Lawrenceville, Ohio

Lawrence was one of the four original townships established in 1808. It then embraced all the land which now forms Wayne, Franklin, Lawrence (except the small tract since annexed from Stark County) and Sandy Townships, in addition to as much of Dover, Fairfield and Warren as lies in the northern half of Range 9. The first election was held at the cabin of Gideon Jennings, in what is now Fairfield Township. The organization of succeeding townships reduced its territory, and it appears from the records that the balance of the original township of Lawrence, after other townships were organized, was converted into Lawrenceville. The incorporation of Lawrenceville Township was recorded May 18, 1817. As constituted at that date, it consisted of the present Lawrence Township and a tract two and a half miles square, from the northeast corner of Dover. Its bounds were as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of Township 10, Range 2; thence south to the middle of Township 9, Range 2; thence west, to the center of Range 9; thence north to Township 10; thence west to Range 8; thence north to the northwest corner of Township 10; thence east along the line of Township 10, to the place of beginning. The electors were notified to meet according to law in the town of Lawrenceville and elect the proper township officers. The original name, Lawrence, was restored, and it was reduced in size August 7, 1820, by the attachment of its southeast portion to Dover Township. Small portions were since annexed from Stark County, and from Sandy Township.

Passage source: The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, published 1884.

The first school on the west side of the river was kept in a log cabin on Lot 2, then owned by John Kline, now hf John Bender. The house stood near a spring, in the southwest corner of the place. William Knappenberger was the teacher, and his term was taught about 1817. Messrs. Brown, David Kilgore, Robinson, Fashbaugh and Sibert succeeded him. About this time, Mr. Boyer opened a school at his cabin in Lawrenceville, on the east side of the river, and near its bank, about thirty rods above the bridge. The one room in the house served as schoolroom, kitchen and bedroom, and one use was not permitted to interfere with another. Many of the scholars were full-grown men and women. Here the Brantinghara children, the Whites, Mackins, Taylors, Kellers, Hartlines, Housemans,^ Yants, John Pinicks, James Tracy, Peter Swank and others received the rudiments of an education. A few primers, Webster's Spelling Book, Dil worth's Reader and the Bible, says David Yant, were the. principal text books. Among the sports in which the boys engaged during play-time was the sea fight, the idea of which was obtained from Perry's victory on Lake Erie. They had two large canoes, which would grapple, and the boys in each try to obtain possession of their opponents and their oars. When one side became too weak to continue the contest, it would capitulate and the captured boat and prisoners be rowed triumphantly to shore.

Passage source: The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, published 1884.

Lawrenceville was the name of one of the earliest backwoods towns. It was laid out on the east side of the Tuscarawas, opposite present Bolivar, by Abraham Mosser in 1805, when the people in the vicinity were obliged to go to Zanesville to pay their taxes. It was not then known how this vast country would be divided into counties, and Lawrenceville indulged in the fond hope of becoming a county seat. The plat was spacious, including 176 lots, from which donations were made for court house and jail, market -houses and English and German Presbyterian, German Lutheran, Protestant Episcopal and Moravian Churches. The location was a beautiful one, and at that time there was a brisk trade on the river in canoes and small boats. The settlers speculated in a small way, by buying town lots, but the village never prospered. It contained at most four or five houses. A grocery was kept just north of the plat, and one of the few residents of the village was a shoe-maker, Mr. Mock. Some of the earliest settlers were buried on LebrJd's Hill in the vicinity, but the site of their graves is now obliterated. The plat of Lawrenceville has been vacated for many years, and the site is now under cultivation.

Passage source: The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, published 1884.

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 Lawrence Township.