48 - HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
CHAPTER III.
ORIGINAL AND PRESENT WAYNE COUNTY.
VARIOUS attempts have been made by public writers at defining the boundaries of the original
Wayne county, but none of them have achieved historic accuracy or supplied a sufficiently
definite description of its former vast territory. The difficulty with which we were met in
obtaining this description, the substratum, as it is, of all our work, can be more easily conjectured
than expressed. For a time its parallel was presented in the riddle of the Sphinx. Our OEdipus,
too, we suppose, had married his mother, ran mad and died. The county records were of no more
use to us than that many slabs in the stables of the old Augean King. Their rich alluvial corners
were explored, but without compensating effect. The " oldest inhabitant," in this instance, could
not be utilized, and that pro-creative gentleman, made out of the mud of the deluge, and who
knew more about Wayne county than any body else, including the Historical Society, made a
confession, acknowledged he was quite mistaken, and dropped behind the curtain.
By patient search of the National and State records, generously assisted by Hon. R. M. Stimson,
the State Librarian, aided by the former investigations, in this direction, of Hon. John P. Jeffries,
with the helpful co-operation of Hon. Benj. Eason, we have been able to define the first, true,
minute and only correct boundary of Wayne county that has been produced since its existence
was announced in August, 81 years ago.
Wayne county was established by proclamation of General Arthur St. Clair, who, when the
North-western Territory was cre-
ORIGINAL AND PRESENT WAYNE COUNTY - 49
ated into a government, was chosen its Governor. He was appointed in 1788, and continued to
hold the office until Ohio was admitted into the Union as a State, in 1803.
The proclamation of the Governor for that purpose bears date August 15, 1796, and may be
found on page 2,096 of the 3d vol. of Chase's Statutes. It was the sixth county formed in the
North-western Territory, and the third in the territory composing the State of Ohio, Washington
county being the first, and Hamilton county the second, the former embracing all of the territory
east of the Scioto and Cuyahoga rivers, and the latter what is now South-western Ohio, which
includes all the territory between the Big and Little Miami rivers, and extending north to what is
known as the " Standing Stone Forks," on the first designated stream.
In the early defined boundaries of counties established in the North-western Territory the most
accurate surveys were not made, and clearly defined boundaries of counties did not even enter
into the laws. Our explorations of the records are sufficiently comprehensive and reliable to
clearly define original Wayne county. For that purpose we will commence at
THE MOUTH OF THE CUYAHOGA RIVER,
Where it empties into Lake Erie, at Cleveland, thence, following up that river, to the " Old
Portage,"* now known as Akron, in Summit county, thence diverging from the Cuyahoga river in
a southerly direction, across the summit to a point on the Tuscarawas river, near New Portage, in
the same county ; thence following the Tuscarawas river through the county of Stark to the
junction of the Big Sandy and Tuscarawas, at the north line of Tuscarawas county, and there
terminating the eastern anginal boundary of Wayne county ; thence in a south-western direction
on
*A carrying-place from which goods were transferred on that river, about tive miles across the
country, to what is now known as " New Portage," in Coventry township, in Summit county, on
the Tuscarawas river.
50 - HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
THE OLD GREENVILLE TREATY LINE,
On the county line between Stark and Tuscarawas, to the east line of Holmes county ; thence
across Holmes county to the north-east corner of Knox county ; thence on the line between Knox
and Ashland to the south-east corner of Richland county.; thence on the line between Richland
and Knox counties to the north-east corner of Pike township, Knox county ; thence across the
townships of Pike, Berlin and Middlebury, in Knox county, to the east line of Morrow county ;
thence across Morrow county on the south line of the townships of Franklin, Gilead, and
Carding-ton, in Morrow county, to the south-east corner of Marion county ; thence on the line
between Morrow and Marion counties to the north-east corner of Waldo township, in Marion
county ; thence on the line between Waldo and Richland townships, to the southwest corner of
Richland township ; thence across the townships of Waldo and Prospect, to the east line of Union
county ; thence across Union county, on the south line of the townships of Jackson and
Washington, to the east line of Logan county ; thence across Bokescreek and Rushcreek
townships to the south-east corner of McArthur township ; thence on the line between McArthur,
Lake and Harrison townships, and thence across Washington and Bloomfield townships, to the
east line of Shelby county ; thence across Shelby county, between Jackson and Salem townships,
and across the townships of Franklin, Turtle creek and McLean, to the present site of old Fort
Loramie, in McLean township, in Shelby county, this line terminating at the point of the
beginning of the old Greenville Treaty line ; * thence in a northwestern direction from Fort
Loramie, to the north-east corner of
* This treaty was consummated between General Wayne and the Indians August 3, 1795. In this
instance the innocent white man met " the poor savage," and by some pardonable folly of
superior knowledge, introduced a valuable march on the " scalp-lifter " by setting his compass, at
the beginning of the survey, in the month of June, to bear upon the rising sun for a due east line.
