This is the southwest corner township in Clark County.  Pike and German Townships join it on the north.  Springfield Township on the east.  Mad River Township southeast and south, Green County on the south, Miami County on the west.  Bethel Township contains twenty-seven entire sections in Township 3, Range 9; four whole and two fractional in Township 4, and one entire fractional section in Township 3, Range 8.  The Mad River forms the boundary of the township from the east line of Section 27, in Township 4; thence southwest to the southeast corner of Section 35, Township 3, Range 8.  This diagonal course of the river makes eight fractional sections to be added to the number given above.  The soil of Bethel Township is limestone rock is found near the surface, where quarries have been opened, furnishing an abundance of the finest stone for building purposes and making lime.  The soil as a rule throughout Bethel Township is of the most productive kind, the upland is somewhat rolling, just enough for good drainage with none or but little waste land.  The bottom land both first and second of Mad River, Donnel's and Honey Creeks, are among the finest in the world.  Bethel was originally very heavily timbered, there having been but very little open land in the township.  In the northern part of the township, the timber was principally beech, interspersed with the differ-

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ent varieties of oak, sugar, walnut, poplar, hickory, elm and linn; with a heavy growth of hazel and spice wood.  In the central and southern part of the beech almost entirely disappears, but oaks, walnut, maples, hickory, elm, linn and poplar are found.  Along the streams buckeye were abundant: the past tense is used because there is but little more timber left that can be spared.  The township is admirably watered.  Mad River along the entire southern border; Dormers Creek and its branches in the east; Jackson Creek in the middle, both running quite across the township; Honey and Mud Creeks in the west.  These with their lateral branches furnish abundant water for all farm purposes, as well as the power needed for milling.  On Section 25 is a chain of lakelets, four in number, filled with pure fresh water, well stocked with our common fish.  One of these lakes has recently been appropriated by a stock company for the purpose of propagating the more valuable sorts of fish.  This series of lakes are evidently the remains of a mighty river, that once rushed through the valley in which they are situated.
     Bethel Township is somewhat classic in the history of the State as well as the county.  She stands at the head of the list of townships in being the first settled in the county, if not the home of the first white man settled in the Miami Valley north of Cincinnati.  On the farm now owned by L. Baker was the Indian village of Piqua, which has become famous as the birthplace of the noted Indian chief Tecumseh. At this same place was fought the battle between the whites under Gen. Clarke, and the Shawnee Indians in August, 1780.  On the farm now owned by Mrs. Sarah Smith of Section 34, stood the ancient Indian village of Chinchima.
     The date of the first settlement of Bethel Township is somewhat obscure, but from indubitable evidence we are able to say that John Paul was living at the forks of Honey Creek in 1790, and that same evidence points just as clearly to an earlier period.  Relatives still remember well of hearing Mr. Paul speak of crossing the Ohio River at the point where Cincinnati now stands, before any settlement was made there; that his father was killed by the Indians soon after crossing the river.  The remainder of the family escaped.  The same night Mr. Paul went back, found the body of his father (which had been scalped) and buried it.  Mr. Paul wandered on with the rest of the family, himself the eldest, a brother and a sister, and made their final stop on what is now part of Section 29.  Mr. Paul died in 1853, aged ninety years.  The older citizens well remember that the habits of caution and care necessarily acquired in the dangerous times, followed him as long as he lived.

     David Lowry was the next settler in the township.  He was born in Pennsylvania in 1767, and, in 1795, he settled in Section 3, Bethel Township.  He afterward bought the whole of Section 14, which he sold and then entered land in Section 9, where R. M. Lowry now lives.  He was married in 1801 to Sarah Hammer, of Miami County, Ohio, who died in 1810, leaving four children, viz., Sarah, Nancy, Susan and Elizabeth.  All are now dead but Susan, the wife of John Leffel.  In 1811, he married Mrs. Jane Hodge, whose maiden name was Wright, by whom he had four children - Martha S., David W., Robert M. and Sarah R., all now living.  He died Sept. 9, 1859, and his widow followed him Aug. 15, 1867.  He was a robust, enterprising Christian pioneer, and did much toward the growth and civilization of his adopted county.

      Jonathan Donnels, a native of Lycoming County, Penn., was the companion of David Lowry, and. was a surveyor,  He settled on Section 33, where Leander Baker now lives, in 1795.  In 1797, he returned to Pennsylvania, bought out his brother James, who was then but eight years old, but was a great help to him in his cabin.  Jonathan married and was the father of five children, viz., John, who removed to Oregon, where he died; Jonathan, who is living in

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Iowa; Elizabeth, who married George Layton; and Lucinda, who married and moved to Michigan.  Mr.Donnels last years were embittered by family troubles, and, in a fit of temporary insanity, he lung himself on the Holcomb limekiln farm in Springfield Township, whither he had moved after selling his old home.  He was a man of sterling traits of character, generous and whole-souled, and was very well read for those early days, and was indeed one of the noblest of Clark County's pioneers.  His brother, James Donnels, who came in 1797, grew up under his care and married Mary Hopkins, settled where John Leffel now lives.  He had eight children, but three of whom are living, viz., Susan, the wife and Jesse Boyd; Eliza, the wife of Lewis Huffman; and Jonathan.  Mr. Donnels moved to the northeast corner of Springfield Township; thence to the farm where Jesse Boyd lives in Harmony Township, and finally to the farm where his son Jonathan now resides, where he and his wife died.

