What is known of
German township would make a book. Indeed,
an interesting book has been written concerning
it by J. P. Hentz—“Twin Valley”—published
in 1883. While yet in manuscript a large
part of its contents was used in the preparation
of the chapter on German township in the History
of Montgomery County, published in 1882.
The township is the southwest township in Montgomery
county. When first formed in 1803 it
extended from the Miami river to the Indiana
line and one or two miles north of the present
northern boundary. It includes about
thirty[Page 870 - 872]
six square miles. It took its present
dimensions in 1831. It was the first part
of the present county of Montgomery, west of the
Miami river, to be entered by the surveyor, the
year being 1798. The first land sold or
entered in the township was in 1801, that being
the year when the land office was opened in
Cincinnati. The following list, taken from
the United States records, copies of which are
preserved in the state auditor’s office at
Columbus, give us much information as to the
early settlers.
Entries, with names of purchasers and dates, for German
township west of the section line passing
through Germantown, the numbers referring to
sections of township 3, range 4 east:
| Section 1 - |
|
|
|
| |
W. 1/2 |
Aaron Richardson |
Nov. 27,
1801 |
| |
E. 1/2 |
Wm. Pouts |
Dec. 11,
1801 |
| Section 2 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
Isaac Myers |
Sep. 11,
1803 |
| |
W. 1/2 |
Andrew Sharp |
Dec. 2,
1803 |
| Section 3 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
James Sulgrove |
Dec. 12,
1801 |
| |
W. 1/2 |
Henry Boomershine |
Dec. 12,
1809 |
| |
N. E. 1/2 |
Henry Oldfather |
Oct. 16,
1810 |
| |
S. E. 1/4 |
Abraham Stover (Stoner
is penciled in) |
Jan. 3,
1812 |
| Section 5 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/2 |
Philip Stover (Stoner is
penciled in) |
Nov. 9,
1804 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Wm. Smith |
Aug. 9,
1804 |
| |
E. 1/2 |
George Hetzler |
July 1,
1805 |
| Section 6 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Isaac Blue |
Apr. 29,
1811 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Daniel Fouts |
July 4,
1805 |
| |
S. E. 1/4 |
Henry Yount |
Dec. 11,
1804 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
John Etter |
Apr. 29,
1811 |
| Section 7 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Jacob Fouts |
Aug. 11,
1804 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Frederick Fouts |
Aug. 11,
1804 |
| |
S. E. 1/4 |
Jacob Fouts |
Aug. 11,
1804 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
Isaac Blue (?) |
Oct. 5,
1808 |
| Section 8 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Henry Oler |
Nov. 19,
1805 |
| |
S. E. 1/4 |
Henry Hoover |
Oct. 17,
1804 |
| |
W. 1/2 |
James Porter |
Aug. 15,
1804 |
| Section 9 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
John Shatley |
Oct. 11,
1814 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Fred Schaffer |
Nov. 8,
1811 |
| |
S. E. 1/4 |
Wm. Emrick |
Oct. 10,
1814 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
John Andrews |
July 30,
1817 |
| Section 10 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Michael Fife |
Nov. 13,
1809 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
John Hartman |
Nov. 6,
1805 |
| |
S. E. 1/4 |
Michael Emrick |
Dec. 6,
1813 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
Jacob Frantz |
Dec. 11,
1811 |
| Section 11 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Jacob Swenk |
Aug. 14,
1810 |
| |
S. E. 1/4 |
Val. Good |
Nov. 12,
1804 |
| |
W. 1/2 |
David Fouts |
Feb. 24,
1803 |
| Section 12 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
Sam. Hawkins |
Jan. 19,
1802 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Sam. Hawkins |
Sept. 25,
1804 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
Abraham Hartsel |
Mar. 25,
1805 |
| Section 13 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
James Hatfield |
Aug. 28,
1801 |
| |
W. 1/2 |
James Porter |
Sept. 4,
1801 |
