| Monroe township is situated
north of Perry and Deer Creek townships, west of
Muhlenberg and Jackson townships, south of Darbyville
and Muhlenberg townships and east of Fayette and Madison
counties. Deer Creek forms a greater part of the
southern boundary. The township is also watered by
Clark's, Van Buskirk's and Mud
runs, all of which empty into Deer Creek. The
surface of the township is on the whole level, except
along the streams. The first settlement in the
township was made about 1799. The soil is for the
most part clay and is well adapted to the growing of
wheat and corn. The township was organized after
the erection of Pickaway County. The present
officers of the township are as follows:
Trustees - L. M. Long, John Douglas and John
Row; clerk, C. E. Dick; treasurer, S. C.
Tootle; assessor, Henry Robinson; justices of
the peace - J. M. Hatfield and Charles McLean.
The population of the township according to the census
of 1900 is 1,586.
EARLY SETTLERS
It is thought that the first
permanent settler was Peter Van Buskirk, a native
of Maryland, who came here about 1800 from Ross County,
Ohio, where he had settled in 1799. Upon coming to
this township, he settled on the bank of Deer Creek,
where he erected, in early times a grist-mill and
distillery. Charles Longberry came to this
township in 1800 from Pennsylvania. Christopher
Cardiff removed from Maryland to Deer Creek in 1806,
and eventually located in Monroe township.
Samuel R. Dawson came to the township in 1814;
Jeremiah, Josiah and John Thomas, three
brothers, in 1815; George Rowe, in 1816; John
Porter, George Richey and John Foster, in
1817; John D. Hatfield, in 1829;
John G. Grindle, in
1831; William Riggin, in 1832; Wilson Murphy,
in 1835; and William C. Williams in 1836.
The Hays family, Benjamin Norris and
family, Milburn Smith and Rev. James Marshall
were also early settlers in Monroe township. At an
early day several saw and grist-mills were established
on Van Buskirk's Run, but these have since
disappeared. A horse-mill for ginding corn
was erected on the turnpike at a very early period by
John H. Maddux.
CHURCHES.
The Hebron M.
E. Church, situated in the southwestern part of the
township, was formed soon after the settlement.
Meetings for a time were held in the log cabins of the
settlers and subsequently in the little log school-house
near Foster's. Revs. Joseph Hays and
William Morrow were among the first circuit
preachers on this charge, which was attached to Deer
Creek Circuit. The early ministers were the same
that had charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church at
Williamsport. The church is now in the Darbyville
Circuit; Rev. F. B Davis is the pastor.
Leslie Lewis is superintendent of the
Sunday school. The church edifice of this society,
built in 1838, was probably the first one built in the
township.
[Pg. 142]
The Greenland M. E. Church, known as the Timmons
Church, which is located about four miles from Five
Points on the road to Era, dates back to about 1834,
when a class was formed here under the ministry of
Revs. Philip Nation and Joshua Boucher, of
the London Circuit. Meetings were held in private
homes until the erection of the log church which was
called the Timmons meeting house." In 1853
a frame church was erected and the present name
substituted. Among the early ministers who had
this charge were Revs. E. Webster, William Morrow, N.
Hugh, John W. Still, George Fait, M. Wolfe, C. B.
Warrington, T. Hurd, S. Maddux, T. Hall, W. Browning, J.
Young, D. Smith, J. Martin, J. Q. Lakin,
F. F. Lewis, J. Laws, A. M. Alexander, S. Rankin, D.
Mann and A. R. Miller. In the division
of the circuit, the Greenland Church was assigned to the
Mount Sterling Circuit, of which it is still a charge.
Rev. S. A. Crosby, of Mount Sterling, is in
charge of the circuit at the present time. The
church has a flourishing Sunday-school.
Pleasant Grove M. E. Church, located at Five Points,
was formerly attached to the London Circuit but is now
in charge of the Mount Sterling Circuit, Rev. S. A.
Crosby being pastor. The first meeting was held in
1849 by Rev. James Marshall at the house of
John C. Berry, where a class of 11 members was
found. In 1852 a meeting-house was erected at a
cost of $800. This was removed to Five Points in
1871, and was used until a new church edifice was built,
in 1894, at a cost of $2,500. Soon after the
formation of the church, a Sunday-school was organized
which still continues with an average attendance of
about 50 at the present time. Adam Hanson
has recently become superintendent, succeeding George
W. Winfough, who retired after holding the position
for 17 years.
The Yankeetown M. E. Church has a membership of 86.
The Sunday-school, at which there is an average
attendance of about 100, is under the superintendence of
C. C. McCafferty. Rev. J. H.
Mindling, of Derby, has charge of this church.
The church property is valued at $2,000 of which amount
$1,500 is represented in the frame church building,
erected about five years ago.
Clark's Run Christian Church - This church which is no
longer active was one of hte first formed in Monroe
township, as early as 1822. The meetings were held
in a small log building that had been erected for
school purposes. In 1844 a hewed log meeting-house
was erected, which was replaced in 1868 by a commodious
and substantial building. The ministers of the
Williamsport Christian Church conducted services at this
station. At one time this church had a membership
of over 100 members and a good-sized Sunday-school.
The Christian Church at Five Points was formed by
Rev. Caleb Morris in 1864. Meetings were first
held at the homes of Pleasant and John
Southward. In 1866 a church building was
completed at a cost of $1,300. The church now has
a membership of 125 members and Rev. H. J. Duckworth,
of Mount Sterling, is pastor. The Sunday-school
was establisted contemporaneous with the church
and now has an average attendance of about 50.
J. T. Davis is superintendent.
The Renick Church in Derby township was removed about
two years ago to the vicinity of Deer Creek, in Monroe
township, where it is now used by the Holiness Church.
SCHOOLS.
The township
has 14 school districts and all except one have been
brick school buildings. The ember of the township
Board of Education, elected in the fall of 1904, and are
follows: R. . Dennis, W. H. Robinson and
B. O. Lewis - four years; Adam Bailey, and John
Bailey - two years. The clerk of the board is
C. E. Dick. The school at Five Points,
which has a high school department, of the second grade,
is under the superintendence of John P. Adkins,
who is assisted by Elizabeth Clarridge.
The enrollment at the Five Points school is about
50, 30 being in the lower room and 20 in the upper.
Monroe township is noted for the number of young men and
women it has put into the teaching field.
[Pg. 143]
FIVE POINTS AND DEER
CREEK.
Five Points is
a settlement several miles southwest of Darbyville.
The first store in the township was established here by
William Leach in 1849. A few years later
M. Timmons opened another store here. The town
had a population of 176 in 1900. In 1851 a
po9stoffice was established here with John Long
as postmaster. On Jan. 1, 1906, the postoffice was
discontinued; the residents now get their mail by rural
free delivery, from Williamsport and Mount Sterling.
Simon Michels and John Caudy operate tile
factories, the latter also running a sawmill.
George Winfough, John Koch and Edward Davis
conduct general stores; David & Parkinson, a meat
market; George Dennis, an implement store, also
selling wagons, carriages, etc. There are two
blacksmiths, D. B. Leach and Frank Porter,
who also runs a feed stable.
At Deer Creek, a small cross-roads settlement of this
township, Lawson S. Baker has a general store,
while John Porter conducts a blacksmith shop.
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