GRUMBLES FROM THE PAST
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Notes for Henry Powell
Liberty Township Created Same Time As Marion
By R.L. Heminger
Liberty Township was the first to be created in the western half of Hancock County. Its origin dates to Dec. 6, 1830. Prior to that Amanda, Delaware, and Jackson townships had been "erected," having been "carved" out of what was Findlay Township, which embraced the entire county at the start. Marion Township was established at the same time Liberty was created.
The derivation of the township's name is self-evident.
The new township included approximately two-fifths of the entire west side of the county. Findlay Township was reduced to a small strip extending from Hardin to Wood counties. It was 1836 before Liberty became its present size, through further township establishments.
Early in the 1820s, the McKinnis family settled in what is now Liberty Township. They included Robert McKinnis, Charles McKinnis and Phillip McKinnis. They were natives of Pennsylvania. Robert McKinnis was subsequently elected an associate judge of the county.
OTHER EARLY SETTLERS included Jacob Poe, John Gardner, Thomas Wilson, Ebenezer Wilson, Robert McCullough, John and Michael Fishel, William Wade, Joshua Jones, John Travis and Addison and Alfred Hampton. Others were Nathan Frakes, Johnson Bonham, John J. Hendricks, the Lee family, George Chase, Job Chamberlain Sr., Henry Powell, Richard Watson, Peter Treece, Berna Beardsley and the Rev. George Van Eman.
Due to its proximity to the village of Findlay, the Liberty area was one of the first to be settled in the county. Many of the newcomers settled along the river, which flows through the township.
In 1832, John Byal, one of the early settlers, opened a sawmill and later built a gristmill. This was one of the first frame mills erected in Hancock County and stood for many years. Another mill was built in 1844 by Miller Johnson, south of the river. Amos Hartman erected a gristmill nearby. John Povenmire constructed a sampmill on what was known as Comer's Run. It was not until 1832 that a schoolhouse made its appearance in the township. A small, log building was put up in Section 9 and the first school was taught by Richard Wade. Benjamin Cummins also was an early teacher.
A class of the Methodist Episcopal denomination was organized at the Johnson Bonham home in 1831. In 1851, the society built a frame church across the line in Findlay Township. It was still being used in the 1890s.
THE REV. PETER MONFORT, a Presbyterian, organized a church of that denomination in 1832 at the Ebenezer Wilson home. This was a branch of the Findlay Presbyterian Church. In 1841, the Rev. George Van Eman reorganized the church and a building was erected. Other churches followed the Presbyterians and Methodists in later years.
Liberty Township has never had a village. The nearest approach to a town is Blue Pigeon, located just west of Findlay, along the railroad tracks.
The township once had a post office, known as Alba. It was located at the house of Samuel Renninger from 1857 to 1864.
Within the township is "Indian Green," located in Section 7 on U.S. 224. The original settlers found a tract of cleared land covering a dozen acres on the north bank of the river, some of which had been under cultivation. There was an orchard of plum trees. An Indian graveyard was located there. Some believe an Indian village once was there. Many Indian relics have been uncovered in this area.
Liberty Township was the scene of much activity in the oil days. Its tax duplicate has always been one of the biggest among the townships of the county.
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