What now constitutes Springfield, originally belonged to, or was a part of several townships, but by the territory being subdivided in creating new counties, it has finally assumed its present shape. It is nine miles long from north to south, and the southern part from east to west, is four miles, wide, while the northern part of the township is but three miles in width, and has an area of thirty square miles.  Most of the township was at one time Green township, and subsequently Clinton.  The township is bounded on the north by Columbia county, south by Harrison county, east by Salem, Ross and Brush, creek townships, Jefferson county, and on the west by Carroll county.

DRAINAGE

     The southern part of the township is drained by Wolf run, Lick run and Elk Fork of Yellow creek, tributaries to Big Yellow creek, while the middle and northern parts are drained by Middle fork and North fork of Yellow creek.

TOPOGRAPHY

     The soil in the southern part of the township is rich and productive, and under a high state of cultivation - it being quite level compared with the northern part - it being cut up considerably by Yellow creek and other smaller streams, but there are some fine farms on the banks of Yellow creek.

PIONEERS.

     In mentioning the names of the first settlers of Springfield, we wish to say that our information is from the memory of the oldest living settlers.  Solomon Miller, from Fayette county, Pa., settled in 1800, and was one of hte first prominent settlers within the present limits of this township.  He settled on section 10, but being too poor to buy the section, and nothing less at that time could be entered, after having lived two yeas on it, and made considerable improvements, the section was entered by Henry Miser in 1802, and Mr. Miller was dispossessed, and had to commence anew on section 11.  In 1801 Stewart McClave settled on section six, and from 1801 to 1806 came John Stutz, Joseph Gordon, Jacob Springer, Thomas Peterson, James Allman, Henry Isinogle, George Albaugh, James Rutledge, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Wells, Robert Young, Adley Calhoon and son, William S. Jenkins, James Campbell, S. Dorrance, Philip Burgott and several others, whose names we are unable to obtain, but all of these old settlers have passed away and almost forgotten, but the noble deeds of these old fathers should be perpetuated, and their hardships recorded, that they may live in the remembrance of posterity.
     The mineral resources of Springfield are great.
     Coal. - Coal can be found in most any part of the township, in fact the township is underlaid with coal of a first-class quality, and the only thing that is needed is the capital and energy to develop it.
     Limestone - The township is also bountifully supplied with lime, sandstone, freestone &c.
     Salt = It is claimed upon good authority that the first salt that was ever manufactured on Yellow creek was manufactured in this township by Phillip Burgett and John Lucker.  They were out hunting one day and found a spring of salt water.  They procured a kettle at once and boiled enough to make about three bushels of salt, which they packed home to the great delight of their families and neighbors.  Previous to that time the salt

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was packed long distances and was very expensive.  It was not long after this that "salt making" was the principal business along Yellow creek and continued to be until recently, but at this time there is no salt made in this township.
     Productions - The staple productions are corn, wheat, rye, oats, hay and most everything that is produced in this latitude.  Wool growing assumes an important feature in the business of this township.
     The Morgan raid passed through this township.  He came into the township at East Springfield and then passed down on Yellow creek at Nebo, where he went into camp, the next morning resuming his march down the creek in the direction of Salineville, Columbiana county.  He did not molest any one or destroy property, and the only cause for complaint was that they were terribly scared, and still a few of the more brave followed him and were in at the capture. 

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VILLAGES AND TOWNS

AMSTERDAM.

Situate in the extreme western part of the township, on the line of Carroll county, was laid out about 1828, bybDavid Johnston.  It is a small village and contains three small stores, two churches, a blacksmith shop and about one dozen dwelling houses.

NERO

Was laid out by M. Allman but it is of still less importance than Amsterdam, and can not even boast of a postoffice or church.  A small store, kept by W. Ruddicks, and a Flouring Mill constitutes the town.

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CHURCHES

AMSTERDAM M. E. CHURCH.

Was organized about 1840, and the same year they built their present house of worship.  Owing to a lack of interest on the part of the members, and imperfect records, we are not able to give much account of this congregation.  At present there are about eighty members.

AMSTERDAM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Was organized, and their building erected, in the same year as the M. E. church, 1840.  At present it has a membership of about sixty.