This triumph of engineering on the part of the pale face, made the line bear far north of a due east
and west line, which gave him a large tract of the finest lands in the State of Ohio.
ORIGINAL AND PRESENT WAYNE COUNTY - 51
Darke county ; thence continuing on the same bearing across section seven (7), of Jackson
township, Auglaize county ; thence across the townships of Marion and Granville, to the
southeast corner of Recovery township ; thence on the south line of Recovery township to Fort
Recovery, in Mercer county ; thence north, bearing to the west through Recovery township,
crossing the State line near the north-west corner of section seven (7), entering the State of
Indiana in the county of Jay; thence continuing in the same direction through Adams county, to
Fort Wayne, in Allen county; thence west, bearing to the north, through the counties of Allen,
Whitley, Kosciusko, Marshall, Stark, Porter, and Lake, in the State of Indiana, to the most
southern point of Lake Michigan ; thence around that lake northward through the counties of
Cook and Lake, in the State of Illinois, striking the summit of the highlands to the westward of
the lake far enough to include the lands upon the streams emptying into Lake Michigan, crossing
the State line between Illinois and Wisconsin, about twenty miles west of the lake shore ; thence
in a northerly direction through the counties of Kenosha, Racine, Waukesha and Ozoukee, near
the western shore of Lake Michigan ; thence turning in a northwestern direction, following the
summit of the highlands which divides the waters flowing into the great lakes from those running
into the Mississippi, through the counties of Sheboygan and Fon du Lac ; thence in a western
direction, crossing the south-east corner of Green Lake county, through the northern part of
Columbia county, near the site of old Fort Winnebago, to the south-east corner of Adams county
; thence in a northern direction, through Adams county, the western part of Waushaka county, the
southeast corner of Portage county, the western part of Waupaca county, the western part of
Shawanaw, along the western line of Oconto, following the dividing ridge to the State line
between Wisconsin and Michigan ; thence along the latter line to the ,line between Canada and
the United States ; thence along that boundary, through Lake Superior, Lake Huron, the River St.
52 - HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
Clair, and Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie, to the mouth of the Cuyahoga river, the place of
beginning.
It will be perceived from this original boundary, as proclaimed by Governor St. Clair, that Wayne
county embraced a large area of the old North-western Territory. It included about one-third part
of the present State of Ohio, one-eighth part of the State of Indiana, the north-east corner of
Illinois (including the site of the present city of Chicago), the eastern and about the one-fifth part
of the present State of Wisconsin, the whole of the State of Michigan, embracing all of Lake
Michigan, one-half of the areas of Lakes Superior, Huron, St. Clair, and the north-western part of
Lake Erie, including the battle-ground on which Perry's victory * was achieved.
The county seat of this vastly extended country, territorially possessing an area of 133,000 square
miles, and larger than England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, was established by the same
proclamation which announced its governmental life, at Old Fort Detroit, now the present city of
Detroit. + Thus remained the boundaries and primitive organization of Wayne county for the
term of eight years, and until the second year after the State Constitution had been adopted and
the government of the State of Ohio had been put in active operation,
The Connecticut Western Reserve, in the north-east part of the State, is bounded on the south by
the forty-first parallel of north latitude ; on the west by the present counties of Sandusky and
Seneca; on the north by Lake Erie ; on the east by the State line between Ohio and Pennsylvania.
It had been granted to the Colony of Connecticut in 1662, by Charles II., and reserved by the
State of Connecticut, after the American Revolution, in its deed of cession to the government of
the United States, with a view to
* September to, 1814, Commodore O. H. Perry, in his flagship, Lawrence, with a fleet of 9
vessels and 54 guns and 2 swivels, encountered Commodore Barclay, of the English navy, in his
flagship, Detroit, with 6 vessels, 63 guns, 4 howitzers and 2 swivels, within hearing distance of
Cleveland, on Lake Erie, and won a decisive victory.
+ Detroit, Michigan, still is in Wayne county, the name being retained.
ORIGINAL AND PRESENT WAYNE COUNTY - 53
compensate its Revolutionary soldiers for losses in that war, by granting its warrant to such
sufferers for portions of this reserved territory.
In the year 1803, by acts of the State Legislature, the counties of Montgomery, Greene and
Franklin were formed. These three counties extended north to the State line. It will be seen that
these three counties divided the original Wayne county, separating all the territory east of
Franklin—it being the furthest east of the three named counties—south of the Connecticut
Western Reserve and north of the old Greenville Treaty line, from the balance of Wayne county,
leaving it without county organization, form, or name, and afterwards known as "the New
Purchase."