     Hugh Wallace was born in Kentucky Aug. 14, 1778; came to Bethel Township about 1798, and began working for David Lowry, with whom he stayed several years.  He was married to Margaret Smith, who died in 1814, and he then married Eleanor Richison, who was born in the Northwest Territory in 1793, and had nine children, seven yet living.  He was in the war of 1812, and died in 1864.  His widow died in 1875.

     Joseph Tatman was burn in Virginia in 1770, and his wife Rebecca in North Carolina in 1772.  They came to Brown County, Ohio, in 1798, and, in 1801, to this township.  He was appointed Associate Judge after the county was organized, and held that office several years.  He was also a member of the Legislature.  They had thirteen children.  He died in 1827, and his wife in 1864.

     Jacob Huffman, a native of Pennsylvania, settled in the eastern corner of the township in 1802.  He died Dec. 1, 1842, aged seventy-two years, and his wife Catharine, died in August, 1860, aged eighty years.  They had ten children who grew up - five yet living, viz., Henry, Reuben, Martha, Rachael and Samuel.  He built a fine stone house which is yet standing.

     George Croft was born in Pennsylvania in 1771, and was married in Virginia, in 1799, to Mary Critz, of that State.  In 1804, they came to Bethel Township with two children, and seven were born to them afterward.  Mrs. Croft died in February, 1846, and her husband after re-marrying died in October, 1855.

     Thomas Cory was born in Essex County, N. J. in 1738.  He came to Ohio in a very early day, and settled in Warren County, whence he came to Bethel Township, this county, in 1803, bringing his son Elnathan, with whom he lived until his death in 1813.

     Elnathan Cory was born in Essex County, N. J., January, 1776.  He came to this township with his father in 1803, and entered the northwest quarter of Section 34.  During the war of 1812, he was an extensive contractor with the Government for army supplies.  He married Hannah Jennings in June, 1800, and by her had eleven children, of whom eight lived to adult age and three died in infancy.  Four are now living, viz., Judge David J. Cory, Eliza Miller, Rhoda W. Cross and Sarah Smith.  Mrs. Cory died Aug. 20, 1834, and her husband June 8, 1842.

     Abraham Brooks Rall was born in Essex County, N. J., Sept. 9, 1776, and, at the age of eleven years, ran away from home with an expedition that went to Western Pennsylvania.  In 1789. he went to Cincinnati, where he worked with his uncle in a mill for three years, when he commenced learning the brick-layer’s trade.  In 1798, he returned to his Eastern home, where he married Elizabeth Lambert.  In October, 1804, he again came to Cincinnati with his wife and one child, and, in the December following, came to this town-

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ship, where he entered the northwest quarter of Section 33.  He continued to work at his trade during the summer months until 1825, when he retired to the quiet of his farm.  He had eleven children, nine of whom lived to be married.  He died Apr. 20, 1864, and his wife Mar. 28, 1844.

     William Layton, with a large family of children - Joseph, Robert, Arthur, John, William, Jr., Polly, Sally and Betsey - came to this township in 1803, settling in Section 2, on Mad River, not far from the mouth of Donnels Creek.  He was a Pennsylvanian, and died on that farm.  The descendants of  this family are among the most prominent people of the county, Joseph having been Judge of the court, John being one of the first Clerks of the county and a County Commissioner, and John E., the son of John, was Sheriff from 1856 to 1860.

     Henry Williams and his wife Elizabeth came from Virginia with four children in 1805, and settled on the land now occupied by their son, Rev. Henry Williams.  They had nine children - five born after they came to this county.  Mr. Williams was a soldier in 1812, and died in 1845, his wife having died in 1829.

     George Keifer was born in Maryland in 1769, and there married, in 1799, to Margaret Hivner, a native of that State, born in 1772.  They came to this township in1812, and bought a large tract of land which was the birthplace of Tecumseh, the noted Indian chief.  They had five children Mary, Sarah, John, Catharine and George, who all grew up on this farm, and here the parents died leaving descendants, who have since become prominent in county, State and national affairs.

