USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County : together with historic notes on the Northwest, and the state of Ohio, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and all other authentic sources > Part 20
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The first tract of land entered in the Virginia Military District in Greene County, or in the territory now comprised by Greene County, (for it was entered about sixteen years before Ohio became a state, and Greene County was organized,) was a tract of 1200 acres on the Little Miami River, bordering Oldtown (Old Chilli- cothe). It was entered by John Jameson, on the 1st day of August, 1787, on part of a military warrant No. 192, and surveyed for him by Nathaniel Massie, on the 20th day of November, 1794, returned to the land office, examined and recorded on the 21st day of May, 1795. The number of the entry, or as it is generally called, the survey, is 387. The chain carriers were Duncan Mc- Kenzie and Archibald McDonald, and the marker was David Love- joy. This survey is described as follows, viz: Beginning at two burr oaks and a hickory on the bank of the river, 400 poles on a straight line below the lower point of a small island, opposite Chillicothe, thence up the river, north 49 degrees east, 22 poles ; north 14 degrees east, 12 poles; north 73 degrees east, 84 poles; north 22 degrees east, 18 poles; south 85 degrees east, 24 poles ; north 67 degrees east, 32 poles; north 39 degrees east, 41 poles; north 75 degrees east, 64 poles; north 36 degrees east, 78 poles; north 39 degrees east, 38 poles, opposite the lower point of an island; thence south 36 degrees east, 466 poles, crossing a branch twice, to a white oak, dogwood, and hickory; thence south 54 de- grees west, 400 poles, to two black oaks and a hickory; thence north 36 degrees west, 466 poles, to the place of beginning.
This survey now comprehends the farms of Joseph Cromwell, John Middleton, D. S. Harner, Mrs. S. Boyd, J. Bryson, J. B. Wright, J. Sexton's heirs, F. M. Linkhart and William Linkhart. The north- eastern line of this tract extends nearly northwest and southeast, as by the above field notes, it reads south 36° east. It extends along the northwestern border of Oldtown. The southeastern line forms the northwestern bounday of John Woodrow's farm, and strikes the road leading from Xenia, past the fair grounds, to the Little Miami river, about one hundred rods southeast from the residence of Mr.
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James Hawkins. The southwestern line extends along this road and strikes the river a few rods south of the iron bridge which crosses it.
The second tract was entered by Henry Bell on part of a military warrant No. 2,261, and surveyed on the 21st day of November, 1794, by the same surveyor, Nathaniel Massie, the same chain carriers, and the same marker. It contained 1,000 acres, and was located on the Little Miami river, adjoining the first survey, bordering it and bound- ing it partly on the northeast. From a point at the northeast corner of survey No. 387, sixty poles in a straight line below the mouth of Massie's creek, it extended up the river with its meander about 330 poles, and back from the river along its northeastern boundary 346 poles. The third tract was entered by John Stokes, contained 1,000 acres, and was surveyed by James Galloway, Jr., on the 29th of June, 1810. It borders the first tract on the southwest.
Survey No. 571, although not the first land entered in the county, was the first tract surveyed. It was entered on the 6th day of August, 1787, only twenty-four days after the ordinance of 1787, organizing the northwest territory had been adopted by congress, and sur- veyed for Albert Gallertin, by Nathaniel Massie on the 18th day of October, 1792. This tract is situated in the southern part of Spring Valley township, on the east side of Cæsar's Creek, part in Clinton county, the larger portion, however, in Greene. The village of New Burlington is situated a little south and east of the middle of this tract. Across survey No. 1,391 (a tract of 2,500 acres, surveyed for John Woodford, by Nathaniel Massie, April 22, 1793,) was marked or traced the line of "Col. Logan's march to Chillicothe town," in the campaign of Gen. George Rogers Clark against the Indian towns on the Miami. This tract is situated in the southeastern part of Xenia township. The trace crosses the northern part of the sur- vey, and if continued in a straight line to Chillicothe, it would pass the city of Xenia on the east and north.
