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     This is the extreme northwestern township of the county; it was formed from Raccoon township, June 5th, 1810; organized June 2d, 1812, and the first meeting for election purposes was held at the house of Stephen Holcomb, on the last Sunday in July, 1810.  The number of votes cast was about eighteen, and the following is a list of the voters:  Stephen Holcomb, Phillip Shintaffer, John Robinson, George Tyler, Isaac Tyler, William Glenn, Joseph McKnight, William Ewing, Enoch McNeal, William Burrett, Benjamin Mills, William Woods, William Auax, Matthew Edmundson, Hugh Poor, William Traylor, Thomas Ewing and Samuel R. Holcomb.
     The first settlement within the township was made on Raccoon creek near the present village of Vinton, the first cabin being built by Joseph McKnight; George Tyler, however, is said to be the first settler.  The first child born within the township, was John, a son to David and Elizabeth (McCarley) Daniels, and the first wedding was that of James Glenn and wife, in 1811.
     The township is composed of thirty-six sections, the surface quite hilly, with the exception of the broad bottom lands along the creek, and the soil a sandy loam.  Timber, white oak, hickory, pine, beech, sycamore, elm and some walnut.  Veins of coal limestone and iron ore crop out in the hills but they are not being quarried to any extent.
     The Big Raccoon creek takes its source in Hocking county, runs southeast through Athens and Vinton counties, strikes Gallia county in Huntington township and thence through the county, emptying into the Ohio river.
     The Little Raccoon creek rises in Vinton county, runs nearly southeast through Jackson county and Huntington township, emptying into the Big Raccoon, one mile south of the village of Vinton.
     Spring Run rises in the hills of Huntington township, runs southeast, about three miles, and empties into the Little Raccoon.  Strong Run heads in Meigs county, runs west of south about six miles through this township and empties in the Big Raccoon.  Durgan creek rises and runs five miles through the township, and empties into the Big Raccoon.  Deer creek has its source in Raccoon township, runs northeast four miles, and empties into the Little Raccoon.  Kenton's Run heads in Jackson county, runs three miles east, and empties into the Little Raccoon. 
     The first grist mill was erected by Enoch McNeal, about the year 1815; it was built of logs and contained but one run of small stones, which were used only for corn grinding.  It was located on Big Raccoon creek, and run by water power.  In 1819, Stephen and Samuel R. Holcomb erected the first saw mill for John Adney, at the village of Vinton, upon Big Raccoon creek.  It was run by Mr. A. for a number of years and sold to James McGee for three thousand dollars.
     In the year 1806, Ezra Barker taught a school composed of ten scholars, in a little log cabin with a board roof, located about one and one half miles northwest of hte present village of Vinton.  It was seated with benches, had a wide board around the wall for a writing desk, and an opening in the wall covered with oiled paper for windows.  This was the introduction of education into the township.  They now have twelve comfortable school-houses, at which one of which is a fair attendance.
     There are now four postoffices within the township, viz:  Vinton, (the first - established in 1835) Ewington, Alice and Chestnut Grove.
     There was preaching in section twenty-four in 1811,  about the time the township was first organized.  In 1812, the Halcyon church society was formed, with Rev. Able M. Sargeant as pastor, among the original members of which were Matthias Gray and Christian Roop.  The following are now the church organizations:
     The Methodist Episcopal, at Ewington was established about the year 1856.  They occupy a church building about twenty-five by thirty-five feet, and Rev. Jacob Hathaway presides as pastor.  The Baptist society occupy a frame church at Ewington, about twenty-by thirty feet.  The Free-Will Baptists established themselves in the Brush settlement in 1873; and also have a small church building.  The Christian church, in the west part of the the township, is presided over by Rev. Jacob Smith, pastor.  Rev.  Thomas Furguson preaches to the Free-Will Baptists, (colored) upon Little Raccoon creek.  The Christian Antioch church was located near the center of the township in 1877; they own a neat little church building, thirty by forty feet, and their pastor is Rev. Joseph Sprague.
     The citizens, in 1819, organized a Sabbath-school, all denominations uniting.  In 1830, a Presbyterian Sabbath-school was organized by James Glenn.
     William Glenn and Samuel H. Holcomb owned the first two yokes of oxen brought into the township; Mr. Holcomb also built the first frame barn and owned the first two-horse wagon.  Samuel Peden raised the first crop of wheat, which proved a failure on account of mildew.
     Abel M. Sargeant, at an early day, surveyed the bottom land east of Temple Hill, and laid it out into city lots, many of which he sold, giving the name of "Leafyenia" to the new metropolis.
     Joseph Fletcher first surveyed the township, and William Glenn made the first purchase of land.  Bears, wolves, deer and turkey were plenty at an early date.

THE VILLAGE OF VINTON

was laid out in 1832, by Samuel R. Holcomb.  It is located upon the Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo railraod, about sixteen miles northwest of Gallipolis, and has a population of two hundred.  It contains a flour mill, a factory for carding and spinning wool, two stores, two hotels, and a neat church building has recently been completed by the Methodist Episcopal church society of the place.

EWINGTON.

is a village located about two and one-half miles north of Vinton.  It was laid out in 1852 by George Ewing, and had a population in 1880 of eighty-five.  The great attraction here is the ....

SALT WELL,

which was discovered in 1866, during the oil excitement in the county, by parties who were boring for oil.  After reaching a depth of seven hundred feet, they came to this medical water, which rushed up so violently that the ideal of trying for oil had to be abandoned.  The dryest season has no effect upon it, but it continues to flow just as rapidly as when it first commenced.  The water of this well is very cold and contains gas, salt and iron, with so much of the former that it burns like oil by touching a lighted match to it.  Many strangers visit it through curiosity, and it is believed that it will become one of the celebrated watering places of the State, on account of hte valuable medical properties of the water.

THE EWINGTON FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH

was organized Dec. 5th, 1870, with only eight members, by a council consisting of Rev. J. W. Martin and T. E. Peden.  It now numbers nineteen.  Pastors, T. E. Peden, B. V. Tewksbury, S. W. Weed, R. M. Cloud and M. L. Huntley.  It does not own a church building.

HUNTINGTON FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH

was organized by Rev. I. Z. Haning in 1851.  It had been blessed with a great many revivals.  Numbers at last report, 210 members.  Pastors, Revs. I. Z. Haning, B. V. Tewksbury, J. M. Kayser, J. W. Martin, S. J. Weed, W. J. Fulton and T. E. Peden.

SECOND HUNTINGTON FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH

was instituted in 1867, by T. E. Peden, A. Huntley, and A. Holcomb.  Present number of members, thirty.   Pastors, T. E. Peden, J. W. Stewart, J. Sherrett and T. J. Ferguson.

MT. TABOR FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH

was organized by Prof. J. M. Davis, T. E. Peden and M. L. Huntley, in 1882.  Number of members, thirty-five.  Pastor, Rev. W. J. Fulton.

See Page XXVII - Morgan Twp. -

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