Root Township

Root Township

The present limits of Root township are described by a block of territory six miles square that is four miles west of the Ohio state line and directly south of Allen county, Indiana. When the county was first organized Root township comprised all of what is now the twelve townships of Adam? county. As the lands were entered new townships were organized to meet the demands of the growing settlements and supply offices for those who were politically inclined. Some of the earliest permanent settlers in the present Root township were Robert Douglas, m 1820; Joshua Lister, in 1828; John Reynolds and Daniel Ball, in 183,1; John K. Evans, in 1832; Samuel L. Rugg and Vaschal Ball, in 1833. This township is on the line of the Wayne trace, later known as the Piqua road, and was much earlier in settlement than several of the other civil corporations of the county. The town of Monmouth, which is located in this township, was laid out and the plat recorded on the 26th day of June, 1836. Its lots arc sixty-six by one hundred and thirty-two feet m size. Its streets were Main, Clinton, Franklin, Spring and Wayne. The present Piqua road was one of the streets named.

In March, 1858, Ziba Dorwin, by order of the county board of commissioners, vacated thirty-one lots, as shown on the original town piat. Monmouth was once quite a business center, much in advance of Decatur, but at the present time Goldsmith's description of a "Deserted Village" would pretty well describe its condition. The completion of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad read its death knell. Since the Spring field &. Fort Wayne Railroad passes through the town it has revived a little, but for the present its palmy days are in the distant past. It now contains a few good houses, one brick among the number, a graded school building, two stores, a blacksmith shop and a graveyard. Its church buildings have been converted into fire wood, its four or five taverns have crumbled into decay and a general dilapidated appearance surrounds the town. William Lewis was one of its earliest residents. He was a colored man, who operated a corn grinding mill at Monmouth and then owned a large tract of land adjoining the town, it is said that the first school taught in the township was conducted, in Monmouth by Sarah McKisic: that the building used was not built for a school house, but was a round log cabin with the ground for a floor ; that this teacher was not a public school teacher, but taught a subscription school in the summer time. Some of the first school districts in Root township were known as the Gorsline school, in section 17 ; the Randal school, in section 22, and the Wise school, in the northeast corner of section iS. There is much uncertainty as to the exact time when these houses were first used, but most of them within the date between 1840 and 1S50. The first set of frame buildings came into use about 1852. This township doubtless had the first frame house in the county. The first one of which much record can be gotten was a frame addition to the Oakland tavern, built by Andrew Wise in 183S. Mr. Wise came from near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and brought his nails, glass and sash with him when he came. At the time he came Monmouth had twelve log" cabin houses. The first church building in this township was a log structure that was located near the northeast corner of section 22, on Seventeen-Mile creek. Some of the first leaders of this church were Benjamin Rice. J. R. Peoples, Isaiah Lewis and William Pillars. This church building was erected in 1840 and its name was Alpha. About twenty-three years later a new frame church building was built a little east of the log one, and this took the original name, and in its churchyard lies the remains of many of the earliest residents of the north part of the county.

Another early church building was erected north of Monmouth in section 17 in 1S65 and is a' frame. This was built by the English Lutherans and named Concord church. Many year? before this building was erected the Gorsline school house was used by this congregation for church purposes. In 1S54 there was a frame church built in Monmouth on inlot No. 17 by the Baptist church organization. Doubtless this was one of the first, if not the first, frame church building erected in the county. In 1870 the United Brethren built a frame church in the northern part of Monmouth near the graveyard. In 1868 the Methodist congregation converted one of the Ziba Dorwin tavern buildings into a church, but this has long since been abandoned. The German Lutheran people in the northern part of the township as early as 1841 built a log church building in section II. This was used for both church and school purposes. In 1851 a large frame church took its place and was used by this congregation until 1879, at which time the only brick church in the township was built. This building is a fine structure, about forty-five by ' seventy-five feet in size, and is known as the Saint Peter's Lutheran church. It is frequently called the "Fuelling church," as it is in the Fuelling neighborhood. This property consists of a church building, school house, parsonage and teacher's dwelling, and a conservative estimate would place the value of this property at about seventeen thousand dollars. Root township has two more towns within its borders. The town of Williams is situated on the north line of the county, nine miles west of the Ohio state line, on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. It was laid out and the plat recorded on the 7th day of June, 1S72. Its originators were David Crabbs and Benjamin Rice. This town has two streets. Main, which runs east and west, and Adams, a north and south street. It has fifty-four lots and was one of the timber towns that sprang into existence when the heavy forests were being removed and the railroads loaded with lumber for market. The timber interests, as heading factories and saw mills, were removed and the- town ceased to grow or improve. At present there is a postoffice, a general store, a saloon and creamer}'. This town has some good houses, among which is a good district school building.

It has been frequently mentioned that among the tribes of Israel that the<-e was one lost in the shuffle somewhere on the way. Now, this may not be exactly the case with the third town in Root township, but it is too nearly true to be a good joke. At the north end of the Winchester road, in sections 19 and 20, the town of Manhym was laid out in 1S34 by R. L. Brittson. This town was situated three and a half miles northwest of Decatur on the Saint Mary's river, on the farm that is now the land of John Evans. This location competed for the county seat in 1S36, but was unsuccessful and the lots remaining unsold in 1840 were vacated by John Spencer, the purchaser of the remainder of the town site of Mr. Brittson. There were six town lots sold to other parties and in 1865 a suit to quiet the title was brought by Emanuel Woods and others. This town site was located on the principal line of travel from Winchester to Fort Wayne at an early day and is a nice location. The first brick house in Root township *;as built in section 34 in 1870. This township has the distinction of having the first brick school house in the county. It was built by Trustee John Christen in the Dent district in 1873. The estimated population of Root township in 1907 is one thousand six hundred and thirty ; the number of voters three hundred and twenty-six; the school enumeration three hundred and eighty-two. In the sou-.nwe.st corner of section 35, in this township, is located the ''Steele's Park,'' which is a fine one-hundred-and-fiftf.en-acre tract, nicely set out in groves of. native trees; has an artificial lake of several acre> and is at present used by the Great Northern Indiana Fair Association for its annual displays of the various products of the county. There may be nicer fair grounds in the state, but they are surely hard to find.