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Page 217
This township was organized
March 4, 1822, and embraces sections 30 and 36, in original
township 4, of range 6; sections 31 and 32, in township 5,
of range 6; sections 6 and 12, in township 5, of range 7,
and twenty sections in township 6, of range 7 - in all
twenty-six sections. It is the middle township on the
western side of the county, and bounded on the north by
Seneca and Summit townships, on the east by Summit, Wayne
and Washington, on the south by Bethel township and the
Noble county line, and on the west by Noble county.
The land in the north part of the township is high and
divides the waters of the Clear fork - a branch of the
Little Muskingum - from those of Will's creek, which flow
northward. There is considerable limestone to be seen;
and the soil is generally productive, and especially so
along the borders of the Clear fork. Professor
Andrews says: "The Cumberland seam of coal, which
extends so generally through Noble county, and which is
found in the hills at Carlisle, is found in the neighborhood
of Stafford. The larger developments seen were on
Roadfork, and they may be located just over the line in Elk
township, Noble county. Hear the coal is four feet six
inches thick. The creek at Okey's mill, on
Clear fork, is reported to be forty-five feet higher than
Road fork at the woolen mill, but the coal at both places is
covered by the same huff limestone. In section 7, the
coal of the Cumberland seam is reported to be only one foot
eight inches thick.
The first settlements were made on the Clear fork by
Martin and Frederick Crow, as early, it is believed, as
1805, or 1806. David Sutherland was an early
settler, so were the Forsheys, Carmichaels, Hines, McVays,
Holdens, Hales, Dearths, Wilsons, Wells, and others.
There is said to have been a Methodist Church, or
rather a church organization in this township, as early as
1820 - probably, the church on the lands of Joseph Hines
was afterward erected by this congregation. The second
church organized was the Sutherland M. E. Church. The
present church is a wooden building, 38x48 feet, with a 17
foot story, with a seating capacity of 350. It was
built in 1873, and dedicated Sept. 12, 1874, by Rev. S.
M. H0ickman, presiding elder; Rev. Luther Timberlake
was the pastor at that time; membership, 50. Present
pastor, Rev. Geo. M. Wilson, recording steward,
Thos. Wilson, junior; trustees, Isaac Hanson, Jacob
McVay, Joseph Hogue, R. E. Carpenter, Edward Okey, Jesse
Miracle and David Stallings; class-leader,
Thos. O. Cline. The third church organized is the
M. E. Church, at Swasey. It was organized about the
year 1835. Prior to this time services were held at
the school house. The first building was a hewed-log
structure, about 25x30 feet in size, and located on the site
of the present church. The first minister that
preached in it was the Rev. John J. Swasey. The
new church was erected in 1855. It was dedicated by
Rev. James Henderson, and is a frame building, 36x45
feet, with a 16 foot story; seating capacity, 350;
membership, sixty. Officers, class-leader, S. W.
Gibson; trustees, Richard Gibson, S. W. Gibson, Wm.
Gibson, Samuel Gibson, Wm. M. Danford, Alex. Pickens and
Joseph Draper; present pastor, Rev. A. W. Gruber.
The old members of this church, among whom will be found the
names of many of the early settlers of the township, were
Benj. Thomas and wife, John Antill and wife,
Wm. Casey and wife, Jonathan Wise and wife,
Edward Reed and wife, John B. Kean and wife,
Wm. Draper and wife, and Levi Robbins and wife.
They held their meetings at the houses of John B. Kean
and Jonathan Wise. Rev. Edward Taylor
was the minister that preached for this class. There
are eight churches in the township - six M. E. Churches, one
Christian Church, and one Free Methodist Church.
The town of Stafford was laid out by John Jones
about the year 1834, or 1835 - the precise year is not
known. It is situated in the southwest quarter of
section 8, and on the dividing ridge between the waters of
Clear fork and Dutch creek. When laid out it was
called Bethel, but when a postoffice was established there,
called Stafford, the name of the town was changed. The
town, with some surrounding territory, forms a separate
school district. The population of Stafford is
reported at 172, in 1880, and the township, including the
town, by the census of 1880, is 1,251.
The school statistics for the township, for the year
ending Aug. 31, 1881, are as follows: Amount of school
moneys received within the year, $3,654.89; amount paid
teachers, $1,483.00; paid for sites and buildings, $257.33;
paid for fuel, etc., $153.99; balance on hand Sept. 1, 1881,
$1,760.57; No. of school houses, 7; value of school
property, $2,500.00; No. of teachers necessary, 7; average
wages of teachers per month, gentlemen, $27.00; ladies,
$20.00; No. of pupils enrolled, 265. School statistics
of Stafford, for the same period: Amount of school moneys
received, $859.98; paid teachers, $390.00; for fuel, etc.,
$140.81; balance on hand Sept. 1, 1881, $329.17; No. of
school houses, 1; No. of school rooms, 4; value of school
property, $2,500; No. of teachers, ladies, 1; gentleman, 3;
average wages of teachers per month, gentlemen, $30.00;
ladies, $20.00; No. of pupils enrolled, 161.
the present justices of the peace are W. B.
Neiswanger and Thomas Wilson.
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