CHAPTER X. ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIPS The Territorial Townships—Roster of Township Officers—The Townships under the Constitution—Places of holding Elections— Erection of New Townships. At the first session of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, which convened at Manchester, Tuesday September 12, 1797, the county of Adams was divided into six Original townships, by order of the Court, as follows, to-wit CEDAR HILL TOWNSHIP—To begin at the mouth of Eagle Creek on the Ohio, running up the same to Lawson's Ferry opposite the mouth of Cabin Creek; thence north to the northern boundary of the county; thence with the north line to the northwest corner of the same; thence with the said west line to the place of beginning. Jacob Boone was appointed Supervisor of Roads, and William Rains, Constable. MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP—TO begin at the upper corner of Cedar Hill Township on the Ohio, running up the river to the mouth of Island Creek; thence up the same to the main forks; thence up the said forks keeping the high lands between Eagle Creek and Brush Creek to where the road (Zane' Trace) leading from Limestone to Wheeling crosses; thence north to the northern boundary of the county; thence with said line to the east line of the former (Cedar 'Hill) township; thence with the said line to the place of beginning. Isaac Edgington, Aaron Moore, and Nathaniel Washburn were appointed Supervisors of Roads; Job Denning and William Hannah were appointed and sworn as Constables. IRON RIDGE TOWNSHIP—TO begin at the upper corner of Manchester Township, running up the Ohio to the mouth of the first large branch running into the river above the mouth of Salt Creek ; thence up the same to the head; thence on the high lands along the heads of the southeast fork of the Scioto Brush Creek to the junction with the main creek ; thence up the same to the mouth of Rounding Fork; thence up in the forks keeping the highlands to where the road (Zane's Trace) leading from Limestone to Wheeling crosses the said ridge; thence north to the northern, boundary of the said county ; thence with the said line to the line of the before-mentioned (Manchester) township; thence with the said line to the place of beginning. Thomas Grimes and James Collins were appointed Supervisors of Roads, and Stephen Beach, Constable. (98) ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIPS - 99 UNION TOWNSHIP—TO begin at the upper corner on the Ohio of the above (Iron Ridge) township, running up the river to the mouth of the Little Scioto; thence up the same to the first large fork coming in on the lower side; thence north until it strikes the Salt Lick fork of Scioto; thence down the same to the mouth; thence west to the highlands between Paint Creek and Sunfish Creek and along the same until it crosses the road leading from Limestone to Wheeling; thence westwardly along the said road to the line of the former township; thence with the said line to the place of beginning. No road supervisors appointed at this session of the court. John McBride was appointed Constable for the township. SCIOTO TOWNSHIP—TO begin at the northeast corner of Union Township, running westwardly with the north line of said township to the east line of Iron Ridge Township ; thence north with the said line, to the north line of the county ; thence eastwardly with said line so far that a line south will strike the place of beginning. Samuel Harris was appointed Constable for the township and being present was sworn in open court. UPPER TOWNSHIP—TO begin at the upper corner, on the Ohio, of Union Township, running up the river to the upper boundary of the county; thence north with said line to the northeast corner; thence with the north line of the same to the line of Scioto Township; thence south with said line to the southeast corner thereof ; thence with the east line of Union Township to the place of beginning. Thomas Kilmuth was appointed Constable. At the December session of this court, the first held at the new county seat of Adamsville, or "Scantville," as it was derisively called, John Shepherd was appointed supervisor of Iron Ridge Township instead of Joseph Collins, and ordered to oversee that portion of Zane's road "beginning where it crosses the west line of Iron Ridge Township and continuing to the residence of Shepherd on Ohio Brush Creek. And that all the inhabitants on the waters of Brush Creek north of the road leading from Manchester to Elijah Chapman's including all above Chapman's on the waters of Brush Creek" be under the supervision of Collins. Roster of Township Officers. At the March session, 1798, which convened at Adamsville on the thirteenth of the month, the Court, with Maj. John Bellie presiding, appointed the following officers for the respective townships : CEDAR HILL—Assessor, Simon Reader. Supervisors—John Mitchell, Jacob Boone, and Nathan Ellis. Overseers of the Poor— Charles Osier, and David Graham. Reviewers of Inclosures—John West and Abraham Evans. Constable—Williams Rains. MANCHESTER—Assessor, Aaron Moore. Supervisors—Daniel Robbins, Isaac. Edgington, John McGate. Overseers of the Poor—John Thomas and Nathaniel Washburn. Reviewers—William Leedom and John Cook. Constables—Job Denning and Benjamin Gray. 100 