| Section 14 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
Wm. Clark |
Sept. 19,
1801 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Pallas P. Stuart |
Sept. 8,
1804 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
Christiana Houtz |
Aug. 14,
1810 |
| Section 15 - |
|
|
|
| |
School land |
|
|
| Section 17 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
Amos Higgins |
Dec. 8,
1803 |
| |
W. 1/2 |
John Foutz |
Jan. 17,
1804 |
| Section 18 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
James Porter |
Aug. 8,
1804 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
John Keller |
Jan. 20,
1813 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
Richard Brown |
Jan. 7,
1805 |
| Section 19 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
Jonas Hatfield |
Aug. 8,
1804 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Richard Brown |
June 7,
1805 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
Jeremiah Phelan |
Oct. 23,
1812 |
| Section 20 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
Peter Parham |
Aug. 8,
1804 |
| |
W. 1/2 |
Jonas Hatfield |
Aug. 8
1804 |
| Section 21 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
John Good |
Sept. 19,
1816 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Geo. Hetzler |
June 18,
1814 |
| |
S. E. 1/4 |
Henry Lee |
Sept. 19,
1816 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
Philips Landis |
Sept. 19,
1816 |
| Section 22 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Philip Gunkel |
Sep. 22,
1814 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Morris Harris |
Aug. 15,
1815 |
| |
S. E. 1/4 |
Thomas Winters |
Dec. 9,
1813 |
| |
S. W. 1/4 |
Geo. Hetzler |
June 18,
1814 |
| Section 23 - |
|
|
|
| |
|
Wm. Bruce |
Aug. 27,
1804 |
| Section 24 - |
|
|
|
| |
E. 1/2 |
Christopher Emrick |
July 31,
1804 |
| |
W. 1/2 |
Wm. Emrick |
Aug. 10,
1804 |
| Section 25 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Geo. Kearn |
Feb. 25,
1805 |
| |
S. E. 1/2 |
Wm. C. Schenk |
Oct. 15,
1804 |
| |
W. 1/2 |
Chas. and Peter Cartrow |
Nov. 28,
1803 |
| Section 26 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Brook Burton |
Jan. 2,
1810 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Richard Brown |
Dec. 12,
1809 |
| Section 27 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
John Rim |
Feb. 4,
1805 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
John Kempt |
June 17,
1805 |
| Section 28 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Philip Long |
Aug. 18,
1810 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Amos Davis |
Aug. 14,
1815 |
| Section 29 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. 1/2 |
Peter Parham |
Nov. 6,
1804 |
| Section 30 - |
|
|
|
| |
N. E. 1/4 |
Geo. Hatzler |
Aug. 13,
1814 |
| |
N. W. 1/4 |
Peter Dill |
Jan. 2,
1807 |
Corresponding list
for the purchasers of lands in German townshi,p
east of the section line passing through
Germantown, the same being in township 2, range
5 east:
| |
Section 5 |
John Emrick, |
Aug. 15,
1804 |
| |
Section 6 |
James J. Nesbit, |
Jan. 1,
1802 |
| |
Section 7 |
Philip Gunckel, |
July 31,
1804 |
| |
Section 8 |
Daniel Bumtrager |
Jan. 26,
1803 |
| |
Section 17 |
Joseph Chamberlain |
July 8,
1803 |
| |
Section 18 |
Philip Naggley |
Nov. 9,
1801 |
| |
Section 19 |
George Gillespie, |
Oct. 1,
1802 |
| |
Section 20 |
Matthias Swartsel |
Nov. 17,
1802 |
| |
Section 29 |
Staring Marsh, |
Oct. 27,
1801 |
| |
Section 30 |
William Schenck, |
Aug. 28,
1801 |
Before the opening
of the land to regular entry there were from
about 1798 squatters scattered here and there.
The names of some of these people were:
John Pauly, Benjamin Smith, James Griffith,
William Cutler, James Hatfield, Robert Hardin,
Lickum Hardin, James Porter, Abraham Hartzel
and Samuel Hawkins, who had been a
colonel in the Revolutionary army and was a man
of superior intelligence. Some of the
squatters were of the transient class and others
were simply waiting for the sale of lands to
open. As late as 1804, there remained a
village of the Shawnee Indians on Shawnee creek.
