Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/427

 HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��CHAPTER XLIV.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

Organization and Topography— Agriculture, Etc.— Indian Occupation— Roads— First Settlers and Set- tlements—First Hotels— Distillery— The Lead Mine— Bear Hunting— " Shining " for Deer— A Snake Story — First Elections — Mills— Schools and Churches.

though much drainage has rendered the land tillable. Agriculturally- considered, it is one of the finest townships of land in the county. The soil is strong and produces a vigorous growth of whatever the farmer is disposed to sow or plant. Fine sugar camps still exist. and much maple sugar is made. The da}- is rapidly approaching, however, when the farm- ers will see the necessity of gi'eat care and much nursing of their timber land. Even now, hedge, board and post and rail fences are tak- ing the place of the time-honored rail or worm fence. The day is not far distant, when this latter fence will be as much of a rarity as are now the log cabins of the pioneer. So gradual is this change, that it escapes the notice of those who daily pass through the country, and yet, comparatively, the change is rapid, and the farmer will soon find himself the autocrat of his little domain, as well as the aristocrat of the country. This is essentially an agricultural township, there being no towns within its Hm- its, and no railroad touches it. except at the southeast corner, where the Atlantic & Great Western passes across a small portion.

The people are largely descendants of that sturdy race of pioneers who came from West- ern Pennsylvania and Virginia. They were men and women of rare courage and strength, and, religiously, were Lutherans or German Re- formed. Their children follow in their foot- steps, and make it their highest aim in life to become worthy citizens.

��TpRANKLIN TOWNSHIP was erected, June -LJ 4, 1816, out of the southeast corner of Blooming Grove Township, and was, at that time, six miles square, including a portion of what is now Weller Township. Thus it remained until Ashland County was formed. This formation left the eastern townships of Richland in a fragmen- tary shape, and necessitated a change in town- ship lines. In this change, Franklin lost its two eastern tiers of sections, July 5, 1849, leav- ing it in its present shape, six miles long, from north to south, and four miles wide. Its sur- face is generally flat, or gently rolling, and in an early day, a large part of it was considered swamp land, and all was covered with a dense forest of vigorous growth. Oak and beech were more abundant on the higher lands, and maple and walnut on the wavy slopes in the west and central parts. The elm, ash and syc- amore skirted the winding Black Fork, which passes across the northeastern portion, and the second bottom lands w-ere noted for their beau- tiful sugar-tree groves. Wild plum-trees and black-haw bushes were found in various parts. Two clear, sparkling tributaries of the Black Fork, Friend's Creek and Brubaker Creek, run parallel with each other, from west to east, across the township, near its center. Between these creeks, and north of Friend's Creek, lie some of the higher lands, until the vicinity of the Black Fork is reached, when swamps again make their appearance. The southern part of the township is also quite swampy, even yet,

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