Greenwich Township, Huron County, Ohio
Township #1 in Range 21
Early Beginnings
Greenwich Township derives its name from Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut, where most of the original owners of the land resided. In 1815, Greenwich was attached to, or within the jurisdiction of, New Haven Township for civil purposes. In 1819, Greenwich, Fitchville, and Hartland were united, and an election was held that same year at the house of Thomas B. White for the purpose of choosing officers of the combined townships. Hartland was detached in 1820 and, in 1823, Greenwich was separated from Fitchville and organized as a separate township. The following were elected officers of the new, independent township of Greenwich: Jeremiah Rusco, Henry Washburne, trustees; David W . Briggs, clerk; Varney Pearce, justice of the peace; and Ephraim F. Barker, constable.
Greenwich Township derives its name from Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut, where most of the original owners of the land resided. In 1815, Greenwich was attached to, or within the jurisdiction of, New Haven Township for civil purposes. In 1819, Greenwich, Fitchville, and Hartland were united, and an election was held that same year at the house of Thomas B. White for the purpose of choosing officers of the combined townships. Hartland was detached in 1820 and, in 1823, Greenwich was separated from Fitchville and organized as a separate township. The following were elected officers of the new, independent township of Greenwich: Jeremiah Rusco, Henry Washburne, trustees; David W . Briggs, clerk; Varney Pearce, justice of the peace; and Ephraim F. Barker, constable.
Early Settlers
The first settler in Greenwich was Henry Carpenter who came from Ulster county, New York in 1817. He died in the fall of 1818 from over exertion at a barn raising. His widow married Abraham Mead, of Fitchville, and she died in 1825.
Some other early settlers, and the years of their arrival in Greenwich, were:
Some other early settlers, and the years of their arrival in Greenwich, were:
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Varney Pearce 1818
Esbon Husted 1818 Cyrus Mead 1818 Ephraim F. Barker 1818 David W. Briggs 1818 Upton Clark 1818 Town Clark 1818 Benjamin Kniffen 1818 Mordecai W. Jenney 1818 Obadiah Jenney c.1818 John Mead 1819 Henry Washburne 1819 Hiram Townsend 1819 Benjamin Rusco 1820 John Banks 1820 Thaddeus S. Fancher 1820 Daniel G. Fancher 1820 Abel F. Eaton 1820 Joseph Washburne 1821 Jeremiah Rusco 1821 Solomon Doud 1821 |
Hiram Doud 1821
James Mitchell 1821 Joshua Banks c.1821 T. B. White c.1821 Robert O. Saulsbury c.1821 Eleazer L. Saulsbury c.1821 John Jenney c.1823 James Kniffen 1824 Charles Brady 1824 Ezra Smith 1824 Joshua Frost 1824 Willis R. Smith 1824 Alanson Sutton 1824 Aranson Sutton 1824 Brundage Knapp 1825 Cyrus G. Mead 1825 Shadrack H. Reed 1825 Richard Marshall 1827 Benjamin Belding c.1827 Henry G. Washburne 1830 Walter Washburne 1833 |
Some First Events
- Adna Carpenter, son of Henry Carpenter, was the first white child born in the township. Henry Carpenter, father of the first born, was the first to die in Greenwich in November, 1818. He was buried in a coffin made of hewed, black walnut planks. Hannah Barker, the second to die, died from child birth 23 May 1819.
- David W. Briggs and Alzina, daughter of E.F. and Hannah Barker, were the first couple to marry in August, 1819. Squire Rundel Palmer of Fitchville officiated.
- The first log cabin was built in 1817, near the northeast corner of the township. Henry Carpenter built the first permanent residence, a log house, later in 1817. The first frame house was built by Joseph Washburne in 1827, and the first brick house was built at the center by Cyrus G. Mead.
- The first tavern was built at the center by Benjamin Kniffen, who also had a store there.
- Ezra Smith opened the first store in the northeast corner of the township in 1824. He sold goods there for four years, and then moved to Peru (Macksville) where he continued in the business for 12 more years.
- Many of the orchards in Greenwich were planted with trees grown from seeds sown by Alzina Barker (Mrs. Briggs) in 1818.
- Ephraim Barker and Varney Pearce brought trees from Norwalk in 1819. These produced the first apples to ripen and to be picked in the township.
- The first mill was built by Joseph Washburne in 1823 near the location where the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis railroad crossed the Vermillion River. It was both a saw and a grist mill.
- The first fourth of July celebration was organized by Ephraim Barker, Solomon David and others in 1823. It was held at the center and nearly all of the people in the township, and many from adjoining settlements, attended. David W. Briggs, the famous hunter, supplied the venison for the dinner, and Ephraim Barker cooked it.
- The first Quakers came to Greenwich in 1818. They organized the first society for religious worship in the township in 1823, at a meeting held at the home of Joseph Washburne. The society then consisted of Joseph Washburne and his three sons, Benjamin, Henry, and James R.; J. L. Frost; Henry Carpenter; and John Jenney.
- The first school was taught by James Nixon in the winter of 1820-1821. It was held in an abandoned log house, one mile south of the center. About 1825, a school house was built at the center, and Tracy Case was the first to teach there.
- Dr. Richard Morton was the first resident physician in Greenwich. He came about 1825, at first practicing with Dr. Moses C. Saunders of Peru.
- Lovena Mitchell, who came to the township in 1821 with her husband James Mitchell, before any physicians were there, served as a midwife to the settlement. In the course of her administrations, it was said that she often traveled alone and by foot at night, bearing a torch, regardless of the weather.
- The first ground set aside for a cemetery was in lot 24, section four, in land owned by H. G. Mead. Varney Pearce, acting as his agent, allowed the establishment of a cemetery at this location about 1824, but when Mead came to the township later, he denied the privilege.
- The first mail was carried through the township in 1829, and for three years after, by Robert Inscho. Benjamin Kniffen was the first postmaster.
Early Population Indicators
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Cemetery Locations in Greenwich 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
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