Shiloh, Ohio

It is generally level, very fertile, and an excellent fruit-growing district. The southern part is well watered by the Black Fork and tributaries, and the northern part by the tributaries of the Hur.)n River, the dividing ridge running near the village of Shiloh.

Passage source: History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the Original Boundaries) ; Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest, a Complete History of Richland County ... Miscellaneous Matter, Map of the County, Biographies and Histories of ... the Most Prominent Families, &c., &c., published 1880.

The first settlement of this township was made near the head-waters of the Black Fork, in 1815, on Sections 13 and 24. John Long, from Knox County, formerly from Penns}'!- vania, settled on the former, and John McCart on the latter. Both families came about the same time, but McCart built the first cabin in the township, and Long the second. Other settlements were rapidly made. Among those who came in that and the year following, may be mentioned John Morris, who settled on Section 4 ; Daniel Cronsales, Section 9 ; Asa 3Iurphy and familj', including a son, Asa, from Virginia, Section 1 : Daniel Prosser, Section 21. Robert Greene came in 1816, from Hampshire County, Va., and [Thomas McBride in 1817, settling on Section 3. The following persons settled near the present site of the village of Shiloh, from 1816 to 1825: Frank Carmichael, Levi Bodle}^, William BodW, Theson Richardson, Cornelius Brink, John and Aaron Pettit, Ephraim Vail, Richard Thew, John and Isaac Murphy, Reason Barnes, Thomas James, Benjamin Young, William Cotton, Peter Hall, John Long, Jr., Thomas Hamilton and James Long. The settlement of this township began after the war of 1812, when there was a good deal of excitement about, and quite a rush for, Ohio lands ; consequenth', it filled up rapidly, a majority of the settlers ]>eing from Western Pennsylvania and Virginia, a few, from New Jersej" and the New England States. The earl}- history of the township is meager. It does not differ from the general history' of other townships in earl}' days, except perhaps it was more quiet, no Indians of consequence being encamped within the limits of the township, except a small band of Wj'andots or Delawares (probably a part of Armstrong's band of Creentown Indians), who had a permanent camp on the head-waters of the Black Fork. The settlers were never molested b}' them. There is the usual supply of bear and deer hunting stories, but none of sufficient importance for preservation. The entire township was heavily timbered with l)eech, oak, sugar, hickory, ash, and all other varieties of hard Avood. It is quite probable that none of the earl}^ settlers found sufficient room to build their cabins without first cutting away the trees and brush. Thus the pioneers hewed out the homes for those who now enjoy them. A few of them 3'et remain, grayhaired and bending with the weight of years, living monuments of days that are fast fading, and can scarcely be comprehended by the generations of to-day.

Passage source: History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the Original Boundaries) ; Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest, a Complete History of Richland County ... Miscellaneous Matter, Map of the County, Biographies and Histories of ... the Most Prominent Families, &c., &c., published 1880.

The Methodists seem to have been the pioneer religious bod}- in this township. About 1816 or 1817, Bennajah Boardman held the first religious services, in the cabin house of John Long, on the site of the village of Planktown, or Richland. He was a missionar}. and continued preaching among the settlers several years before any church was erected. Money to build churches, or for any other purpose, was scarce, and the meetings were held in private houses, barns, and in the open air. In 1828, through the Rev. Boardman's influence, a log church - the first one in the township - was erected on the southeast quarter of Section 1. where a town was laid out which they called Salem, and the church received the name of Salem Church. The settlers came together and built this church b}" their united labors. Its first members were John, Cathai*- ine, Nancy, Betsy and Sarah Long ; Asa Murphy, who was considered a leader in the congregation ; Peter and Annie Maring, John and Hannah Bell. This church was of hewed logs, and about fifty feet long by forty wide, with rude puncheon benches for seats. Following Bennajah Boardman, the ministers were Erastus Felton, the Revs. Chase and Groddard. Adam Poe, a nephew of the famous Indianfighter, also preached here occasionall}-. Boardman was, finall}', the local preacher ; settled here, and died in 1858. The log church was used until 1852, when it was torn down and a frame erected which cost $1,625. When the railroad (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis) came through the township in 1850, and the town of Shiloh began to gi'ow, the Methodists proposed building a church in that place, and the old one was neglected. It was finally sold, in 1874, to Wesley McLaughlin, for $300, who, in turn, sold it to the Dunkards, by whom it is now occupied. This is the only church in the township outside the towns.

Passage source: History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the Original Boundaries) ; Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest, a Complete History of Richland County ... Miscellaneous Matter, Map of the County, Biographies and Histories of ... the Most Prominent Families, &c., &c., published 1880.

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 Cass Township - it names this place 14 more 14 times.