In Union township the face of the country is rather uneven.  The bottom lands on the Scioto and Paint and Deercreeks are rich, and produce corn and grain of the best quality.  Deer creek divides the township into North and South Union.  The streams running through South Union are Robinson's run, Anderson's run, Acton's run, Menary run, and Musselman's run, all emptying into Paint creek.  The following streams empty into Deer creek:  Yellow run, Dry run, and Hay run.

Early Settlers.  By John Robinson, President of the Ross County Pioneer Association.
     His father, Joshua Robinson, emigrated to the Scioto Valley in 1795, in company with General Nathaniel Massie and his surveyors.  On arriving at the station near where Chillicothe now is, they proceeded up the main Paint creek.  Following the Indian trail at Reeves' Crossings, they came suddenly upon a party of Indians encamped.  A battle ensued, which soon ended in favor of the whites.  The Indians retreated through the woods, carrying off everything but their guns.  Joshua Robinson was shot through the body and died immediately.  The body was interred near the mouth of Rocky fork, at the had of the rapids.  A white man, who had been prisoner with the Indians made his escape during the fight.  The party retreated to the Three Islands.  William Robinson, brother of Joshua, was also in this fight.  He bought six hundred and forty acres from General Massie in South Union, four miles south of Chillicothe.  He moved to his purchase in 1800, and erected the first cabin in the vicinity, and soon cleared a fine farm.  When the war was declared in 1812, he was one of the first to volunteer, although over age.  He died at the age of seventy years.  John Robinson on the death of his father, was adopted by his uncle

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William, and lived with him till he was of age.  He was corporal in Captain Alexander Menary's company, of Colonel Clark's regiment, and marched to Sandusky.  When the war was over, the regiment was disbanded at Chillicothe, and Mr. Robinson settled on the land on which he still lives, eighty-three years of age, in the enjoyment of good health.  He had three sons, James, John, Jr., and Joshua - the latter dead - and two daughters.  William Wilcox, William Cochran, Richard Bradley, Alexander McClintock, B. Johnston, M. Yates, M. Dolly, M. Robertson, Alexander Robertson,  and J. Clark, who all served in Colonel Wm. Clark's regiment in the war of 1812.
     John Acton, a man well advanced in years, came to Ross county in 1810 with his family, viz:  Richard, John, William, Jeremiah, Sarah, and Benjamin and settled in South Union.  Richard and John were noted hunters.  They died in 1810, aged respectively eighty-nine and eighty-eight years.  William was in Captain Menarys company during the war of 1812.  After it was over he settled on Colonel Evans' land.  He is, now living on his farm on the north fork of Paint creek, eighty-two years of age, and in good health and spirits.  He furnishes the following names of early settlers; James Weaver, who is the father of ten sons, all farmers; Jacob Shedy, James Augustus, Oliver Michael, James Anderson, James Pool, Michael Musselman, William Rogers, James Duncan, Jr.; General James Menary, who served in the war of 1812, and one term in the legislature; Richard Atherton, L. H. Atherton, Henry Atherton, and John Anderson, who was in the war of 1812.

Names of Early Settlers, furnished by Major James Weaver.
     William Pool, Jacob Sharer, S. Organ, Oliver Nichols, Revs. Joseph and James Nichols, Addison Nichols, Stephen Ryan, Daniel Beard, George Steel, T. Anderson, Charles Binns, John Guster, James Steel; Richard Barrett, blacksmith; T. Arthur, first merchant and preacher; H. Rouse, Wm. Fulton, Wm. Noble and S. Day who were all farmers.

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Names and Records, by John N. Hunt.
     His father, Levi Hurst, and family emigrated to Ross county, from Maryland, in 1801.  They came in one-horse carts to Wheeling, where he purchased a flat-boat, in which he floated his effects to Portsmouth, except the horses, which were sent by land.  Here he hitched up his carts again, and in nine days reached Chillicothe, in the month of June.  He moved into the woods the September following.  Wild game was very plenty, and the Indians were hunting in great numbers that fall, so that clearing progressed very slowly.  Mr. Hurst was the father of eight children.  His sons' names were James, William, Harper, Samuel, Thomas, and John N.  The latter occupies the beautiful homestead on Dry run.  He has served his township as justice, clerk, assessor, etc.  They are all Methodists.  General Hurst, who served in the late war, and is now United States revenue collector, is a relative of Squire Hurst.  When Captain Harrod was killed by the Indians, a company was raised and pursued them as far as Old Town.  In returning they indulged in firing at game, which so alarmed the settlers that they all left their cabins, and the whole thirteen families collected at Levi Hurst's, expecting an attack.  Mrs. Hubbard stood during the night near the window, with an ax, saying that she would kill the first Indian that would attempt to get in.  Mr. Levi Hurst built the first hewed log house in the township.  He was born in 1770, and died in 1861.  He and his wife had lived together seventy years.
     John Rogers, one of the pioneers, helped to build the first cabin in Chillicothe.  He was in the valley three months prior to the arrival of the first white woman, and drove the first cattle from Kentucky to Chillicothe.  His old cabin in still standing.  Judge James Armstrong served as judge one term.  He was a man of ability.  Joseph Clark, James and Hamilton Rogers were early settlers.  Judge Joshua Robinson died in 1862, aged eighty-eight years.  Thomas, John, and Joseph McCoy were the first settlers on dry run.  Thomas Earl wa