CIRCLE GREEN M. E. CHURCH.

was organized in 1809 through the labors of the Rev. William Knox.  It was organized and known by the name of Rutledge's M. E. Church until about 1850 when the name was changed to circle Green.  There were a number of church members, and the gospel was preached at private houses for some time previous to the organization; but immediately after, they proceeded to build a place of worship, which was built of hewed logs by each man contributing so many days' work, and in this way the building was erected without any money hardly.  The charter members were:  James Rutledge, wife and children, John, William, James, Edward, Simeon and Jane; John Kirk and wife, W. Taylor and wife, William Scarlott and wife and his children, William, George, Richard, Mary and Ann; Alexander Johnson and wife, and daughters Hettie and Rachel; Francis Johnston and wife, James Forster and wife, Henry Forster and wife and several others whose names we were unable to obtain.  All of the above mentioned are dead, except Simeon and Jane Rutledge and Hattie Johnston.  They occupied the old log church for about twenty years, when their membership had increased till it was necessary to build a larger building, which was a frame.  Robert Young and Thomas Rutledge have one half acre each for a church and burying ground.  This was deeded to John Kirk, W. Taylor and William Rutledge, trustees of the M. E. Church.
     This second church was destroyed by fire, and the members proceeded to build another on the same site in 1877 at a cost of twelve hundred dollars.  At present there are only about forty members, but at one time they had about one hundred members.  Rev. J. F. Huddleston is the present minister in charge.  Since the organization of the church its members have dwelt in harmony and peace.
     These facts are from the recollection of Simeon Rutledge.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

     STUART McCLAVE was born in Ireland and came to Jefferson county in 1801, and settled on the farm, where his grandson, Stuart McClave, now lives.  At that time nothing less than a full section could be entered, so Mr. McClave entered section 6, which he paid for a payments.  He was a weaver by trade, but after coming here he followed farming.  He married a lady in Washington county, Pa., in 1802, and reared a family of eight children, of whom three are still living.  His brother Robert, who was a bachelor, lived with him.  Shortly after he settled be built a horse mill, to which the people came a great many miles to get grinding done, it being the only one in the country at that time.  He died, esteemed by all who knew him, in 1855, at the advanced age of 95 years.  William McClave, son of Stuart McClave, was born in 1817, on a part of the farm where he now lives.  Has followed farming all his life, except for about four years, when he was engaged in the mercantile business at Amsterdam from 1846 to 1850.  Was married in 1847, and has reared a family of eight children, all of whom are living.

     JAMES KELLY was born in Marion county, Ohio, in 1836, where he remained till sixteen years of age, when he came to Jefferson county and lived with his uncle, William Kelley; was educated at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, attending that school for four years, coming home on a vacation in 1861, and instead of returning to college he went into the army; was a member of Company A, 54th Regiment Indiana V. I., was out only three months, when he returned to his uncle's, got married, and commenced business for himself, was married in 1862
to Miss Ellen Erskine, by whom he had two children, one son and one daughter.  His wife died in 1877.

     WILLIAM KELLY was born in Marion county, Ohio, in 1841, where he remained till three years of age, when his uncle, William Kelly, adopted him, and since then he has always lived in Jefferson county; was a member of Company G, 52d Regiment O. V. I., under Capt. Holmes, and Col. Dan McCook's regiment; enlisted Aug. 8, 1861, in three-year service; was discharged on account of disabilities in 1862; was married in 1865, and has five children; is a farmer.

     SAMUEL CARSON, ESQ., was born in 1832 in Jefferson county, where he has always lived; was married in 1858 to Miss Achsah Housholder, and has reared a family of seven children; is a carpenter and joiner by trade.

     JACOB GROVES was born in Pennsylvania, and came to Jefferson county at a very early day, but did not remain long; went to Franklin, where he purchased a farm.  Shortly after he met his death by a tree falling upon him.  He died in 1829.  Reared a family of nine children, six of whom are still living.  Jonas Groves, son of Jacob Groves, was born in 1816 in Jefferson county, and there most of his life has been passed.  Commenced to learn the blacksmith trade when fifteen years of age with George Rider, at Bowling Green, and served for nearly six years.  He then opened a shop just north of Bowling Green, where he remained about three years, and then removed to Salem, where he run shops for twelve years.  In 1853 he purchased the farm where he now lives.  He still does some blacksmithing, but does not make a business of it.  Was married in 1837, and has reared a family of nine children, of whom six are still living.  Has been connected with the Presbyterian Church for the last fifteen years.

