Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/242

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��HISTOKY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

��necessary. March 4, the County Commissioners, Michael Beam, Samuel Watson and Melzar Tannahill. " Moved to the division of Madison Township, out of which the township of Blooming Grove is erected, containing the original sur- veyed townships, No. 22 and 23 of Range No.

18 and Townships No. 22 and 23 of Range No.

19 : and Townships 21 and 22 of Range No. 20. Also, Springfield Township is erected of Township No. 20 of Range No. 20 ; and Town- ship No. 21 of Range No. 19 ; reducing the township of Madison to the original surveyed lines of Township No. 20 of Range No. 18."' This division made Blooming Grove twelve by eighteen miles in extent, or two townshijjs wide by three long. Springfield Township was made six miles wide and twelve long.

On the same da3% the Board divided Troy Township, by " erecting the township of Wash- ington, consisting of Township No. 29, of Range No. 18, only."

This division lasted only till June, when " on application of the inhabitants of Township No. 23 in Range No. 10, it is ordered that the said township be set off as a new township by the name of Orange."' This township was six miles square, and was taken from Montgomery, leaving that one the same size.

The next day, June 4, Miflflin Township, heretofore six miles wide and eighteen long, was divided, and Milton created out of its north two-thirds, reducing Mifflin to a Congressional township's limits, and making Milton six miles wide and twelve long.

It is very evident from succeeding records that Franklin Township was erected the same day with Milton. Almost the last entr^' in the first book of the Commissioner's records — a little, square, unruled book of ninety pages — is that of the creation of Orange Township. When the next book was purchased, a much larger volume was procured, which in the lapse of time became very much worn. Auditor Ward, recognizing the necessity of preserving

��these old records, a few years ago had them securely rebound. In this second book, com- mencing June 4, 1816, two leaves — pages one two, three and four — are lost ; and, as succeed- ing pages do not record the erection of Frank- lin Township, l)ut do mention it among the others as taxed in 1817, it is very safe to assume it was created on the date given, and the record lost with the leaves mentioned. At least, such will be assumed in these pages, leaving others to ferret out the m^'stery. As- suming such to be the case. Blooming Grove was left with five Congressional townships, an inference succeeding facts will develop to be true.

At the next term of the Commissioner's Court, held September 3, it was " ordered that the original surveyed townships, numbered 19, in Range 19, and 18, in Range 20, be set off and created a new township, to be known and distinguished by the name of Leepsic." This name, for some unexplained reason, does not seem to have been very satisfactory to the people, for, October 11, it was "ordered that the township heretofore set off and established b}^ the name of Leepsic, be hereafter known and distinguished by the name of Peny." This township was then twelve miles long and six miles wide, and, by its construction, Jefferson was left its present size. Perry was the last town- ship erected in 1816, the year closing with Richland County divided into fifteen town- ships.

February 11, 1817, at a meeting of the Board, it was "ordered that the original surveyed township, No. 22, in Range 17, be set off and created a new township, to be known and dis- tinguished by the name of Monroe." By its creation Worthington was left its present size — each one six miles square. Monroe Town- ship was the onl}' one erected that year.

On the 12th of February, 1818, the court " ordered that the two townships by original surve}'. No. 23, in Range 19, and No. 22, in

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