Madison township was originally
a portion of Lemon. The Miami river flows along
its eastern and southern border, and separates it from
Lemon township. It is bounded on the north by
Preble county, and on the west by Wayne township.
The surface of Madison township in the northern portion
is hilly, while the southern part is a wide alluvial
plain. The soil is fertile and agriculture is
carried on extensively.
The township had few settlers before 1802. The
first compact settlement was at Bloomfield, now known as
Trenton. Among the earliest settlers were
Samuel Dickey, who came from Franklin county,
Kentucky, in April, 1799, and settled on section 28,
township 2, range 4 east, where Isaac Dickey
was born in the same year, being the first white child
born in the township. He was followed by Jesse
McCray, Edward and Job Gee, in
1799; Joel Martin, Llewellyn
Martin, Llewellyn Simpson and Bambo
Harris, colored, in 1800; Alexander
Chambers and William Baldwin, 1801;
Adam Deem and Thomas Israel, in
1803; Daniel Drake, in 1804; Andrew
Wagner, Henry Huffman, Noah
Long, Gideon Long and David
Long, in 1805.
Other settlers who came before the war of 1812 were
Abraham Miller, John Snyder, Sr., John Miller, Jeremiah
Miller, Abraham Marts, Jacob Francis, Jacob Snyder,
Samuel Snyder, John Snyder, George Snyder, Daniel Kemp,
John Kemp, Jacob Kemp, Philip Kemp, Nathan Dougherty,
Adam Deem, John H. Deem, John Sarver, John Chambers,
Alexander Chambers, Andrew Garison, Jacob Widner, John
Widner, Samuel Widner, John Lingle, Sr., John Lingle,
Jr., Philip Leffler, Solomon Leffler, Leonard Lingle,
Michael DeBolt, Henry Weaver, John Thomas, Joseph
Hinkle, Elias Compton, Thomas Israel, William Weaver,
John Lucas, David Banker, Jacob Temple, Christopher
Reed, Andrew Waggoner, Henry Hoffman. John Francis,
Christian Coon and John Webber.
The first grist mill was built on Elk creek in 1801 by
Bambo Harris. The first saw mill was
built on Elk creek the same year by Joel
Martin. In 1810 Mr. Gunkle built
mill near the mouth of Elk creek, which was constructed
of hewed logs. It had saw mill attached. In
1814 flouring mill, with saw mill attached, was built at
Miltonville. The third mill on Elk creek was built
by Jacob Snyder on the northeast[Pg.
3527]
quarter of section 18. Flour from the Snyder
mill was shipped to New Orleans in the early days by
flat boats.
The Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad passes
through the township and has stations at Trenton and
Heno. The Cincinnati, Dayton Toledo Traction Road
crosses the lower end of the township and has its
car-barns located at Trenton.
About eighty-five or ninety years ago, at point where
the old State road, thoroughfare from east to west, met
the Miami river, ferry was maintained by Davis
Ball. The ferry was located about half mile
south of the bridge at Trenton, and was familiarly known
as Ball’s ferry. The settlement there was called
Brownstown, but in after years its inhabitants died or
moved away and the place and ferry would, perhaps, be
entirely forgotten except for tragedy which happened
there in March, 1819. The river at the time was at great
height and the current at the ferry crossing was very
formidable, when one morning party of several men and
boys, with young lady, came down from Seven Mile and
asked to be put over. Mr. Ball, the
ferry man, at first refused, declaring it would be
dangerous to attempt to cross the stream at that time.
They insisted and he finally consented. The men
promised to help him work the boat, which was operated
by the force of the water pressing sideways upon it,
rope reached across the river from bank to bank, on
which were two pulleys, with ropes passing from them to
the boat. Before consenting to take his load,
Mr. Ball made condition that the girl should
be left behind. The boat started with its freight,
consisting of Captain Aul and his son,
Thomas Wilson, William and Daniel
Craig, Thomas Thompson, Mr. Ball, dog and
two horses. When near the middle of the stream the
ropes suddenly snapped in two and the boat overturned,
spilling the party into the raging current. All
attempts made by bystanders to save the passengers were
unavailing and the entire party was drowned except young
Aul, who succeeded in getting on top of the boat
and floated down with it to a place of safety. The
dog and the two horses were also drowned.
