Fairfield Township, Huron County, Ohio
Township #2 in Range 22
Early Beginnings
Fairfield Township was named after Fairfield, Connecticut. It was detached from Bronson, and organized in 1823, the election being held at a school house in the third section. There were 22 voters taking part in the election of officers. Ransom B. Ellsworth was elected justice of the peace; Philip Moffitt, Spencer Baker, and Ransom B. Ellsworth, trustees; Eleazer Jones, clerk; and Spencer Baker, constable.
Fairfield Township was named after Fairfield, Connecticut. It was detached from Bronson, and organized in 1823, the election being held at a school house in the third section. There were 22 voters taking part in the election of officers. Ransom B. Ellsworth was elected justice of the peace; Philip Moffitt, Spencer Baker, and Ransom B. Ellsworth, trustees; Eleazer Jones, clerk; and Spencer Baker, constable.
Early Settlers
The first clearing in the township was made by a widow of foreign birth named Mrs. Sample. She and her nine children came from Newark, Licking County, Ohio, in 1816 and settled on lot 36 in the second section. The family was very poor. Mrs. Sample was a remarkable woman. She is reported as out-reaping a man in the grain field in 1817, and she clothed her family in cloth which she wove from the silk of wild nettles. Mrs. Sample married Jacob Rush who died soon after. Her daughter Martha married Amos Harkness. Mrs. Sample later moved to the west and lived to be nearly 100 years old.
After the initial settlement of the Sample family, other early settlers who came into the township, with their dates of arrival, were:
After the initial settlement of the Sample family, other early settlers who came into the township, with their dates of arrival, were:
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Jacob Rush c.1816
W. Day 1817 Amos Harkness 1817 Spencer Baker 1819 William Baker 1819 Philip Moffitt 1819 Aaron Smith 1820 Sampson Baker c.1821 George Baker c.1821 Sylvester Baker c.1821 Jefferson J. Baker c.1821 Abijah Baker c.1821 John Cherry 1821 Jeremiah Kingsbury 1821 |
Eleazer Jones c.1821
Ransom B. Ellsworth 1821 Havilah Smith 1822 Samuel Foote 1822 Col. William Greenfield 1822 John Dimmitt c.1822 Gardner Eldridge 1822 George Eldridge 1822 Reuben M. Snow 1823 Clark Berry 1823 Spencer Berry 1823 Benjamin Lee 1823 Silas Adams c.1824 William Cherry 1825 |
Some First Events
- The first child born in Fairfield was John, son of Eliphalet W. and Abigail Day. He was born in April, 1819.The first death was that of a child of Benjamin Bake in May, 1823.
- Amos Harkness and Martha Sample were the first couple to be married in 1817.
- The first law suit between Fairfield parties was between Amos Harkness (plaintiff), and Gardner Eldridge (defendant). Harkness maintained that Eldridge left syrup exposed in his sap bush, and that the Harkness' ox, "loving it wisely but too well," drank of the syrup to excess and died. The case was settled by the defendant agreeing to chop four acres of timber for the plaintiff.
- The first log cabin was built by the Sample family.
- The first frame building was erected by Aaron Smith. The first brick houses were those of Havilah Smith and L. T. Brown.
- The first tavern was built about 1835 and is still standing as part of Fairfield House (as of 1879). The first landlord was Otis Thornton.
- The earliest religious organization in Fairfield was a Methodist class, formed in 1822 with less than six members.
- Jonas Leonard, a native of Connecticut who had settled in Bronson Township, probably taught the first school in Fairfield about 1824.
- The first physician who practiced in Fairfield was Dr. Moses Saunders of Peru. The first resident physician was Dr. J. N. Campbell. He came to the township in 1832 and was received as a partner by Dr. Saunders.
- Ebenezer Foote, Sampson Baker, and Dr. Campbell built a steam saw mill in 1834. This was the beginning of the manufacturing interest at the village of North Fairfield, then named "Steam Corners" and later "Steamburg."
- The first saw mill was the property of Philip Moffitt, built about 1828. The first grist mill was that of Reuben Draper and John Mitchell. It was located at Steamburg (North Fairfield).
- Ezra Smith of Macksville opened the first store in the township in 1831.
- Walter Branch was commissioned as the first postmaster 1 Jan 1829. He held that office for four years, when he resigned in favor of Horace l. Moulton.
Early Population Indicators
- 1840 U. S. Census - 1,067
- 1880 U. S. Census - 1,359
Cemetery Locations in Fairfield Township
The numbers of the cemeteries below, correspond
with the circled numbers on the map above.
with the circled numbers on the map above.
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Information compiled by Ken Shute.
Maps by Bob Kerner.
Transcribed from the old Huron County OHGenWeb site
© 2005-2014
All Rights Reserved.
Information compiled by Ken Shute.
Maps by Bob Kerner.
Transcribed from the old Huron County OHGenWeb site
© 2005-2014
All Rights Reserved.