Many surveys were made for persons who not only never occupied them, but who never saw them, some among whom were men of rev- olutionary fame. A tract of 2,500 acres was entered by Hon. Major General Horatio Gates, who commanded the American forces at the battle of Saratoga, and surveyed by Nathaniel Massie on the 8th day of March, 1793. It is located on the head waters of Cæsar's and of Massie's Creek, in Cedarville township, and its northwestern corner is but a short distance southeast from the village of Cedarville.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
The largest survey in the county is No. 3,908. It contains 4,222 acres, and was surveyed for Robert Pollard, August 15, 1800, about the same time that Ludlow's line was run under the direction of the Surveyor General from the source of the Little Miami toward that of the Scioto. This tract is situated partly in Greene County and partly in Clinton. The part in Greene is in Cæsar's Creek and Spring Valley townships. A tract of 1,000 acres on the Little Miami River in the eastern part of Miami township, almost due north from Cedarville, was located and surveyed November 14, 1796 for Robert Randolph, a relative of Richard Randolph, who, in subse- quent years came into possession of the land, making his home upon it until his death in 1859. In his will, he provided that the land should be sold and the proceeds used for the purchase and freedom of the Randolph slaves in the south. Before the provisions of the will could be carried into execution, the slaves were freed by the President's proclamation, and the heirs of Randolph claimed the property. The matter was thus brought into court and it has form- ed a long chapter of litigation in Greene County.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
Hamilton was the second county organized in the northwest ter- ritory. It was established January 2, 1790, by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, and named from Alexander Hamilton. At first its southern boundary was the Ohio River, between the mouths of the Little Miami and the Big Miami; its eastern boundery the Lit- tle Miami, its western the Big Miami, and its northern and east and west line extending from "standing stone forks," or branch of the Big Miami to the Little Miami. On the 22d day of June, 1798, its western boundary was changed. It began at a point on the bank of the Ohio River, opposite the mouth of the Kentucky River, where the general boundary line between the lands of the United States and the Indian tribes, established by the treaty of Greenville, August 3, 1795, intersects the bank of that river, and ran thence to Fort Recovery, in the southwestern part of what is now Mercer County, thence north until it inter- sected the southern boundary line of the county of Wayne, in the northern part of Mercer County. Hamilton County thus changed included all . that part of Indiana lying between the Greenville treaty line and the western boundary line of
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COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
Ohio, and all that part of Ohio west of the Little Miami River, and extending north to the southern boundary of Wayne County. This original Wayne County was established August 15, 1796. It included all northern Ohio west of the Cuyahoga River, and also the southern peninsula of Michigan. Its southwestern boundary line extended from the northern part of what is now Mercer County, north by west to the southern shore of Lake Michigan. .
Ross County was established on the 20th day of August, 1792. Its boundary line is described as follows, viz: "Beginning at the forty-second mile tree, on the line of the original grant of land by the United States to the Ohio Company, which line was run by Israel Ludlow." This "forty-second mile-tree" was forty-two miles almost due north from Pomeroy, on the Ohio River, and a short distance southeast from Athens, in Athens County. From this point it extended west, into the western part of what is now Highland County, about ten miles southwest from Hillsboro; thence north to the southern boundary line of Wayne County, described above; thence east on said southern boundary line of Wayne, to a point in the present southern boundary line of Wayne County, almost due south from Wooster, and a very little east of the eighty-second meridian, west longitude; thence south to the place of beginning. The eighty-second meridian west from Green- wich is a very little, perhaps not more than a mile, west of the original eastern line of Ross.
From these two descriptions of Hamilton and Ross, it appears that there was a portion of what is now Greene County that was neither in Hamilton nor Ross. The eastern limit of Hamilton County, as we have seen, was the Little Miami River, and the western limit of Ross County was a north and south line passing through what is now Greene County, not far from the village of Cedarville. It was eight miles west of the present east line of Greene County, and the distance from Hamilton to Ross, on the southern boundary line of Greene, was about ten miles.