     ROBERT YOUNG, was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1780, where he grew to manhood.  He was married in Fayette county, shortly after which he came to Jefferson county, in 1806, moving his family and all he possessed on three pack horses.  Bought one quarter section of land from the government.  He served in the war of 1812 under Capt. Gilmore, for about six months.  Was elected to and filled various township offices.  Was one of the "pioneer" school teachers in which capacity he acted for about twelve years.  Reared a family of seven children of whom only two are living.  Three of his children were born at one birth, and two of these are the ones living, Samuel J. and Daniel Young.  Mr. Young was a member of the Associate Reformed church.  Was of Scoth Irish parentage, and a farmer by occupation.  He departed this life in 1841, in the sixtieth year of his age.

     DANIEL YOUNG, son of Robert Young, was born July 27, 1814, in Jefferson county, where he has since lived.  He married in 1839, Miss E. Wagoner, and has reared a family of six daughters, four of whom are still living.  He has been connected with the Presbyterian church for sometime, and his family all belong to this church.  Has been township treasurer for eight years.

     JOHN KIRK, was one of the early settlers in Jefferson county.  He was born in Tyrone county, Ireland, in 1787, and came with his parents to America in 1791.  They settled near Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, where he lived with them until his marriage with Mary Taylor, 1812.  He then removed to Brooke county, West Virginia, remained there a short time, then removed to Jefferson county, Ohio, where he lived until his death, Apr. 30, 1874.  He was eighty-four years old and had lived in Jefferson county sixty-two years.  His family consisted of eleven children, eight of whom are still living, six of them in Jefferson county, one in Richland county, Ohio, and one in Missouri.  His two youngest sons, Westley and James Kirk, are still living on the land entered by their father when he came to Ohio.  When he first settled here, the country was an almost impenetrable wilderness; the clearings of the settlers were few and far between, and the howls of the wolf and the cries of the panther, could be heard on every side.  The wolves would approach within a few steps of the door and make night hideous with their noise.  He relates that one evening, as he was coming home after dark, he heard a noise in a thicket nearby, and immediately started his dog in the direction of the sound.  He soon discovered he had started up a pack of wolves, which were soon in pursuit of himself and dog, but his cabin being near, he barely succeeded in getting into it, but he supposes they ate the dog up, as he never found the slightest trace of him afterwards.  On another occassion, as he was coming up a branch of Yellow Creek, called Long Run, he heard what appeared to be the cries of a woman in distress, but which he knew were the cries of a panther.  He crept stealthily to a fence, to await developments, when presently a very large panther made its appearance.  It passed so near he could hear its strong breathing.  It went on without discovering him, perhaps from his being to the windward side.

     JOHN A. BLAZER was born in Jefferson county in 1824, where most of his life has been spent.  His mother, whose maiden name was Jane Burgett, was born in 1791, at Bargettstown, Washington county, Pennsylvania, and came with her father, Philip Burgett, to this county in 1807, and endured all the hard ships of the new country.  Our subject's father was a native of Washington county, Pa., where he grew to manhood.  He was married to Jane Burgett in 1814, and reared a family of ten children; nine still living.  His name was Bazil Lee Blazer.  He died June 28, 1843.  Mrs. Blazer died Sept. 23, 1874.  Philip Burgett, Mrs. Blazer's father, and a man named John
Tucker, were out hunting and discovered salt water.  They procured a kettle and made the first salt ever made on Yellow Creek.

     SAMUEL SCOTT was born in Jefferson county in 1816, where most of his life has been passed.  His father, Rev. Abraham Scott, was one of the early settlers in this county, and one of the very first ministers.  He reared a family of twelve children.  Our subject was married in 1843, and has reared a family of five children, four sons and one daughter.  Mr. Scott has for the last thirty years been engaged in breeding blooded horses, and has bred some of the best trotters and pacers that Ohio has produced.  He bred Scott's Hiatoga, that has a record of 2:26 untrained.

