Liberty Township

Liberty Township

Of those who first settled Liberty township comparatively little has been learned. Weare not informed whether any came in before the land sale, but of those who came in about the time of the sale ma; be mentioned Elisha Long, Moses Robertson, T. R. Stanford, David Brower, John I.eavell, Robert Thompson, Jesse Fortner, John Baker, and a number of others. Since the purchases made at the land sale exceeded those of any other township, it is fair to suppose that quite a number had already located there.

Greensboro Towxship

Was first settled by Jacob Woods, Samuel Pickering, and perhaps two or three others, in the summer of 1821. Samuel and Jonas Pickering, Walker Carpenter, and Benjamin Kirk came through, prospecting in 1820, after visiting Winchester, Anderson, Pendleton, and other points.

Jacob Elliott built a cabin about where his son, Jacob S. Elliott, now lives, in the fall of 1821, but did not move into it till the spring of 1822.

At the time Jacob Woods located where he now lives, one and one-fourth miles east of Greensboro, there were no settlers on Blue River between Daniel Jackson's and Joseph Hobson's, except William Shannon, and for some time there were no neighbors <>n the east nearer than William Boner.*, who resided on I he old Wlckersham Farm, about four miles south of New Castle. Quite a number settled about Greensboro in the following year, and so early as 182:! a meeting was held at Duck Creek, David Baily, Joseph Ratliff, Eli Stafford, 8. Pickering, and Jacob Wood being among the "charter members."

irlde oj riJ and thrai -fourths In length, thus embracing about fortj square miles, mostly table land, of a very (toe quality generally. FUtrock, rising in BlueRlvei township, enters this - m Dshlp near the middle of it.- northern boundary, passing out DMi the southwest corner. The vallej of thia stream is so and, although too sluggish to be of much value for hydraulic purposes, It, with it- -mall tributaries, seema In some way con-: neoted with the drainage and fertility of a pride belt of sui>erb (arming lands. The two Symons' Creeks, hereto fore mentioned, (tod their sources in Libert) township, and dow furnish ample drainage to many sections of Bne land that, doubtless, in the paily days of this connty, passed for very wel land.

The aggregate value of the farms and improvements of Libcm township to-day exceeds that of the farms of any other township of the county, and the evidence of thrift and "farming for profit" arc nowhere mare generally visible than in Liberty township. Four villages have been projected in the township -Millville, Ashland, Petersburg, and Chicago, though it is presumed that the proprietors of the two last named, if still Living, have long since abandoned the hope of seeing them outstrip their namesakes. Under the new turnpike law, many miles of turnpike have sprung into existence, and to-day the

The population numbers 1,868, almost exclusively rural. Its 24,000 acres arc divided Into 2(!U farms; an average of 120 acres ci'h. Ii- population numbers about 49 to the square mile, and is divided between 376 families. There are ft persons of color, 19 foreigners, 64 North Carolinians, and :?2 Virginians, within

Stoxy Creek Towxship

The lirst election was held at the house of Ezekiel Leave]], on the first Saturday in May, 1S23, for the election of two Justices of the Peace. Ezekiel Leavell was Inspector. John Smith was made Supervisor of all the roads in the' township. Jacob Tharp and Cyrus Cotton were appointed Overseers of the Poor. In 1S25, the elections were ordered to be held at the house of Samuel I). "Wells, and continued to be held at his house for a number of years.

Tins township, the next in order of organization, was "set up" November 11, 1828. By its creation Prairie Township lost about one-third of its "independent jurisdiction," as Stony Creek was bounded on the west by the range line separating ten and eleven, and extending, as it did, to the eastern boundary of the county, including all north of Liberty township, made it a region uf no small consequence. It was at first eight miles from north to south, six miles wide on the north, and about six and three-fourths on its south line, and had in its ample area about forty-nine and one-half sections of land. A tier of eight sections have since been re-annexed to Prairie to compensate, no doubt, in a measure, for the loss of more than two townships on the west. Blue Biver township lias also been carved out of Stony Creek, thus reducing it in size to bare twenty square miles, about two-fifths of its primal area, and leaving it the smallest of our "baker's dozen."

