Shelby County History

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Orange Township  Location & Features | First Families | Other firsts | Churches (for a larger view of the map, click here)     Orange Township is situated in the Southern part of the county and borders on Miami County.  It embraces parts of town 1 & 2 of range 12 & 13, and has an area of about 23 square miles.  It is bounded on the East by Perry and Green townships, on the South by Miami County, and on the North and West by Clinton and Washington Townships.
    The surface of this township is generally undulating, and along the river, it is somewhat broken and hilly.  The soil is of a mixed character, that constists of gravel and clay loam.  The soil is well adapted to the growing of cereals as well as grass.  Springs abound and the whole township is well wattered by living streams.  The North and West of the township is bordered by the Great Miami River.  Nearly all the limestone found in the county is found with in Orange Township.
The farms are generally small, containing somewhere between 40 to 160 acres.
     
 

First Families of Orange Twp.

1806	The First White settlement made with in the present limits of Orange Township was made on Section 16 by the Cannon Family in 1806.  They only remained on this land for a short time,  when they moved to where Sidney is now located.
Spring of 1809	John Phillips and William Berry
August 1809	Daniel Valentine
Fall 1809	Edward Jackson
1810	Thomas Young, Abram Glossmire, John Matthews, Luke Norris, John Gilbert, and Harman Dildine

  top   Other Firsts

• The First frame house was built by William Berry.  He also built the first flour mill in Orange Township.
• The First Brick house was built by Edward Jackson.
• The first orchard was planted by William Berry or Thomas Young.
• The first birth was Isaac Young b. March 17, 1811.
• The first schoolhouse was built on the land of Thomas Young in 1817.
• The first School teacher was Joseph Rollands or Jas. B. McKenney.Thek first preacher was a M.E. Minister by the name of John Furrow, who preached at the house of Edward Jackson as early as 1815.  He was soon followed by a U.B. Minister named John McNemer and Jacob Antrim at the house of Daniel Valentine.

top   Churches    

United Brethern Church	Established as early as 1816.  In 1817, a missionary preacher found a few members, including Valentine & Young.  The meetings were held at parishoner's homes.  In 1844 a local schoolhouse was used for meetings.  In 1847, a frame church was erected on the land of R. Valentine.
Methodist Episcopal Church	The first meetings were conducted at a very early date, but it is unknown exactly when.  The first class, that we know about, was formed at the house of John Stoker.  In 1832, another society was formed by Rev. Daniel D. Davidson at the house of John Stoker, and was then at the house of Wm. Minnear.  In 1843, a frame church was built on the land of Israel Post.
Wesley Chapel	In 1833, Rev. Arza Brown formed a  M.E. Society in the Southern part of  Orange township. Meetings were held in private houses.  In 1840, a brick church was built.
Spring Creek Baptist Church	The church was originally known as the Salem Church and it originated about 1816.  The meetings first were held at the members houses until a log cabin was built on the banks of Spring Creek.  The first pastor was Rev. Daniel Bryant.  This church eventually moved to Piqua.

top   Information was gathered from the following sources: "History of Shelby County, Ohio" by R. Sutton & Co. 1883    Back to Shelby County OHGenWeb ©1999 by Tina Hursh