TP. 1, N.
AREA 23,040 ACRES.

R. 12, E.
POPULATION 1,261

    The Commissioners of the county, at their session of March 7, 1831, after defining the boundaries and extent of Amanda Township, "Ordered that the original survey of township one north, in range twelve east, except sections thirty-four and thirty-five, shall hereafter be known and organized by the name of Big Lick."
     At the session of the Commissioners held June 3, 1833, Robert L. STROTHER and John ROSE, Commissioners, being present, the following order was passed:  "Ordered that Big Lick Township shall include the whole of the original surveyed township No. one north, in range twelve."  Since the passage of that order, the township been has known as an original township of thirty-six sections.
     In September, 1821, Henry McWhorter made entry of the west half of the south-east quarter of section thirty-four.  This was the first entry of land in the township.  In May, 1825, the east half of the south-east quarter of section twenty-seven was entered by John G. ALSPACH, and September 5, of the same year, Eliza HUFF entered the east half of the north-west quarter of section thirty-four.  In December, 1828, John SHOEMAKER made entry of the east half of the south-east quarter of section seventeen.  These entries were followed in 1829 by those of John HUFF, of the west half of the south-east quarter of section seventeen, of the west half of the north-east quarter of section twenty-one by John LONG.  In 1830, Henry Hinebaugh, of Fairfield County, entered the north-east quarter of section one, and in the same year, Uriah EGBERT took up the west half of the north-west quarter of section nineteen, and about the same time an entry of the west half of the north-west quarter was made by Philip ESSEX.
     William HACKETT, of Stark County, William ROLLER, of Richland, Elijah BRAYTON, William WISELEY and others made entries of land, and became residents of the township.
     The first settler in the township was Samuel SARGENT, who made an improvement on the limestone ridge, in the south-eastern part of the township, sometime in 1826.  The second person who made a permanent settlement was John LONG, who located near the centre of the township the following year.  In February, 1829, John SHOEMAKER settled about three-fourths of a mile west from Mr. LONG's.  Mr. SHOEMAKER still lives to recount the hardships and incidents of frontier life.  SARGENT came from Ross county, and LONG and SHOEMAKER from Fairfield County, this State.
     The first township election was held in 1831, at the residence of John LONG.  The electors present were John SHOEMAKER, Robert LONG, Levi POULSON and Cornelius POULSON.  Whilst these men were holding an election and organizing the township, the good Mrs. LONG prepared them a dinner of the best in her larder.
     Amongst the early settlers here, were the THOMAS's the MOORE's, the ROLLERs, the Graham's, the POULSON's, WISELEY and others, some of whom are still living in the township.
     The general surface of the land is level, although some parts are undulating.  The prevailing soil is clay loam.  In the south-eastern part of the township is a sand ridge, and is underlaid with limestone.  In that portion of the township is also a marsh or prairie, some fifteen hundred acres in extent, which is entirely a vegetable soil, and largely un-reclaimed, except for grazing purposes.  It will no doubt all be brought under cultivation in the near future, by the help of drainage.  That so much of it has been reclaimed, is largely due to the enterprise and well directed exertions of Judge CORY, of Findley, who owns most of the entire tract.
     The timber embraces numerous varieties, among which are white, red and burr oak, blue, black and white ash, beech, elm, hard and soft maple, sycamore, black and white walnut, hickory, basswood and buckeye.  A ridge of white oak traverses the township, of such excellence, that shipment of logs have been extensively made to foreign countries.
     No streams of water traverse the township of sufficient size to furnish water power.  The only stream that maintains a current during the entire year, is the outlet to the marsh or prairie.  This sluggish stream takes its size in Seneca County, runs in a westerly direction, and empties into the Blanchard River near Mr. Allen WISELEY's, in Marion Township.  There a number of smaller streams, which however, are only water courses in wet weather.
     Numerous Sulphur Springs on the farm of Robert LONG, near the center of the township, comprise what used to be a famous deer lick, called "Big Lick," from which the township derives its name.  Large numbers of deer were killed here by the present owner, and by others.  Mr. LONG, on one occasion, had secured his seat in a tree convenient to the lick, when a colored man, who had been assisting in driving some cattle from some point farther west, was on his return trip from the east, and night overtaking him, he concluded to camp near the springs.  Mr. LONG not know who he was, and supposing him to be a rival at watching for deer, concluded to frighten him away.  Whereupon he made such an unearthly noise, that the poor fellow took to his heels and never stopped until he brought up in the Blanchard River, near Allen WISELEY's.  He had so overheated himself as to cause his death soon afterwards.  Mr. LONG's efforts to have a little fun, turned out quite seriously.
     These early settlers were greatly annoyed by gangs of Indian hunters and trappers, who made the neighborhood their rendezvous.  Especially was this the case with Mr. SHOEMAKER, who, more progressive than his neighbors had secured a grind-stone.  The Indians charged upon that grind-stone with their dull tomahawks and knives, until it was literally worn out.  They also had a way of trading venison for pork and potatoes with Mrs. John MOORE, n which she invariable came out second best.  Knowing that the wife was afraid of them, they would make their visits in the abssence of the husband, hence she, in order to get rid of them, would send them to the patch to help themselves.  It being the first crop, and not a very large one,  Mr. MOORE soon discovered that the entire crop had disappeared.  Vermin were also destructive upon the corn.  The settlers could only protect themselves by the use of the rifle, and if one chanced to be poor shot, he employed some one by the day,

