development of the township were the DANKERS, SEYLERS, ZIMMERS, BISZANTZES, PAPES, BOESHARS, MOTTERS, BULESES, TRAPPS, BIEHLS and LEONHARDTS. The village of Whipple was named by General A. J. WARNER as a railroad station on the old Cleveland & Marietta Railroad. It was given the name of commodore Abraham WHIPPLE, of the Continental Navy of the revolutionary War period, who spent his last years on his farm home in “The Vale of Chamonoi,” a valley in Fearing Township.” ---Grandview Township Grandview Township was “struck off” from Newport Township in 1803. The first settlers were families named DICKERSON, SHEPHERD, MITCHELL, WITTEN, RIGGS, SHEETS, ELLIS, BURRIS, JOLLY, COLLINS, WILLIAMSON and HOLDREN. Henry SHEETS laid out the town of Matamoras, to which additions were made from time to time. The town, which was incorporated in 1861, was named “New” Matamoras as after the old town of Matamoras, Mexico, opposite Brownsville, Tex., at the mouth of Rio Grande. Soldiers from Grandview Township participated in the Mexican War, 1846-1848, and were impressed by the name. The word “New” is dropped in prevalent usage of the name of the town. Grandview village was surveyed at an early day but the original plat was annulled by Hannibal WILLIAMSON in 1848 and he made a new plat of the same ground. ---Independence Township Independence Township was established in 1840. About 1836 the “old settlement” in what was then Newport Township was made up largely of German People. among the early settlers were families named RIGGS, MORELAND, LITTLE, BROWN, HOLDREN, DYE, McMAHAN, DEUCHER, BLISS, PARR, FRENCH, REA, HARVEY, CHAPMAN, WARD, TAYLOR, WERNECKE and others. The district on the Little Muskigum was settled by the FLEMINGS, MEADS, DEVOLS and DICKERSONS. The Archers Ford community was named for John ARCHER and here lived the HOPPELS, YOSTS, WARDS, TAYLORS, SLOANS, CADYS, and GUTBERLETS. Independence Twonship as produced much oil in the Rea’s Run and Archer Fork Fields. ---Lawrence Township Lawrence Township was established in 1815 when settlers in that section of Washington County signed a petition presented to the county commissioners “praying that a new township may be laid out and set off from the township of Newport.” In 1840 the township was reduced to its present size. James HOFF was elected the first ‘lister of taxable property” and James MITCHELL “appraiser of houses.” Elections ere held in the early years at John DYE’S home near the mouth of Cow Run. The first school house was opened in 1810 at Cow Run. when the public school system became operative, Lawrence Township was divided into eight school districts with a log school house in each. The first church was a log house covered with clapboards and used by all denominations. the first children’s home in Ohio was in the house of Catherine FAY at Moss Run. the first postoffice before 1840 was named Lawrence and was on the John DYE farm in the center of the township. Famous Oil Field (Lawrence Township) The famous Cow Run oil developments were in the 1860’s. The first machine for drilling for it was brought into the township in 1864 by George McFARLAND. Joshua L. GUYTON, one of the early settlers, reported that as early as 1845-46, when he had a cabinet shop on Cow Run that “within 35 feet of this shop” there was a “burning spring” from which gas was run through a wooden pipe for illuminating purposes. For a burner he used the spout of a coffee pot. John NEWTON and Moffett DYE sank the first well. Early opperations were numerous. Early settlers in Lawrence Township were the DYES, FAYS, CHAMBERS, McCOWANS, McCOWANS, McELHINNEYS, ROGERS’, POWELLS, TYLERS, GUYTONS, PATTERSONS, HOFFS and others. ---Libery Township Liberty Township was established in 1832 with an area of 36 square miles. In 1851, when Noble County was formed, part of Liberty was taken with other northern territory of Washington County. The oldest settlement in the original area of the township was in the Harriettsville neighborhood. the first person who penetrated the wilderness to make his more in what is Liberty Township was Jewett PALMER, grandfather of G. A. and S. A. PALMER, who moved from Lawrence Township about 1823. He remained only five years and went to Fearing, and later to Salem Township. Patrick CAMPBELL came next. Richard ALLBERRY moved to the head of Whipple Run in 1835. The site of Germantown was chosen for settlement by Matthew GRAY. Other families which settled in Liberty were those of Levi WOODS, Isaac KOON, Michael KOON, Joseph BARNHART, George KESSELRING, Cephas HENDERSHOT, Philip HENDERSHOT, Lewis YOUNG, John BOWERS, Thomas HAMILTON, Hiram DEARTH, Frederick GRUBER, Dr. J. M. WARREN, William WALTERS, Stephen HARRIS, Dr. SPARLING, Andrew CLINE, John SCOTT and John POWELL. Germantown was laid