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY IRON RIDGE—Assessor, Noble Grimes. Supervisors—Peter Heath, William Aekins and Joseph Williams. Overseers—James Morrison and William Russell. Reviewers—Noble Grimes and William Russell. Constable—Josiah Stout. UNION—Assessor, James Edison. Supervisors—William Saltsberry, William Stackham and — Mitchell. Overseer's—Joseph Woolsey and — Mitchell. Reviewers—William Saltsberry and Joseph Woolsey. Constables—John Hessler. At the March session the following year, James Edison and Joseph Woolsey were appointed overseers for the township; and John Collins assessor, and Stephen Carey (on Carey's Run, now in Scioto County) constable. SCIOTO—Assessor, Thomas Dick. Supervisors—Benjamin Urmston, Reuben Abrams, John Tharp. Overseers—William Craig, Samuel Rogers. Reviewers—William Case, Samuel Henderson. UPPER—Assessor, John Watts. At March session, 1799, William Montgomery was appointed constable, and John Watts overseer. MASSE. TOWNSHIP—The Court of Quarter Session at the June session, 1800 created a new township in the county from territory belonging to Cedar Hill Township, which was named in honor of the founder of the first settlement in the county, Massie Township. The record is not complete in the description of the boundary of this township, the north line being omitted, as the following would disclose: "It is ruled and ordered that a township be laid off called Massie Township: Beginning on the east fork of Eagle Creek where the Manchester Township line crosses; [that was a due north line from the Ohio River opposite the mouth of Cabin Creek] thence down the same to the main creek ; thence with the creek to the mouth; thence north with the county line to Manchester Township, and from said township line to the beginning." The description should read "thence north with the county line to its upper boundary ; thence with the north line of the county to the Manchester Township line, and thence south with said line to the place of beginning." This made the beginning corner in the region to the souhtwest of Hill's Fork postoffice in what is now Liberty Township, Adams County, and the new township included all that portion of Brown County within the present townships of Huntington, Byrd, Jefferson, Jackson and Eagle; and a portion of Union, Franklin and Washington, as well as all the northwestern portions of Adams County as it now is bounded, together with a portion of Highland and Ross Counties. At the March session, 1801, the Court appointed the following officers for Massie Township : ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIPS - 101 Lister—Andrew Moore. Supervisors—John Epsey, John Shreves, Jeptha Beasley. Overseers—William Kincaid, John Espey. Viewers—William Gregory, William Stephenson, Robert Moore. Auditors of Supervisors Accounts—James Moore, Nathaniel Beasley, David DeVore. Appraisers of Town Lots—Jonas Shreves, Adam McPherson. Constable—Neal Lafferty. SPRING HILL TOWNSHIP-This township was formed at the March session of the Court of Quarter Sessions, 1802 As the law providing for the election of township officers took effect in April following, no appointments of township officers were made by the Court. The boundaries of this township were as follows: "Beginning on the west line of Iron Ridge Township at the road leading from January's to Killinstown, [James January lived at foot of the hill west of West Union on what is known as the Swearingen farm] with said road on to Killinstown; and from thence with the trace to William Peterson's on Brush Creek; thence east to the highlands between Scioto Brush Creek and Ohio Brush Creek; thence with said highlands between Scioto Brush Creek and Ohio Brush Creek to the east line of Iron Ridge Township." This cut Iron Ridge Township into two divisions, the upper portion being called Spring Hill Township. The election of township officers was ordered to be held at the house of Daniel Collier on Ohio Brush Creek. The elections for township officers in the other townships were ordered to be held at the following places : Upper Township, at the residence of Kimber Barton. Union Township, at the house of John Collins, in the town of Alexandria. Iron Ridge Township, at the court house in the town of Washington. Manchester Township, at John McGate's in the town of Manchester. Cedar Hill Township, at the residence of Nathan Ellis. Massie Township, at the house of John Shepherd, proprietor of Shepherd's horse mill on Red Oak. The Townships under the Constitution. On December 2, 1806, the County. Commissioners, Nathaniel Beasley, Job Dinning, and Moses Baird proceeded to divide the county into townships, as follows : HUNTINGTON TOWNSHIP-Beginning on the Ohio River one and one-half miles below, opposite to the mouth of Cabin Creek; thence running down the river and binding thereon to the mouth of Eagle Creek; thence with the lower line of Adams County north to the south line of James Williams' survey which Alexander Dunlap now owns ; thence with the said Dunlap's line east to the dividing corner between Jordan Harris' two surveys ; thence east to Eagle Creek; thence up the same with the meanders thereof to the mouth of Suck Run ; thence east to the west line of Sprigg Township ; thence with the said line south to the beginning. 