The township is bounded on the north by the south line of the Western Reserve; on the east by the State of Pennsylvania; on the south by the township of Unity; and on the west by the township of Beaver.  It is designated in the Government survey as town nine, in range one.  It was one of the oldest townships in the county having been organized for civil purposes in 1803.  In 1846 Springfield was attached to Mahoning county.
     The general surface of the township is broken by hills of moderate height, between which are intervals and lowlands, originally somewhat swampy.  The whole township was covered with a fine growth of the common woods, and a liberal supply of timber yet remains.  Building-stone may be obtained in various localities, and coal is unusually abundant.
     The principal streams are Honey creek and several small creeks, flowing southeast from the central and the
western parts of the township; and the Little Yellow creek in the northwest, having a northerly course.  Numerous springs abound, and the natural drainage is generally sufficient to afford an arable surface.  The soil varies from sandy loam to a heavy clay, along the streams being more or less of an alluvium.  The whole is fertile and well adapted to the products of mixed husbandry.  The people are chiefly engaged in agriculture.

PIONEER SETTLERS

     The early history of Springfield is somewhat obscure.  None of the original settlers remain, and what little recorded history they had has been destroyed.  The recollections of the descendants of those who came to the township as pioneers are not clear, and their statements concerning that period are contradictory.  It appears, however, that the township was permanently settled about 1801, and that PETER MUSSER was the first to establish himself in what is now Springfield.  He came from York county, Pennsylvania, and having considerable means purchased the four sections in the southeast corner of the township, living a little north of the present village of Petersburg.  Here he built small grist and saw-mills, and made other desirable improvements.  He died in 1808, leaving a family of four sons and two daughters.  The oldest son, John, succeeded to the mill property, but after a few years removed to Missouri.  Peter was the proprietor of the village site, and the founder of Petersburg.  He removed to the northern part of the State.  The third son, Jacob, lived in the village, selling there the first goods.  He enlisted in the army of 1812, and afterwards in the regular army of the United States, serving as drum-major; he finally settled in Missouri.
     On the farm now occupied by C. B. Wilson, John Pontius was the original settler, and was followed by his son John.  East of the village, on the farm yet occupied by his family, Henry Miller settled at an early day; and north of the place the Bock, Beight, and Dressel families were among the first settlers.
     In the western part of the township Daniel Miller, from Adam county, Pennsylvania, was the earliest settler, coming in 1802, and settling on section eighteen.
     The same year C. Seidner and his son-in-law, C. Mentzer, came from Hagerstown and settled south of Miller.  A few years later this locality was settled by Jacob Shafer, George Macklin, Jacob Christ, John May, Hugh Chain, John Robinson, and Peter Shreiver.
     Section six was settled in 1801 by Adam Hohn, who soon after put up a saw-mill there.
     Section four was settled before 1863 by George Stump and his sons George, Henry, Abraham, and John, and section five was settled in 1802

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by John Summers of York county, Pennsylvania.  One of Summers' sons-in-law, George Elser, settled on the same section in April, 1806, where he died in 1847.
     In the northeastern part of the township the early settlers were:  John Shoemaker, about 1804; Henry Myers, on section twelve, in 1803; Peter and Henry Raub and Peter Benedict, on section eleven, about the same time; and before 1806 settlements had been made by men named Empie, Taylor, Barnard, Parsons, and Messerly.
     In the neighborhood of New Middleton were the Burkey, Kuhn, Schillinger, Gray, Cublin, and Schiller families, some time before 1810, and after that period Joshua Hahn, Simon Martin, the Welker, Beard, and Ilgenfritz families took place among the prominent settlers.  Immigration was so great between 1805 and 1815 that it is impossible to gather up the names of all who became pioneers of Springfield.

CIVIL LIST.

     The records of this township from its organization in 1803 until 1868 have been lost in some way, making the compilation of an accurate civil list impossible and necessitating the omission of much valuable and interesting matter.

THE COAL INTERESTS.

of the township deserve brief mention.  Although coal generally abounds in the township but little effort has been made to develop its riches outside of the territory in the northwest part of the township along Little Yellow creek.  East of that stream mining was carried on to some extent on the Ruhlman, Kurt and Heine farms; but the principal product is on the west side on section seven, where three mines are in successful operation, whose united output is two thousand five hundred tons per year.  The first mine in the township was opened by the Summers family and is still worked.

PETERSBURGH.

     The oldest and most important village in the township was founded before 1810 by Peter Musser, on section thirty-six, and named in his honor Petersburgh.  It now has a population of five hundred, and is a busy, bustling little place.  The post-office was established first with name of Musser's Mill, and in 1811 Jacob Musser was postmaster.  It subsequently received the present name and has had the following officials:  Peter Musser, F. Spaeth, Colonel James Miller, Martha Miller, O. H. P. Swisher, Robert Wallace, C. C. Swisher, Lewis Sholl, Gideon Schiller, George Herr, T. S. Guy, and Henry Myers.  Mail is received twice a day.

