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CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 435 CHAPTER XXV FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP ITS BOUNDARY-TOPOGRAPHY-POPULATION- ORGANIC EARLY SETTLEMENT- VILLAGE HISTORY. Franklin Township was carved from parts of what was once Jefferson County, at a very early day. Its boundaries are as follows: It is south of Monroe Township, west of Stock, north of Washington and Nottingham and east of Tuscarawas County. This is a rough surfaced township, with hills and dales. Its streams are not large but numerous. Its area is four and one-half miles by five miles. The chief resources are from the farms and live stock. Its villages of which further mention is made, include Deersville, Brownsville and Franklin, or Tappan postoffice, as now known. POPULATION The official census returns for this township are : In 1890, it was 1,119; in 1900 it was 933; in 1910 it was 939 and the present (1920) United States census returns gives the township 632; that of the village of Deersville is 115; total of village and township, 517. ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIP March 24, I833 Harrison County was divided into civil townships as they appear today, including Franklin. Since then the township has been governed in compliance with the rules of the county commissioners, in common with other sub-divisions of the county. It has had its share of county officers with the passing of the years. The public schools, lodges and churches are represented in the general chapters of this work under proper headings, hence need not here be further mentioned. EARLY SETTLERS IN TOWNSHIP Before 1814 the following immigrants came to this township and made permanent settlement : Walter Craig, 1809; William Craig, 1809, from Washington County, Pennsylvania ; Benjamin Johnson, 1812, from Brooke County, West Virginia; Joel Johnson, 1812, from Brooke County, West Virginia ; Joseph Johnson, 1811, from Brooke County, West Virginia ; Benjamin Price, before 1805 ; Jonathan West, 1811, from Pennsylvania. VILLAGE OF FRANKLIN This inland village was platted by John Marshall, March 4, 1837 in section 34. Before the days of free rural delivery this was quite 436 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES an important postoffice of the county. It has never been more than a country hamlet with little business transacted. DEERSVILLE Deersville, in the extreme southeastern corner of the township in section 25, was platted by John Cramblett, November 25, 1815. As a community center it has been quite a noted and interesting place, but as a commercial point not of great importance. BROWNSVILLE Brownsville, another inland country hamlet in section 32, was 'platted by Absolom Kent, Jr., December 20, 1815. Concerning this township let it be said that Franklin Township, according to its size and population, m proportion, has furnished more county officers than any other township m Harrison County ; and the same is true of Deersville as a village compared with any other village. |