GREENVILLE TOWNSHIP

At first included the entire county. In July 1817, Twin Township was taken from the south of a line running due east from the Northwest corner of Section 31, Township 11 North, Range 1 East. In the same month, another township was erected in the north end of the county, called Wayne, which contained the following territory: all of the county north of a line commencing at the Northwest corner of Township 12 North, Range 1 East, thence east to the Northwest corner of Township 9 North, Range 4 East, thence south to the middle of said township, and thence east to the county line. In March 1819, all of Greenville Township that lay in Range 1 East was taken into a new township called Washington, and in the same month, Adams Township was formed, containing all the land in the county east of a line running south from the Northwest corner of Section 4, Township 10 North, Range 3 East to the Southwest corner of Section 28, Township 9 North, Range 3 East. In September 1820, two tiers of sections across the north end of Greenville Township were taken into a new township called Richland. In 1821, Neave Township was laid out, taking 4 tiers of sections from the south side of Greenville Township. In March 1829, all of Richland Township lying in Township 12 North, Range 2 East was transferred to Greenville Township, and also Section 31 of Township 13 North, Range 2 East. This section was afterwards thrown out again, leaving the township in its present shape.

Probably the first quarter section of land "entered" in the county was that on which the town of Greenville chiefly stands. It was entered by John Devor, who laid out the first lots in the town; but he was not the first settler. Azor Scribner established a trading post near Greenville at a very early day, perhaps 1805 or 1806, and was probably the first man who settled permanently in the township or the county. But the first man who brought a family into the county was a squatter, Samuel Boyd, who settled on Section 14, Greenville Township, in 1807. Among others who settled in the township prior to the War of 1812, were Moses Scott, afterwards first sheriff of the county. Enos Terry and David Briggs, first justices of the peace, William Wilson, Henry Creviston, John Devor, William Carnahan, David Thompson, the Sumptions, and the Hillers and Rush’s who came in 1811. Abram Scribner came to the county in 1811, but went in Col. Richard M. Johnson’s regiment against the Indians, and was in the famous battle of the Thames, which resulted in the complete overthrow of the British and Indians, and in which the great chief Tecumseh met his death. Returning at the close of the war, he opened a dry-goods store, in 1815, in one of the blockhouses.

Greenville is much the largest township in the county, containing sixty square miles; no other township contains more than thirty-six, except Adams, which has thirty-eight.

There are in the township 17 schoolhouses, besides the large one at Greenville. In the town, there are 988 schoolchildren; 493 white males and 1 colored male, 489 white and 5 colored females. In the remainder of the township there are 555 white males and 1 colored male, 434 white and 3colored females—a total of 933; or, including the town, the entire number of schoolchildren in the township is 1981.

In the town of Greenville, there are 9 churches, viz., 1 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist, 1 German Reformed, 1 Christian, 1 Episcopal, 2 Lutheran, 1 Catholic, and 1 German Methodist.

Greenville was laid out in 1808, Mina Town in 1818, Coleville in 1848, Pikeville in 1866, and Woodington in 1871.

There are 115 miles of road in the township, 53 of which are pike. The census of the township for 1870 was as follows:

 

Total

Native

Foreign

White

Black

Greenville Township

5688

5069

619

5637

51

Coleville

86

85

1

   

Pikeville

356

304

52

355

1

Greenville

2520

2161

359

2497

23

For other items of interest concerning both township and town of Greenville, consult the County History.

Darke County History 1875 Atlas of Darke County, Ohio transcribed by Tom Midlam December 2000

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