Malaga Township Malaga Township was organized on December 15, 1820, containing 30-3/4 sections. The Western part of Malaga Township is drained by the various tributaries of Wills Creek and the Eastern part of Malaga Township is drained by the Baker's Fork and the Grassy Fork of Sunfish Creek. Malaga Township is located on the high, broad ridge which begins in Summit Township on the South and extends North through Malaga into Belmont County. Professor Andrews said, in 1880, "Traces of thin seams of coal were found from Miltonsburg to Calais. Similar seams were seen about 300 feet below Miltonsburg on the road to the deep valley of Sunfish Creek in Center Township. None of the seams had been opened and are probably too thin, at any rate, to be worked -- except for neighborhood use by the rude method of stripping. They are all high in the geological series but nowhere are they found to be of much practical value. Limestone strata, which aids in fertilizing the soil, were seen." The first settlements were begun around 1815 by John Hendershot; Stillwell Truex; Matthew Rogers; Martin Fogle; Frederick Hays; William Kennard; Peter Mann; David Lupton; David Mann; and James Graham. It is believed that John Hendershot built the first cabin around 1815 or sooner. The first child in Malaga Township was born to Mr. and Mrs. John Mitchem. The first election was held at the home of Peter Mann in Malaga in 1820. Twenty-two votes were cast and among the voters were John Hendershot; Peter Mann; William Kennard; Isaac Beardmore; Matthew Rogers; David Lupton; David Mann; Stillwell Truex; James Graham; William Lawrence; Stephen Sloan; Henry Crum; David Sampson; John Strahl; Jonathan Hendershot; Andrew Love; and George Kinney. The first officers of Malaga Township are as follows: Stephen Sloan, Trustee; Henry Crum, Trustee; David Sampson, Trustee; Jonathan Hendershot, Clerk; John Strahl, Treasurer; George Kinney, Constable; and Andrew Love, Justice of the Peace. It is believed that the first water grist-mill was built by Abner Carleton on Baker's Fork and that the first sawmill was built by Abraham Landis on the same stream around 1817. Mr. Landis lived to be almost 100 years old. The first school was taught on the farm of David Mann, located on the line between the farms of David Mann and Peter Mann, by David H. Craig in 1818 with 22 scholars in attendance. A school house was built at an early date on the farm of Philip Lawrence near Jerusalem. Laurenz Schaub and John J. Dorr were among the large German population in Malaga Township. They were among the first to settle around Miltonsburg. The first meeting house was built in Malaga around 1819. It was free to all denominations. A church was built at an early date East of Malaga and it was known as the Bush Meeting House. The Society of Friends had a meeting house in the same neighborhood at about the same time. The second church which was built was a Baptist church and the third church which was built was a Presbyterian church. A Roman Catholic church was built South of Miltonsburg in either 1835 or 1836. This church was demolished and another Roman Catholic Church, larger than the first, was built on the North side of Miltonsburg. A Methodist Episcopal Church and an Evangelical church was also located in Miltonsburg in 1880. Miltonsburg was organized in 1836 by David Pierson of Woodsfield and it was named after Mr. Pierson's son, Milton. There was considerable trade in Jerusalem in 1880. East Jerusalem, a short distance from the Village of Jerusalem, was on the Bellaire, Zanesville, and Cincinnati Railroad. T.S. Fowler and Samuel Groux served as Justices of the Peace for Malaga Township in 1880. Table of Contents <http://members.aol.com/RYouCuz/monroeco.htm#toc> Summit Township Summit Township was organized on June 4, 1850, containing 23 acres. It is bounded on the North by Seneca Township and Malaga Township. It is bounded on the East by Center Township. It is bounded on the South by Wayne Township and Franklin Township. It is bounded on the West by Franklin Township and Seneca Township. Professor Andrews, in the Geological Survey of Ohio, says, "This township is well named. It is located upon a very high ridge from which the water flows into Will's Creek on the northwest and west, into Sunfish Creek on the east, and into various tributaries of the Little Muskingum on thesSouth. A hill on the land of George Feiock, which is located one-half mile Southwest of the Village of Lewisville, is one of the highest points in Monroe County. It is 130 feet above the upper seam of coal and it is about 350 feet above the lower seam of coal which is found on the South fork of Will's Creek. Some coal has been mined on the land of William Smith in 1880 and had been taken to Woodsfield. A stratum of iron ore, nine inches thick, was found