It has been stated by historians that Greene County was formed from Hamilton and Ross. It must not be understood that all the territory of Greene County, as it was formed in 1803, belonged to those two counties. A part of Ross, a part of Hamilton, and a much larger part of what was originally Wayne County, besides that portion of territory between Ross and Hamilton which be- longed to neither, was comprehended originally in the county of
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Greene. This strip of territory, although not included in the pro- claimed boundaries of Hamilton County, was evidently regarded as a part of it. One historian states that the eastern boundary of Hamilton County was originally as far east as the Hocking River. On the 24th day of March, 1803, the counties of Warren, Butler, Montgomery and Greene, were established. Greene County is described as comprehending all that part of Hamilton and Ross included in the following bounds, viz: Beginning at the south- east corner of Montgomery County, running thence east to the Ross County line, (across the intermediate territory mentioned above,) and the same course continued eight miles into Ross County; thence north to the state line; thence in a westerly course with said state line to east line of Montgomery County; thence south by said line of Montgomery County to the place of begin- ning. From this description it appears that Montgomery County originally extended from its present southern boundary to the north line of the state, and that Greene County also extended from its present southern boundary to the north line of the state, having Montgomery County as its western boundary.
On the 20th day of February, 1805, Greene County was circum- scribed in its limits, by the organization of Champaign County, which was composed partly of Greene and partly of Franklin. The southern line of this county extended east and west, between the eighth and ninth ranges of townships, and was two miles north of the present most northern limit of Greene County. It was two miles north of the village of Osborn, which is situated on the county line. It extended east of Greene, into what was at that time Franklin County. Champaign County also extended from its southern boundary to the north line of the state.
Greene County was reduced to its present limits by the organiza- tion of Clarke County, on the 26th day of December, 1817. Clarke County, named in honor of Gen. George Rogers Clarke, was formed from the counties of Champaign, Madison and Greene. The boundary line between Greene and Clarke, as described at this time, was as follows: From the east line of Greene County it extended first, west five miles; second, north one-half a mile; third, west to the line between townships four and five in the eighth range; thence north with said township line to the line be- tween sections three and four; thence west with said sectional line to the line of the third township; thence north with said line to the
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TOWNSHIPS.
sectional line between the fourth and fifth tier of sections in said range; thence westwardly with said line to the east line of Montgom- ery County. That part of this boundary line described as the third above, extending west to the line between townships four and five in the eighth range, ran a little to the south of the dwelling house of General. Benjamin Whiteman, situated on the north side of the Little Miami, a short distance east of the present village of Clifton, thus leaving it in Clarke County. Gen. Whiteman was at that time, and had been for many years, a prominent man in Greene County. He was one of the first three associate judges of the Court of Common Pleas. Identified as he was with all the public interests of the county, he preferred to remain in it. He therefore procured the passage of a law, on the 25th day of January, 1819, so changing this line that it should run north of his dwelling house. It is described as follows: From the line running north one-half mile, "thence such a course west (west by north) as will strike the line between townships four and five, on the north side of the Little Miami River, in the eighth range." No other changes have ever been made in this boundary line be- tween Greene and Clarke. This line was carefully surveyed in January, 1880, by the county surveyors of the two counties, Levi Riddell, of Greene, and A. P. Bond, of Clarke.
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TOWNSHIPS.