     It is said that Jacob Musser sold the first goods in the place in the building now the residence of J. P. Swisher, the oldest frame house in Petersburgh.  James Wallace was the first to engage regularly in trade, opening a store where is now the post-office building, about 1815.  He converted that house into a hotel and opened a store on the north side of the street, where he remained about thirty years.  W. C. Dunlap was a cotemporary merchant, opening a store where is now S. Ernst's residence.  The principal merchants that followed them were: Robert Forbus, Spaeth & Swisher, J. G. Leslie, O. H. P. Swisher, David and John Shearer, James Mathews, Ernst & Hahn, Hoover & Seidmer, and others.  The place now has three good general stores, a drug store, harness shop, furniture store, and boot and shoe store.
     A foundry was established by R. C. Bean in 1870, and is still carried on in the manufacture of plows, light castings, and in repair work.  The village has two tanneries employing steam power.  The first tannery was carried on by John Embrie and has gone through a number of hands since.  The place has also two carriage shops, as well as other indispensable mechanical industries.
     As early as 1803 Peter Musser put in operation saw- and grist-mills, a little north of the village, on the site of the present old mill on Honey creek.  John Musser, John Pontius, and D. Whitmyer were among its subsequent owners.  About 1825 a mill was put up near the State line on the same stream, by John Miller, which was operated by him and his family until a few years ago.  Between these sites John Musser put up a mill, which was operated until 1860.
     In 1874 a steam flouring mill, having three runs of stones, was erected near the center of the village by Maurer & Edler Brothers.  It is now successfully operated, but by other men.  A steam saw-mill, erected west of the village in 1870 by Ernst & Rauch, is still in operation; and in the village a saw-mill, planer, and machines for making bent work were put in operation in 1875 by Faller Brothers & Miller.

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     The first public house was kept by Peter Musser on his farm, now owned by A. Kneasel.  The next was kept in the J. P. Swisher residence by Kinneman, Douglas, Pontius, and others.  James Wallace was a well known landlord for many years.  Henry Kale opened a public house where the Lochiel house stands, and was succeeded by Kelley, Mathews, Conrad, George Kneasel (who changed the house to its present comfortable condition), and others.
     Dr. Luther Spellman was probably the first physician to locate permanently in the village.  Dr. B. F. Adams died here.  Others in practice have been: Drs. Johu Stough, John D. Coffin, John Wise, John McCook, Ferdinand Casper, P. H. Swisher (since 1828), George W. Pettit, P. W. Welker, and perhaps others.  Richard Smith practiced law here a short time.  Jacob Musser was the justice of the peace from 1845 to 1875, and was succeeded by William F. Stoll.

     DR. G. W. PETTIT, physician, Petersburgh, Mahoning county, son of Samuel Pettit, was born in New Lisbon, Columbiana county, Mar. 21, 1828.  Samuel Pettit was a native of Chester county, Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio in 1808 with his parents, who settled at New Lisbon.  He died in 1873.  His widow is still living.  Dr. Pettit studied medicine with Dr. McCook at New Lisbon and graduated at the Cleveland Medical college in 1852, having practiced for two years previous.  He began practice, after receiving his degree, at Marlborough, Stark county, where he remained ten years.  He then came to Petersburgh, where he now lives.  He has anextensive practice, and is a successful physician.  He was united in marriage in 1855 to Miss Emily, daughter of Ebenezer Stevens of Stark county.  They have had three children, two of
whom are living.  Mrs. Pettit is a member of the Methodist church.

     SOLOMON ERNST, merchant, Petersburgh,  Mahoning county, was born in Springfield township, Mahoning county, then Columbiana, Apr. 20, 1830.  He is a son of Peter Ernst, who was a native of Maryland, and came to Ohio in 1826 or 1827 and located in Springfield township.  He was by occupation a farmer.  Solomon Ernst followed farming until he was twenty-one or twenty-two years of age, then engaged in mercantile business at Middleton where he remained ten years.  He then came to Pittsburgh where he now is, conducting a dry goods and grocery store.  He was married in 1857 to Miss Louisa, daughter of Henry Welk, of Springfield township, and has one child, John.   Mr. and Mrs. Ernst are members of the Reformed church.
    

