Franklin County, Ohio - Chapter 15: Montgomery Township, 1858

Chapter 15: Montgomery Township

This township is about er[ual to four and a half miles square ; is the western township in the Refugee Lands, bounded by the Scioto, and in which the city of Columbus is situated. It was organized as a township in 1807; had originally been a small part of Liberty Township. The first settlements made in the present township limits were along Alum Creek, about the year 1799. On the 4th of July, 1800, Mr. William White, who is still living in the township, arrived with his Mher, John White and family, from Pennsylvania, and settled on the farm now owned and occupied by Mr. George White. They then found living on the creek, George Turner and family, William Hamilton and family, James Johnston and family, and David Nelson (the elder) and family. In 1804, Col. Edward Livingston settled in the same neighborhood. About this time, Andrew Culbertson settled in the south-west corner of the township, near where the starch factory now stands. And as early as 1801 or '2, John Hunter settled on Whetstone, north of Columbus, and soon after William Shaw, John Starr (the elder), Nathaniel Hamlin and John McGown, afterward proprietor of South Columbus.

In 1812, the town of Columbus was laid out, and nearly all events worthy of note other than the ordinary improvement of farms, were connected with the town. With the exception of Mr. Nelson's and Mr. Eberly's mills there was no manufacturing establishment in this township (outside of Columbus) until the erection of the starch factory. In 1843, Messrs. C. Colgate and J. J. Wood, having purchased N. Gregory's distillery and grounds, converted the same into a starch factory and commenced the manufacturing of starch under the firm of C. Colgate & Co." In 1846, Colgate's interest was transferred to Sumner Clark, and the business continued by Clark and Wood until 1849, when Mr. Wood bought out Clark's interest, and the business has since been conducted by Mr. Wood alone. In 1852, the whole establishment was consumed by fire. The rebuilding, however, was soon commenced, and in June, 1853, the manufactory was again in operation j since which it has been doing a very useful, and, it is presumed, a profitable business, giving employment to about fifty

In 1852 and '3, the Water Cure and Medical Infirmary - W. Shepherd, M. D., proprietor - was established in this township, about three miles north-east of Columbus, near where the Central Ohio Railroad crosses Alum Creek. This Institution is designed exclusively for the reception and treatment of invalid females.

The success attending the treatment here pursued, and the patronage extended to the Institution during the past five years, warrants the proprietor in prosecuting the enterprise.

In 1840, the population of this township, outside of the city, was 1,449. In 1 850, it was only 1,320. This apparent decrease is to be accounted for by the extension of the city limits. In 1853, the township (outside of the city) composed ten school districts, with an aggregate of 605 youth between the ages of five and

Successive Justices Of The Peace

* From 1816 until 1822, there were four Justices in this township. In 1822, the number was reduced to three, and has since remained at that.