History

FOUNDATION

Monroe township is situated north of Perry and Deer Creek townships, west of Muhlenberg and Jackson townships, south of Darbyville and Muhlenberg townships and east of Fayette and Madison counties.  Deer Creek forms a greater part of the southern boundary.  The township is also watered by Clark's, Van Buskirk's and Mud runs, all of which empty into Deer Creek.  The surface of the township is on the whole level, except along the streams.  The first settlement in the township was made about 1799.  The soil is for the most part clay and is well adapted to the growing of wheat and corn.  The township was organized after the erection of Pickaway County.  The records of the various townships of Pickaway county have been imperfectly kept, so that we are unable to ascertain the date when Monroe became a separate township.  Records do show the officers for 1879 were:  Alfred CRAWFORD, M. J. TOOTLE, Henry DENNIS, trustees; John H. BEESON, clerk; D. D. HEWITT, treasurer; A. B. HUGHES, assessor; J. F. ROBINSON and William J. PORTER, constables; C. MADDUX and D. H. MARHSALL, justices of the peace.  Mr. MARSHALL is also attorney-at-law.  The population of the township according to the census of 1900 was 1,586.

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EARLY SETTLERS

     It is thought that the first permanent settler was Peter Van Buskirk, a native of Maryland, who came here about 1800 from Ross County, Ohio, where he had settled in 1799.  Upon coming to this township, he settled on the bank of Deer Creek, where he erected, in early times a gristmill and distillery.  Charles Longberry came to this township in 1800 from Pennsylvania.  Christopher Cardiff removed from Maryland to Deer Creek in 1806, and eventually located in Monroe township.  Samuel R. Dawson came to the township in 1814; Jeremiah, Josiah and John Thomas, three brothers, in 1815; George Rowe, in 1816; John Porter, George Richey and John Foster, in 1817; John D. Hatfield, in 1829; John G. Grindle, in 1831; William Riggin, in 1832; Wilson Murphy, in 1835; and William C. Williams in 1836.  The Hays family, Benjamin Norris and family, Milburn Smith and Rev. James Marshall were also early settlers in Monroe township.  At an early day several saw and gristmills were established on Van Buskirk's Run, but these have since disappeared.  A horse-mill for grinding corn was erected on the turnpike at a very early period by John H. Maddux.

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CHURCHES.

     The Hebron M. E. Church, situated in the southwestern part of the township, was formed soon after the settlement.  Meetings for a time were held in the log cabins of the settlers and subsequently in the little log schoolhouse near Foster's.  Revs. Joseph Hays and William Morrow were among the first circuit preachers on this charge, which was attached to Deer Creek Circuit.  The early ministers were the same that had charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Williamsport.  The church is now in the Darbyville Circuit; Rev. F. B Davis is the pastor.  Leslie Lewis is superintendent of the Sunday school.  The church edifice of this society, built in 1838, was probably the first one built in the township.

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    The Greenland M. E. Church, known as the Timmons Church, which is located about four miles from Five Points on the road to Era, dates back to about 1834, when a class was formed here under the ministry of Revs. Philip Nation and Joshua Boucher, of the London Circuit.  Meetings were held in private homes until the erection of the log church which was called the Timmons meeting house."  In 1853 a frame church was erected and the present name substituted.  Among the early ministers who had this charge were Revs. E. Webster, William Morrow, N. Hugh, John W. Still, George Fait, M. Wolfe, C. B. Warrington, T. Hurd, S. Maddux, T. Hall, W. Browning, J. Young, D. Smith, J. Martin, J. Q. Lakin, F. F. Lewis, J. Laws, A. M. Alexander, S. Rankin, D. Mann and A. R. Miller.  In the division of the circuit, the Greenland Church was assigned to the Mount Sterling Circuit, of which it is still a charge.  Rev. S. A. Crosby, of Mount Sterling, is in charge of the circuit at the present time.  The church has a flourishing Sunday-school.
    Pleasant Grove M. E. Church, located at Five Points, was formerly attached to the London Circuit but is now in charge of the Mount Sterling Circuit, Rev. S. A. Crosby being pastor.  The first meeting was held in 1849 by Rev. James Marshall at the house of John C. Berry, where a class of 11 members was found.  In 1852 a meeting-house was erected at a cost of $800.  This was removed to Five Points in 1871, and was used until a new church edifice was built, in 1894, at a cost of $2,500.  Soon after the formation of the church, a Sunday-school was organized which still continues with an average attendance of about 50 at the present time.  Adam Hanson has recently become superintendent, succeeding George W. Winfough, who retired after holding the position for 17 years.
    The Yankeetown M. E. Church has a membership of 86.  The Sunday-school, at which there is an average attendance of about 100, is under the superintendence of C. C. McCafferty.  Rev. J. H. Mindling, of Derby, has charge of this church.  The church property is valued at $2,000 of which amount $1,500 is represented in the frame church building, erected about five years ago.
    Clark's Run Christian Church - This church which is no longer active was one of the first formed in Monroe township, as early as 1822.  The meetings were held in a small log  building that had been erected for school purposes.  In 1844 a hewed log meeting-house was erected, which was replaced in 1868 by a commodious and substantial building.  The ministers of the Williamsport Christian Church conducted services at this station.  At one time this church had a membership of over 100 members and a good-sized Sunday-school.
    The Christian Church at Five Points was formed by Rev. Caleb Morris in 1864.  Meetings were first held at the homes of Pleasant and John Southward.  In 1866 a church building was completed at a cost of $1,300.  The church now has a membership of 125 members and Rev. H. J. Duckworth, of Mount Sterling, is pastor.  The Sunday-school was established contemporaneous with the church and now has an average attendance of about 50.  J. T. Davis is superintendent.
    The Renick Church in Derby township was removed about two years ago to the vicinity of Deer Creek, in Monroe township, where it is now used by the Holiness Church.

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SCHOOLS.

     The township originally had 14 school districts and all except one have been brick school buildings.  The members of the township Board of Education, elected in the fall of 1904, and are follows:  R. Dennis, W. H. Robinson and B. O. Lewis - four years; Adam Bailey, and John Bailey - two years.  The clerk of the board is C. E. Dick.  The school at Five Points, which had a high school department, of the second grade, was under the superintendence of John P. Adkins, who is assisted by Elizabeth Clarridge.  The enrollment at the Five Points school in the early 1900's was about 50 students, 30 being in the lower room and 20 in the upper.  Monroe township was noted for the number of young men and women it has put into the teaching field.

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FIVE POINTS AND DEER CREEK.

     Five Points is a settlement several miles southwest of Darbyville.  The first store in the township was established here by William Leach in 1849.  A few years later M. Timmons opened another store here.  The town had a population of 176 in 1900.  In 1851 a post office was established here with John Long as postmaster.  On Jan. 1, 1906, the post office was discontinued; the residents now get their mail by rural free delivery, from Williamsport and Mount Sterling.  Simon Michels and John Caudy operated tile factories, the latter also running a sawmill.  George Winfough, John Koch and Edward Davis conducted general stores; David & Parkinson, a meat market; George Dennis, an implement store, also selling wagons, carriages, etc.  There are two blacksmiths, D. B. Leach and Frank Porter, who also ran a feed stable.
     At Deer Creek, a small cross-roads settlement of this township, Lawson S. Baker had a general store, while John Porter conducted a blacksmith shop.

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