TRENTON
The largest
village in the township is Trenton. It is situated
on the adjoining corners of sections 5, 6, 31 and 32, on
the road leading from Seven Mile to Middletown.
Its population in 1900 was 847. The town was
originally called Bloomfield, after Governor
Bloomfield, of New Jersey, from which state the
first settlers of the town immigrated, in the year 1800,
under the leader ship of Deacon Michael
Pearce and Elder Stephen Gard.
The village was platted in 1815, but there was number of
houses there previously. Several additions have
been made in recent years. In 1831, when the postoffice
came to be established, it was found that there was
another postoffice in Ohio by the name of Bloomfield and
so the name of Trenton was substituted, also in honor of
New Jersey. Since 1898 the village has been
incorporated. and is governed by mayor and village
council. The earliest church organization in
Butler county was founded near this place. It was
of the Old School Baptist type and is still in
existence. Elder Stephen Gard
and Dr. Squier Littell,
respectively, the first resident minister and doctor of
the county, lived at Bloomfield in 1800, and in that
year Elder Gard estab-
[Pg. 3528]
lished the Baptist church short distance west of the
village, and continued as its pastor until his death,
August 14, 1839. He it was who organized nearly
all the Baptist churches in the Miami valley. Be
sides the Baptist church, founded in 1800, Trenton has
four other churches: The German Evangelical
Protestant, founded in 1867, the St. Peter’s Evangelical
Lutheran, built in 1878, the Roman Catholic, and the
United Presbyterian; the latter, the finest church
edifice in the village, was built during 1904 and 1905
and was dedicated by Rev. Dr. Moorhead, January
29, 1905.
The first tavern keeper was named John Smith.
The first store keepers were Squire Littell
and Stephen Gard. Later Clark
Potter engaged in the general merchandise
business. Still later James Patterson
and McKnight Lee were the village
merchants. Other merchants have been Ezra
Potter, Henry Burke. Frederick M. Burke. Dill
Andrews and Joseph Eicher. Trenton
is quite shipping point, and since the construction of
the Cincinnati. Dayton Toledo Traction Road
business has been revolutionized and the town has grown
rapidly in population and wealth.
MILTONVILLE.
The
village of Miltonville was laid out nearly ninety years
ago. and for many years it was one of the most important
trading points in the county west of the Miami river.
In 1852 it had nearly two hundred inhabitants, one
church, a school house, two stores, two taverns, a grist
mill, a sawmill and two potteries which made much of the
pottery used in this region. The place was laid
out by Richard Crane and Theophilus
Egglesfield, who were first settlers. Among
HENO.
Heno is suburb
of Middletown and is located about one mile distant on
the opposite side of the Miami river from that city.
At Heno is located the Middletown station on the
Cincinnati, Hamilton 81 Dayton Rail road, the two points
being connected by a paved street. and a bridge
spanning the Miami river. The village. prior to
1882, was called Madison City, but, with the
establishment of the postoffice in that year. the name
Heno was adopted. In 1846 a tavern was built at
this point by John Mumma and was called
the Madison House. Considerable grain is shipped
from this point. and the town has a variety of business
interests. The Miami hills west of the river at
this point afford beautiful views and in recent years a
number of suburban residences have been built here.
The population of the village at the present time
numbers about two hundred.
WOODSDALE.
is situated partially in St. Clair
township. but lies principally in section 19 of Madison
[Pg. 3529]
township. It was founded in 1867 by the Beckett Paper
Company, at which point it erected an immense paper
mill. Here also were located the grist and saw
mills of Samuel Augspurger. For
several years the town prospered, and an immense amount
of freight was shipped by canal to and from these mills.
In the latter ’seventies the paper mill was totally
destroyed by fire, since which the town has lost its
business importance. There is a saw mill, store
and postoffice located here. Near the village is
situated the Woodsdale Island, well-known summer resort.
The L. C. & D. branch of the Cincinnati, Hamilton 81
Dayton Railroad passes this point and has a station
located there.
POASTOWN.
This
village is situated in section 12, township 2, range 4
east, and was laid out in 1818 by Peter Post.
It was originally called West Liberty. A store was
located here as early as 1815 by Christian Coon.
It is a station on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton
Railroad. The postoffice was established in
August, 1848. The country surrounding the village
is noted for its fertility and productiveness.
Tobacco is grown extensively in this locality. |
