OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS

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Welcome to
Montgomery Co., Ohio
History & Genealogy

Source: 
History of City of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio
by Rev. A. W. Drury
- Vol. 1 -
1909

 

Chapter VIII
 

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP - MIAMI TOWNSHIP - MIAMISBURG - WEST CARROLLTON - VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP - BEAVERTOWN - OAKWOOD - THE SHAKER COMMUNITY - MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP - WAYNE TOWNSHIP - GERMAN TOWNSHIP - GERMANTOWN - JACKSON TOWNSHIP - FARMERSVILLE - JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP - HARRISON TOWNSHIP - MADISON TOWNSHIP - TROTWOOD - PERRY TOWNSHIP - BUTLER TOWNSHIP - VANDALIA - RANDOLPH TOWNSHIP - CLAY TOWNSHIP - BROOKVILLE.

WAYNE TOWNSHIP
pg. 867

     Wayne Township occupies the northeastern corner of Montgomery county.  It joins Miami county on the north, Clark and Green counties on the east.  Green county is again a part of the boundary on the south.  Jan. 1, 1810, the township was formed consisting of the township as it now is and all of township 3, range 6 west of the Miami river except the two western tiers of sections.  It was named in honor of Gen. Anthony Wayne.  The first township election was held at the house of Benjamin Van Cleve on the Staunton road on the 20th day of January, 1810.  Upon the formation of Butler township, Oct. 7, 1817, all that part of Wayne township west of the Miami river was used in the erection of that township.  The township as it now is has been credited with an area of twenty-one square miles, one square mile less than the legal minimum size for a township without an incorporated town.  No question, however, has been raised as to this discrepancy.  More than one-third of the township was purchased by Peyton Short in 1801 on the basis of this contract with Judge Symmes.  This land was sold in larger or smaller divisions to individual settlers.  His land ventures do not seem to have been profitable, as later we have notice of his having made an assignment.
     At a meeting of the overseers of the poor of Wayne township, it was recorded as the action of the overseers that said board "doth bind John Slider, a Poor child, aged fourteen years against the 1st day of April next ensuing this date (17th October, 1812), to James Forgas of Miami County, Tanner, to Learn the art and mystery of the Tanning business, for the term of seven years," at the expiration of which, all the covenants of each party being fulfilled, he was to receive "his freedom and one suit of Superfine clothing and one suit of Coarse Clothing, and one horse, sadle and bridle, to be worth $75."  On what terms girls were cared for is shown by another action of the overseers of the poor dated Oct. 5, 1817.  The record recites as follows:  The Overseers "Do put & place Sarah Keiser, a poor child of the county and Township aforesaid, with them to Dwell & serve from the Day of the Date of these presents, until she shall arrive to the full age of Eighteen years. * * * During all which Time the said apprentice her said Master shall faithfully serve on Lawful Business according to her Power, wit and ability," for which the other parties covenanted "to learn her to Spin, sew & to Do common house work, and one year's schooling and one Spinning

[pg. 868]
wheel and one second rate Cow and two suits of Clothing and a good Decent quality and a freedom suit valued at $18, and one good Bed and Bedding & one new Bible."
     Among the early settlers of the township, the following named located prior to the year 1810: Rev. Joseph Tatman, John Ainsworth, Robert Miller, James Miller, John Booher, John Duncan Campbell, John Hacker, Henry Jennings, Peter Sunderland, John Slagle, Jacob Arnold, Valentine Shearer, Mrs. John Cuppy nee Lydia Oilar, Henry Oiler, Levi Jennings, Simon Brenner, Jacob Brenner, Lewis Brenner, Samuel Pitticrew, John Petticrew, John Shafer, Joseph H. Johnson, Nathan Maddux, Ignatius Maddux, Henry Deam, James Black, John Booher and John McFadden.
     Before 1811,  Benjamin Van Cleve had purchased all of section 27 on the Troy pike and made improvements but resided for no extended period on this land.
     During the decade between 1810 and 1820, there were with other accessions to the immigrant population, Jonathan Knight, George Favorite, Elias Matthews, John Matthews, Robert Archibald, David Archibald, James Kay, Abraham Buckey, William Hoover and John Zediker.
    
