After
the creation of Mercer county in 1800, its first townships were not
strictly defined civil divisions as now. The county, with the portion
on the south which has since been given to Lawrence county, was divided
roughly into four assessment districts. The east and west line
extended, approximately, from the site of Sharon through Mercer to the
east line of the county, and the north and south line bisected the
other line at about the present site of Mercer. The southeast quarter
thus formed was called Cool Spring township. But in 1802 this name was
applied to a part of the northeast quarter of the county, and that part
of the southeast quarter which is in the present limits of Mercer
county was given the name Wolf Creek. At that time, then, Wolf Creek
comprised the present townships of Wolf creek, Pine, Liberty,
Springfield and Findley.
In 1805 the west side of Wolf Creek was
made Springfield township, and from that year until 1851 the township
of Wolf Creek had the area of the present townships of Wolf Creek, Pine
and Liberty. The following account pertains to the Wolf Creek township
with its present area.
One of the first settlers was John
Montgomery, who in 1797 located two hundred acres on the head waters of
Wolf creek. The Montgomery family, whose descendants are still in
the county, settled here permanently about two years later, and about
1836 one of their number built a mill on Wolf creek and thus gave
industrial distinction to that locality.
Samuel Waldron was the
first settler (1799) at Centertown. The first grist mill in the
township was built here in 1805, and Samuel O. Waldron, a son of the
pioneer, operated a sawmill for a number of years. David M.
Waldron, the oldest living member of the family, still lives in Wolf
Creek township.
Samuel Coleman, another of the first settlers,
was killed during the raising of the timbers for the Waldron grist
mill. Philip Hoon located in the southern part of the township west of
Wolf creek, and some time previous to 1830 opened the first coal bank
in the township and one of the first in the county. Other pioneers were
Hugh and Samuel Gill, James Craig, Caleb Ball, and Alexander Riddle,
who in the early thirties opened the first store at Centertown. A
postoffice was established at Centertown in January, 1840, was
discontinued in July, 1842, re-established in December, 1843, and
finally abolished with the advent of rural delivery.
The
original township of Wolf Creek was the recruiting ground of the
Wolf Creek Rangers for the war of 1812, and that organization was
maintained long afterward.
Source: Twentieth
Century History of Mercer County, 1909, page 159 - 160
|
| Transformation of Wolf Creek Twp. |
Formed in 1812
|
| Divided into the following townships: | Pine
Liberty
Springfield
Findley
|
|
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