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     This township, one of the five originally founded in Butler county in 1803, was named after General St. Clair.  It embraced all of the northwestern part of the county and included the present townships of Oxford, Milford, Wayne, Reily and Hanover, and was bounded, when it was organized, on the north by Preble county, on the east by Lemon township, on the south by the Miami river and Ross township, and on the west by the state of Indiana.  Wayne and Milford townships were struck off of its territory in 1805, the latter at that time including also what is now the township of Oxford.  Reily township was set off in 1807, and embraced all of what is now Hanover.  These divisions reduced the size of St. Clair considerably, but possessing, as it did, the town of Rossville, hits history is extended and interesting, and a large portion of it will be found treated under the head of Hamilton.  In 1810, its population was eleven hundred and eighty; in 1820, thirteen hundred and eighty-eight inhabitants in the township proper, the territory occupied by West Hamilton no longer being included.  There are in the township seventeen thousand, three hundred and thirty acres.
     St. Clair, as it now exists, is bounded on the north by the township of Wayne, on the east by the Miami river and the lower end of Madison township, on the south by the river, and on the west by Hanover and Ross townships.  The township is irregular on the south and east sides, resulting from the fact that the Miami meanders through the very fine bottoms along its course, a large portion of which are in St. Clair.
     The topography of the township east of the Seven Mile creek is generally level, while west of the creek it is hilly.  The soil is very fertile and produces the finest cereals.  The country was originally covered by dense forests, the greater portion of which were destroyed by the early settlers when clearing the land, as they had little or no use for timber after their cabins were built.  The township is well watered by the Miami river and numerous creeks.  The principal stream is the Fort Mile, unites with the latter in section 8, just south of the town of Seven Miles.  Cotton run rises in Wayne township, flows south and empties into Four Mile about one mile and a half below the mouth of Seven Mile.  Five Mile run, a small stream, flows between Cotton run and Seven Mile. It is fed principally by a spring near the center of section 4.  This spring is on the Walker farm and is known as Wayne's spring because near it General Wayne and his army encamped when on their way north to chastise the Indians.  Two Mile creek empties into the Miami opposite Old river.  Its source is found in Hanover township.  These streams in former years supplied power for numerous mills.  One of the most celebrated of the mills was the Fear-not mill on Four Mile, built in 1816 by Joseph Watson.  When he built the ill in the wilderness it was predicted that he would soon fail in business.  In answer to the prediction, and what was characteristic of the man, Mr. Watson gave his mill the name "Fear-not."  The first building at the Fear-not site was a frame, two stories high, equipped with an undershot wheel and two sets of buhrs.  About twenty years later a second mill, similar to the first, was built.  The mill has long been in disuse, but can yet be seen.
     Distilling was a prominent industry in the township during the thirties.  Still houses were considered a necessity, and many of the best people in the county were engaged in the manufacture of whiskey.  The capacity of the early distilleries was limited usually to one or two barrels per day, and whiskey and sold from fifteen to eighteen cents per gallon.
      The roads diverging fro Hamilton to all parts of the county west of the Miami river pass through St. Clair township.  The first road established by the county commissioners of Butler county was from Smith's and St. Clair's mill on Four Mile to Nathaniel Bell's on Elk creek.  The old Eaton road took the course of General St. Clair's march to the northwest, and passed by way of the site of the Fear-not mill, much in the same way that it does now.  The old trace road from Seven Mile takes the course of General Wayne's march north.  The old State road, as it was commonly called, took the direction of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and for a long time the mails were received over this route from North Road on the Ohio below Cincinnati.
     The first settlers of St. Clair township located at or near the town of Rossville.  Afterward that part of the township lying south of Hamilton was settled principally by Germans from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Tennessee.  Among the early families settling here were the Garvers, Fishers, Lingles, Castators, Troutmans, Mitchells, Kyles and Shellhouses.  Among the early settlers in the northwestern part of the township were the Brookses, Irvings, Wallaces, McClellans, Eatons, Cornells, Browns, Caldwells, Robinsons, Longfellows, Grays and Harrises.  The eastern part of the township was settled by the Overpects, Warwicks, Wehrs, Jacobys, Descombes, Sellers, Huestons and others.
     The first church was organized as early as 1806.  It stood one and a half miles southwest of Hamilton, and was known as St. Peter's Lutheran church.  It was a log building, about sixteen by eighteen feet.  It was provided with a fire-place eight feet wide and five feet deep.  The building was also used as a school house for many years.  In the early 'forties a frame church building was constructed, in which services were held the considerable regularity for over forty years.  Among those who taught school in the old log church about 1830 were James Hill, Capt. William Giffin and Jonas Ball.
   The Blue Grass church, which stood near the Fear-not mill on Four Miles, was one of the earliest churches.  It was first occupied by the Methodists, but about 1832 the Old School Presbyterians took charge and held services here regularly for many years.
     About 1820 the German Reformed church was organized at Overpecks.  The first meeting house was built of hewed logs.  Jacob Wehr sold two acres of land at one dollar per acre to the church authorities for burial purposes and for a building site.  After several years a brick church was built which served the purpose of the congregation until about 1858, when the present brick structure was erected by the Lutherans and Presbyterians.
     During the 'fifties the Mennonite church was organized near Busenbarks.  The early membership was composed mainly of Germans.  Among the early members were the Augspergers, Hollys, Imhoffs and Sloneckers.  The society at first held meetings in private houses,  but later a church was built on ground donated by Christian Sloneker.

