Paulding County, Ohio - Chapter 4: Township History, Organization, Early Settlers, Etc, 1892 (part 2 of 2)

The first postoffice established in the townnship was Doylestown, located on the canal, a short distance south of Timberville. It was named by Samuel Doyle, Sr., who ran a packet line on the canal and carried the United States mail from Cincinnati to Toledo. The office has long since been discontinued, as has the office at Murat. The present offices of the township are Timberville, Hamer and Plumb's X Roads. The first sermon preached in the township was at the residence of Joseph Mellinger, in the year of 1831, by a Methodist Episcopal minister named J.J. Hill. He rodea circuit, commencing at St. Mary's, and taking in Willshire, Shane's Crossing, Mellinger's, Antwerp, Defiance and Florida; thence returning to St. Mary's. The distance traveled was about three hundred miles, and the compensation received was $105 per year. The second religious society organized was near the residence of Joseph. Mellinger. Its first members were Sarah Blossom, John and Susan Smith, and Elwood and Margaret Pease. Their first minister was Rev. Dr. Shingledecker. Afterward came Revs. Abraham Miller, C. B. Whitley, J. B. Holden, Michael Johnson and William Kendall. The Mellinger chapel is a neat frame church, located near the center of the township. The villages of the township are Murat, Timberville, Hamer and Plumb's X Roads. Murat was laidout, in 1853, by Jesse Harreli, on both sides of the canal, and on the east half of the northwest quarter of section 10. In its palmy days it only contained a small store or two, and is now extinct. Timberville is asmall canal town, one mile south of Murat. Hamer is a small village, also on the canal, in the southeast corner of the township. Plumb's X Roads is located in the southern part of the township, two miles west of Hamer. The route of the Midland railroad extends east and west through this township and is graded through it. The largest stream of the township is the Big Auglaize. It flows through the northwest corner. The Little Auglaize river enters the township near its southeast corner and flows northward through its central part. Dog creek, Middle creek and Prairie creek are western tributaries of the Little Auglaize. West branch is a southern tributary of Prairie creek. The township contains a colony of colored people who, for the most part, are in a thrifty and prosperous condition. Some of them are well educated and have held township offices. There are also some colored people located in Emerald, Jackson, Paulding and Blue creek townships; but the greatest number are to be found in Washington township. Many of these were formerly slaves in Kentucky, and were liberated before the war ; others were born free in the southern part of the state. The population of the township, as returned by the census of 1880, was 1,346; by the census of 1890, it was 1,901. The number of voters returned May 18, 1891, was 446.