     SAMPSON JENKINS, the father of our subject, Solomon Jenkins, was born in Loudon county, Virginia, and came to Jefferson county in 1804 or 1805, and purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land of James Radican, who had entered section 4.  He settled in the woods and cleared up his farm; was married before coming to this county.  He reared a family of ten children, four sons and six daughters, all of whom are dead but four.  Mr. Jenkins died in March, 1857.  Our subject was born Jan. 2, 1811, on the farm where he now lives, and where the most of his life has been spent.  Received just a common school education.  Was married in 1836, and has reared a family of three children.  Has followed farming all his life.

     JAMES CAMPBELL settled in Jefferson county at the same time that Solomon Jenkins did, in 1804 or 1805, and was from Loudon county, Virginia.  Bought land from James Radican, on which he lived till his death in 1834.  He reared a family of seven children; three are still living.  His son, William Campbell, bought the old farm and resided on it until his death in 1854.  He reared a family of three children, all of whom are now living.  His son James now owns and resides on the homestead.

     WILLIAM KELLEY - The subject of this sketch was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, Oct. 24, 1790.  His father, James Kelly, emigrated from that county in 1802.  Sojourning in Washington county until the spring of 1803, when he came to Jefferson county and located on a farm near Annapolis, Salem township, laid out an addition to that little town, and started a mill.  He resided there until his death, which occurred in 1830.  William, the eldest son, remained at home with his father attending the mill, assisting on the farm, etc., till his marriage in 1820, to Miss Christiana George, eldest daughter of Judge Thomas George, late of Ross township, after which he settled on a tract of land given to him by his father in the Yellow creek valley, near Nebo, Springfield township.  He has ever since resided here and accumulated considerable wealth by frugality, industry and speculation.  Although a man of unusual vigorous constitution, he was twice made to feel the reverse of fortune by accidental fracturing of his limbs, which rendered him a cripple for life.  Being about four years unfit for active duties, he engaged in instructing the children of the surrounding neighborhood, and was paid by subscription - there being no free school system at that time.  After this he turned his attention to the raising of cattle; then very successfully to wool growing, furnishing some of the finest grades in the eastern market.  In 1831, he, together with Judge George, and son Robert, of Ross township, started salt works on his own premises, near Nebo, and operated successfully for some time, after which Mr. Kelly purchased the works, and continued the manufacturing of salt till about the year 1850.  Although never an aspiring politician, he always manifested a deep interest in the affairs of the government, and in 1840 renounced the Democratic party and espoused the cause of the oppressed African, voting with the Abolition party when they numbered but seventy in the county.  Ignoring the fugitive slave law, as contrary to the law of God, he harbored and assisted the fleeing fugitive in their struggles for freedom, and frequently in a close carriage, under the cover of the night, has he conveyed from time to time numbers of those poor distressed waifs of humanity to friends who would further assist them on their journey to liberty.  He still gave his influence with the Abolition, Free Soil, Republican party, until the infirmities of age debarred him from the ballot box.
     Soon after his marriage and settlement the Associate, now United Presbyterians, organized a congregation in the suburbs of Mooretown, with which Mr. Kelly connected himself, and was soon after elected ruling elder, acting in that capacity ever since.  A liberal supporter of the gospel, he was not denominational, concluding the whole household of faith are God's children; he assisted all who desired it whom he deemed worthy.  His views in religion were more practical than emotional believing that benevolence to his fellow-man, purity of life, and acting according to his convictions of right, are essential evidences of devotion.
     In the autumn of 1861 he was bereaved of his most estimable wife, well known and universally respected in the community in which she resided.  She was a lady of more than ordinary intelligence and force of character, and eminently the friend of the poor and afflicted.  Having no children of his own he reared and partly reared several orphans, most of whom he interested himself in and assisted both by counsel and means.  He finally adopted into his family four orphan children of his brother, two nephews and two nieces, whom he reared and educated as tenderly and carefully as though they were his own children, all of whom still live to remember him with gratitude.

     JAMES KELLY was born in Marion county, Ohio. in the year 1836; was educated in Westminster College, Wilmington, Lawrence county, Pa., and came to Jefferson county in the fall of 1851.  He married Ella Erskine in April, 1862, and enlisted in the Union army to serve against the rebellion in May, 1862.  In the year 1866 he was elected as justice of the peace and served three years.  He is the father of three children, two of  whom are living, respectively, Francis Almeida and John Moffat.  The one dead was named William Erskine.  Mrs. Ella Kelly died in 1877.

END OF SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP