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EARLY SETTLERS.

     Mathew Dolson, a native of Canada, settled on lands in the forks of the two roads, near Huntersville, in 1833.  He married. and had a family of several children.  He resided here several years, but subsequently moved away with all his family.

     Isaac McElhaney, a native of Ireland, emigrated to America and first settled in Pennsylvania, but soon removed to Licking County, Ohio, where he married Miss Margaret Kirkland, and in the fall of 1834 removed to Hardin County and settled on the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 10, in Marion Township, where he resided till his death.  He died Apr. 2, 1871, aged seventy-two years.  He was thrice married, and was the father of the following children: Margaret, John, Mary Ellen, James, Martha J., Catharine and Nancy.

     John McClure, a native of Ireland, married Mary Kirkland, in Licking County, Ohio, and in the fall of 1834 came to this township and settled on the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 10, where he still lives and has resided a period of forty-nine years.  His wife died Feb. 4, 1866.  Subsequently, he married Mrs. Eliza Ann Cory.  Mr. McClure has sustained the reputation of an honest, upright man and a worthy citizen.

     Sampson Shadley was a native of Virginia, and early removed to Licking County, Ohio; thence, in the fall of 1834, came to this county and settled on the north side of the marsh, south of Huntersville.  He was twice married; by his first wife, Catharine Trump, he had the following children: Jacob, Christena, Ann, Hiram, Sampson, Lydia, Polly and Docia.  His second wife, Mrs. Lyon, from Columbiana County, bore him five children, viz., Henry. Asa, Maria A., Sarah E. and William W.  Mr. Shadley remained a resident of the place where he first settled till his death, and was interred upon his own farm. He was an honorable and a just man, and in his later years a devoted member of the Methodist Church.

     John F. Sudor, a native of Harrison County, Va., born in 1812, married Nancy Brown, of Lewis County, of that State, and emigrated to Logan County, Ohio, in the fall of 1834; in 1839, came here with his family and settled on Section 32, where he resided till quite aged, when he removed to Ada, where he died Nov. 11, 1879.  His wife still survives, and resides upon the old home place with one of her daughters.  Mr. Sudor purchased eighty acres when he first settled here, for which he paid $2.50 per acre, and commenced right in the woods, poor and penniloss, and by industry and economy became the owner of 400 acres of excellent land.  He sustained an untarnished integrity, and was respected by a large circle of friends.  Their children were Minerva J., Margaret Ann, Permelia E., Mary D. and Sarah C. - all living.

     James McAdams, a native of Tennessee, came to Fayette County, Ohio, in the summer of 1833, where he married Sarah Haines, and in the month of November, 1834, removed to this county and settled on Section 3, where he entered his land and began right in the woods; and here he resided till his death, Nov. 21, 1856.  His father, James McAdams, who also settled with him, died here.  Mr. McAdams’ children were Mary C., Hannall. Alfred O., Melvina, Samuel H., Charles G., Rachel J., James E. and five who died in infancy.

     James Thompson, a native of Maryland, married Michey Kelly and removed to Harrison County, Ohio; thence, in 1835, settled in Marion Township, on the northwest quarter of Section 8, where he remained a resident till his death.  Their children were Henry, Elizabeth, Thomas, Edwin, Charity and James.

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     Samuel Kirkland was a native of Virginia, but of Irish descent.  He came here and settled near Huntersville in the spring of 1835.  He was elected the first Justice of the Peace of this township, and served many years by re-election.  He was a man of more than ordinary intellectual ability, and was a highly esteemed citizen.  Subsequently, he removed to Iowa, where he died.  His first wife was Elizabeth Emmerson, by whom he had three children - Rebecca, James and Mary.  His wife died of cancer.  His second wife, Nancy McBride, bore him three children - Keziah, Margaret and John.  His third wife, Love McBride, moved West with him, where she died - after which he was twice married.

     Isaac McCoy was a native of Virginia; settled about two miles west of Huntersville, about 1835.  He married Miss Christopher, a daughter of Leven Christopher. Subsequently, he sold his farm and removed to the place where he now lives, on the northwest quarter of Section 30.