Greene County was first organized into townships on the 10th day of May, 1803. It was the first act of the first court for the transaction of county business held in the county, just forty- seven days after its organization. It will be remembered that neither Champaign nor Clarke counties were yet organized, and. that Greene County extended from its southern line to the northern limits of the state. It was divided at this time into four townships, Sugar Creek, Cæsar's Creek, Mad River, and Beaver Creek. The west line of Sugar Creek was the same as now, seven miles long, the northwestern corner of the township being at the northwestern corner of the tenth section, in the western line of the county. From this point the line extended south, along the west line of the county, seven miles, to the southwest corner of the same; thence east, crossing the Little Miami River, and the same course continued four miles east of the river, very nearly to
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
the southeast corner of what is now Spring Valley Township; thence north ten miles, to a point due east from the point of be- ginning. This point, the northeastern corner of Sugar Creek Township, was about two miles south, by a little west, from the present city of Xenia. The township included what is now Sugar Creek, nearly all of Spring Valley, and the southwest part of Xenia Township. Cæsar's Creek Township began at the northeast cor- ner of Sugar Creek, running thence north to the Little Miami. It ran about a half mile west of Xenia City, and intersected the Little Miami west of Oldtown, at the mouth of Massie's Creek; thence it extended east to the east line of the county. On the east and south it was bounded by the county lines. This township was about four times as large as Sugar Creek, extending north from the southern boundary about fifteen miles, and including all the southeastern part of the county. The southern boundary line of Mad River Township was the south boundary of the tenth range of the township, in what is now Clarke County. This line extends east and west, and is two miles north of a line passing through the city of Springfield, Clarke County, along which the national road passes. It was the largest township in the county. Its width from east to west was the same as that of the county, and it extended to the northern limits of the state. Beaver Creek was the next lar- gest township. It comprehended the remaining part of the county not embraced in the three townships named; that is, all north of Sugar Creek and Cæsar's Creek, and all south of Mad River. The village of Springfield was in Beaver Creek township, and the old forest trees that were then growing on the site of Xenia were in Cæsar's Creek Township. The voting precincts in these townships were as follows : In Sugar Creek, the house. of Mr. Cheney; in Cæ- Creek, the house of William J. Stewart; in Mad River, the house of Griffith Foos; and in Beaver Creek, the house of Peter Borders.
The above named townships, which, as we have seen, occupied much more territory than is now comprised by Greene County, were organized, as we have also seen, by the Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas.
COMMISSIONERS ACT.
The act of territorial government creating the office of county commissioners for counties in the territory northwest of the river
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COMMISSIONERS ACT.
Ohio, was adopted from the statutes of Pennsylvania, which were published June 19, 1795, and took effect October 1, 1795. These commissioners were not elected by the people, but were appointed by the justices of the court of general quarter sessions of the peace. This court was established and so styled by the territorial govern- ment in 1788. It was composed of not less than three nor more than five of the justices of the peace in any county, which justices were appointed and commissioned by the governor, under the seal of the territory. Such commissioners were listers of real estate, and they performed many of the duties required of the county commission- ers of a later date, but their powers did not extend to the organi- zation of townships. No such board of commissioners was ever appointed in Greene County, nor was there ever any court of gen- cral quarter sessions of the peace held in the county. There were such commissioners in Hamilton and Ross counties at the time of the establishment of Greene County, but Greene County was es- tablished on the 24th day of March, 1803, just thirty-three days after Ohio became a state, and twenty-three days after the con- mencement of the first legislature at Chillicothe, which occurred March 1, 1803.
By an act of the second General Assembly of the State of Ohio, passed February 14, 1804, the office of county commissioner was created as it stands to-day. The first commissioners under this act were elected on the first Monday in April, 1804. They held their first court for the transaction of the business of the county in the following June. The day of the month is not given. At that meeting the following record was made, to wit: "At the house of Peter Borders, in Beaver Creek Township, June, 1804, Jacob Smith, James Snodon, and John Sterrett, gents, produced certifi- cates of their being duly elected commissioners for the county of Greene; and also produced certificates under the hand and seal of James Barrett, Esq., one of the associate judges of the Court of Common Pleas, that they had taken the oath required by law ; and then there was a court held by the board of commissioners for said county, and John Paul was appointed clerk to the said board of commissioners; and the said commissioners cast lots for rank : Jacob Smith drew for three years, John Sterrett for two, and James Snodon for one year. The listers of taxable property having failed to bring in their lists, for which cause it is considered that the court will meet at this place on the first Monday in July next, to
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
lay the levy of said county. Ordered that the clerk advertise for the listers of taxable property to forward their lists on or before that day."
These commissioners, and their successors in office, on the peti- tion of householders living in certain localities, from time to time presented to them, have organized the several other townships in the county.
