Bridgeport, Ohio

There are several very old biu-ial places in Union Township, as it was early settled; much sickness prevailed for many years, and the "grim messenger, " Death, was a frequent visitor in the unpretentious cabins. Perhaps one of the first burial places was at the Wood Cemetery, situated about one and a half miles east of Milford, on the north bank of the Big Darby Creek. This was first established as a family and neighborhood burial place, where many found early and premature graves. The gravestones here show burials to have been made as early as 1813, and it is probable there are some graves, unmarked, which received bodies at a much earlier date. Here rest many of the Woods, Reeds, Gabriels, Gills, Erwins and others of the noble and venerated pioneers. July 17, 1871, this piece of ground, consisting of 53 poles, owned by George and Josiah Reed, and 53 poles owned by Samuel Wood, making 106 poles, was, by the above-mentioned owners, deeded to the Township Trustees, who have fenced it in with a good board fence, and, with their successors to office, are by duty bound to see that the cemetery is kept fenced and carefully preserved.

Passage source: The History of Union County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County; Its Townships, Towns ... Military Record;, published 1883.

The citizens of Union have given liberally and even bountifully to the support of her schools; so it has been equally liberal in the construction of good gravel roads and pikes. The first great and general improvement of a road in Union Township was made under the superintendence of David Comer, in which he expended $187.50 on the road from Irwin, or the road past Esquire Irwin's and through Milford to the crossing of the Marysville road. The State Legislature had appropriated $500 to Union County for the improvement of her roads; and the above amount, $] 87.50, was apportioned to Union Township by the County Commissioners, with the appointment of David Comer to expend the same. From this time forward, progress in the improvement of roads was quite rapid. In 187C, the following gravel roads were fully completed, viz. : Milford Center & Irwin, 5| miles, built in 1867, cost $22,325.93; Milford Center & Urbana, 2f miles, built in 1S6S, cost $4,097.50; Marysville & Milford, 5| miles, built in 1871, cost $15,364.20; Irwin & Little Darby, 1| miles, built in 1871, cost $3,516.96; Post road, three divisions, 16| miles, built in 1873, cost $29,578.37; Milford & Bridgeport, 3| miles, built in 1873, cost $7,662.91; Irwin & Woodstock, H miles, built in 1873, cost $2,976.45: Milford & Woodstock. 3i miles, built in 1873, cost $4,697.92; Sabine & Bigelow, 5| miles, built in 1876, cost $15,560.61; Milford & Allen' Centre, 3^ miles, built in 1876, cost $5,303.65; John Connor Improved road, 2f miles, built in 1875, cost $2,752.91. Since 1876, there have been other roads graveled and improved, until now (1882) nearly all the leading lines are in good condition throughout the township.

Passage source: The History of Union County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County; Its Townships, Towns ... Military Record;, published 1883.

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 Union Township.