     Thomas Irwin, a native of Ireland, came to America while young, and, in the fall of 1835, settled in this township, near Huntersville.  He married Esther Kirkland.  About 1857-58, they bought property in Ada, to which they moved, and have since remained residents of that town.

     David Kirkpatrick came from Guernsey County, Ohio, and settled on the northwest quarter of Section 31, about 1835, where he resided about twenty years, and removed to Iowa, where he died.  He was a man of considerable wealth, and when he settled here he entered nearly a whole section of land.

     Thomas Monitt settled northwest of Huntersville. on Section 1, where he entered over one and a half sections of land, but resided there only a few years and moved away.

     Jesse Garwood, a native of Pennsylvania, where he married Cidney Gregg. came to this county and settled on the northeast quarter of Section 3, in the spring of 1835-36.  Here his wife died, and about eight years after, he married Mrs. Rachel Swain.  He subsequently removed to Allen County; thence went to Iowa; but again returned to Allen County, after which he removed to Fulton County, Ohio, where he died.  He served as a soldier in the war of 1812.  By his first wife he had the following children:  Bani, Isaac, Fenton, Senith, Hannah, Joseph, Lydia, Catharine and Cynthia A.; by his second wife, Jesse, Melissa and one name not obtained.

     Patrick Conner settled in the southwest quarter of Section 4, in 1838.  He was thrice married.  His second wife was Mrs. Margaret Smith.  By his first wife his children were Sarah, Charles, Elijah, Abraham, John, Lizzie, Ann, Lydia and William; by his second wife, Jacob, Samuel, Lydia, Daniel and Mary.

     Alexander Lantz was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, in 1812, where he married Julia Ann Wolverton.  In 1833, removed to Logan County, and, in the spring of 1836, to Hardin County and entered eighty acres of land on Section 31, where he has since resided.  The great characteristic of Mr. Lantz’s life has been his unflinching devotion to the business of buying and selling stock. For forty years he has made this his leading business.  He has traveled almost every road and by-way in North west Ohio.  He has, probably, bought, shipped and sold more stock than any other man in this part of the State.  In an early day, he was a great hunter, and says that from the date of his killing his first deer to the time when he shot his last it was just forty years, and that, the last hunting he did, his last four shots killed five deer.  He is the father of the following children: Sarah Ann, George, Elizabeth, Newton, Tamar, William,

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Emily, Lot, Alexander, Julia Ann, James, and one who died in infancy.  All are living but two - Julia Ann and William; the latter died in the war of the rebellion.

     Samuel Patterson was born in Ireland in 1807, emigrated to America with his parents in 1812, and settled in Harrison County, Ohio, and there married Jane Davis.  In the fall of 1836, they removed to Hardin County and settled on Section 19, Marion Township.  Here he entered 240 acres and began right in the woods - not a stick amiss; and here he made a beautiful farm, with fine buildings and improvements.  Subsequently, he purchased more land, until he owned 440 acres.  He was a man of great industry and financial ability, and won the esteem and respect of his many acquaintances.  He was an active Christian worker, first in the Methodist Church and later in the United Brethren Church.  He was a local and itinerant preacher for about forty years.  He died Mar. 12, 1874.  His children were William D., Catharine, Sarah Jane, Margaret, Samuel, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Mary, Esther, Jemima, Joseph, Nancy, Ella and Susanna; all now living except Joseph, Rebecca and Esther.  Henry Stull came here from Guernsey County, Ohio, in 1836, and entered, there, quarter sections of land; resided here a few years, sold out, and moved to Illinois with all his family.

     Meshack Ryan came from Fayette County, Ohio, and settled near Huntersville in 1836, resided here many years, but subsequently removed to Indiana, where he died.  He married Elizabeth Garner, by whom he had the following children: Henry, James, Mary, Elizabeth, Matilda, Enoch, Job and Benjamin.

     Joshua Ford, a native of Maryland, came to Harrison County, Ohio, in 1827; in 1836, removed to this township and settled on the southwest quarter of Section 5.  In 1838-39, he erected a horse mill for grinding - one of the first mills in this section of the county.  He remained a resident here till his death.  He married Sarah Kelly and had the following children: Ruth, Thomas, John, Joshua, Amos, Henry, James, Michey E. and Loyd.