Among the more noted of the early pioneers, was Rev. Joseph Tatman, who immigrated from Kentucky and located in the township in 1800.  He was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, and, aside from his duties in managing his farm, was actively engaged at least a part of the time in ministerial work.  Thomas Crook, the father of Gen. George W. Crook, settled on a half section of land opposite Johnson's station.
     George W. Crook, was born on this farm, Sept. 8, 1828.  He entered West Point in 1848 and graduated July 1, 1852.  He was appointed brevet second lieutenant and was assigned to the Fourth United States Infantry then located in California.  He was engaged in many scouts and skirmishes in the Indian country.  In 1861, he was made colonel of the Thirty-sixth Ohio Infantry.  In the spring of 1862, he was placed in command of the Third Brigade of the Army of West Virginia.  In July, he was transferred to the Army of the Potomac.  He was later made brigadier-general.  In January, 1863, he was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland.  July 20, 1863, he was breveted major-general.  Gen. Crook was in the various campaigns conducted by Gen. Sheridan in the Shenandoah valley.  He participated in all movements of Sheridan's cavalry during the war, and, in the eleven days preceding Lee's surrender, his regiment lost one-third of its number in killed or wounded.  When Gen. Sheridan was assigned to a command in the southwest, Gen. Crook was placed in command of the cavalry corps.  He was honorably mustered out of the volunteer service on the 15th of January, 1866.  In 1888, he was appointed a major-general of the United States army.
     The Brenners were large landholders in the township.  A scion of one of these families, Hon. Simon Brenner, has lent credit to the township.
     A log schoolhouse was erected on the premises of John Shafer, on the banks of Dry Run, in the autumn of 1809.  Another schoolhouse was built the same year in the eastern part of the township.  This building was destroyed by fire in 1813, and a larger and more suitable one was then erected on the farm of Henry

[pg. 869]
Cuppy.  In this house, Methodist meetings were held until Palmer's chapel was erected in the same neighborhood.  Here, also, under the superintendency of Rev. Joseph Tatman, the children of the pioneers attended their first Sunday-school.
     The first building erected exclusively for public worship was a rough log structure erected probably in 1816, which served as a place of worship for the Methodist Episcopal and other denominations under the schoolhouse was built on the old Troy pike in the southern part of section 30.  In 1846, the Methodists built Wayne chapel on a lot adjoining that on which the schoolhouse stood.  The lot was donated by James Black.  In 1852, Montgomery chapel was built on land donated by Thomas Crook.   The lot was deeded to the United Brethren church but all Christian denominations were expected to have the use of the building.  An unfortunate controversy arose as to the use of the building which had been in use for school as well as for religious purposes.  The building was torn down and the materials sold and scattered.  There is a United Brethren church at Sulphur Grove of which Rev. E. J. Arthur is pastor.  The congregation numbers one hundred and twenty-four members.
     The township trustees at the present time are:  P. W. Artz, S. K. Smith and William L. Snell.  The township board of education is composed of the following members:  W. H. Darst, S. K. Smith, William Shoup, F. R. Grimes, William L. Snell.  F. M. Copenhefer is the clerk of both boards.
     A peculiarity of Wayne township is that it is altogether rural, having at the present time neither a postoffice nor a village.  At an earlier period there were postoffices at Taylorville, and at tol gate No. 2 on the old Troy pike in the southwestern part of the township, the name of this office being Fishburg.  Later there was an office known as Sulphur Grove.  The township is now served by rural routes and by postoffices outside of its own bounds.  The people of the township are well supplied with schools, and are well abreast of people of other parts of the county in intelligence and uprightness.  There is a very small proportion of foreigners in the township.  The present population are in large part the descendents of the early settlers in the township.
     The soil of the township is noted for its fertility.  Wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, hay and tobacco are the main crops.  The farmers are keeping in touch with the times and learning more and more to sue the methods approved in the agricultural experiment stations.  The Agricultural Bulletin together with farm papers can be found in nearly every farmer's home.
 

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