OVERPECKS.

     The principal village in the township is Overpecks, named for Isaac Overpeck, an early settler.  It is a station on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad and the Cincinnati, Dayton & Toledo Electric Traction Road.  Since the last-named road was built the village has had a very substantial growth.  It has, in fact, become a suburb of Hamilton, and the homes of many people employed in that city are located here.  The only postoffice in the township is located here.

BUSENBARKS

     Busenbarks, two miles north of Overpecks, is a telegraph and railroad station on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad.  The C., D. & T. electric power plant is located here.

COKE OTTO.

     At Coke Otto, two miles north of Hamilton, the Otto coke ovens are located.  The inhabitants are principally employes of the coke works.  The hamlet has a hotel, store and a school house.

DARRTOWN.

     Darrtown was laid out in 1814 by Conrad Darr, an early settler who purchased the half of section 28 in 1802 for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre.  Abram Darr was the first resident of the town and kept store for several years.  He was succeeded as a merchant by John Deen and later by William Davis.  Herron and Fenton were merchant tailors here in 1827.  John Cook, a blacksmith, located here in 1825.  Abram Darr opened a tavern in 1817.  Aaron Chamberlain, Stephen Kendall and William Kirkpatrick kept tavern here during later years.  Distilling was an important industry about 1850.  Abram Darr opened a distillery in 1832.  Mitchell Marshall conducted a fifteen-barrel establishment from 1845 to 1852.  James Bradberry owned a log still house as early as 1817 which, in later years, was replaced by a stone building.  The next year he built a saw and grist mill about a mile and a half below town, which he continued to operate for twenty-five years.  In 1816 Wallace and Bryant erected a saw, grist and fulling mill on Four Mile.  Later the mill property belonged to James Smiley.  In 1850 a three story stone building was erected.  The mill, which has not been in operation for several years, now belongs to Smiley's son-in-law, W. L. Lane of Oxford and is commonly known as Lane's mill. 
     The domestic willow, the growing of which is a leading industry with a number of people, was introduced by Dr. Wyman, of New York.
     The first school was opened in 1806 in a log building located about a quarter of a mile northwest of town.  This building continued in use about twenty years.
     The Darrtown hall was built in 1826 or 1827 to be used as a place of worship by all religious denominations.  The building has fallen into decay and is used only occasionally for public or political meetings.
     The Baptists organized a church in 1806.  The first regular preachers were Stephen Gard and Wm. Tyner.  The society flourished for only a few years.
     The Methodists built a log church at the foot of "Chaw Raw" hill about the same time.  It was the forerunner of the Darrtown church, which soon became very prosperous.
     The New School Presbyterians organized a church in 1848, which flourished for several years.  Rev. B. W. Chidlaw organized the first Sabbath school in Darrtown in 1840.
     The Lutheran church was organized at Jericho, four miles north of Darrtown.  After the destruction of the church by fire a new church was built at Darrtown.  The church is in a prosperous condition.

SOMERVILLE.

     Somerville was laid out in 1831 by Jacob F. Rowe.  The first merchants were John and Marsh Williams.  They were succeeded by Benjamin Fox and Luther Taylor.  Pork-packing was a prominent industry here about 1840.  Wm. Morey, father of the late Hon. H. L. Morey, manufactured hats in the village as early as 1827.  The Somerville mill was built in 1832.  In recent years it has been conducted by the Muff Bros.  The first tavern keeper was Jacob Andrews.
     Somerville was incorporated in 1832.  Thomas Martin was the first mayor and Benjamin Hubbard the first clerk.  The town now has a population of 426, and is quite a business center.
     The Somerville Presbyterian church was organized in 1843.  It is a scion of the Seven Mile church at Collinsville, organized in 1810.  Services were held at Somerville under the control of the Seven Mile church in the early 'thirties.  In 1834 a church edifice was erected, and in 1843 the congregation was organized into a distinct society.  For several years Rev. Thomas Hughes filled the pulpit of the two churches as stated supply.  After the death of Rev. Hughes, in 1864, Rev. James McClusky became pastor and remained eighteen years.  In 1874 a handsome church was built at a cost of five thousand dollars.  The church has a membership of about one hundred and fifty.
     The Methodist Episcopal church was organized here about twenty-five year ago.  It is a prosperous society, and possesses a comfortable church home.
     A Free-mill Baptist church was organized in 1835 or 1836.  A church edifice was built for the use of the Baptist society, but with the understanding that all religious denomination should use it if desired.