GREEN TOWNSHIP
Green township
has a generally undulating surface, with soil well adapted to
the cultivation of trees, small fruits and grain. The most
common native trees are the chestnut, oak and beech.
Most of the early settlers of Green township were
German, as is evident by such names as Knauff, Bauman,
Kenreich, Houtts, Stahl, and Zimmerman, which we find
in glancing over the records.
Eben Newton, of Canfield, became the purchaser
of section I, on which account it was afterwards known as the
"Newton tract." Henry Beard and family, Germans,
were the first settlers in section 4, and his descendants remain
in the vicinity to this day. Section 5 was bought by
James Webb and John Beard.
Henry Pyle and wife, who came from Germany about
1804, settled in section 2. Some of the other sections
passed rapidly through various hands. Coal was found and
was formerly worked to some extent in sections 17, 19 and 20.
Section 16 was the "school lot" and in 1849 was sold to a number
of different persons. In section 14, which was entered by
a stranger who sold it to Abram Garber, is Greenford
station, on the old Niles and New Lisbon Railroad.
Philip Houtts, who purchased the west part of
section 12 on which was a spring, carried on a distillery there
until about 1830. Elisha Teeter entered section 20
for his four sons - John, Jonathan, William and Wilson-
in 808, and in 1822 the first steam mill in this part of the
country was erected by Wilson Teeter. The large
vein of coal found on this section was opened and operated by
this family.
Section 36 was entered by Jacob Roller in 1803.
His son, Col. Jacob B. Roller, served under General
Harrison, and at Fort Meigs and was state representative for
twenty-one years.
ORGANIZATION.
Green township was
incorporated June 3, 1806, and formed a part of Columbiana
County until the organization of Mahoning County in 1846.
VILLAGES.
Green Village, situated
near the center of the township, was first laid out by Lewis
Baker, Jacob Wilhelm and Jacob Cook. The
postoffice was established in 1831, William Van Horn
being the first postmaster. The
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present postmaster at
Greenford is William I. Hahn.
Washingtonville was laid out about 1832, the first
store being opened in the following year by Jacob Stobbes,
who became the first postmaster in 1836. The present
postmaster is Joseph Thorpe. The postoffice is
situated in Columbiana County, just across the line from Green.
Peter Millerwas the first blacksmith to open a shop.
New Albany was laid out by Wilson Teeter and
Edwin Webb, the first postoffice being established prior to
1853. The first postmaster was Henry Thulen, who
was succeeded by Joshua Webb.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
At an early date after
the settlement of the township a log school house, 20x24 feet in
size, was built on a piece of ground situated on the east side
of section 20, and donated by Elisha Teeter. Edward
Bonsai was .the first teacher. Another log school house
was built by Henry Pyle on the New Lisbon road in
section 10. Samuel McBride and George Pow
were the earliest teachers, the former being engaged to teach in
1814. After Mr. Pow's retirement no school
was taught there until the district schools were opened in 1827.
West of Green Village was a log church, in which the
first school was taught near the center. About 181 5
Henry Zimmerman taught school in a log school house
in section 34, on land belonging to Jacob Stofer.
Another log school house was subsequently built on this section,
and was taught for a time by William, Rachael and
Samuel Schofield.
In 1818 a school was opened at Washingtonville in a log
church built by Michael and Baltzer Roller.
In 1844 there were twelve schools in the township, with
ten teachers, with an average daily attendance of 169 males and
131 females, the branches taught being reading, writing,
arithmetic, English grammar and geography. The changes
since then have been chiefly in the line of improving general
conditions, providing a higher class of text books, with more
comfortable school houses and a better system of instruction.
There are now twelve teachers employed and the schools are well
attended and in a flourishing condition.
The Evangelical Lutheran church at Greenford was
founded in 1840, the present building being erected in 1884.
The first pastor was Rev. John H. Huffman, and the church
was started with forty-one members. The pastors since 1876
have been as follows: Rev. J. M. Ruthrauff,
1876-80; Rev. S. P. Kiefer, 1880-82; N. W. Lilly,
1882-85; Rev. T. S. Smedley, 1885-90; Rev. A.
B. Kast, 1890-92; Rev. J. B. Burgner, 1893-98; ____;
Rev. A. K. Felton, 1900-03; Rev. H. M. Nicholson,
eighteen months to 1905; Rev. M. L. Wilhelm, eighteen
months to 1907; Rev. P. L. Miller, 1907—. The
Sunday school superintendent is R. R. Zimmerman.
Green township is essentially a farming community, but
has several small manufacturingg industries, including a
tile works, of which C. C. Pettit is manager; a planing
mill, conducted by M. G. Hoffman; a grist mill, by
Fred Mattix; sawmill, V. V. Zimmerman.
Coal mining is also carried on to some extent by Bush
Brothers.
END OF GREEN TOWNSHIP.
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