MALAGA TOWNSHIP

Source:
History of Monroe County, Ohio
- Illustrated -
A Condensed History of the County;
Biographical Sketches: General Statistics; Miscellaneous Matters &c.
Publ. H. H. Hardesty & Co, Publishers
Chicago and Toledo
1882

Page 216     This township was organized Dec. 15, 1820, and contains 30¾ sections - 8 sections in original surveyed township 5, of range 5, and 22¾ in township 6, of range 6.  It is bounded on the north by the Belmont county line, on the east by Sunsbury township, on the south by Centre and Summit, and on the west by Seneca.  The western portion of the township is drained by the various tributaries of Will's creek, and the eastern part by Baker's and Grassy forks of Sunfish.  It is, for the most part on the high, broad ridge which, beginning in Summit township on the south, extends north through Malaga into Belmont County.  Much of the land is smooth and well adapted to wheat and fruit culture, and many of the farms are well cultivated.  Professor Andrews says: "Traces of thin seams of coal were found in going from Miltonsburg to Calais.  Traces of similar seams were seen on the road from Miltonsburg to the deep valley of Sunfish creek, in Centre township, which at Ford's mill is about 300 feet below Miltonsburg.  They were nowhere opened, and probably are too thin to be worked, except in a small way for neighborhood use, by the rude method of stripping.  They are all high in the geological series and nowhere are they found to be of much practical value.  Some limestone strata were seen, which aid much in fertilizing the soil."      About the year 1815, possibly sooner, the first settlements began to be made by John Hendershot, Stillwell Truex, Matthew Rogers, Martin Fogle, Frederick Hays, Wm. Kennard, Peter Mann, David Lupton, David Mann, and James Graham.  John Hendershot built a cabin - believed to be the first - about 1815, or sooner.  A child of Mr. and Mrs. John Mitchem is said to have been the first born in the township.       The first election was held, in 1820, at the house of Peter Mann, in the town of Malaga, which was laid out in 1818, by John Hendershot.  Twenty-two votes were cast at the first election, and among the voters were John Hendershot, Peter Mann, Wm. Kennard, Isaac Beardmore, Matthew Rogers, David Lupton, David Mann, Stilwell Truex, James Graham, Wm. Lawrence, Stephen Sloan, Henry Crum, David Sampson, John Strahl, Jonathan Hendershot, Andrew Love and George Kinney. The names of the first township officers were: Stephen Sloan, Henry Crum and David Sampson, trustees; Johnathan Hendershot, clerk; John Strahl, treasurer; George Kinney, constable; and Andrew Love, justice of the peace.      It is claimed that Abner Carleton built the first water grist-mill, on Baker's Fork, and that Abram Landis built the first saw-mill, on the same stream, about 1817.  Mr. Landis is still living and well up to a hundred years old.  The first school was taught in 1818, by David H. Craig, on the farm of David Mann, on or about the line between David and Peter Mann; number of scholars 22.  A school house was built at an early day on the farm of Philip Lawrence, near where is now the town of Jerusalem.      There is a large German population in this township, especially in and amongst the first German settlers.      But little information has been obtained, by the writer, of the churches in the township.  The first meeting house was built in the town of Malaga, about 1819, and was free for all denominations.  East of Malaga was a church - built at an early day - known as the Bush Meeting House, and in the same neighborhood, and about the same time, the Society of Friends had a meeting House.  The second built was a Baptist Church, and the third a Presbyterian, but our informant failed to give either the location, or the date of the erection of the buildings.  About 1835 or 1836, a Roman Catholic Church was built south of Miltonsburg, out which has been demolished and a large church has been built on the north of town.  In this place are also Methodist Episcopal and Lutheran Churches.      As has already been said, the town of Malaga was laid out in 1818, by John Hendershot.  Here was the first postoffice in the township, and soon after the town was aid out John L. Smith opened a store there.  The first citizens of the town were the Hendershots, Manns, Smiths, Truexes and Sluners.  The town is situated on the east side of the southeast quarter of section 12, in township 6, of range 6, and is within about three-quarters of a mile of the Belmont county line.      Miltonsburg was laid out by David Pierson, of Woodsfield, in 1836, and is situated in the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section 10, in township 6, of range 6.  The postoffice here is of the same name.  The town was called after Mr. Pierson's son, Milton.      Jerusalem was never, until recently, properly surveyed and platted.  It is a nice village and a place of considerable trade, and the postoffice located here is of the same name as the village.  It is in the northeast corner of the township, within about half a mile of the Belmont county line, and a less distance to the Sunsbury township line.  East Jerusalem, but a short distance from the main village, is on the Bellaire, Zanesville and Cincinnati Railroad.      The population of the town of Malaga, as reported for the year 1880, is 141; of Miltonsburg, 132, and of Jerusalem, 135.  The population of the township, including the towns, according to the census of 1880, is 1,520.  The school statistics for the township, for the year ending Aug. 31, 1881, are as follows:  Total amount of school moneys received within the year, $4,999.36.  Amount paid teachers, $2,547.67; paid for sites and buildings, $1,179.13; paid for fuel, etc., $289.14; balance on hand Sept. 1, 1881, $974.42; No. of subdistricts, 9; No. of school houses, 9; value of school property, $9,500; No. of teachers necessary, 11; average wages of teachers, per month, gentlemen, $34.00, ladies, $32.00; No. of pupils enrolled, 441.      Present justices of the peace for the township: T. S. Fowler and Samuel Groux.

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