For five years this territory, called the " New Purchase," remained without civilization, other than
a part of the unorganized territory of the State of Ohio. By Act of the General Assembly of Ohio,
February 13, 1808, the boundaries of the county of Wayne were clearly defined in the third
section of the Act to establish the county of Stark. We here give the section entire :
BOUNDARIES OF WAYNE COUNTY 1N 1808.
" SEC. 3, Be it further enacted, That all that tract of country lying west of the tenth range and east
of the sixteenth range in the said New Purchase, and south of the Connecticut Reserve, and north
of the United States Military District, shall be a separate and distinct county, by the name of
Wayne, but with the county of Stark attached to and made a part of Columbiana county, until the
said county of Stark shall be organized ( Jan. I, 1809 ), and shall thereafter be and remain a part
of the county of Stark until otherwise directed by law."*
The first boundary of Wayne county, established by Legislative enactment, may be more
specifically defined, as follows : On the east by the present county line between Wayne and Stark
; on the south by the old Greenville Treaty line, including a strip of Holmes county, as now
organized, about two and a half miles wide at the east end, and about seven miles wide at the
west end, which strip of territory compassed all of Washington and Ripley
* See O. L., vol. 6, p. 155.
54 - HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
townships in that county, nearly all of Prairie, two-thirds of Saltcreek, half of Paint, and fractions
of Knox. and Monroe townships ; on the west by the west line of Lake, Mohican, Perry and
Jackson townships, in Ashland county; and on the north by the present county line between
Medina and Wayne.
The change in this last description was by Act of the Legislature establishing Holmes county,
January 20, 1824, which took from the south side of Wayne county the strip of territory above
referred to, lying between the old Greenville Treaty line and the present southern boundary of
Wayne county.
FORMATION OF ASHLAND COUNTY.
The formation of Ashland county by Act of the General Assembly of Ohio, February 24, 1846,
took from Wayne to that county its present townships of Jackson, Perry, Mohican and Lake,
except one tier of sections on the east side of those townships, which by the same Act became
attached to the townships of Congress, Chester, Plain and Clinton, in Wayne county, which tier
of sections, among the inhabitants of those townships, is commonly recognized as the " mile
strip."
No other change in the boundaries of Wayne county has taken place since the erection of
Ashland county, and it is believed under the present letter of our State Constitution, none will
soon occur.
ORGANIZATION OF WAYNE COUNTY IN 1812.
Wayne county was organized under an Act of the Legislature of the State of Ohio, bearing date
January 4, 1812, to take effect on the 1st day of March thereafter. The Act provides, "That the
county of Wayne be and the same is hereby organized into a separate county." The same law
provided that the people of the county should elect county officers, on the first Monday of April,
1812, to hold their offices until the next annual election. To the year 181o, Wayne county was
one entire township, by the name of Killbuck, called after the old Indian chief of that name.
ORIGINAL AND PRESENT WAYNE COUNTY - 55
ORGANIZATION OF TOWNSHIPS.
On the I ith of April, 1812, the county was divided into four townships, to wit: Sugarcreek,
Wooster, Mohican and Prairie.
The present territory of Wayne county was surveyed into ranges and townships by the
government of the United States, in the year ranges 1807.
The ranges were strips of territory, six miles wide, numbered from from east to west, and
extending from the old Greenville Treaty line northward to the south line of the Connecticut
Western Reserve-a distance averaging over thirty miles.
These ranges were again surveyed into sections of about one mile square, or containing about
640 acres, and numbered from one to thirty-six, beginning at the north-east corner, and each
thirty-six sections being designed for a township. These townships were again numbered from
the south end of each range northwardly.
Range No. 11 of the original government survey was the eastern and first range in the county,
and in 1812 contained the originally surveyed townships, numbered 15, 16, 17, 18, and a small
fraction of 14.
Range No. 12 contained a small fraction of township 14, and all of townships 15, 16, 17, 18.
Range No. 13 contained a small fraction of 13, and all of townships 14, 15, 16, 17.
Range No. 14 contained a fraction of 17, and all of townships 18, 19, 20, 21.
Range No. 15 contained a fraction of 19, and all of townships 20, 21, 22, 23.
The order of the Commissioners of the county, bearing date follows s :it, 1812, clearly defined
each of the original townships as
Mohican township included all of range 15 in the county, and the west half of range 14, For
Prairie township, beginning at the center of the 14th range, and at the corner of sections 3, 4, 9,
10, in township 18, of range 14; thence east to the eastern boundary
56 - HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO,
of the county ; thence south to the south-east corner of the county ; thence westwardly on the
south boundary of the county (the old Greenville treaty line), to the the center of the 14th range,
and thence north to the place of beginning.
Beginning for Wooster township at the center of range 14, at the corners of sections 3, 4, 9 and
io, in township 18; thence north to the northern boundary of the county; thence east to the range
line between ranges 12 and 13; thence south on said range line to the corners of sections 1, 6, 12
and 7, in township No. 14, of range 13, and township No. 15, in range 12, and thence west to the
place of beginning.
