Jefferson township is the second from the northern and the third from the eastern line of Guernsey county.  It is five miles square, contains twenty-five sections and is in an excellent part of the county.  Its history dates from June 3, 1816, when it was cut off from territory formerly included in Madison township.  It is without town or village.
     Its early settlers included the following persons, who is 1876 were reported as still residing within the confines of the townshp, and had passed the seventy-sixth year mark of life's journey:
     Edward BRATTON, Thomas BROWN, James CLARK, Caleb CANNAN, John LEEPER, Henry McCLEARY, John MARTIN, Stephen STILES, Andrew STILES, Robert SPEERS, Samuel STEWART, Joshua SMITH, Harris WILEY, Jane ADAMS, Mrs. BROWN, Margaret CULBERSON, Hannah CANNAN, Mrs. FAIRCHILD, Delight GUNN, Mrs. KIMBLE, Elizabeth LANNING, Mary McCLARY, Nancy McMILLEN, Fanny STILES, Eve TAYLOR, and Mrs. TAYLOR.
     GEORGE LINN was born in Augusta county, Virginia, in 1768 and taught school there until 1813, when he settled here on a farm.  He married Parmelia MATTHEWS, and they reared eight children.  Their son, Cyrus, was born here in 1837 and was educated at Athens College and to him and his wife were born five children, well known in this county.
     JOHN S. FORDYCE was born in 1808 and left his native town in Pennsylvania fifteen years later for Harrison county, Ohio, where his parents decided to locate.  He married Margaret SHIPMAN, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1812.  They remained in Harrison county eight years and then settled in this township, where he died some years later.  They had eight children, John, one of the sons, being born in Harrison county, in 1837.  In 1867 he married Hannah ALLEN, a native of Guernsey county.  They first lived two years in Madison township and then came to Jefferson township.
     JESSE THOMAS was born in Pennsylvania and lived at home until 1813, when he married and finally died on the west branch of the Susquehanna river in 1822.  His wife then lived in Winchester, this county, until 1849.  Their children were Samuel, Lewis, Charles, and Jesse.  Samuel THOMAS was born in Pennsylvania, in 1815, and came to Ohio with his mother in 1823.  He married and resided at various places in this county, until 1843, when he settled in this township and operated a mill many years.  He resided on one place more than forty years and was infirmary director and trustee of his township.
     JAMES GILLISPIE was born in Ireland in 1787 and emigrated to this country when eighteen years of age, working on a farm in Pennsylvania.  In 1809 he married.  He was a soldier in the war of 1812 and in 1831 removed to Belmont county, Ohio, and ten years later to this township.  He died in 1847 and his wife in 1841.  His family consisted of wife and nine children.
     The above represent a large majority of the early settlers in this goodly township.  Their descendants are scattered throughout this and adjoining counties.

FIRST ACTUAL SETTLERS.

     After having given a number of the earlier pioneers of this township it now becomes the duty of the historian to give something concerning the first actual settlers, who were William LAUTZ and Martin STULL.  These emigrated from Greene county, Pennsylvania, in 1805 and located, STULL on lots 14 and 15, and LAUTZ on lots 1 and 2, in the military land district.  Stull soon died there.  John TIDRICK, from the same county and state, settled on lot 3.  William ALLEN located on lot 28 and owned at one time seven hundred acres of land.  He came to this township in 1806, and later married Mr. STULL's widow.  He reared a large family and was trustee in 1815, when Madison and Jefferson composed one civil township.  He died in 1845.
     REV. JOHN GRAHAM, in 1824, organized a Methodist Episcopal church, with eight members.  They met for worship at Mr. ALLEN's house for sixteen years, but in 1839 built a church on Mr. ALLEN's land.  This was the first religious society formed within the township.
     JOHN STILES, of English descent, came in 1806, locating in the southeast quarter of Section 17, third quarter township.
     ADAM LINN built a house and kept tavern on the old Steubenville road in 1809.  Abraham MATHEWS came in the same year, as did John BIRD and his eight sons and daughters.  William BRATTON effected settlement in 1815, on section 25.  It was in 1810 when William MOORE and family settled, as did this aged couple's son-in-law, John HENDERSON.   William MOORE, was justice of the peace in 1816 and John HENDERSON served from 1819 to 1846 as his successor, two terms being excepted.  Both were devout Presbyterians.
     In 1810 came James WADDLE; in 1812 came Nathan KIMBALL and James STRAIN and Samuel PAXTON.  The first great improvement in mills in the county was by John ARMSTRONG, and his son, Abraham.
     ANDREW CLARK built a grist and saw mill combined in one, near Sugar Tree fork postoffice.  In 1818 James WILSON settled on lot 34 and he followed blacksmithing many years.  In 1819 Richard CORNELL settled on section 25.  In 1820 Thomas WHITEHILL and son, Thomas, from Scotland, settled on section 6.
     In 1820 also came James WILLIS, of Ireland; in 1821 came Isaac Lanning, who settled on section 3.  John SPEERS, from Ireland, settled in the same neighborhood about the date last mentioned.  Robert Kirkwood located here in 1825 and in 1849 bought the Armstrong farm.  He was an elder in the pleasant Hill United Presbyterian church.