The immigration that stamped the character of German
township dates from 1804. The year before,
the pioneers in this immigration, Philip
Gunckel, Christopher Emerick and
John George Kern, all
natives of Berks county, Pennsylvania,
[Page 873]
came to Ohio on a prospecting tour, but failed
to secure the locations on which they had
decided. However, in 1804, Mr. Philip
Gunckel headed a colony of
twenty-four families, coming first to Cincinnati
and then to Hole’s Station, from which
point the land was explored for miles around.
Mr. Gunckel, who was a
miller and was in search for a mill site, at
length fixed on a location where the Little Twin
enters the Big Twin, about six miles from the
mouth of this stream, now within the corporate
limits of Germantown. The most of the
members of the colony accompanied him to this
location.
Some of the prominent families coming in 1804 were
represented by Philip Gunckel, Christopher
Emerick, George Moyer, George Kiester, Jacob
Bauer,
Peter Caterow and Henry Crist.
Martin Shuey, Mathias Swartzel,
Leonard Slump, George
Boyer, Andrew Zeller came in 1805.
John Casper Stoever and
Jonathan Lindemuth came in 1806.
The children of Peter and Catharine
Schaefifer, eight in number, came at
different times from 1804 to about 1814.
The mother of this family had a remarkable
history, having been captured by the Indians
when about seven years old and held a captive
for seven years. Her descendants at
Germantown and elsewhere are said to number at
least one thousand.
The later settlers of German township as well as the
early settlers were mostly Pennsylvania Germans.
No better citizens are found than the
descendants of this sturdy stock.
The township includes some of the richest land in
Montgomery county, about one-third of the area
of the township consisting of bottom land.
Springs abound. Some of the
streams having their course in the township are
the two Twins, Shawnee creek, Dry Run and Mud
Lick. While all of the usual crops are
grown,
the tobacco crop is the source of the largest
profit. One of the state experiment
stations is located at Germantown. The
agricultural interests of the county are
greatly benefited thereby.
The first schoolhouse in German township stood on the
south side of Stump’s hill. It was a log
structure and had originally been erected by
William Eastwood, a squatter from
Kentucky who had occupied it as a dwelling.
The first teacher who taught in it and who was
probably the pioneer teacher of the township was
Rev. A. S. Man. The second
schoolhouse stood on the Franklin road a short
distance below the present site of Sunsbury. It
was built of logs and received its light through
greased paper windows. The first teacher
was John McNamar, who, in 1813,
became a United Brethren preacher. He was
succeeded by Jacob Lesley, a Kentuckian.
There are in German township, a number of
cemeteries—one at Schaeffer’s church, one
on the farm of Jacob Judy, one at
the head of Brown’s Run, one on Sunsbury
hill, besides those in Germantown. The one
on Sunsbury hill is the oldest and was donated
for the purpose by Christopher Emerick.
The township trustees elected in 1909 are: Adam
Gilbert, Charles Rettich
and Prank Hole. Ora D.
Mayne is the clerk, and Ralph O. Eyler
the treasurer.
The outgoing board of education for the township is
Joseph Siegel, William H.
Lindemuth, Louis Flinspach,
Samuel Kern and Silas
Borger. Clarence Schaeffer has
been clerk of the board since 1900. There
are eight regular and three special school
districts in the township.
[Page 874]
GERMANTOWN
Germantown, situated west of Little Twin creek
and north of Big-Twin creek, was platted by
Philip Gunckel, October 4, 1814.
The original plat was in the northeast quarter
of section 13, township 3, range 4. This
was a part of the land entered by James
Hatfield August 28, 1801, and purchased
along with other land by Philip
Gunckel at ten dollars per acre in 1804.
