Which was taken principally from Wayne Township, with sixteen sections from Greenville and four from Adams Townships, was erected September 8, 1820, and was bounded as follows: commencing at the north line of the county, on the line between Ranges 1 and 2 East, running thence south to the south line of Section 7, Township 12 North, Range 2 East, thence east to the southwest corner of Section 11, Township 10 North, Range 3 East, thence north to the county line, thence along the north line of the county to the place of beginning. In March 1829, all of Township 12 North, Range 2 East, belonging to Richland, was put into Greenville Township. In December 1833, all the land bounded as follows was taken from Richland and erected into a new township called Brown: beginning at the northwest corner of Township 13 North, Range 2 East, thence south to the township line, thence east to the east line of Section 35, thence north to the township line, and west to the place of beginning. A little after, that part of townships 14 and 15 North, Range 2 East, lying directly north of the boundaries just given, was added to Brown Township. In June 1837, York Township (for its boundaries, see the history of that township) was taken from Richland, thus reducing the township to its present size.

The first settlers in the township were David Riffle and his son Jacob in 1815, Jacob Hartle in 1816, and James Stephenson in 1818. A little later came George Beam, Adam Koppess, Henry Stoll, Philip and George Plessinger, Peter Brewer and John Horney. After John Miller, who came in 1822, no more settlers came for some years, on account of the ravages of ague and milk sickness, and very few more came until the lands were selected for the Miami canal in 1830-31.

The first schoolhouse was built in 1824-25, on land now owned by Frank P. Koppess, in Section 5; John Wilkins was the first teacher. The 7 present schoolhouses of the township are all of brick. There are 434 schoolchildren—214 males and 220 females.

The first church was built by the United Brethren at Beamsville, about 1842. There are now three in the township—1 United Brethren and 1 Christian church at Beamsville, and a Methodist at Dawn.

Beamsville was laid out in 1837; Stelvideo and Nevada in 1854.

There are 41 miles of road in the township, 27 of which are pike. By the census of 1870, there were 1105 inhabitants in the township, of whom 39 were foreign born.