     John McPherson came about 1800, and settled on Section 21.  John Forgy, James Forgy, Stewart Forgy and Presly Forgy came in 1806.  Their father John Forgy came much earlier, and settled in Mad River Township.  Samuel McKinney came about the same time; he was a prominent music teacher in the early times.  In about 1803, came John Wallace, Sr., from Kentucky; he was the father of James Wallace, many years a prominent merchant, and Dr. Joseph Wallace, late of Springfield.  Leonard Hains, Reuben Wallace, John and James Lamme, John Crane, Sr., came first to the county in 1802, settled on Bethel in 1806.  George Lowman came in 1810; the next year built the “stone house” which for many years was a wonder, and the only house other than wood in the western part of the county.  Joseph Reyburn, William Holmes, John Crue, Abraham Keever, Joseph Butler, Edward Biggs, Oliver Walker, William McCoy, Jacob Bingerman, Benjamin Pursell, John Jackson, Jacob Loofborow, John Whalen, Ezekiel Paramee, all came to Bethel prior to 1810.  This list is doubtless incomplete, as at this late day it is impossible to get the best account of the early times.
    In educational matters Bethel Township seems at the first settlement as well as now to have occupied the front rank.  As early as 1805, a schoolhouse

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was erected on the farm of Capt. McPherson, about the same time another was erected on the farm owned by George Lowrnan, both of which were long known as landmarks, and used as points of reference by the early settlers.  Those schools were of course supported by subscription, as there was no State provision for schools until 1821.  The writer has before him the ledger of a teacher who taught at the Lowman Schoolhouse in 1810.  The book is so much mutilated it gives no clue as to who he was.  The teacher was a man well adapted to to those pioneer times, and therefore made himself generally useful as will be seen farther on.  The charges for tuition and style of payment would astonish the teacher of the present day.  Charges and credits like the following are found in the ledger mentioned:
 

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     The cemetery adjoining Bethel Church was set apart for private burial purposes in 1821.  The first body laid there was that of Frederick Miller, in 1822.  Since that time, it has been the burial place of most of the inhabitants dying in the vicinity.  In 1837, the ground was deeded to Trustees, to be kept forever as a place of sepulture.  These grounds have been kept, and are now, in the best of order, except the south side, which has been seriously injured by grading down the pike, even to the extent of exposing some of the graves.

     A small graveyard on the farm of Leonard Haines has been used for fifty years; also the one on the farm of Jonas Hains is an old family cemetery.

     In the last few years, a graveyard has been opened in Section 4, north of Donnelsville, known as the Donnelsville Cemetery.

     The Reformed Mennonite Cemetery is on Section 30.  It was begun about 1849, and now contains three acres.  It is used by the whole neighborhood.

     The New Carlisle Cemetery Association was organized Oct. 3, 1856, under the State law regulating cemetery associations.  Honey Creek Presbyterian Church, at its institution, appropriated two acres of land for burial purposes; on the same their first church was built: this continued until the organization of the association, at which time the land was turned over to the association, who added four acres to the plat.  A farther addition of nearly seven acres is now being negotiated for by the association.  The care given, and together with the large quantity of valuable marble it contains, makes this cemetery truly a beautiful “city of the dead.”  Mr. John Garst is President, and Dr. B. Neff, Secretary of the association.

     Bethel Township has the advantage of the best of roads, sufficient to meet the business necessities of the people; they are generally in the best possible condition.  The National road, now the property of a private company, bisects
the township into two nearly equal parts from east to west.  The Valley Pike, along almost all of the entire southern border, affords easy transit to Springfield or Dayton; a free pike from Carlisle to Springfield along the northern border gives easy access to Springfield; a free pike running across the township in the western part intersects the Mad River Valley Pike at the southern boundary.  The township has but very little road that is not well graveled.

MILLS.

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PHYSICIANS.

     It Has been something difficult to get the names of the first physicians who practiced in Bethel.  Among them are, in New Carlisle and vicinity, McPherson, McCann, Robbins, Stephens, Hood, Haynes, Adams, Farquar. E. Garst, M. Garst, Hornbeck, Bull, V. Smith, Winans, Foster, Stockstel, Meranda, Neff, Young, Nesbet, Hensley; at Medway.  Shackleford, Barr, Stonebarger and W. F. Meranda; at Donnelsville, Wood, Ferguson, Lindsay, Patten, Baker, Markwood, Pollock, Meyers.  Dr. C. Smith lived near Donnelsville.

AN INCIDENT.

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     H. H. Williams, Common Pleas Judge, of Miami County.
     Elihu Williams was a member of the Legislature in Tennessee.
     Ed F. Taylor was a member of the Legislature in California; is now Received in the Land Office as Sacramento.
     William McClure is now Treasurer of Allen County, Kansas.  Samuel Dailly was Treasurer of Boone County, Indiana; his brother, Calvin Daily, served in the same office in the same county. ____ Warwick, Common Pleas Judge in Iowa.
    Mention has been made in another place in this history of a select school taught in New Carlisle by the Rev. Thomas Harrison.  It is but just to say that all of the above-mentioned natives of the township were pupils of Mr. Harrison.  Many other of his pupils are filling responsible positions in the several States of the Union.