Milford Center, Ohio

The territory comprised in this township was among the earliest portions of the county to open its broad and beautiful lands to settl«meut. The first white man to penetrate the wilderness of this domain as a settler, was George Reed, who settled on the Big Darby, near Mil ford, in 1799. He was a native of Pennsylvania, and became a very useful citizen of Union Township. About 1810-12, he erected a grist mill aud a saw mill at Milford, the history of which is given elsewhere in this work. He also laid out and platted the town of Milford. He appears to have been a man of some means, of great energy and industry, and one of the leading active spirits of that day. He died Sr'ptember 28, 1836, aged sixty-seven years.

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

Robert Snodgrass, a native of Pennsylvania, married Jane Reed, a sister of the above George Reed, and emigrated to this county in the fall of 1800, and settled on the Big Darby, on Survey No. 3,311, where they lived and died. Mr. Snodgrass was a weaver by trade, which business he followed through life, in connection with farming. He died September 30, 1834, aged seventysix years. His wife died January 13, 1833, aged seventy years. Of their children, Jane, married Thomas Reed, is now deceased; James was twice married, first to Polly McDowell, second to Mrs. Phelps, nee King, is now deceased; Hannah married William Porter and died in this county a few years ago; William married Sarah Robinson and died in Marysville about 1840 (the above children were born in Pennsylvania, and those that follow in Ohio); Robert was the first child born in this township, and the thii'd in Union Co inty. He was born December 2, 1800, and January 1, 1828, married Ellen, daughter of Mrs. Jane Robison, who resided on the north bank of Big Darby, in Darby Township, about seven miles below Milford Center. Mr. Snodgrass was born on the north bank of Darby Creek, opposite the village of Milford, in a cabin which stood not far from the site now occupied by the railroad water tank. In his childhood, he had for playmates the Indian children in the vicinity. He and his wife celebrated their golden wedding in 187S, and he died on the 9th of February of that 5'^ear. His wife died in 1879. They had seven children - Samuel, married Nancy Morrison, he died February 23, 1870, aged sixty-six years, and his wife about three years later; George, married Hannah Fox, February 8, 1828, with whom he lived nearly fifty-four years, she died December 8, 1881 (Mr. Snodgrass still survives, and resides with his children in Marysville, Columbus and Urbana); Thomas, the youno-est child, married Eliza Galloway, he died aborbl879, his wife still survives. Of the above children, Robert, George and Thomas were born in Union Township, were all married the same year (1828). and all lived to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding, which took place in Marysville as follow.s: That of Robert and wife, January 1, 1878; George and wife, February 8, 1878, and that of Thomas and wife, October 20, 1878. Of this family of true pioneers, George is the only surviving member. He removed to Marysville in 1824; was Assistant Clerk of the county, and has remained a resident of Marysville nearly all of the time since. He served as Deputy Sherifi" three years. He is now, probably, the oldest resident who was born in the county; is seventy-eight years of age and enjoying good health.

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

John Irwin was born in York County, Penn., and was the son of William and Eleanor (Brisband) Irwin, he a native of Ireland and she of Scotland. He married Anna Steel, of Ohio County, Va., in 1791. In 1806, he settled in Union County, Union Township, on a farm in the southwest corner of said township, where he resided till his death in 1830, aged about sis.ty years. His death was caused by injuries received from being thrown from a young, spirited horse, soon after which he died upon the farm upon which he first settled in Union County. Mr. Irwin served as a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church of Upper Liberty (now Mi If ord Center), and was the leader of singing in the church; was a teacher of vocal music, and had in his library a large book of tunes of his own composition with pen and ink. He organized the first Sabbath school ever constituted in Union Township, which was conducted for some time in his own house. He sought earnestly the spiritual as well as the temporal welfare of his household, and lived to see all his children (except one, who united with another denomination) become members of the church he helped to organize afte)- he came to Union County. Mr, Irwin was an excellent farmer, and also well versed in the mechanical arts Politically, he was a pure Jacksonian Democrat, and kept himself well acquainted with the political condition of the various governments of the world. He served as a Justice of the Peace of Union Township for several years. Anna Steel, his wife, was born in York County, Penn., a daughter of James and Mary (Harper) Steel; Harper's Ferry taking its name in honor of her father, James Harper. Miss Steel was seven }'ears of age when the Revolutionary war commenced, and was in the fort or block bouse most of her time during that sanguinary struggle. Her father was one of the minutemen of the army, and kept bis knapsack on his gun near the door readj to start at a minu.te's warning. Her ancestors were from Ireland. She died in 1854, from infirmities of old age.

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 - it names this place 92 more 92 times.