Page XXVII -
This township was organized
March 8th, 1818, and the first cabin was built by Dr. Ryan in
1800. Among the early settlers were William Denney, Hiram
Wilcox, Francis Irwin, Abraham Darst, David Anderson, William Clark,
John McGarland, Isaac Hill, John Grimes, William Miller, Kinsey
Robinson, Jonas Robinson, Leonard Titus, Benjamin Stone, Samuel Logue,
James Watkins, Thomas Graves, Jacob Colwell, James Asa?, William Eblin,
Thomas McLaskey, Thomas Vance, Samuel Rowley, I. Russell, William
Pierce, William Clark and Jonathan Rife.
The township contains thirty full
sections of land, surface hilly, with a limestone, sandy loam, red
clay and some gravelly soil; some good farms, principally along
Campaign creek. The timber in white oak, pine, poplar, beech,
sugar tree, sycamore, hickory, elm, white and black ash, and some
walnut and chestnut. Its population in 1880 was 1,465.
Campaign creek enters the township near the center of
its north line, runs east of south, through the center of the
township, and empties into the Ohio river, just below the village of
Addison. White Oak creek rises and runs south, through the
eastern part, and enters Campaign creek near the south line of the
township. Other smaller streams are Little White Oak and
Shepards White Oak, all running nearly south.
The first saw mill in the township was erected by
William Ward, in 1847, and run by water power. A steam mill
was several years after erected by Sherman, Parker & Stevens,
at Morgan Center.
The first school house was built in the fall of 1839,
but there was teaching in the township as early as 1828. This
school-house was located in section number seven, and built of logs,
with a board roof. The seats were made of slabs split from logs;
holes were bored in the ends in which the legs were inserted.
There was a large fireplace for heating the room, and the chimney was
built of sticks and clay. There are now nine good frame
buildings in the township, and the enrollment of scholars is as
follows: district No. one, 53; No. two, 72; No. three, 76; No. four,
38; No. five, 51; No. six, 52; No. seven, 55; No. eight, 62; No. nine
(colored), 63; total, 522.
ANSELM postoffice was the first established in the
township - kept by Obediah Ralph, on section nine. There
are now three, viz: ENO postoffice, MALABY and ROWLESVILLE.
In 1840 was organized the Free-will Baptist church, by
Elder Topping, the first church society in the township.
Its original members were Abram Darst and wife, Jonathan
Rife and wife, Thomas Armstrong and wife, Francis Erwin,
Edward Erwin and wife, Abner Logue and wife, and Martin
Logue.
The second church organized was the
Methodist Pine Grove, by Rev. Francis Guthrie, in 1844, on
section number twenty-three. Its members were Hiram Wilcox
and wife, William Hutchinson and wife, Thomas Vance and
wife, Joseph McFarland and wife, William Wilcox and
wife, Jesse Denny and wife, Jacob Vance, and wife
Samuel Rowley and wife, Isaac Rowley and Thomas Rowley.
In 1848, was established the Christian Order by
William McDale and Mrs. McDaniel. Members of the
society: George Palmer and wife, Asa Eblin and
wife, Nehemiah Grover and wife, Hehemiah Grover, Jr.,
and wife, Thomas George and wife, and Mrs. Harris.
At present the township contains one Methodist
church and three of the Christian Order, whose pastors are Revs. M.
D. Vaughn, J. V. Smith, L. W. Eblin and J. W. Denny.
In 1850, a Sabbath-school was organized by Rev.
John Elliot, which - the White Oak, Morgan Center, Pine Grove,
Clark's and Union schools.
See Page
XXVIII -
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