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who was an expert with the gun.  At night, too, it demanded watching, to save the corn from the raccoons.
     The surroundings and discomforts of the early settlers here, and the scarcity of even the commonest necessities of life, may be shown in the pioneer life of Mr. John MOORE, now an old and much respected citizen of the township, and by the way, one of its most prosperous farmers.  Mr. MOORE at that time owned one hundred and sixty acres of land, and was perhaps as well fixed as any of his neighbors.  He was however, compelled to manufacture all his own furniture. 
     His first child (A. J. MOORE, a resident of this township), was rocked in a sugar trough, made by "Big River," a Wyandotte Chief, and which had been used before the arrival of Mr. MOORE in the country, as a sap trough by the Indians.  Mr. MOORE's first bedstead was made by himself, of ironwood poles.  The cords were of bass-wood bark, well interlaced together.  No straw was to be had with which to fill the ticks, Mr. MOORE thereupon gathered forest leaves sufficient to make a mattress.
     Mr. MOORE was elected first Supervisor of roads in the township, and had for a district, the north half of the township, eighteen square miles.  He superintended the opening of the New Haven road, from the east township line, westward to near the center of the township.
     In those days, stock of every description was allowed to run at large in the forest, as all the inclosed land had to be cultivated in order to produce food for man and beast.  The damage done to crops by stock running at large, made trouble amongst the people, and a board of fence viewers became necessary.  This board were to determine, when called upon, whether or not the enclosure was a sufficient or legal fence.

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     Accordingly, William ROLLER, who was noted for his avordupoise, William MOORE, who was noted for his diminutiveness, and Richard BAYLESS, noted for his activity, were chosen as the Board of Fence Viewers.  It was then agreed, that any fence which would bear Mr. ROLLER, and through which Mr. MOORE could not creep, nor Mr. BAYLESS jump over, should be declared a lawful fence.
     The first school house in the township was built in 1836 - exclusively by voluntary labor - upon the farm now owned by the heirs of James GRAHAM.  It was located in the forest a full half mile from any public highly.  There were but two sub-districts in the township, at the time.  Sometime subsequent to the above date, there was another school house built, about two miles west of the first - on the lands now owned by the heirs of Moses McANNELLY.  A fair interest is now taken in the cause of education by the citizens of this township.  There are now 413 youth in this township of school age, for the accommodation of whom there are ten school houses.
     The first church erected in the township was a hewed log structure, thirty-six feet square, and located on the present site of Enon Valley Church, on the Findley and Tiffin road.  It was built in 1844 by the citizens in the neighborhood, mainly, however, by the combined efforts of the Presbyteriahs, Covenanters and Secedars.  The first site selected for the building, was upon Robert LEONARD'S farm, some two miles south-east from the one subsequently built upon.  Rev. R. H. HOLLYDAY, still of Findley, superintended the building of the church. 
     There are now eight churches in this township.  Two owned by the Evangelical denomination, two by the United Brethren, two Methodist Episcopal, one Presbyterian and

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one Christian Union.  Amongst the first church members were Henry THOMAS and wife, James THOMAS and wife and Andrew POULSON.
     The township has been developed in its resources, as to be one of the richest in the county,  In 1880 over 75,000 bushels of wheat was raised; corn, oats and grass are also produced in large quantities.
     The Findley and Carey Branch of the Cleveland, Sandusky and Cincinnati Rail Road is the only road of that kind which touches the township, and that runs but a short distance in it.

BIOGRAPHIES:

JOHN MOORE

MOSES M'ANNELLY

JOHN SHOEMAKER

WILLIAM ROLLER

FREEDOM.

     URIAH  E. DRAKE laid out forty-eight lots on the east half of the south-west quarter of section nineteen, on the 26th day of October, 1836, and called them the town of Freedom.  So far as I can learn, the above is a complete history of the place.

WEST INDEPENDENCE.

     George WYANT, Peter WYANT and Henry M. GROSE were the proprietors of this town.  It is located on the east part of the east half of the north-east quarter of section two, and at present has a population of one-hundred and thirty-four.  The Evangelical Association have a church building, and there is a good, comfortable school house in the village.  The business of the place consists of one hotel, one grocery and provision store, one saw mill, two shoe shops, one physician and one blacksmith and wagon shop.  The United Brethren have a neat house of worship, and a prosperous society.
     A post office was established here in 1856, with Frederick REAMER as Post Master.  Mr. REAMER was succeeded by J. L. KENOWER, Jacob Ruth, John PETERS, and Wm. BLINN, the present incumbent.
     This village had a population of one hundred and thirty-four, in 1880.

     Table showing the number and value of livestock, and the number of bushels and acreage of grain in this township, as returned by the Township Assessor, in 1881: