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CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 243 CHAPTER VII ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY AND TOWNSHIPS GENERAL STATEMENTS-ORIGIN OF THE TERRITORY-ORGANIZATION FIRST OFFICIAL ACT IN THE COUNTY-CIVIL TOWNSHIPS DESCRIBED AS TO SECTIONS, TOWNSHIP AND RANGES-ORGANIZATION OF TOWNSHIPS EARLY AND PRESENT SUB-DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY. GENERAL STATEMENTS Harrison County was named for that eminent soldier-statesman, General William Henry Harrison, eighth President of the United States. It was erected and organized by the Act of January 2, 1813. It was composed of a territory detached from Jefferson and Tuscarawas Counties. The seat of justice was established at Cadiz and has never been removed. The county is very hilly, but the hills are highly cultivated. The soil is clayey in which coal and timber, as well as oil and gas abound. It has long been known as one of the greatest wool-growing counties in the United States, also has a large and varied range of agricultural products. In April, 1799, Alexander Henderson and family, of Washington County, Pennsylvania, settled near where Cadiz now stands. At that time there was but one other family in the limits of the county, that of Daniel Peterson, who resided at the forks of Short Creek. In 1800, emigrants from western Pennsylvania began to come into the region of Cadiz, the county seat, which was laid out in 1803 by Messrs. Biggs and Beatty. Its sight as was usual in those. times, in a forest and its location was prompted by the fact that it was at the junction of the road from Pittsburgh to Steubenville, with the road from Washington, Pennsylvania, via Wellsburg, Virginia. Gen. George A. Custer, noted Indian fighter, was born at New Rumley, this county, December 5, 1839. Who has not read of this great American soldier and looked upon the thrilling scene depicted by the artist who painted "Custer's Last Charge?" Another celebrated American, Bishop Matthew Simpson, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was born at Cadiz, June 10, 1811, and preached his first sermon in his native place. Hon. Edward M. Stanton, President Lincoln's Secretary of War, during the Civil war, when a young man came to Cadiz to practice law. ORIGIN OF TERRITORY What is now known as Harrison County was erected from parts of Jefferson and Tuscarawas Counties, as has been before stated. As first constituted, the county included the southern portion of Carroll County, while the western half of Franklin and nearly all of Monroe Townships were retained by Tuscarawas County, Carroll 244 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES County was erected in 1832 from parts of Jefferson, Harrison, Columbiana, Stark and Tuscarawas, which left the northern boundary of Harrison as it is today. The original townships of Jefferson County which covered nearly all of the present territory of Harrison, were Short Creek and Archer. As organized in 1803, Short Creek township included all the present townships of Nottingham, Moorefield, Cadiz, Athens, Short Creek and the south three-sevenths of Green, besides three tiers of sections in Jefferson County ; while Archer included the east halves of Monroe and Franklin, all of North, Stock, Rumley, Archer and German, and the north four-sevenths of Green, besides the southern tier of sections in Carroll and the northwestern portion of Jefferson counties. ORGANIZATION Harrison County was organized under the legislative act passed January 2, 1813, to take effect January 1, 1814. On January 12, PICTURE OF GEN. GEORGE A. CUSTER'S BIRTHPLACE 1813, the legislature amended the act, making it take effect February 1, 1813, which, accordingly, is the date of the erection of this county. On January 14, 1813, the legislature appointed three commissioners, to locate the seat of justice for the new county and named Messrs. Jacob Myers, Joseph Richardson and Robert Speer for this purpose. On the fifteenth of the following April, these commissioners made their report to the common pleas court for Jefferson County, naming the village of Cadiz as the county seat. COUNTY'S FIRST OFFICIAL ACT Common Pleas Court Journal "A," page 1, reads as follows: "At a special Court of Common Pleas, began and held at the house of Thomas Stokes [present site of the old First National Bank CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES- 245 Building] in the town of Cadiz, in the county of Harrison and State of Ohio, on the third day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, present James Roberts, Samuel Boyd and Ephraim Sears, Esquires, associate judges of said county. On motion Edward Fletcher and John Fletcher were appointed administrators of, the estate of Archibald Fletcher, late of said county, deceased, and gave bond in the sum of three thousand dollars, whereupon James Cobean and Archibald McGrew were accepted as security, and Martin Snyder, John Jamison and Jacob Jamison and Jacob Shepler, were appointed appraisers of said estate. John Walreaven and Joseph Holmes executors of the last will and testament of William Walreaven, deceased, and the codicil annexed there unto, brought the said will and codicil into court, and made probate thereof by the oaths of Richard Jones, Andrew Eagleson, and Thomas Dickerson, the subscribing witnesses thereto, and thereupon letters testamentary with a copy of the will annexed were granted to the said John and Joseph executors in said will mentioned, who were duly sworn in open court as the law directs, and Eleazer Huff, Eli Dickerson and James Worley were appointed appraisers of said estate." TOWNSHIP DESCRIPTIONS The various civil townships of Harrison County are composed of sections and ranges as follows: Township 8, range 4: Sections 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 form the south half of Short Creek Township. Sections 34, 35 and 36 form a part of the east one-sixth of Athens Township. Township 9, range 4: Sections 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26 and 27 form the north half of Short Creek Township. Sections 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 form the south three-sevenths of Green Township. Section 31 forms the northeast corner of Athens Township. Sections 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 form the east one-seventh of Cadiz Township. Township 10, range 4: Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27 and 28 form the north four-sevenths of Green 'Township. Sections 5, 6, 11, 12, 17, 18, 23, 24, 29 (except the northwest eighty acres) and 30 (except the west 160 acres) form the south two- fifths of German Township. Sections 33, 34 and south half of 35, form part of the east one- sixth of Archer Township. Section 26, the north half of 35, the west 160 acres of section 30 and the northwest eighty acres of section 29 form part of the southeast corner of Rumley Township. Township 11, range 4: Sections 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26 and 27 form the north three-fifths of German Township. Sections 31, 32 and 33 form part of east of one-fifth of Rumley Township. The remainder of township 11, range 4, lies in Jefferson and Carroll counties. 