THIS subdivision dates its erection back to the spring of 1828, Amanda and Welfare (now Delaware) being formed from the southeast portion of Findlay Township, which since May 28, 1823, had embraced the whole county.  The entire land tax of Amanda Township in 1829, was $4.30, and only 252 acres were then subject to taxation under the existing law.  On the7th of December, 1829, Jackson Township was formed from Amanda and Delaware, and Dec. 6, 1830, a part of Amanda was taken in the erection of Marion.  Big Lick was cut off from Amanda Mar. 7, 1831, and on the same date it was ordered by the commissioners that "the township of Amanda shall hereafter consist of the original Township 1 south, in Range 12, and Sections 34 and 35 in the original surveyed Township 1 north in the 12th Range."  On the 3rd of June, 1833, those two sections were attached to Big Lick.  Upon the erection of Ridge Township, June 5, 1838, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 and 14, Township 1 south, Range 12, were taken from Amanda in the formation of the new township, which existed till Mar, 5, 1845, when the previous erection of Wyandot County took forty-five sections off the southeast part of Hancock, and made necessary a re-formation in the lines of Amanda, Big Lick and Delaware Townships. Sections 22, 23. 24, 25, 26. 27, 34, 35 and 36 were cut off the east side of Amanda, and became a part of Wyandot County.  Ridge Township, as a subdivision of Hancock, was abandoned, and its territory remaining in this county, attached to Big Lick and Amanda Townships from which it was originally formed, Amanda receiving Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 in Township 1

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     Pioneers. -

     ABRAHAM and SARAH A. HUFF

     One of the oldest pioneers of Hancock County, Major Bright, great grandfather of Nimrod W. Bright, of Amanda Township, located or entered 3,000 acres of land in this township, and was an extensive stock-raiser.

     JOHN HUFF, JOHN SHOEMAKER, WILLIAM HACKNEY and JAMES BEARD all came to

-------------------------
     *See History of Big Lick Township

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     JOHN J. and ELEANOR F. HENDRICKS

     THOMAS HUFF was another settler of this period.  He was a

     HENRY GEORGE

     JOHN and SARAH BEARD

     JESSE and JOHN HEWITT

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     AQUILLA GILBERT

     The years 1828-29 brought Thomas Cole, David Hagerman, Joseph Whiteman, Andrew Robb, William Ebright, Henry Keel, Samuel Gordon and James Gibson.  Cole and Hagerman came from Pickaway County, and after a residence here of several years the former went to Indiana, while Hagerman resided in Amanda until this death.  Joseph Whiteman lived in several different parts of the township, and finally died in the county.  He was of a restless disposition and never remained long in any place, so that he is but faintly remembered. Andrew Robb entered the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 13, May 7, 1828.  His cabin stood not far from the home of Aquilla Gilbert, who remembers him as a very worthy man.  He, however, died in 1830, soon after settling here.  William Ebright and family came early in 1829, and in March of the latter year he and his son, Philip, were two of the petitioners for a road to Findlay.  He settled on the Blanchard, in Section 13, but subsequently removed to Eagle Township, and assisted in organizing that subdivision.  Henry Keel, with his wife Catherine and family, removed from Pennsylvania to Fairfield County, Ohio, about 1823, and in 1829 located on the Blanchard in this township.  In 1833 Mr. Keel and family moved into Eagle Township, where both he and his wife died.  Four of their children are residents of the county.  Samuel Gordon was for many years a leading citizen of the township, where he settled in 1829.  In 1831 he was elected justice of the peace, and re-elected five times in succession.  Mr. Gordon is kindly remembered by the few old settlers now living who knew him best.

     JAMES GIBSON

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     A large number

     ADAM ALSPACH

     LEMUEL and MARY (RIORDON) FARTHING

     DAVID and MARY EGBERT

     HENRY and ELIZABETH (HAGER) TREESE, natives of Pennsylvania, located on the east bank of the Blanchard in the fall of 1830, where Peter was soon afterward born.  the family came here from Pickaway County, Ohio, and the parents spent the remainder of their days in Hancock County.  Peter Treese now resides on the old homestead in Section 24, while George, an older brother, lives in Jackson Township.

     JOHN G. and MARY LITSENBERGER, with their sons, George, Daniel, Isaac, Henry, John and Jacob, all natives of Pennsylvania, came from Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1830, and settled in Section 13, where the father died.  Jacob, now living in Vanlue, is the only one of John's children residing in Hancock.

     ADAM HOY

     JOHN DIPERT

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     DARIUS and SANFORD SMITH

     MICHAEL and MARY (HAGER) MISAMORE

     The same year (1831)

     In 1832, ANDREW and GEORGE MOREHART, ELISHA BROWN and JOHN MOORE took up their residence in the forest of Amanda.  The Moreharts, natives of Pennsylvania, settled in Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1817, whence they came to this township.  Andrew had a family of thirteen children, six of whom are living.  Both he and George died in this covmty.  Elisha Brown and family came from Pickaway County in the fall of the year and settled in Section 9.  He served one term as Sheriff of Hancock County, and died in Vanlue.  Two of his daughters are residents of the county.  John and Annie Moore were natives of Maryland, and removed first to Fairfield Co., Ohio, thence to Hancock, settling in the vicinity of the Big Spring, where both died.  Three of the children are yet living.  Amos, who now resides

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near Vanlue, was a man of

     Another family of the Moreharts

     JACOB STARR, SAMUEL EWING, JOHN McLEOD and RICHARD M. LEE, all came ...

     The following year (1835)

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M. S. HAMLIN

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and three daughters survive.  Mr. Platt ...

     Justices of the Peace. -

     Schools -

     Churches -

     Early Mills -

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     Fountain Lodge No. 353, I. O. O. F.,

     Ellen Lodge No. 60, I. O. O. F., Daughters of Rebekah, was organized May 10, 1870.

     Ladonia Lodge No. 82, I. O. G. T., was organized Nov. 24, 1884 and has a very large membership, numbering at present 110.  Thus it will be seen that the cause of temperance in Vanlue is in a flourishing condition.