Pg. 2 -

     The conception of this work dates back some twelve years, when the writer was persuaded to prepare a condensed narrative history of Madison township, to go into Captain A. E. Lee’s History of Columbus, Ohio.  Later plans suggested the publication in separate form, and this volume is the result.  To compile a history a century after the first settlement was made is no easy task, especially so when the time required must be snatched from a busy life.  Three generations have lived and gone to the “great beyond” since then.  Not only has the wolf, the bear, the deer, the wild-turkey, the Indian, the pioneer cabin, and all the associations of those “good old days” gone forever from view, but even the pioneers themselves are all gone - not one remains to tell the story of the hardships endured in their solitary lives in the great woods.  Very few even of those who had the privilege of hearing from the first settlers’ own lips the story of their struggle to subdue the wilderness, are living. 
     No records remain and none were made of much that goes to make up a history of those early days.  Unfortunately, no newspaper was published in the township for more than sixty-five years.  Scores of old account and record books have been searched for names, dates, and events.  Martin’s History of Franklin County, Scott’s History of Fairfield County, Hill’s History of Licking County, Williams History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, Studer’s History of Columbus, Lee’s History of Columbus, Howe’s Historical Collections, Graham’s Map of Franklin County, and other similar works have been consulted. Original records have been carefully examined, such as the Plats and additions to the villages, at the County Recorder’s office; the appraisement and sale of school lands at

Pg. 3 -
the Auditor of State's office; the bids, awards and payment of contracts on the Ohio Canal at the Ohio State Board of Public Works' office, etc.  While we do not claim that every name and statement is absolutely correct in every particular, still we have spared no pains to make it as accurate as the nature of the work permitted; for "errors will creep into history as long as the human mind is forgetful."
     Instead of giving "personal" sketches at so much per head - a thing utterly distasteful to most persons - we have aimed to mention in a thoroughly impartial way the name and work of every one who contributed to the development of the Township.  In the prescribed limits of this book a host of the names of those who lived honorable and influential private lives must necessarily be omitted to give place to those who sacrificed time and personal comforts to bear the responsibilities of public trusts and criticisms.
      We deemed it would be a source of satisfaction and enjoyment to our readers to see the faces of as many of the more active and influential citizens reproduced as we could secure, even though we omit a personal sketch of their lives.
     It would require more space than is at our disposal to enumerate all the persons who have helped in this "labor of love."  The compiler acknowledges himself under special obligations to the late John R. Wright, Mrs. Nathaniel Tallman and George P. Champe, and to James B. Evans, Esq., Geo. M. B. Dove, A. M. Senter, and all others who have aided him in any way, and he sincerely thanks one and all of them.
     In our search we accumulated a large amount of material, that we could not use in our present pre-

Pg. 4 -
scribed book; this together with all such items of personal, family and general history, illustrating in any way the development of the township, as our friends will kindly send us by-times, will be preserved for future use and reference.
                                                Geo. F. Bareis.
February 22d, 1902.

< BACK to TABLE of CONTENTS >