|
Clay township while not the last township formed
was the last township settled. It was set
off from Randolph township June 8, 1825.
The electors of the new township were instructed
to meet at the house of John Rohrer
July 4th of that year to elect township
officers. The township lies high and in it
are the head waters of streams flowing in
different directions. A branch of Ludlow
creek drains the northern part of the township
to the Stillwater. The western part is
drained to Twin creek and to Bear creek, while
the larger part of the township is drained by
the three western forks of Wolf creek. The
head waters of these streams, as in so many
similar cases, caused the land to be swampy, and
undesirable to the early settler. Some of
the largest springs in the county are in this
level upland, one spring furnishing sufficient
water for running a mill. The land when
improved by artificial draining furnishes an
excellent soil for all agricultural purposes.
While Clay township was waiting for settlers the
government was reducing the size of lots to be
sold to individual purchasers and as land
speculators were not attracted to Clay township
the way was left open for a great many
homeseekers to purchase land in small lots in
Clay township. One who looks over the list
of purchasers of lands in this township will be
surprised at two things - the lateness of the
land entries and the smallness of the lots
purchased, eighty-acre lots being the prevailing
size. In no other township were the
purchasers so miscellaneous in character.
The following is the list of the purchasers of
land in Clay township which corresponds to the
subdivision known as township 6, range 4:
| Section 1
- |
|
|
E.
½ N. E. ¼
Joseph Christian |
Oct. 8,
1822 |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Page 924 -
| Section 3
- |
|
|
E.
½ N. E. ¼
Edward Thomas |
June 22,
1827 |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Page 925 -
| Section
11 - |
|
|
N. E. ¼
John Thomas |
Oct. 15,
1816 |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Page 926 -
| Section
19 - |
|
|
N. E. ¼
John Corcoran |
Oct. 13,
1830 |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Page 927 -
|
S. E. ¼
Cornelius Pipinger |
Nov. 13,
1816 |
|
S. W. ¼
D. Grip and
J. Replogle |
May 7,
1807 |
| Secton 28
- |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Page 928 -
| Section
34 - |
|
|
N. E. ¼
Christian Braodstone |
Dec. 24,
1814 |
|
N. W. ¼, S.
E. ¼ and S. W. ¼ Daniel
Chribe |
Nov. 16,
1805 |
| Section
35 - |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| Section
36 - |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| Section 5
- |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| Section 6
- |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| Section 7
- |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| Section 8
- |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Sawmills in early times were distributed over
the township but were especially numerous on the
different branches of Wolf creek.
The first schoolhouse of which we have knowledge was
built in the northwest quarter of section 13 in
1815. Another was built on section 26,
about one mile northesat of Brookville.
Another schoolhouse was built a little later on
section 34.
Page 929 -
TOWNS.
PHILLIPSBURG
BACHMAN is a small town at the ppoint where the
Dayton and Union railroad crosses the National
road. It was platted in 1842. It has
a population of about sixty.
ARLINGTON
DOBSON
Page 930 -
population is given as seventy-seven. In
1874, the Catholics erected here a church, but
there is no trace of the same at the present
time.
WEST
BALTIMORE
WENGER LAWN
BROOKVILLE.
BROOKVILLE, the principal town in Clay township,
is located in the southern part of the township
on the Dayton and Western Railroad. It was
platted April 13, 1850, by Jacob Flory.
SCHOOLS.
Page 931 -
COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
RESOURCES:
THE BROOKVILLE BUILDING AND SAVINGS ASSOCIATION
was incorporated Feb. 28, 1903. The report
.......
THE PRESS. The Brookville Star was first
published in 1889, by E. H. Williamson,
publisher and editor. After a number of
changes in editors and publishers, H. W.
McMillen took charge of the paper about five
years ago. It is neutral in politics.
Mr. McMillan is also publisher of the
Trotwood transcrip which has a circulation at
Trotwood.
Page 932 -
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH.
THE METHODIST CHURCH
THE BROOKVILLE U. B. CHURCH
Page 933 -
on the charge are: J. C. Miller, J. D.
Holsinger, Louis Gilbert, S. S. Holden, D. N.
How, E. W. Bowers, W. J. Pruner, J. B. Doughman,
Frank More, Rev. Gardner, S. M. Hippard, J. W.
Flory, W. T. Frank and I. Zimmerman,
the last named being the present pastor.
Clay township stands first among the townships
of Montgomery county in the extent of roads
macadamized at the expense of the township.
A number of the townships have received the
cooperation of the county and the aid of state
funds in the improvement of roads but only two
or three townships have macadamized roads wholly
at their own expense. Clay township has
its own road levelers and water tank and
sprinkler. It owns also four acres of
stone quarry land. The roads thus far
macadamized are, the Brookville and Phillips
burg pike, four miles; West Baltimore and
Phillipsburg pike, three miles. The county
gave assistance in building one mile of road
through Brookville on the pike, leading north.
The following are the township officers: Trustees,
C. L. Weaver, W. B. Flory, W. H.
Hangen; clerk, C. S. Prass. The
following members constitute the township board
of education: W. W. Helwig, W. H.
Hangen, C. E. Brown, P. S. Johns,
Samuel Binkley, C. S. Prass,
clerk. In the township, there are eight
schoolhouses. Two of them have two rooms
in use. There are two special districts.
Thus there has passed before us the array of the
townships of Montgomery county, along with some
glimpses at the towns and villages that have
sprung up within their bounds. Likewise,
prolonged attention has been given to the
expanding city of Dayton, bordered as we have
now seen by this circle of town ships,
resplendent with field and stream and wood and
set with growing towns.
The sturdy pioneers with their simple lives and hardy
virtues - the men sifted from the crowded
population of the first settled parts of the
country to build up an empire in the waiting
west - have passed from the scene of their
struggles and triumphs. They performed
well their part. It remains for those who
have taken their place and have inherited the
results of their labors and sacrifices, to
perform a part no less necessary, and under
conditions no less trying, though different, for
those who now live and for those who are to
follow.
<
CLICK HERE to RETURN to TABLE of CONTENTS
> |
