Brief History of Wayne Twp. |
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Wayne Twp. was named in honor of Anthony Wayne, organized in 1834, and located in the northeast corner of the county, covering 27 square miles. The first township election was held at the home of Samuel Mocraft in 1834, where 13 votes were cast. The second was held at the house of Wm. Black. The surface of the land is undulating, the soil rich. The Wallace fork of the Scioto rises in the southeast part of the township. Willow branch rises in the center and empties into the Muchanippe in Goshen township. Wrestle Creek, a branch of the Auglaize River, also heads in this township. The highest land in the state and the dividing ridge between the waters of the Auglaize and Scioto Rivers is located in Wayne. The prairie land in the eastern portion was drained with miles of ditches, cut from 10 to 13 feet wide and from 4 to 7 feet deep.
Provisions for the first families had to be brought from Logan and Champaign Counties, a toilsome journey over bad roads. The first grain was carried 15 miles to Cherokee to be milled, and required at least two days travel. The first crops of wheat were hauled to Fremont and sold for 50 cents/ bushel, and the trip took 8 days. In the fall of 1836 the first school-house was built of logs. Paper oiled with coon oil was nailed across the window openings which allowed some light to filter through; its greatest hazard being birds cutting the paper. The writing desks were made of puncheons, ten feet long and laid upon pins in the wall. There were two such desks, one on each side of the schoolhouse. The seats were 10' long saplings, split in two, and legs put in the round side with the flat side up. Asa R. Mahan taught the first school for 3 months in the winter of 1836/37 for a salary of $10 per month. A.D. Berry taught the second year, followed by Wm. Gilmer in 1838/39.
Waynesfield was laid out by E. G. Atkinson, who opened the first store. The first physician was Henry Leaman. By 1880 the village had three stores, one hotel, two churches, two physicians and a steam grist and saw mill.
Early Settlers of Wayne Twp. |
The following list is of the first settlers in Wayne Township. Other lists will soon be online listing first settlers for each township. For the time being, we will limit the inclusion of settlers up until about the year 1850. Once we have finished this task, we may extend the time-span. If your ancestor doesn't appear here, check the county and other township lists. If you have information about the settlement of your ancestor, please submit it for inclusion on these lists. Your submission must include reference to a source document (i.e. deed, Bible record, legal document).
Key to Source Abbreviations:
ATL80 = 1880 Atlas of Auglaize County, compiled by H.G. Howland, published 1880 by Robert Sutton
AUH = History of Auglaize County
C = Census
D = Deed Volume/Page Number
Settler |
Origin |
Settled |
Year |
Source / |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Berry, A.D. | Wayne | ATL80, p. 35 | 2nd Teacher | ||
Berry, J.C. | Wayne | by 1836 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Berry, Richard | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | 1st Twp. Trustee | |
Black, Wm. | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Bowdle, H.W. | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Carons, Eli E. | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Cavender, Samuel | Wayne | by 1836 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Cox, Wm. | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Dawson, Isaac | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | Brother to Joseph, Sr. | |
Dawson, Jonathan | Trumbull Co., OH | Wayne | 1836 | ATL80, p. 36 | Taught for 10 yrs., Justice of Peace 9 yrs. |
Dawson, Joseph | Trumbull Co., OH | Wayne | Spring, 1836 | ATL80, p. 35 | 1st Twp. Trustee, 10 ch: John R., Joseph, Isaac, Jonathan, Newton, Lewis; d. 1856, aged 83. |
Dawson, Joseph, Jr. | Trumbull Co., OH | Wayne | 1835 | ATL80, p. 36 | b. 1815, lvd. 1st with his Uncle Isaac Dawson, md. 1843 to Maria Moore, 8 ch: Elisha F., Mary Ann, Chas. H.; she d. 1865. |
Dawson, Nathan | Trumbull Co., OH | Wayne | 1836 | ATL80, p. 36 | b. 01 Jan 1825, md. Mar 1852 to Mary Kauffman, 6 ch, she d. May 1863; md. 2nd Frances Landes in 1865, 6 ch., taught district school & farmed |
Ellsworth, Daniel | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Felger, Samuel | Wayne | 1836 | ATL80, p. 36 | ||
Gilmer, Wm. | Wayne | ATL80, p. 35 | 3rd Teacher | ||
Gilmore, Allen | Allegheny Co., PA | Wayne | 1833 | ATL80, p. 35 | 1st Twp. Trustee, 6 ch: Mary J., Sylvania, David, Livonia, John A., and James A. (d. CW), |
Gossard, Philip | Wayne | ATL80, p. 35 | md. Ellen Ross 1851, 4 ch., 183rd O.V.I., d. 1864 from wounds | ||
Hiett, William | Wayne | 1830/31 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Hurley, Gilbert | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Hurley, John | Wayne | 1830/31 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Jett, William | VA & Champaign Co. | Wayne | 1833/34 | Deed, Auglaize Co. Recorder's Office | K. JETT |
Kent, Alex. | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Kent, Wm. | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Lowman, Samuel | Virginia, Champaign Co., OH | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | b. 1807, md. Mary A. Plummer of Clarke Co. |
Madden, Benj. | Wayne | by 1836 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Mahan, Asa R. | Wayne | by 1836 | ATL80, p. 35 | 1st Teacher | |
Mahan, James, Jr. | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Mahan, James, Sr. | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | 1st Justice of the Peace | |
Maxon, Simon | Wayne | by 1836 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
McCall, Thomas | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
McPherson, Samuel | Wayne | 1836 | ATL80, p. 36 | ||
Mocraft, Samuel | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Mocraft, Simon | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Myers, David | Belmont & Licking Co., OH | Wayne | 1841 | ATL80, p. 35 | b. 1805, md. Susan Jordon in 1841 in Licking Co., 5 ch., she d. 1852, md. 2nd Elizabeth A. Stow in 1853, 4 ch. |
Oram, Aaron | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Perry, John | Wayne | 1836 | ATL80, p. 36 | ||
Pratt, Lyman | Wayne | by 1836 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Richardson, ? (Fa. of Byrd) | Wayne | 1830 | ATL80, p. 35 | died at age 110 | |
Richardson, Byrd | Montgomery Co., VA, Shelby Co., St. Johns, OH | Wayne | 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | b. 1809, d. 1871, md. Nancy Smiles, had 7 ch. Blackhoof buried on his farm at St. Johns |
Ridley, John | Vermont, Licking Co., OH | Wayne | 1837 | ATL80, p. 35 | b. 1794, md. Sarah Myers in 1824, Licking Co., had 7 ch., dau. Mrs. Winegardner, he d. 1849, his widow md. Levi Mix |
Ross, Ellen | Ross Co., OH | Wayne | 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | b. 1828, md. Philip Gossard in 1851, 4 ch. |
Ross, Moses | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Turney, Lee | Wayne | by 1836 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Wells, Harris | Wayne | by 1836 | ATL80, p. 35 | ||
Whetstone, Henry | Huntington Co., PA, Richland Co., OH | Wayne | 1843 | ATL80, p. 35 | b. 1809, md. Mary Serrels in 1837, son Mathew, wife d. 1838; md. 2nnd Margaret Flemming, Richland Co., served as Twp. trustee and treasurer |
Williams, Jacob | Wayne | by 1834 | ATL80, p. 35 |