NEW SPRINGFIELD.

     is located on the southern part of section twenty nine, and is a pleasant little village of three hundred and fifty inhabitants.  It was laid out some time before 1825 by Abraham Christ, who platted twenty-eight lots around the present square or “diamond.”  Additions have since been made by Jacob Fulgerson, Christian Harker, John Wagner, and David Spiltner, until the village spreads over a considerable area.  Its moral welfare is watched over by two churches, and it is supplied with a good school house.
     The first store was opened in a building near Shale's distillery by Joseph Davis.  On the square, Thomas Knight erected a building for a store about 1828, and conducted business there about twenty years. Nicholas Eckes, Jacob Spaeth, William May, William Phillips, Schillinger and Eckert & Peters, Tobias Elser, George Smith, and George Slutter are among those who have been engaged in active business here.
     The village has a daily mail from Columbiana.  The postmasters have been Nicholas Eckes, George Smith, S. F. Hadlev, John Peters, Tobias Elser, and George Slutter.
     Among the keepers of public houses are remembered John Peters, William May, S. F. Hadley, Joseph Thompson, and a few others who sometimes entertained strangers without having regular inns.
     Christian Seidner and John May have operated saw-mills on the brook southeast of the village; and below, on the same stream, Solomon Crouse had an early grist-mill.  The location is now occupied by steam and water-power grist and saw-mills. In the village a steam saw-mill put up prior to 1860 by Diser, Shale & Felger is still in operation.
     The first distiller was Joseph Davis, many years ago.  A grain and fruit distillery are now running in the village.
     A tannery was at one time carried on by Conrad & Shawacre.
     In 1872 William May and Adam Seidner

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built a foundry in the lower part of the village.
In 1878 it was removed to its present location, where, by the aid of steam-power, stoves, plows, and agricultural implements are produced.
     The New Springfield Bent works are the out growth of a small business established by George Felger & Son near the square.  In August, 1877, their shop was destroyed by fire, together with the dwellings of J. S. Shearer and S. F. Hadley.  A large building was then erected on the outskirts of the village, in which the business has since been carried on, with the aid of steam power.
     Besides the industries mentioned, the village has carriage shops, tin shop, harness shops, and a half dozen other shops, where the ordinary trades are carried on.
     Professional men have not been very numerous. The first physician was Dr. Louis Zeigler, followed by A. King, Dustin, Hamilton, Heinman, William Stafford, and R. E. Warner.  Horace Macklin is the only practicing lawyer ever located in the village.  Three sons of George Miller, Isaiah, Eli, and Aaron, have become ministers of the Lutheran church.

NEW MIDDLETON,

a bright little village of two hundred and fifty inhabitants, is located on section ten, chiefly on Youngstown street.  It was laid out before 1825 by Samuel Moore, and additions have been made by William Brotherton and John Miller.  David Shearer put up the first frame house just north of the mill.
     A small store was opened about 1830 by John Dixon, in a house now occupied by D. Metz.  He was followed in trade by Adam Powers and David Shearer.  Later came Brungard & Davison, at the stand where was afterwards Tobais Hahn.  The store was burned in 1851, and was rebuilt by Hahn.  It was afterwards occupied by Henry Miller, Tobias Hahn, and at present contains the store of John F. Smith  South of this building Henry Miller put up and occupied a good business house, which was burned in 1870, when occupied by Brungard & Brother.  Seven years later Tobias Hahn opened a large store near by, which, in August, 1878, was robbed and burned by the burglars to prevent detection.  Besides the store mentioned, there are in trade J. G. Smith, H. A. Whelk, and R. L. Floor, the latter having a drug store.
     The establishment of hte post-office cannot be clearly determined.  Among the postmaters have been David Shearer, T. Hahn, David Johnson, Henry Miller, and Abraham McCurley.  The office has a daily mail from Youngstown.
     As physicians are remembered Drs. Elisha Murray, Greble, Connor, Henry, Zimmerman, and Frank, R. L. and John Floor.
     The first public house was kept by Samuel Moore, before 1830, in a building which stood on the site of J. G. Bachers residence.  In the old house Adam Powers, John B. Miller, William Forbus, and David Johnson were among the keepers.  The latter built the present house after the destruction of the old one, in 1851.  At this stand Oliver Stanford was the last landlord.  South of this place was another public house, in which Shearer, Dixon, Cox, and others kept entertainment.  At one time the village had four taverns.
     About the first attempt at manufacturing in the village was made in 1841 by Welker, Pease & Co., who put up a carding-mill which was operated by horse-power.  In after years there was a distillery in this building; and still later machinery was supplied to carry on the manufacture of linseed oil.  Steam-power was then employed.  In 1871, while the property of T. Hahn, the building was burned to the ground.
     In 1849 Welker & Brungard put up a steam saw-mill.  In 1870 a stock company of twenty members was formed to build a steam grist-mill in the village.  After the lapse of several years this property passed into the hands of Fred. Fouser, and was destroyed in the conflagration of Aug. 27, 1878.  The present mill was soon after built by Mr. Fouser, and is now successfully operated.  The village has a full complement of the ordinary mechanic-shops.
     On section six, Adam Hahn, the original settler there, had a saw-mill on Yellow creek before 1805; later, his son Andrew had a mill, and at present the Printz family have here in operation a steam saw-mill.

JOHN RATLIFF


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