on the land of J.R. Fisher on Sunfish Creek -- said land being located North of the land of William Smith. It is believed that it is about 50 feet above the Woodsfield Evans seam of coal." Ephraim Rucker and Mollie McBrides were the first settlers in Summit Township. Mr. Rucker came from Virginia and Miss McBrides came from Pennsylvania. Mollie McBrides settled North of Lewisville and this settlement was known as Mollie's Garden. Mr. Rucker settled in the Western part of Summit Township. These first settlers built the first cabins around 1814 in Summit Township. Other early settlers were as follows: James Benson, Michael Crow, William Craig, Philip Cline, Edward Coulter, John Hamilton, Jacob Wise, David Ayers, Ephraim Dearth, Thomas Scott, James Allen, Robert Smith, Thomas Allen, Henry Benson, Barak Fisher, Alexander Ferrel, Robert Stewart, John McBrides, Robert Hannahs, and Hugh Henderson, These early settlers came from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The first election was held in Lewisville on September 7, 1850. There were as many voters in the township at this time as there were in 1880. The first vote was cast by Lemuel Rucker. Michael Crow and George W. Watson were elected as the first Justices of the Peace for Summit Township although Mr. Watson had been elected as a Justice of the peace in Center Township before Summit Township was organized. Other officers which were elected for Summit Township at this time were as follows: Barnet Mann, Trustee; John H. Ayers, Trustee; Jacob H. Hamilton, Trustee; Isaac Barnhart, Assessor; William Milligan, Treasurer; and Philip Weber, Constable. Francis Allen built the first grist mill about one and one-half miles North of Lewisville in 1830 -- being a horsepower draft mill. A man by the name of Mr. Miller built a water grist mill (known as Baker's Mill) about two miles Northeast of Lewisville on Sunfish Creek in 1835. Ephraim Rucker built a sawmill thereabouts three miles West of Lewisville on the headwaters of Will's Creek in 1835. A school was taught by Philip Cline in 1825. This school was located about two and one-half miles Northwest of Lewisville and there were 30 scholars in attendance. The school was a subscription school and it was of primitive style. The subscription rates were as follows: For a term of three months -- $1.50; For a term of 26 days to one month -- the rate, generally paid with corn, was 18 cents per bushel of corn. The first postoffice, called the Shannon, was located in the Southwestern part of Summit Township. The name of the postoffice was later changed to Lecompton. The only other postoffice in Summit Township was located in Lewisville. The Baptists held the first religious services at the home of John Hamilton in the Northwestern part of the Township. The Presbyterians organized the first society in 1830. They erected a log building in 1853, later tore it down, and then erected a frame on the same site. This structure was remodeled in 1881. This church was known as the Buchanan Presbyterian Church and Reverend McCandlas was the first minister. Among its first members were Mr. and Mrs. William Buchanan, Mr. and Mrs. William Pickens, Mr. and Mrs. James Graham, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cooper, and Mrs. and Mrs. Archibald Cooper. The Episcopal Methodists organized the second church on the headwaters of Will's Creek. Reverend Leeper was the first minister and among the first members of this church were Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Wise, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. James Wise, and John Dearth. This church was known as the Wise M.E. Church. There were five churches in Summit Township in 1880. They were as follows: The Presbyterian Church, two Evangelical churches, one German Methodist church, and one English Methodist church. Lewisville was organized by Barak Fisher and John Burton in 1837. The population of Lewisville was 120 people in 1880 and the population of Lewisville and Summit Township combined in 1880 was 914 people. Alexander Buchanan and Henry J. Bender were serving as Justices of the Peace at that time for Summit Township. The school statistics for Summit Township, for the year ending on August 31, 1881, were as follows: Total amount of money received within the school year -- $2,987.78; Amount of money paid to teachers within the school year -- $1,600.75; Amount of money paid for fuel and other utilities within the school year -- $178.66; Number of schools -- 6; Number of rooms -- 7; Value of school property -- $4,500.00; Number of teachers -- 7; Average wages per month for ladies -- $22.00; Average wages per month for gentlemen -- $36.00; and the total number of pupils enrolled within the school year -- 243. Table of Contents <http://members.aol.com/RYouCuz/monroeco.htm#toc>