     Asaph Shadley, a native of Virginia, and a brother of the above Sampson Shadley, settled here, just west of said brother, in the fall of 1837.  He married Margaret Wolverton in Virginia.  He remained a resident here through life, but died suddenly in Michigan, while there on business; his remains were brought back and interred up )1]. his own farm.  His children were John S., Nathan, Ann, Susan Jane, William A., Daniel V., David and Elizabeth.

     William Harriott, a native of Virginia, became an early settler of Adams County, Ohio; thence, in the spring of 1837, removed to this township and entered 160 acres in Section 31, where he resided till his death.  He married Julia Ann Hoover, of Allen County, by whom he had the following children: Ephraim and Caroline, deceased - the former served in the war of the rebellion, was taken prisoner and confined in the Andersonville prison and was finally exchanged, but not until so far exhausted by starvation, that, upon obtaining food, he over ate, and died in a few days.

     Hamilton Scott came here from Carroll County, Ohio, in 1837-33, and settled on Section 22, and remained a resident of the township until his death.  He had a family of fourteen children, all deceased but two  - Jane, now the wife of William Scott and resides in Ada, and Martha, who resides in Indiana.

     Joseph Ryan came here from Fayette County, Ohio, and settled near the Scioto Marsh in 1838.  He married Priscilla Bales and died on the

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J. C. RAINSBURG

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place where he first settled.  His wife still survives, and resides in Illinois.  Their children were as follows: Priscilla, Thomas, William, James, John, Lucinda, Hinkle and one or two that died quite young.

     James M. Nelson was born in Washington County, Penn, Feb. 25, 1805; in 1815, came to Ashland County, Ohio, with his parents; in 1833, he married Susanna D. Mathews, of Crawford County, a daughter of Isaac and Nancy Mathews.  In February, 1838, they removed to Hardin County, and settled on land now owned by S. W. Phillips, in Section 12, Marion Township, which he had previously entered in 1834.  Here he resided through life.  He died Feb. 3, 1864.  His wife died just thirteen days later, Feb. 16, 1864, aged forty-nine years, both being taken away by
that fatal disease, spotted fever.  Mr. Nelson was an exceptional man in integrity of character and exemplariness of Christian life; ever ready, with his means and influence, to aid all matters for the general public good of his community, both in its secular and religious interests.  He was identified with the Presbyterian Church from its first organization. becoming one of its constituent members at its organization in 1841, and was appointed its first Elder.  He was the father of ten children, of whom seven now survive - Rachel J., Nancy M., John W., Emma K., Alvin S., Milton H. and Wilbur M.  Those deceased were Willis C., died in 1855; Sarah M., died in 1870, and Mary E., who married William Cooney, and died in the fall of 1874.

     James Miller was born in Center County, Penn, in 1808, and settled in Marion Township in 1839.

     Marshall Carman, a native of Maryland, settled on northwest quarter Section 6 in 1842.  John A. Dunlap settled on Section 33 in 1845.  Joseph and James Powell, Robert Preston, Asa Cooney, Samuel Hagerman and the Dempsters were also early settlers.

TIMBER.

SOIL, CLIMATE, PRODUCTS.

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POLITICAL HISTORY.

     The first election held in Marion Township was in the spring of 1836, when there were only about a dozen voters.  The records of the township

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VILLAGES, ROADS AND RAILROADS.

CHURCHES.

     Previous to about 1850, preaching was held at the cabins of the pioneers.  As early as 1840, a class of the Methodist Episcopal Church was formed as

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SCHOOLS.

CEMETERIES.

     There is but one cemetery in the township, on the northeast corner of southeast quarter of Section 9, and northwest corner of southwest quarter Section 10, each a quarter acre, making half an acre.  There are a few scattered graves.  Some of the Shadleys are buried on Section 11, but most of the dead are interred outside the township.
     In closing this sketch, we would say that this township has within her borders elements of wealth second to no township in the county, and only needs the thorough draining of the great marsh to develop them.