out by David HENDERSHOT. Dalzell was laid out by R. W. ST. JOHN and was named in honor of Private DALZELL of Noble County. Liberty is one of the hillest townships in the county and has a number of small streams. these include Fifteen Creek with both east and west forks, PawPaw, Saltpetre, Koon’s Run, Campbell’s Run, Long Run, Laurel Run, Wingett’s Run. Gosses Fork and Dean’s. they empty their waters into both Little Muskingum and Duck Creek. ---Ludlow Township Ludlow township derives its name indirectly form a surveyor of that name who ran the north boundary of the “donation land” called the “Ludlow line.” In 1819 the county fathers established the township. At this time the township extended two miles north of this line. In 1851, all of what was Ludlow Township above the “Ludlow” line became a part of Monroe County. All the early settlements in Ludlow Township were along the Little Muskingum. Solomon TICE, a blacksmith, farmer and hunter was the first settler in 1797 on the east side of the Little Muskingum about two miles below Bloomfield. Other early settlers were families named DEWEES, HERN, DICKSON, EDWARDS, O’HANLON, RINARD, MOORE, CLINE, FLINT, FOX, DAY, CAWLEY, HALL and WATSON. ---Marietta Township Marietta Township was organized in December 20, 1790, when the town and township of Marietta were the same. Anselm TUPPER was first chairman of the township meetings. William STACY was overseer of the poor and Christopher BURLINGAME as the first constable. the town and township were the same for over 10 years--until Marietta was organized with town government. This plan continued until the town was incorporated in 1825. Pioneer residents of Marietta Township were the THORNILEY families. Claeb THORNILEY came from England to Marietta Township in 1795. He married Mary ALCOCK and both died in 1807. William THORNILEY came from England about the same time and lived in Marietta Township untill his death in 1827. Philip Van THORNILEY was born in New York City in 1799 and grew up in Marietta Township, where he spent the remainder of his life. These three THORNILEYS are the progenitors of all the THORNILEY families in this section today. Other early families of Marietta Township were the SMITH fmaily, descendants of SAMUEL B. SMITH who came to the township in 1816; the RACERS, ALCOCKS, MILLERS, WESTS, HARNESSES, SHEETS’ OLDS, McALISTERS and STEPHENSON. ---Muskingum Township The territory embraced in Muskingum Township was a part of Adams Township as established by the Court of Quarter Sessions in 1798. Since the formation of old Adams Township it crumbled away to establish several other townships and prior to 1861 Muskingum Township was included with the limits of Marietta Fearing and Union townships. Union township was dissolved in 1877 when its territory was divided among Adams, Muskingum, Warren and Watertown townships. First settlements in Muskingum Township were made in Wiseman’s Bottom and at Rainbow. The Rainbow settlement was begun in 1795 by a company of Marietta settlers who had drawn lots on the western shore of the Muskingum. the first settlers at Rainbow were Israel STONE and family. then came the STACYS, DYARS and STOWES. The first settlers on Wiseman’s Bottom were Colonel Joseph BARKER, Israel PUTNAM, Captain Jonathan DEVOL and John RUSSELL. The Wiseman’s Bottom settlement had two noted ship builders, Colonel Joseph BARKER and Captain Jonathan DEVOL, who built sea going craft, and who also built the pioneer stockades. Washington County Children’s Home is in Muskingum Township. Marietta’s industr8ial section in the Westview area is in Muskingum Township. ---Newport Township In 1788 all territory in Washington County lying east of the western boudary of the Seventh Range was called Newport Township. The boundary line between what was called the “Seven Ranges” and the “Ohio Company Purchase” in the original land sub-divisions ran north and south through the Newport Township of today. Not all of the present area of Newport Township was in the Ohio Company Purchase. From the original Newport Township area five townships were carved. These are Grandview, Lawrence, Ludlow, Liberty and Independence. The DANAS and the GREE3NES were the first settlers in what is Newport. Newport was laid out by Evenezer BATTELLE, a graduate of Harvard University. As early as 1820 Joseph BARKER built a mill in Newport Township for the extraction of flas-seed oil and castor oil It worked for a while, but the cultivation of flax and the castor oil bean did not prove profitable. In later decades, Newport Township has been enriched by the petroleum indursty. ---Palmer Township The first pioneer who settled in what is Palmer Township was Christopher MALSTER. He came in 1796. Other pioneer settlers were the