246 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES Township 9, range 5: Sections 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 form the south three-fourths of Athens Township. Sections 34, 35 and 36 form part of the east one-seventh of Moorefield Township. Sections 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 form the west fourth of Wheeling Township, Belmont County. Sections 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 31, 32 and 33 form the east two-fifths of Flushing Township, Belmont County. Township 10, range 5: Sections 1, 7, 13, 19 and 25 form the north fourth of Athens Township. Section 31 forms the northeast corner section of Mooresfield Township. Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 form the west sixty-seventh of Cadiz Township. Township 11, range 5: Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, the south half of sections 5, 11, 17 and 23 and the east two-thirds of sections 25, 26, 27, 28 and of the south half of 29, form the township of Rumley. Sections 6, 12, 18, 24, the north half of sections 5, 11, 17 and 23 and the east fourth of section 30 and of north half of 29 form part of the south one-third of Rumley Township. Township 12, range 5: Sections 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21 and the east fourth of sections 25, 26 and 27 form part of the north two-thirds of Rumley Township. The remainder of township 12, range 5, dies in Carroll County. Township 10, range 6: Sections 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 16,. 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 34, 35 and 36 form part of the south three- fourths of Moorefield Township. Sections 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 31, 32 and 33 are in Belmont County. Township 11, range 6: Sections 7, 1, 13, 19, 25 and 21 form part of the north one-fourth of Mooresfield Township. Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 form all of Nottingham Township. Township 12, range 6: Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21 and 22 and the south portions of sections 5, 11, 17 and 23 form the west eight-elevenths of Stock Township. Sections 6, 12, 18 and the north portions of sections 5, 11 and 17 form part of the southwest quarter of North Township. Sections 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34 and the south portions of sections 29 and 35 form the east two-fifths of Franklin Township. Sections 24, 30, 36 and the north portions of sections 23, 29 and 35 form part of the southwest corner of Monroe Township. Township 13, range 6: Sections 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14 and 15 form the northwest portion of North Township. Sections 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 31, 32 and 33 form the northeast portion of Monroe Township. The remainder of township 13, range 6, lies in Carroll County. CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES- 247 Township 11, range 7: Sections 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 34, 35 and 36 form the south three-fourths of Freeport Township. Sections 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 20, 25, 26, 27, 31, 32 and 33 are in Guernsey County. Township 12 range 7: Sections 1, 7, 13, 19, 25 and 31 form the north one-fourth of Freeport Township. Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34 and 35 and 36 form all Washington Township. Township 13, range 7: Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 and the south portion of sections 5, 11 and 17 form the west three-fifths of Franklin Township. Sections 6, 12 and 18 and the north portion of sections 5, 11 and 17 form part of southwestern portion of Monroe Township. The remainder of township 13, range 7, lies in Tuscarawas County. Township 14, range 7: Sections 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14 and 15 form the northwest portion of Monroe Township. The remainder of township 14, range 7, lies in Carroll and Tuscarawas counties. LEGAL FORMATION OF TOWNSHIPS When Harrison County was formed in 1813 the townships were Short Creek (formed in 1797), Archer, (formed in 1799), Cadiz (formed in 1803), Green (formed in 1807), and Nottingham ( formed in 1809). On June 11, 1813, North Township was formed by order of the commissioners. On June 5, 1815, Stock Township was formed. On March 9, 1825, the townships of Shortcreek and Green were re-arranged as to boundaries. On December 6, 1824, German Township was formed; also Athens Township was formed the same date, as were Moorefield, Freeport and Washington townships. Rock Township was formed December 6, 1824, beginning at the southeast corner of section 1, township 13, range 5; thence north to the northeast boundary line of county; thence west to county line to the northwest corner of section 24, township 13, range 5 ; thence south to the southwest corner of section 19, township 13, range 5; thence east to the place of beginning. Union Township was also formed December 6, 1824, as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of section 25, township 13, range 5, thence north to the north line of county ; thence west to the northwest boundary line of said corner (this was before Carroll County was formed and includes a part of Carroll) thence south to the southwest corner of section 13, township 14, range 6, thence east to place of beginning. 248 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES PRESENT BOUNDARIES On March 4, 1833, after Carroll County was formed, the townships of Harrison County were arranged as they appear today. (See History of Townships in this volume for details of boundaries.) |