Xenia Township was organized on the 20th day of August, 1805. It was taken from the territory of Beaver Creek and Cæsar's Creek townships. Its boundary is described as follows : All that part of Beaver Creek Township east of the Little Miami, and above the mouth of Massie's Creek; thence with Beaver Creek Township line south to the northeast corner of Sugar Creek Township; thence with Sugar Creek Township line to the mouth of Anderson's Fork; thence up the main fork of Cæsar's Creek, with the mean- ders thereof, to the east line of said county; thence north with said line to the northeast corner of the county; thence west to the Miami; thence down the river to the place of beginning. It ap- pears from this description, that Xenia Township originally occu- pied all that part of Greene County east of the Little Miami River, and north of Cæsar's Creek, and also east of a line extend- ing south from the mouth of Massie's Creek to the mouth of An- derson's Fork, or more truly to Cæsar's Creek, for this west line of Xenia Township, corresponding with the east line of Beaver Creek and Sugar Creek townships, must have struck Cæsar's Creek some distance above the mouth of Anderson's Fork. It will be re- membered that Clarke County had not yet been organized, and hence Xenia Township extended some distance into what is now Clarke County. The northeast corner of the township was in the present north line of Madison Township, in Clarke County. The commissioners ordered that the first election in this township should be held at the house of William A. Beaty, in Xenia.
Bath Township was organized March 3, 1807. It was taken from the territory of Beaver Creek. Its south line originally was the same as now, running east and west along the north boundary of the fifth tier of sections, in the seventh range of townships. This line is one mile south of the village of Byron. It extended from the west line of the county, east to the Little Miami River. The township included all the territory west of the Little Miami River between this line and what was then the south line of Cham-
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COMMISSIONERS ACT.
paign County. Bath Township therefore extended two miles north of the present village of Osborn. It included nearly all of what is now Mad River and Greene townships, in Clarke County; also the northwest corner of Madison Township, in the same county. The first election in this township was held at the house of Andrew Reid.
Miami Township was organized on the 8th day of June, 1808. It was taken from Bath and Xenia townships. Its northwest cof- ner was in the present Mad River Township, Clarke County, in the south line of Champaign County, two miles north of the present northeast corner of Bath Township. From this point the west line of Miami extended south seven miles, to the southern line of Bath Township; thence it extended east to the east line of the county. The present southern line of Miami is a part of the original line. Extend the present southern line of Miami two miles west, and then east to the east line of the county, and we , shall have the original line. Miami Township then included in what is now Greene County, the northern portions of Cedarville and Ross townships ; and in Clarke County about one-third of Mad River Township, all of Greene, and one-half of Madison Town- ships. The first election was held at the house of David S. Brod- rick, at Yellow Springs.
Silver Creek Township was organized on the 4th day of March, 1811. It was taken from Cæsar's Creek and Xenia townships-the greater part from Cæsar's Creek. Its southwest corner was in the southern line of the county, one mile east of the old Ross County line, that is, seven miles west of the southeast corner of the county, thence it extends north eight miles; thence east seven miles to the east line of the county ; thence south with said county line to the southeast corner of the county; thence west to the place of beginning. Its northern limit originally was the same as at present. It included all of what is now Jefferson Township, and the eastern part of Spring Valley, about one-fourth of the township. The first election was held at the house of Noah Strong, in said township.
Ross' Township was organized on the same day with Silver Creek, March 4, 1811. It was taken entirely from Xenia Town- ship, and was bounded as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner of Silver Creek Township, it extended north to the south line of Miami, a distance of nearly six miles; thence east with the
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Miami line to the east line of the county; thence south to the northeast corner of Silver Creek; thence west to the place of be- ginning. Since its organization in 1811, a portion of Cedarville has been taken from it, and a portion of Miami added to it. In * form it was originally a rectangle, seven miles in length from east to west, and nearly six miles in width from north to south. The first election was held at the house of John Bozarth.
Cedarville was organized into a township on the 6th day of De- cember, 1850. It was taken from the townships of Xenia, Cæsar's Creek, Ross and Miami. It was the first township organized with very irregular boundary lines, and therefore created correspond- ing irregularity in the boundary lines of the townships out of which it was taken. This township has been changed but little since its first organization.
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