Brownstown, Ohio

In 1831 or 1832, John B. Mahan and John Dunham built a saw-mill at the mouth of Slab Camp. This they ran some years as a saw-mill, when a grist-mill was added. The dam, however, washed out in a few years, and the mills were suffered to go down. Later, a steam saw-mill was built on this site by Calvin ftilea, who afterward added a grist-mill, when the machinery was removed to Brownstown, and is now in the mill at that place.

Passage source: The History of Brown County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County ... General and Local Statistics; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio; Map of Brown County; Constitution of the United States .., published 1883.

The villages of the township are Sardinia and Brownstown. The former, the larger of the two, is a thriving little place of about three hundred inhabitants, pleasantly situated on the East Branch of White Oak Creek, and is one of the few railroad towns of Brown County, the Cincinnati & Eastern passing through it, and it being the terminus of the Hillsboro Ac Sardinia Railroad. The village was laid out by William B. Lilley and Josiah Moore, March 30, 1833, at which date the surveying was done by Jeptha Beasley, then County Surveyor. The original number of lots was sixteen. Additions were made by the same men August 12, 3836, and May 23, 1837. The first houses erected in the place were by Dr. I. M. Beck and Josiah Moore. Both were built on Main street, opposite to each other, and are yet standing. The frame of Mr. Moore's house was the first up, but the house of Dr. Beck was the first completed. The first merchant in the vicinity was Dr. Robert D. Lilley, who sold goods in 1828, and, in 1832 or 1833, sold his stock of goods to William B. Lilley and Josiah Moore, proprietors of the village, who carried on a store for some years, and then quit the business. In the latter part of 1833, a store was opened by George Salt, who was the merchant for about a year. Messrs. Cowan & Masters then opened a store in a little log building where all their predecessors had held forth. But finally this firm erected a two-story frame house, adjoining the house of Dr. Beck. The first tavern was kept by John B. Mahan, opened about the year 1835. The village smith was Willis Gilliland. His was the first hammer to rebound from the heavy anvil and break the quiet of the peaceful village. His shop was built in 1 837, and stood on Winchester street, where now is the livery stable of Nathan Dunn. Among the early industries of the village may be mentioned the turning establishment and cabinet shop of Josiah Moore, who began the business as early as 1835. He patented a bed, and made a great deal of furniture, and supplied Hillsboro and other places of that region with articles of his manufacture. About the same time, Bobert J. Huggins carried on quite an extensive wagon-making shop. Not far from the year 1847. a factory for the manufacture of wind-mills was started at Sardinia. It was an extensive affair, and the proprietors employed five or six workmen, and had as many traveling salesmen. Soon after Sardinia was laid out, a carding- machine and oil-mill was put in operation by John L. Pangburn, who was the proprietor until his death, which occurred in 1837. The mill then passed through several hands, and, in three or four years, was abandoned. Another of the early industries of the village was the tannery carried on by Franz Feike, who began business in 1836 or 1837, and continued operations until about 1856, when he removed to Missouri and the yard went down.

Passage source: The History of Brown County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County ... General and Local Statistics; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio; Map of Brown County; Constitution of the United States .., published 1883.

Brownstown, situated in the southern part of the township, on Brown's Run, is a small village of about fifty inhabitants. It was laid out by Roily Dunn, August 26, 1848; number of lots, twenty-one. The post office was established here June 5, 1876, with J. G. Tracy, Postmaster, and there has been no change since. In September, 1881, E. A. & B. A. Thompson erected a steam saw-mill at this point, and in several months added a grist-mill, which is also operated by steam power.

Passage source: The History of Brown County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County ... General and Local Statistics; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio; Map of Brown County; Constitution of the United States .., 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 Washington Township - it names this place 8 more 8 times.