Madison Township

Madison Township

Madison is the largest township in the county, being eight miles in extent north and south ; and now, since the accession in 1851, is seven miles east and west, with the exception of the jog in the south-east corner. It was organized as a township in 1809 ; had before been part of Hamilton. Settlements commenced in 1802 or 1803. As early as 1805, John Swisher, Esq., now of Perry Township, then from the State of New Jersey, settled here. He then found living in the township, Isaac Decker, Elias Decker, Charles Rarey, and his sons Adam, Benjamin, William, Charles and George - then boys, and a few others. Near the same time, and soon after, were added to the population, John Kile and family, Matthew Taylor, Jacob Gander, George Rohr and sons, and the Ramseys - Samuel, James and Robert, Mr. Mooberry and family, Billingsly Bull, Daniel Kramer, Matthias Wolf, Thomas Rathmel, Emmor Cox,

The school sections appropriated by the government to the townships of Madison, Hamilton, Montgomery and Truro, were all situated in this township, adjoining each other. The three latter townships sold theirs some twenty-five or thirty years ago. Madison still retains her section (No. 16), and realizes from it a handsome school revenue.

The first mill erected in this township was by Matthew Taylor, on Alum Creek, near its mouth, about the year 1807 or 1808. It was quite an acquisition to the settlement ; but it has long since disappeared, and no vestige remains to show where it stood. About the year 1810 or '11, George Sharp erected mills on Gahanna, which were afterward owned by John Sharp ; but have, a number of years since, entirely disappeared. There is now but one grist mill in the township, and that is Chaney's valuable mill on the canal, near Winchester. Near the same place is a wool-carding and fulling mill, also owned by the Messrs. Chaneys.

In 1817, the town of Oregon, formerly called Middletown, was laid out by Isaac Decker. At the session of 1830-31, the name was changed from Middletown to Oregon. In 1829, a post office was established here.

In September, 1843, the western part of what is now Groveport, was laid out for a town, by Jacob B. Wert, and named " Wert's Grove," Mr. Wert being one of the first settlers in his new town.

In February, 1844, Wm. II. Rarey laid out the eastern part of the present town, adjoining the canal, and named it " Rarey's-Port." Mr. Rarey was also a resident of the place at the time. The village improved as fast as either of the proprietors could reasonably expect, but each end of it bearing a different name. The propriety of a common name for the whole, soon became manifest to all. Each proprietor would doubtless have preferred his own chosen name. The citizens finally, willing to treat both proprietors alike, concluded to drop the prefix, or personal name of both, and retain the latter part of each name, and thus the name of " Groveport " was agreed upon ; and by that name it was incorporated at the session of 1846-7.

Groveport is quite a business place, well supplied with stores of dry goods and groceries, one drug store, three physicians, four churches, one Baptist, one Methodist, one Presbyterian, and one United Brethren, and a large and commodious school house. In 1850, the population was 483.

side of Madison Township, in 1851, threw the town of Winchester, which had previously been in Fairfield County, into this. Winchester, like Groveport, is situated on the canal, and is a place of very considerable business, particularly in grain and produce. In its business generally, it bears a similarity to Groveport, though it is a much older town. It was laid out about the year 1826 or '27, by Reuben Dove and John Coleman, of Fairfield. It now contains over 400 inhabitants ; three churches, viz : United Brethren, Methodist, and German Reform ; two schools, three physicians, three stores, two hotels, and the usual proportion of mechanics' shops, and a post office. Peter T. Krag, Esq., present postmaster, appointed in 1853.

Beside the churches in the town of Winchester and Groveport, there are in this township a good Methodist meeting house, on the farm of Mr. Thomas Needles, known by the name of " White Chapel," erected about the year 1842 or '43 ; and a small German church somf^ two or three miles from Winchester, erected about the year 1849. The Presbyterians worship at the " Truro meeting house," or at Groveport.

The population of this township, agreeably to the census of 1840, was 1,810. In 1850, it was 2,480. In 1853, the township contained twenty-one school dis-