The
Commissioners at their session on the 6th
day of December, 1830, caused the following
record to be made: "It appearing to
this Board necessary to divide the townships
of Findley an Amanda into three townships
after the following manner, to-wit:
Beginning at the south-west corner of
section 31, in township 1 north, in range
12, running thence north of the north-west
corner of section 6 in township 2, in range
12, thence west to the north-west corner of
section 4, in range eleven, thence south to
the south-west corner of section 33, in
township one north, in range 11, thence east
to the place of beginning, which boundary
shall be a separate township, and become a
body corporate and politic and shall be
known and designated by the name of Marion."
The township was named in honor of the dashing South
Carolina Ranger, Francis Marion, of
Revolutionary notoriety, and is bounded on
the north by Cass township, on the east by
Big Lick, on the south by Amanda and
Jackson, and on the west by Findley, and
comprises sections, 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11,
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,
27, 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, in township 1 north,
and range 11 east.
Elnathan CORY made the first entry of
lands on the 28th
[Pg. 405]
day of November, 1822, of the north-east
quarter of the north-east quarter of section
21.
On the 24th day of October, 1825, Alexander
ROBERTSON entered the south part of the
north-east quarter of section 23.
Jonas HARTMAN, of Pickaway County,
entered the south-east quarter of section
24, on the 28th of April, 1830, and on the
15th of October of the same year, Rezin
RICKETS, of Seneca County, entered the
west half of the southeast quarter of
section 15. Dec. 28th, 1830, Allen
Wisely entered the east half of the
south-west quarter of section 14.
Other entries were made by Jacob ILER, of
Pickaway County, Joseph ORWIG, Daniel
EGBERT and Major BRIGHT of
Fairfield, Nimrod BRIGHT and Jacob
LEEDER, of Pennsylvania, Isaac JONES
of Richard, and others.
On the 24th day of October, 1825, Alexander
ROBERTSON entered the south part of the
north-east quarter of section 23.
Jonas HARTMAN, of Pickaway County,
entered the south-east quarter of section
24, on the 28th of April, 1830, Allen
WISELY entered the east half of the
south-west quarter of section 14.
Other entries were made by Jacob ILER, of
Pickaway County, Joseph ORWIG, Daniel
EGBERT and Major Bright, of
Fairfield, Nimrod BRIGHT and John
LEEDER, of Pennsylvania, Isaac JONES
of Richland, and others.
Walnut, oak, ash, beech, sugar, elm and buckeye are the
prevailing kinds of timber.
The soil in the north part of the township is clay and
sand. The river bottoms are
exceedingly rich and productive, being a
vegetable soil, and the south portion of the
township has a soil of loam, very rich.
The township is well watered by the Blanchard River,
and its tributaries, the outlet of the
Prairie on the north, and Deer Creek on the
south. On the farm of Allen WISELY
are sulphur springs or deer licks, at which
places the hunters of the early day laid in
wait for the unsuspecting game. Good
water may also be obtained by sinking wells.
The river and creeks form a perfect system
of drainage, and heretofore furnished water
power for several mills.
Marion, though one of the smallest, is yet one of the
wealthiest agricultural townships in the
county. There are very many valuable
farms and farm buildings.
[Pg. 406]
The first settlers were Asher WICKHAM, Joseph
SARGEANT and Othniel WELLS.
These parties settled near the western line
of the township, Ashar WICKHAM on the
George BURNS farm, Joseph SARGEANT on
the T. J. BURNS place, and WELLS
on the Charles THOMAS farm.
Very shortly after, Allen WISELY, Major
BRIGHT, Edward BRIGHT, Joseph BAKER, Lewis
THOMAS, and others commenced improvement
in different parts of the township.
MAJOR BRIGHT became
the owner of a large tract of valuable land.
He at one time held the office of
Associate-Judge for this county.
Several of his children reside in this and
Big Lick townships, and are quite well off.
Mr. BRIGHT was long a resident of the
township.
LEWIS THOMAS is still
a resident of the township, owning a fine
farm on the banks of the Blanchard, with
good buildings and pleasant surroundings.
Mr. Thomas, thought well up in years,
is vivacious, and loves to recount the
incidents of his pioneer life. He is
an earnest christian, an honest farmer, a
good neighbor, and a valuable citizen.
No man in the township perhaps is better known, or more
generally respected than is Allen WISELY.
He owns a very valuable farm, well improved
and delightfully located. Mr.
WISELY has lived in the township long
enough to see it change from an unbroken
wilderness to fruitful fields; the rude log
cabin replaced by the elegant frame and
brick residences of the prosperous and happy
farmers.
The old Baptist Church at William DAVIS' was the
first one erected in the township. It
has long since been replaced by a fine frame
structure called the Union Bethel, in which
any orthodox denomination have a right to
worship. There are three United
Brethren and one Methodist Episcopal Church
buildings in the township,
[Pg. 407]
The first school house was built on William MARVIN's
farm in 1836, and the first school was
taught by Adam ROBINSON. There
are now six good school buildings in the
township, with an enumeration of three
hundred and twenty-two youth of school age.
The first election was held in April, 1831.
Asher WICKHAM, Joseph SARGEANT, Allen
WISELY, ____ DeWITT, Lewis WARD, Joseph
JOHNSTON, Joseph BAKER, Major BRIGHT, Adam
BEARD, Justin SMITH, ____ POWELL, Edward
BRIGHT and O. WELLS, thirteen in
all, were the voters. The emigrants to
this township came mainly from the eastern
portion of Ohio.
In 1837, Daniel OPP put up a frame building on
the farm now owned by Edward WISELEY,
and commenced tavern keeping. A Post
Office was also established at his place,
and called CROW, and Mr. OPP
appointed Postmaster. After about two
years Mr. OPP died, and the Post
Office expired with him, since which time
there has not been a Post Office in the
township.
The office of Justice of the Peace has been filled by
the following named persons:
Willis WARD - 1831.
Major EGBERT - 1831.
Charles THOMAS - 1833
David EGBERT - 1832, 1853.
Adam HEISLEY - 1835,
Albert RAMSEY - 1838, 1841, 1844.
Allen WISELEY - 1838, 1859, 1862, 1865, 1868.
Rezin RICKETS - 1841, 1844, 1847, 1850, 1853,
1856.
William MARVIN - 1847, 1851.
William DAVIS - 1853, 1856, 1859, 1862.
Daniel ALSPACH - 1863.
B. J. McRILL - 1866.
[Pg. 408]
Isaac DAVIS - 1869, 1872
Michael GLENNER- 1871, 1874.
Amasa BUCKINGHAM - 1875.
James WILSON - 1877, 1880.
Andrew BISH - 1878
C. S. JOHNSTON - 1880
BIOGRAPHIES:
WILLIAM B. MILLER.
[Pg. 409]
WILLIAM MARVIN, SR.
WILLIAM DAVIS
[Pg. 411]
Table of statistics, showing crops, and stock, as
returned to County Auditor by the Township
Assessor in 1881.
| Wheat, 2,797 acres |
53, 449 bushels |
| Oats, 304 acres |
9,782 bushels |
| Corn, 2,436 acres |
95,100 bushels |
| Flax, 121 acres |
1,156 bushels |
| Hay, 1,018 acres |
1,135 tons. |
| Horses, 505 number |
$25,750, value. |
| Cattle, 1,199 number |
$14,710, value |
| Sheep, 1,998 number |
$ 3,450, value |
| Hogs, 2,259 number |
$ 5,390, value |
END OF MARION TOWNSHIP |