Other original purchasers of land within the
corporate limits of Germantown were James
Porter, Samuel Hawkins, Robert
Harding, James Sharp,
Jacob Swinehert, Edward
Harding, Abraham Hartzell and
Henry Snider. Germantown
received its name because such a large
proportion of the original settlers were
Germans. The valley in which the town is
situated is surrounded in almost every direction
by hills. The original plat was so drawn
as to leave in the rear of lots an open court
for horses and wagons, with alleys approaching
the same from different directions. Later
additions do not include this feature. In
1818 a postoffiice was established at
Germantown, Peter Schaeffer being
the first postmaster.
Germantown was incorporated March 16, 1833. The
articles of incorporation were amended February
20, 1834. The territory included within
the corporate limits was two miles from east to
west, extending to section lines on both sides,
and a mile and a quarter in extreme width from
north to south, beginning on Big Twin creek and
extending to the half section line on the north.
The first mayor was George Rowe,
elected in 1833. At the same time J. W.
Stamm was elected recorder. The
succeeding mayors have been: J. Eminger,
1837; George Rowe, 1839; Jacob
Koehne, 1842; M. B. Walker, 1845;
William Gunckel, 1847; John
Beaver, 1850; William Gunckel,
1853; P. Gebhart, 1855; William
Gunckel, 1856; George T. Walker,
1837; William Gunckel, 1860; Adam
Frank, 1865; Adam Frank, 1887;
L. S. Crickmore, 1889; Adam Frank,
1891 ; L. S. Crickmore, 1894; Adam
Frank, 1896; L. S. Crickmore,
1898; Lorin Wilkie, 1900; Adam
Frank, 1902; L. S. Crickmore, 1903
(resigned August, 1905; S. A. Bausman,
president of council filled out term); Harry
M. Wolf, 1906; L. S. Crickmore, 1908.
The list between 1865 and 1887 is missing and
some other years are not strictly accounted for.
The present council consists of the following members:
Georg Coleman, Perry Swartzel,
Tony Throner, George E. Clark, Henry Crauder
and Henry Gable.
There is in Germantown what is called a town hall,
erected in 1873, owned by the town and German
township. The township officers have their
offices in this building. The first story
of the building is owned by David
Rohrer. The town officers occupy
rented offices.
The town has a park, consisting of five acres, laid out
about 1880.
The first burying ground in Germantown consisted of one
acre of land purchased from Philip
Gunckel in 1809. July 1, 1849, a
cemetery association was formed and a regular
constitution adopted. The officers chosen
were: John F. Kern, William McKeon, John
Stump, Samuel Rohrer, Jacob Eminger, Jacob
Koehne, Frederick Kimmerling, John D. Gunckel,
and Henry S. Gunckel as directors.
At a meeting held July 3, 1849, a committee was
appointed to select
suitable grounds and at a subsequent meeting the
purchase of a ten-acre tract,
[Page 875]
[Page 876]
[Page 877] [Page 878] [Page 879]
[Page 880]
[Page 881]
[Page 882]
[Page 883]
[Page 884]
[Page 885]
[Page 886]
[Page 887]
position to a republican paper. The
Germantown Herald is now in its thirtieth year.
Dr. Lome Wilkie is the
present publisher and editor. It bore
originally the name Record and had a succession
of editors and publishers, beginning with V.
B. Stevens, the founder.
Until comparatively recently Germantown occupied an
isolated position. The Dayton and Germantown
pike was built in 1837 and by other pikes there
came to be connections with surrounding towns
but these could not meet all of the present day
requirements. The Cincinnati and Northern
railroad was built through Germantown in 1886
and traction connection with Miamisburg, Dayton
and Cincinnati was secured in 1901.
SUNSBURY
Jacob Beard and Daniel
Gunckel, Sr., as proprietors laid out
the town of Sunsbury, March 18, 1825. It
was at the “cross roads” leading to Dayton,
Cincinnati and Lebanon, and there were three
gristmills, six sawmills, and a carding machine
within a mile and a half of the town.
Sunsbury is separated from Germantown by a space
of about a half a mile, being situated on the
Carlisle and Germantown pike. It contains
only about forty dwellings and has little
prospect of growth. Though not platted as
early as Germantown, it was a neighborhood
center from the earliest days of German
township. <
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