Clinton Township

Clinton Township

Begins at the northwest corner of Perry township, on line between sections 29 and 30, town. 2, range 5; thence with the line between said sections south, and continued on to the Miami river; thence down the river to where the line between sections 15 and 18, town. 7, range 6, intersects the same river; thence north between said sections 15 and 16, and continued on to the county line; thence east with said line to the beginning.

Begins at the Miami river, between sections 15 and 16, town. 7. range 6; thence north with the west line of Clinton township to the county line ; thence west to the line between sections 35 and 36, town. 11, range 5; thence south between sections 34 and 35 to the south line of the county, between sections 26 and 25, town. 9, range 5 ; thence east to the river, and thence up the river to the place of beginning.

This township, which lies southeast of the geographical center of Shelby county, was at first organized as a part of Miami county, in which, as elsewhere stated, the whole of Shelby county was formerly included. It still hoWever retains its original name. It is bounded north by Franklin, east by Salem, Perry and Orange, south by Orange and Washington and west by Washington and Turtle Creek townships. The territory embraces portions of town 8, range 6; town i, range 7; town 1, range 13, and town 7, range 6. This comprises sections and fractional sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 19, 22. 23, _'4, 25, 26, 27, 30. 34, 35, 36, and 3 and 10 repeated being of different towns or ranges. Since its organization the township has undergone numerous territorial adjustments and readjustments, account of which may be found in the report of the county commissioners' proceedings.

Clinton township is drained by the Great Miami river, which enters at the northeast corner and flows south by west, and then, running southwest, becomes for a distance of about two miles the boundary line between Clinton and Orange township. Side by side with the river flows the Miami feeder with its water supply, which it carries to the canal at Lockington. Tawawa creek enters the Miami opposite Sidney, coming from the east, while another small tributary, flowing in the same direction, joins the large stream about a mile south of the mouth of the Tawawa. Three small streams enter the Miami from the west within the bounds of the township.

The township is crossed north and south by the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad, and east and west by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, which two roads cross at Sidney, the county seat, the town lying on the west side of the Miami. The canal leaves the river for a certain distance in order to pass through the central portion of the town. The chief importance of Clinton lies in its possession of the county seat, which attracts population, though throughout the township farming is carried on extensively and the inhabitants in general are prosperous.

The lands bordering on the Miami river are in particular noted for their fertility. The surface is broken, rolling away westward, and while not jagged or precipitous, is still broken and even hilly along the river. The Infirmary farm comprises the extreme southwest quarter of land in this township, being the southwest quarter ( 160 acres) of section 10, range 6, town. 7.

Matters Of Rf.Cord

At an election held in the township of Clinton by order of James Wells, Esq., auditor of Shelby county, on the 25th day of October, 1821, agreeably to notice given, the following township officers were elected:

Trustees, Philip Coleman, Robert McClure, and Rufus Carey. Clerk, Harvey B. Foote. Overseers of the poor, John Tilbury and James Forsythe. Fence viewers, William Drake and Benjamin Mapes. Treasurer, George Poole.

Thomas Lambert appeared and gave bond, with William Drake and Thomas W. Ruckman, conditioned as the law directs, and was duly qualified to perform the duties of constable for Clinton township according to law, November 3, 1821.

Monday, March 4, 1822. The trustees met according to law, and agreeably to order of court of the 4th of February they proceeded to select W. Cecil, Jacob Sclosser, Wm. Johnston, Philip Coleman, Rufus Carey, Nathan Coleman, and Elias Carey as grand jurors (7), and also John Tilbury, Archibald Defrees, Robert Blakeley, John Whitmire, and John Johnston as petit jurors (5), to serve the ensuing year, the list thereof returned to the clerk's office the same day.

John Lenox, supervisor for district No. 6, Turtle Creek township, as appointed by the trustees before the township was divided, made his return, and charges nothing for his services. Return filed.

Ordered, that it (the township) be divided into three districts (road); Sidney, No. 1 ; Plum Creek, No. 2 ; and Mile Creek, No. 3. No. 1 to work the road from the ford below Ruckman's mill to the public square in Sidney, the road leading to Hardin, and the one from Dingmansburg to Sidney. No. 2 to work the road from the public spuare on the road that leads up the river past Wm. Johnston's and Talbert's to the township line, and the Plum Creek road to the township line. No. 3 to work the road that leads from Sidney past Rufus Carey's to the township line, and the road from where it intersects the aforesaid road leading past Mr. Levalley's as far as the township line. John Blake supervisor district No. 1, N. Coleman of district No. 2, and a supervisor to be elected in No. 3.

Ordered that the clerk advertise according to law for an election to be held on the first Monday next to elect one clerk, three trustees, two overseers of the poor, two fence viewers, two appraisers, one of whom shall be lister as well as appraiser, one treasurer, two constables, and three supervisors, to serve the ensuing year (1822) for the township of Clinton. A true record. Attest. Harvey B. Foote, Twp. Clerk.