PALMERS, GUARDS, RICES, PERRYS, SMITHS, PATTENS, BRECKENRIDGES, STACYS, TROTTERS, GRAHAMS, MURDOCKS, GREENLEES, FERGUSONS, DALEYS, HUTCHINSONS, AND HICKMANS. The Scotch settlement, which owned its existence to Nahum WARD of Marietta, began in 1820 with the coming of John and Hugh BRECKENRIDGE. Then followed Hugh GREENLESS, David FERGUSON, Duncan DRAIN and Robert BRECKENRIDGE. Samuel BROWN was the first postmaster of the first postoffice at what is Brown’s Mills in 1821. At that time there was no postoffice between Harmar and Brown’s Mills. Prior to the formation of Noble County, in 1851, Palmer Township was in the area included in Watertown, Barlow and Wesley townships and Roxbury. In the formation of Noble County, Morgan County lost large areas and was partially recompensed by the addition of the larger part of Roxbury, taken from Washington County. At a special session of the Washington County commissioners in 1851 the remaining portion of Roxbury, with parts of Barlow, Watertown and Wesley townships, was consolidated into a new township called Palmer named after a family which was much interested in the settlements and developments of the township. ---Salem township Salem Township was originally a part of Adams Township. The division which made a separate township of the Duck Creek end of the original Adams Township was made after petition of the Duck Creek settlers was filed with the Court of Quarter Sessions. The first settler in Salem township was Amos PORTER, one of the 48 Marietta pioneers. He was followed by the NASHES, DELONGS, McCUNES, TALLMANS, FULTONS, DAVISES, TRUES, PERKINS, ALLENS, STANLEYS and CHAPMANS. John TRUE taught school in the township in 1807. Elisha ALLEN erected a saw mill and a grist mill on Duck Creek before 1820, these mills being in the “Lower Oxbow.” On the “Upper Oxbow”, S. N. MERRIAM built steam saw and grist mills 10 years later. Lower Salem was laid out in 1850 at the end of a plank road from Marietta. The toil house there was the first building in the village. Warner was laid out by P. and E. BOYE in 1873, and was named for General A. J. WARNER of Marietta. Bonn was laid out in 1835 and named by the German settlers for the city of Bonn on the Rhine. ---Warren Township Warren Township was established in 1810 but the original lines have been changed. The last change was made in 1877 when it took on a part of Union Township. The first permanent settlers in Warren were the BALIEYS, the NEWTONS, COLES, HUMPHREYS, CUTLERS and FINCHES. Warren Township may be called the “grindstone township” of Washington County. First settlers included Ephraim CUTLER, Isaac HUMPHREY, Ezekiel FINCH, Thomas DICKEY, Philip COLE, Willard GREEN, J. H. DEMING, Eilas NEWTON, Seth BAILEY, John SKIPTON, William STAGE, William PERDEW, Colonel T. W. MOORE, Thomas DRAIN, Henry McEVOY, Robert HANNA, the COFFMANS, MILLERS, PINKERTONS, FOSTERS, McMAHANS, CHRISTYS, HOLDENS, HARRISES, MERCERS, THOMASES, DAVISES, KAYLORS, HARTS, ROEPERS, MELLORS, SIEBERTS, TRATCHELLS, and BRABHAMS. ---Watertown Township Watertown Township is the largest in Washington County and has an area of 42 1/2 square miles. It was established in 1806 and was originally known as Wooster. The name was changed to Watertown in 1824. the name was selected in honor of the WATERMAN family, early settlers. Watertown received an important addition when Union Township as partitioned in 1877. The village of Watertown sprang up at the intersection of the Marietta-Lancaster road and the road from Waterford. The first school in Watertown was taught by Nathaniel GATES in 1799. the first store in Watertown was opened by Abijah BROOKS in 1826. He was also the first postmaster. He built the Exchange Hotel in Harmar in 1837. Matthew JURDEN was the first postmaster at Churchtown in 1875. Scotch emigrants came to Watertown Township after 1830. The BRECKENRIDGES came here from Argyleshire, and the family is a large one which is represented today in relationship of many of the residents of the township. The annual Harvest Home picnic which has been a home coming event at Watertown for the past 56 years, has brought together reunions of families. The WOLCOTTS, BINGHAMS, CUTTERS, MARTIANS, FISHERS, and others are old-time families of Watertown. The late Dr. Seth HART, pioneer physician in Harmar, practiced his profession at Watertown before coming to Harmar in 1825. ---Waterford Township Waterford Township was established by the Court of Quarter Sessions in 17690. the early history of Waterford Township is closely connected with the history of Marietta and also the history of the Waterford-Beverly pioneer settlements. Extracted by Debbie (Noland) Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net March 2004 (Surnames were typed as shown in the article, but captialized for easy identification)