102 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY SPRIGG TOWNSHIP—Beginning at the upper corner of Huntington township (on the Ohio), thence running up the river with the meanders 1thereof and binding thereon to the mouth of Island Creek ; thence north so far as that an east and west line will strike the north line of Thomas Hill's tract of land (Hill's .Fork) ; thence so far as that a south line will Strike the beginning. BYRD TOWNSHIP—Beginning at the northwest corner of Huntington Township; thence with the north line thereof to the northeast corner of the said township; thence north with the line of Sprigg and passing its corner to the north line of Adams County ; thence with the said line west to the northwest corner of the county, thence south to the beginning. WAYNE TOWNSHIP—Beginning at the notheast corner of Sprigg Township; thence east so far as that a north line will strike the mouth of Cherry Fork of Brush Creek ; thence north to the north line of Adams County ; thence with the said line to the northeast corner of Byrd Township; thence south with the line of Byrd Township to the northwest corner, of Sprigg Township; thence east with the line of the said township to the place of beginning. TIFFIN TOWNSHIP—Beginning at the mouth of Island Creek (on the Ohio River) ; thence up the Ohio River with the meanders thereof and binding thereon, to the mouth of Brush Creek ; thence up the said creek and binding thereon to the mouth of the Lick Fork of Brush Creek thence with the highlands between Brush Creek and the Lick Fork till it strikes the east line of Wayne Township ; thence with the line of the said township to the southeast corner thereof ; thence with another line of the said township to the northeast corner of Sprigg Township ; thence south with the line of Sprigg Township to the beginning. GREEN TOWNSHIP—Beginning at the mouth of Brush Creek ; thence up the creek and binding thereon to the mouth of Beasley's Fork; thence on a direct line to the head of Black's Run ; thence with the highlands between the waters of the Ohio River and Scioto Brush Creek to the east line of Adams County ; thence south with the said line to the Ohio River ; thence down the same and binding thereon to the place of beginning. JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP—Beginning at the mouth of Beasley's Fork ; thence up Brush Creek to the mouth of the Lick Fork ; thence east tb the east line of Adams County ; thence south with the said line to the northeast corner of Green Township; thence with the north line to said township, to the beginning. MEIGS TOWNSHIP—Beginning at the mouth of the Lick Fork of Brush Creek; thence with the line of Tiffin Township, to the east line of Wayne Township; thence with the said line north to the back line of Adams County ; thence with said line, to the northeast corner of Adams County ; thence with the line of Adams County south to the northeast corner of Jefferson Township; thence with the north line of said township to the beginning. Places of Holding Elections. On the next day, December 3, the Commissioners proceeded to appoint the places for holding the first elections in the several townships, as follows : ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIPS - 103 Huntington, at the house of John Housh, Sr. Byrd, at the residence of James Moore. Wayne, at the house of Nathaniel Patton. Tiffin, at the Court House, West Union. Green, at the house of Obediah Stout. Jefferson, at the house of Phillip Lewis, Sr. Meigs, at the residence of Peter Wickerham. It was also ordered that the foregoing division of the townships take effect and be in force on and after the first Monday in March, 18o7. EAGLE TOWNSHIP—At the June meeting of the Commissioners, 1807, Byrd Township was divided by a line running due west from a point one mile north of the southwest corner of Wayne Township, and in the west line thereof. The northern division was called Eagle Township, and the first election was held at the residence of William Laycock, where William Rhoten, in Eagle Township, in Brown County, now resides, one mile south of South Fincastle. Change in Name et Other Townships. June 6, 1808, the line between Sprigg Township and Tiffin Township, was ordered altered as follOWs : "Beginning at the mouth of Island Creek ; thence up the creek to the place where the township line ran by Andrew Woodrow crosses the same ; thence with said line to the north part of said township. And that the name thereof be called Manchester, instead of Sprigg. It was further ordered that the names of the different townships in the county be altered and established as follows: That Tiffin be called Union. Huntington be called Cedar Hill. Jefferson be called Iron Ridge. Meigs be called Spring Hill. Byrd be called Liberty. Green be called Ohio. Wayne be called Cherry. The whole of the alterations to take effect July 4, 1808. The above order was afterwards rescinded. Monroe Township was established from territory cut off from Tiffin June 23, 1817. Liberty, cut off of the north end of Sprigg, December 2, 1817. Scott, cut off of north end of Wayne, February 25, 1818. Franklin, cut off of north side of Meigs, March 10, 1828. Winchester, cut off of Wayne and Scott, December 4, 1837. Oliver, cut off of Wayne and Scott, March 8, 1853. Manchester, cut off of Sprigg, composed of Manchester Corporation and Special School District, March 3, 1858.