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an early settler and good man; served as justice several terms.  David Augustus was in the war of 1812.  Joseph Counts, John Russell, Henry Davis, and William Harvey were the first school teachers.  Rev. Benj. Young was the first preacher.  Rev. H. Smith organized the first Methodist Church in 1800.  The first camp meeting was held in 1803, on Thomas Watts' farm.  Eben Timmons, Thomas Hicks, Thomas Willis, Robert Harvey, T. Tootte, N. Adams, Isaac Cook; James Dunlap, who was a member of the State legislature; Colonel Evans, a man of great enterprise and a large land owner, who came from Kentucky; Philip Miner, Jacob Mace, Joshua Clark, Joseph Counts, Asa Hawkins, Jacob Crispin, Levi Warner, Abram Winder, Charles Fryson, John Hinder, Milton Anderson, Thomas Thompson, Mr. Williams, David Corbit, Michael Baily, William Fulton, and Daniel Beard, who was in the war of 1812.
     John Dunlap, father of James and all the other Dunlaps in this region, emigrated to Union township in 1796, and was so much pleased with the Scioto Valley that he bought a large body of land on the west bank of the Scioto, for which he gave nineteen cents an acre.  This land is now owned by his sons, and is worth one hundred dollars per acre.  His wife was a granddaughter of Dr. Benjamin Franklin.  His sons were Robert, Rufus, James, John, Major, and Lorenzo.
     Casper Smith came to the Scioto Valley in 1796.  His father was a captain during the Revolutionary war.  Casper was in the war of 1812, and died in 1845.  Henry and Thomas Bowdall and James Fish came in 1800.  Rachel Buckworth is yet living, and has raised a large family.  Thomas Vinsant.  Mr. McCarfity, an early settler, was in the war of 1812.  The latter was a kind man and good neighbor.  His widow is yet living at Chillicothe, and still owns the old farm.  John Huber, Sen., John Huber, Jr., and Henry Russell, all farmers, with large families.  John Robinson, Thomas Littleton, James Charge, Henry Cook, John Davis, Thomas Earl, Caleb Leland, and John James came to 1799; all farmers.

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Pioneer Names, etc., by Michael Beaver, Jr.
     Michael Beaver, Sen., emigrated to Ross county from Virginia in 1800.  His family consisted of Michael, Joseph, Eliza, Susan, and Elias  He purchased a section of the military land on Deer creek.  He served in the Revolutionary war, and his son Michael in the war of 1812.  The wife of the latter died in 1860, aged seventy-nine years.  Peter Jackson was a justice for several years, and had been in the Revolutionary war.  John Baker, John Kirkendal, and Stephen Timmons.  The latter was the first Methodist preacher, in 1796.  William Noble still lives, at the age of eighty-eight years.  A. Davenport.  B. Rhinehart's sons, John, Jacob, Henry, and Abel, are prominent and useful citizens.  They were early settlers having once in 1876.  Jacob was a captain in the war of 1812, and his brothers were all members of his company.  Abner and Benj. Kerns were drovers in the war of 1812.  Colonel John Mace and Andrew Mace were sons of Jacob Mace, an early pioneer.  This family have occupied prominent positions in civil and military affairs.  J. S. Mace is now sheriff of Ross county.  he is a man of influence and an efficient officer.  John Thompson, Jesse Grimes, Hezekiah Ingham, Isaac Ingham, and James Whitesides were in the war of 1812.  George Bennett was the first blacksmith, and Len. Warner the first potter.  William and Isaac Warner were carpenters.  The Warner family were Quakers.  Philip Mencil was a captain in Colonel Clark's regiment.  This regiment was mustered out in 1813, on the farm of M. Beaver, on Deer creek.  Anson Watts, who was also in that war, is still living, eight-five years of age.

Ancient Works.
     On Mrs. Steel's farm is a large earthwork, with two miles of wall, several large mounds, squares, gateways, and bastions.  There is a circle on Mr. George Shearer's farm a mile long, with embankments six feet high.  There is a large mound and circular fort on Mr. Woods farm.

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