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MADISON
* BOUNDARY AND ERECTION
* SETTLEMENT - includes short sketches of settlers
* EARLY INDUSTRY
* EARLY SCHOOLS
* BUSINESS
* INDIANS
* SOCIETY
* POST-OFFICE
* CHURCHES
*
CEMETERIES
* BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
This is township ten, range, twenty-one, and is in the extreme
northeast corner of Pickaway county. It comprises
Mathew's survey, and contains twenty-four sections, beginning
with section thirteen in the northeast corner, and including section
thirty-six, in teh southeast corner of the township. Of these,
two sections were reserved for school lands, namely: sections
sixteen and twenty-one.
Walnut creek runs through the western half of the
township, from north to south, the lands on its bottom being very
rich and productive. Slate runs empties into Walnut creek,
near the northeast corner of section twenty, and comprises several
branches, spreading from the southeast to the northeast corner of
the township, and furnishing excellent drainage for the entire
eastern part thereof. At some points, the banks of this run
are high and unfit for cultivation, and are still covered with
forest, while many springs of pure water are to be found, some at
quite an elevation above and bed of the run. Walnut creek is a
very muddy stream, seldom becoming clear, showing the result of the
washing from clay soil.
The soil of Madison is uniformly good, consisting of a
black loam and gravel on the lower lands, and clay on the hills,
with many excellent beds of gravel. The eastern part of the
township rises into quite large hills, with, generally, a long slope
to the lowlands, which were originally swamps, and, at the time of
the settlement of the county, abounded in wild ducks and geese,
which were readily shot by hunters.
Game was plenty at an early day. The
forests were the home of the deer and turkey, and bear were
occasionally seen, as they made their way through the country to
their haunts in the lower part of the Hocking valley. Wild
ducks were plenty, and the smaller game, such as pheasants, rabbits,
and squirrels, and inhabited every part of the underbrush and
forest.
Ancient remains of the extinct race of Mound Builders were to be
found in the shape of small mounds, in different parts of the
township, many of which are now almost obliterated, by the
successive plowing of the land upon which they were located.
Some relics are to be seen, that have been dug from these mounds.
Hon. A. L. PERRILL has in his possession a small piece of
copper taken from one of these mounds, which bears resemblance to a
chisel.
The gigantic mastodon, at some remote period, roamed
through this country. The writer was shown a tooth of one of
these extinct animals, by the above-named gentleman, that is a fine
specimen. It was obtained while building a road in the swamp,
and is some seven inches in length, and weighs five pounds.
Implements belonging to the later race of Indians are
frequently found, and consist of stone hammers, or tomahawks, spear
and arrow-heads, fleshers, for removing the skins of wild animals,
flints, used for cutting the skins, and pestles, for pounding corn
and preparing it for use. Many of the present owners of the
soil have small collections of this kind, and, at this late day, are
making efforts to increase their stock of these relics, that in time
will be valuable. BOUNDARY AND ERECTION.
Madison is bounded on the north by Madison
township, in Franklin county; on the east by Bloom township, in
Fairfield county; on the south by Walnut, and on the west by
Harrison townships, in Pickaway county.
This township was established June 5, 1810, by the county
commissioners, who ordered that all that part of Madison and Walnut
Creek townships be erected into a separate township, beginning at
the north boundary line of the county at the twenty-second rage
line; thence extending with the county line eastward to the
northeast corner of the county; thence extending along the county
line south to the southeast corner of lot or section number one, of
township number nine, in range number twenty-one (Matthews' survey);
then extending west to the southwest corner of section number six,
in said township number nine; thence extending along the
twenty-second range line north to the place of beginning. The
said township to be known by the name of Madison township. The
place of holding election to be the house of Luck DECKER,
on Saturday, June 23, 1810. |