Sugarcreek township contained all of the originally surveyed townships 16, 17 and 18, and the
northern tier of sections in township 15, in range II, and all of originally surveyed townships 16,
17 and 18, and the northern tier of sections in township 15, in range 12.
By an order of the County Commissioners, on the 5th of September, 1814, East Union and Lake
townships were formed, the former embracing originally surveyed townships 16, 17 and 18, and
the northern tier of sections in township 15, in the 12th range; the latter embracing the fraction of
originally surveyed township 19, and all of township 20, in range 15, and the west half of
originally surveyed township 18, and the west half of fractional township 17 in range 14.
On the 14th of September, 1814, four days after Perry's victory on Lake Erie, the County
Commissioners entered an order of record, changing the name of Mohican township to that of
Perry.
On the 5th of June, 1815, the County Commissioners formed the township of Springfield, as
follows : Beginning at the northeast corner of section 24, township 19, (now Plain), range 14 ;
thence west to the north-west corner of section 20 ; thence on the section lines to the south-west
corner of section 20, township 18, (now Clinton); thence east to the south-east corner of section
24- the range line-thence north on the range line to the place of beginning.
ORIGINAL AND PRESENT WAYNE COUNTY - 57
By order of the County Commissioners of September 4, 1815, Chippewa township was formed,
beginning at the south-east corner of section 31, of township 18, of range II, original survey ;
thence north, bearing to the west, to the north-west corner of section 6; thence east to the
north-east corner of the county; thence south on the county line to the south-east corner of section
36 ; thence to the place of beginning.*
On the 5th of March, 1816, the County Commissioners named the originally surveyed township
17, of range 11, Baughman township.
At the last above date Saltcreek township was established, its territory including all of the
originally surveyed township 15, and fractional township 14, of range 12.
Also, at the last above session of the Commissioners of the county, originally surveyed townships
20 and 21, in range 14, were named Chester township, and an order issued to the inhabitants to
elect their officers.
Also at the last above named session of the County Commissioners, Paint township was formed
of all of the originally surveyed township No. 15, and fractional part of township 14, in range 11.
Wayne township was formed, by order of the County Commissioners, October 12, 1816, of the
following territory : All of the originally surveyed townships, Nos. 16 and 17, of range 13.
Greene township was formed, by order of the County Commissioners, February 5, 1817, of all of
the 17 and 18 original townships of range 12.
Congress township was formed, by order of the County Commissioners, October 5, 1818, of the
originally surveyed township No. 21, of range 14.
Milton township was formed of the originally surveyed township No. 18, of range 12, by order of
the County Commissioners, October 5, 1818.
* The old record gives no reason for this peculiar western boundary of this township.
58 - HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
Jackson township was formed of the originally surveyed township 23, of range 15, by order of
the County Commissioners, February 1, 1819,
Canaan township was formed, May 5, 1819, of the originally surveyed township 17, of range 13,
by order of the County Commissioners of that date.
Plain township* was formed as early as 1817, and was composed of territory included in the
original government surveyed township No. 19, of range 14. Its formation obliterated the north
half of Springfield township, formed on the 5th of June, 1815.
Franklin township is composed of part of the originally surveyed townships 14 and 15, of range
13. The County Commissioners, by their order, dated June 7, 1820, formed the boundary of this
township as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 24, in township 15 ; thence
south on the range line to the south-east corner of section 13, in township 14 ; thence west on the
south side of sections 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 to the range line on the west side of range 13;
thence north on the range line to the north-west corner of section 6, township 14; thence east to
the north-east corner of section 5; thence north to the north-west corner of section 28, township
15 ; thence east to the north-east corner of section 28; thence north to the north-west corner of
section 22, township 15 ; thence east to the place of beginning.
On the 7th day of March, 1825, and after the formation of Holmes county, in 1824, by order of
the County Commissioners, this township was enlarged by the attachment of the southern tier of
sections-19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24—since which time no change has been made in its boundaries.
Pike township was formed in 1817, and was composed of the exact territory which now
constitutes Clinton township, and its formation blotted out the south half and all the balance of
Springfield left after the formation of Plain township. And thus, after a brief existence of two
years, Springfield township disappeared from the records and map of Wayne county.
*Precise date of its formation does not appear on record.
ORIGINAL AND PRESENT WAYNE COUNTY - 59
On the 7th of June, 1825, Clinton township, the last of the present sixteen townships of Wayne
county, was formed, by an order of the Commissioners of that date. Its boundaries then were the
same as now, and its formation struck from the map of Wayne county the township of Pike.
Thus it will be seen how the settlement of the county, from time to time, produced the
organization of the various townships, and established, as the necessities of the people required,
their local governments.