Adams County, Ohio - Chapter 10: Organization of the Townships, 1900

At the first session of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, which convened at Manchester, Tuseday September 12, 1797, the county of Adams was divided into six original townships, by order of the Court, as follows, towit :

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 comer of the same ; thence with the said west line to the place of beginning.

Manchester Township - To beg^n at the upper comer 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; thenoe with the said line to the place of beginning.

Isaac Edg^ngton, Aaron Moore, and Nathaniel Washburn were appointe?d Supervisors of Roads ; Job Denning and William Hannah were appointed and sworn as Constables.

Iron Ridge Township - To beg^n at the upper comer 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. Thotnas Grimes and James Collins were appointed Supervisors of Roads, and Stephen Beach, Constable.

Union Township - To beg^n 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.

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.

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 comer; thence with the north line of the same to the line of Scioto Township ; thence south with said line to the southeast comer 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.

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 :

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.

>sifj//TvJv^* - ^J/fnujamin f/rmHon. Ke«r>en Abram^. John Thaq). ^/v^Tv^tT^ - Wjlliam Crajjf, Samuel Rogers. k/'vie^'efv-Wiiliam Ca^e. Samue! Henderson.

M-\H3*rF, TowNHiiii' - The Court of Quarter Session at the June t^r^^um, iHfg}, rn-aterl a new township in the county from territory be- Uftt^i'unz (*edar Hill Township, which was named in honor of the fMindrr nf the first settlement in the county, Massie Township. The tiu'tfrt] not c/miplet<r in the descriptif>n of the boundary' of this town- -iliip, iIh" north line being omitted, as the following would disclose: **It i«» tnli'd and ordered that a township be laid off called Massie Township: I'r^jititiing on the east fr)rk of Eagle Creek where the Manchester Town- *»liip Ijfif rrosses; |that was a due north line from the Ohio River opposite llir nioiiih of Cabin Creek| thence down the same to the main creek: tlirtire with the creek to the mouth ; thence north with the county line to MntM'lMstrr Tovvtishij), anrl from said township line to the beginning." The ilvkrr'i\f\'utu should read *'thence north with the county line to its upper boimd;!! V ; thence with the north line of the county to the Manchester rnvvnsliip liiH'. and thence south with said line to the place of beginning.'' riuM fnnd<' the beginning corner in the region to the souhtwest of Hill's p'ork pnstoflice in what is now Liberty Township, Adams County, and the new townshij) included all that portion of Brown County within the present townships of Huntington, Hyrd, Jefferson, Jackson and h'.;i>:l<*; and a portion of I'nion, l^ranklin and Washington, as well as all the northwestern portions of Adams County as it now is bounded, to- |k»ether with a portion of Highland and Ross Counties.

Sprinx 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 P^eterson'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.

On December 2, 1806, the County Commissioners, Nathaniel Beasley, Job Dinning, and Moses Baird proceeded to divide the county into townships, as follows :

HuNTixGTON 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.

Sprigg Township - Beginning at the upper corner of Huntington township (on the Ohio), thence running up the river with the meanders thereof and binding thereon to the mouth of Island Creek; thence north so far as that an east and west Hne 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 comer of Huntington Township; thence with the north line thereof to the northeast comer of the said township; thence north with the line of Sprigg and passing its comer to the north line of Adams Countv ; thence with the said line west to the northwest comer of the county, thence south to the beginning.

Wayne Township - Beginning at the notheast comer of Sprigg Township ; thence east so far as that a north line will strike the mouth of Cherry Fork of Bmsh Creek ; thence north to the north line of Adams County ; thence with the said line to the northeast comer of Byrd Township ; thence south with the line of Byrd Township to the northwest comer 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 Credc (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 comer of Sprigg Township; thence south with the line of Sprigg Township to the beginning.

Green Township - Beginning at the mouth of Bmsh 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 to the east line of Adarns 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 comer of Adams County; thence with the line of Adams County south to the northeast comer of Jefferson Township; thence with the north line of said township to the beginning.

On the next day, December 3. the Commissioners proceeded to appoint the places for holding the first elections in the several townships, as follows :

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.

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 comer 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.

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.