RIPLEY TOWNSHIP

     This is Township 18 and 17 of Range 14; the part 18 formerly belonged to Clinton township, Wayne Co.  It is a township of very fine land, in a high state of cultivation, in common with the rest of the townships of the county, and also of Wayne County on the north, producing large crops of wheat, corn, oats, and hay.  The village of Big Prairie is in the northwest part of the township, on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad; also at the head of Odell's Lake, of which a part is in this township, and the rest of Washington, which affords a good and current market for the produce of the surrounding country.  Col. Crawford's Expedition to the Sandusky Plains in 1782 passed along the northern edge of this township by Odell's Lake, and encamped for the night at Butler's Spring, on the north side of Odell's Lake, about half way between Big Prairie and Lakeville stations.  The first settlers of this township were mostly Pennsylvanians, with a few from New England.  The surface is generally rolling, the soil in some parts clay, the balance a gravelly loam, but generally rich and productive.  It is well watered by fine springs in various parts of the township.  Coal abounds in the southwest part.  This township is excellent for all kinds of fruit.

RICHLAND TOWNSHIP

     This is Township 8 of Range 9 and 8; 25 sections in Range 9; 10 sections in Range 8; 35 sections in all.  It is bounded on the north by Monroe and Knox townships; east by Killbuck; south by Coshocton County; west by Knox County.  This township, like Knox, is hilly, with some fine table land and some excellent bottom land in the valleys of Wolfe and Black Creeks.  The soil is good, producing large crops of wheat, corn, oats, hay, potatoes, and buckwheat; also, very fine fruit.  Like Knox, it is well watered by numerous springs and streams.  The Cleveland, Mt. Vernon, and Columbus Railroad passes through this township, affording a good market for the products of the country.  Napoleon is in the north part, on the railroad.  Coal underlies Jones's and Dewitt's ridges.  Limestone in abundance on those ridges.

KNOX TOWNSHIP

     This is Township 19 and 17 of Range 15 and 14, north of the Indian boundary line; south of the line is Township 9 of Range 9, and divided into quarters, first, second, and fourth.  This township is located in the west part of the county, and bounded on the north by Washington and Ripley townships; east by Monroe; south by Richland; west by Knox and Ashland Counties.  Mohican passes through the northwest, and Black Creek in the central portion; the head waters of Paint Creek in the northeast.  This township is tolerably hilly, but the soil is productive, producing good crops of wheat, corn, oats, hay, and fruit.  The township is well watered by numerous streams and springs.  Coal underlies the central and northeast portion.  There is some iron ore in this township; limestone in abundance on the ridges.
     SOME OF THE PIONEERS of KNOX TOWNSHIP - Esram Hughes, native of Maryland, settled in Knox township in 1818; he entered the land Mrs. Hughes now lives on: Mr. T. Odell, Mr. John Harris, and a Mr. Parcell.
     The old Indian trail, called the Mohican, passed by the junction of Clear Fork and Lake Fork, Mohican; thence up Sigafoos Run, and over the summit to Blank Creek, and down this creek to Killbuck, and down the Killbuck bottom to Whitewoman, in Coshocton Co.  The Indian village was on the farm which was entered by Solomon Sigafoos in the fall of 1812, and he moved in the full of 1813.  He came from Bedford County, Pa., and lived to the good old age of 89.  He had a family of twelve children: Mary Ann; Eliza, and Margaret were born in Pennsylvania; the rest, James, Sarah, Daniel, Lyda, William, Emily, John Wesley, Russell B., and Martha were born on the old home place, which is now owned by Mr. David Henry, who married the ninth child, Emily.  Mr. Henry came from the State of New York in 1836.  Mr. Abraham Melott married the third daughter, Margaret.  Mrs. Sigafoos, in the early days, would go on horseback to Mount Vernon to buy groceries, and make the trip in a day - a distance of fifty miles, and no road but an Indian trail.  Mr. Sigafoos would go to Zanesville, a distance of sixty-five miles, for salt and shoe-leather, most of the ay no road but an Indian Trail.  The aforesaid Indian village stood just north of where Mr. David Henry's residence now is.  There is an ancient mound about sixty rods west of where the old Indian village was.  David Henry, Esq., was the first township assessor of Knox township.

FIRST ELECTIONS OF HOLMES CO.

     On the 8th of June, 1825, the first election was held, and order was made by the commissioner that the County Auditor be ordered to cause notice to be given in the following townships for elections to be held in the following township:  in township of Knox on the 10th day of September, 1825, at the house of Benjamin Atkison; in the township of Killbuck at the house of Bartholomew Hustead, on teh 10th Sept.; in Monroe township on the 10th, at the residence of William Comin.  In Paint township the first election was held Sept. 10, 1825, at the residence of Jas. Jarvis; in Berlin township was held at the school-house at Berlin; in Walnut Creek on the 10th, at the residence of Yost Miller.
     At the time all the new officers that were elected in the above-named townships were to take effort on and after the eleciton, with the exception of the Supervisors, who were to retain their respective offices until a settlement could be made.
     All the townships were organized in 1825 for civil purposes at the time of the organization of the county.
     A survey of the county was made in 1808, by Alex. Holmes and Wm. Colbush, A. Merchant, and Wm. Harris.  A few school sections were surveyed by A. Merchant in 1831.

BERLIN TOWNSHIP

     This is Township 9 of Range 6 and 5, first, third, and fourth quarters; the balance is Congress land.  It is a township of very fine land, in a state of good cultivation.  Its surface is rolling and productive, and abundance of all kinds of grain is raised.  There is plenty of coal and limestone.  The village of Berlin is located on a beautiful site, and about the centre of the township, and is a fine thriving village, with dry-goods stores, groceries, wagon, blacksmith, and harness shops, etc.

OXFORD, KILLBUCK P. O.

     Is located a little north of the centre of Killbuck Township, at the junction of the Dresdan extension and the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon, and Columbus Railroads, and embraces within the neighborhood the requisite facilities for making it the eat of various manufactories.  Minerals and coal are found in abundance.  J. C. and Wm. Duncan have laid out two additions to the village, embracing 9 and 30 lots each, and fine lots for building purposes, and E. and J. Carpenter have laid out one addition to the village, also fine building lots.  There are three dry-goods stores, one grocery and provision store, three blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, one furniture and hardware store, one undertaker, four physicians, one hotel, one flouring mill, called the Killbuck Mills, one planing mill, one saw mill; the mills belong to J. C. & Wm. Duncan.  They are enterprising men; they gave the right of way from those railroads through their land and fifteen hundred dollars, and contracted and graded seven miles on the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon, adn Columbus Railroad, and eleven miles of grading on the Dresden extension; also built the fair grounds at Millersburg.

Table showing the Population of Ohio by Counties, from 1800 to 1870

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