The township is fittingly named from a creek, which, rising near, runs nearly parallel with, its southern border, then runs north across the township and finally into "White River. The immense quantities of bowlders or "traveled stones" scattered over some of the highest ridges and points in the township surface an l soil than any other equal area in the county, and while there is every variety of timber to be found in the county, so far as our observation has gone, there is a larger pr-.j, irtlon of oak here than elsewhere, and less poplar, ash, &c, than in any place Boutb of township eighteen.

equal toany in the county, while the higher lands, which the casual oh-, rver would, perhaps, pronounce thin or poor, not only produce abundant crops of the smaller grains, hut Indian corn of more than average Bize. There are 118 farms in the township; an average of about 109 acres each. Blountsville and Rogersville are the only villages. The population is 034; dividcl between 197 families. There are thirteen colored persons, 10 foreigners, 21 natives of North Carolina, and I>5 Virginians in the towi

This township can boast of capacious barns, some of which, for style and finish, would put to shame the dwellings of some of our well-to-do farmers.

'I'll first election was held at the house of Thomas Hohson. Jr., December 20, 1898, for the purpose of electing one Justice of the Peace, Wm. Wyatt, Inspector.

V All C B E E K T Owns Ii I P.

m length, from north to south, by seven in width-. Tt thus embraced within its limits fifty-six square miles, or 35,840 acres, and yet with this ample domain the township could only muster twenty-nine votes at an exciting election, in 1830, and of these hut three were Whig votes. Since this day, a strip two miles in width has been given to Harrison township, and two miles on the east to Jefferson, leaving the township six miles in length, from north to south, and five miles in width.

Fall Creek is a well watered and very fertile township, and rrell improved farms and good buildings indicate that the husbandman is being well repaid for his labors. The creek from which the township takes its name, rising near the north-east corner, and meandering through, leaves the township, near the southwest corner, having sufficient fall to furnish valuable water power. Deer Creek, a tributary, rising in Harrison township, near Cadiz, emptying into Fall Creek, about one and one-half miles north of Mechanicsburfif, also furnishes fair water power, A "corn cracker'' was erected on this stream, about the year 1826. Benjamin Franklin, then a boy, now a noted preacher, is said to have dug the race. This was the first mill in that part of the county, and, notwithstanding these early facilities for procuring the "staff of life," Lewis Swain and others might have been seen living on grated corn bread or mush, for weeks at a time, some eight years afterward.

A very rude log school house, with split pole benches and greased paper windows, did service in the Keesling neighborhood, as late as 1831 or 1832. Robert Price, a brother of Rice Price, was the first teacher. Lewis Swain was afterward Principal of this institution. Some of the earlier settlers can remember attending log rollings every day for weeks together.

Middletown, Meehaniesburg, and IToney Creek are the villages of the township, and contain nearly one-half the populalation of the township; 197 families living in town, and 209 in the country. The total population of the township is 2,004, or about CG to the square mile. Of these 31 are foreigners, 36 North Carolinians, 321 Virginians, and 4 colored persons.

All elections were ordered i<> be held al the house of Abraham Thomas, but, In 1832, ii was ordered that they hereafter b« hold at liiddletown.

franklin township was organized on the 5th of January, ; i. h was constructed out i>uill.-y ami Wayne townships, ami. from tin' filler making it a township, we learn that tin' west line was aboul three-fourths of mile west of the a illair.- of Ogden, ami continued north to the line dividing townships Bixteen and seventeen, which would make the northwest rn limits of the township. This gave it jurisdiction over nearly all it- present territory, all of Spiceland, a .-mall fraction w :i\ ue just north of the "stone quarry"; .and three sections now claimed by Greensboro. In the following year, a change was made in the western boundary, which gave Wayne another tier of Bections and made the northwest corner of Franklin township, just about where the Duck (reek Meeting House now

All elections were ordered to be held at the house of Joseph Copeland. John Copeland was appointed Inspector, and Joseph helium. Lister; and the first election was ordered on the first irday in February, 1830. Upon the setting up of Spiceland i"" oship, in 1822, Franklin, which underwent another mutation, was given a slice off of Dudley, and was then contracted to it* present limits Of live miles in width, from cast to west, by six in length.

Flatrock "drags its slow length along*' near the middle of t!ie township, and, although at two or three points it lias been compelled tododuty as a mill stream, it has never established much of a character for energy. It, however, is the natural drain of a remarkably fertile body of haul. Buck Creek drain* the northwest corner of the township.

The present area of the township is about 17,200 acres, divided into 151 farms; an average of about 114 acres cad. Lewisville is the only village, 8G families residing in it, white 313 "reside in the country." Of the population 42 are foreigners 13are colored, 124 are North Carolinians, and 29 Virginians.