Amity, Ohio

rO write the history of a single township may to some appear like a matter of small moment, while to others it is considered very desirable that some <je should do so in each township of the whole United States. How else are ip names, memories and deeds of oui- early settlers and friends to be preserved? Id who is there that would not be pleased to look back, or to have his chilen look, upon some record of his early days, and of departed friends? And lw else should strangers settling in a township so readily obtain knowledge cits affairs as by some such local publication? Many historical facts, of val importance to our people, are now living only in the memories of a few our early settlers, who are drawing near the evening of life; their race will sn be run, and after they have passed from among us, these facts will be buri in the oblivion of the past, unless rescued now by the pages of history, le object of the following pages is to preserve for the people of Perry Iwnship an imperishable record of these facts, and although they may not uv realize the full importance of this step, their children and their children's 'ildren will fully appreciate the value of this work, which alone preserves to tm an account of the customs and early days of their ancestors and the entry they wrested from the savage grasp of the red man, when the " star of spire" reached this State in its westward flight. This township in form is pjfectly square, being sis miles on either side, containing thirty-six square ires, and is the full Congressional Township 5, Range 4. It was formed boa the townships of J ackson and Madison in 1820, the order being issued bjthe County Commissioners March 7, and was named in honor of Com. Ppi of Lake Erie fame. It is bounded on the north by Clay Township, on rl east by Madison, on the south by Jackson, and on the west by Preble mty. In appearance its land was not the most inviting to the pioneer who Nght land suitable for immediate cultivation, as they seldom, if ever, brought rce than barely enough provisions to sustain them until a crop could be '< ed. There was very little ground here that would suit them, consequently, t major part of the township was not settled until all the side-hill land in 1 neighboring territory had been entered. The most of the country was el, and accordingly very wet, water standing in some places all the year, 11 in the southeastern part and along the eastern line there was rolling and ' lull land, which was early and eagerly taken by prospecting settlers. The < consists of a sandy clay on the higher ground, while in the flats it is a i black alluvial, composed of the decayed matter of the forest. Underlying tunost of the soil there is a thick strata of good brown limestone, very usen for building purposes. This has been quarried to some extent by citizens a i variable success. About fifty years ago, Shank's Quarry at Amity was lied, and some good stone obtained, ,but it was not worked deeper than fif- 1 feet, as the water at that depth became a barrier to further proceedings. '<-\i stopped them just as they had reached the best of the stone. Another fiery was opened by Frederick Muhl shortly after this. His experience was At as Shank's, and his enterprise was blocked by the same unwelcome elea' t. A ready market was found in the surrounding country for all the stone '' hied, and large quantities of it might have been disposed of in the same ae hborhood for a reasonable price, as the demand was good. The timber of h part of the county is that usually found throughout Southern Ohio, viz. :

Passage source: The History of Montgomery County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County;, published 1882.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Perry Township - it names this place 1 more 1 time.