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pg 425
"On the 6th of December, 1830, all of the territory lying between the present western boundary of Findlay Township and the Putnam County line, and extending from Wood to Hardin County, was erected as Liberty Township. This was only one row of sections narrower than Old Town, and embraced the present townships of Pleasant. Portage. Blanchard, Liberty, Union, Orange, Van Buren and three-fourths of Eagle. The following March the lands now composing Blanchard, Eagle, Van Buren and the west half of Madison were cut off; and on the 21st of June, 1831, the first election for justice of the peace was held in Liberty. William Wade, George Chase and Moses Predmore were the judges, and Amos Bonham and Joshua Jones, clerks. The voters were John Fishel, John Magee, John Travis, John J. Hendricks, John Fishel, Jr., William Wade, Meredith Parrish, Moses Predmore, George Chase, Nathan Frakes, Joshua Jones, James Caton, James McCormick, Amos Bonham, Addison Hampton, Zebulon Lee, John Mullen, William Wade, Alfred Hampton, Ebenezer Wilson, Charles Jones, Jacob Poe, James McKinnis, Robert McKinnis, Charles McKinnis and Philip McKinnis. Total, 26. Benjamin Cummins received every vote cast and was declared elected. Of these twenty-six voters. Zebulon Lee, of Orange Township, and Alfred Hampton, of Findlay, are the only survivors living in this county."
pg 431
"The year 1830 brought into the township a large number of settlers. Nathan Frakes, John J. Hendricks, Amos Bonham, Zebulon B., Jonathan, Solomon, James and Stephen Lee, John Magee, Meredith Parrish, John Hubbs, Moses Predmore and James Caton, all came that year, but some of them had previously lived in other parts of the county."
pg 434
"John Magee, a step-son of Meredith Parrish, married Eliza, daughter of Judge McKinnis, and settled on the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 9, which he entered June 1, 1829, and where they resided until their removal to Iowa about 1851. Meredith and Sarah Parrish located on the west half of the northeast quarter of the same section, entered August 21, 1829, and in 1834 sold out to John Fletcher and went to Putnam County. John Hubbs settled on the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 5, entered November 3, 1830, which land he sold to Daniel Cusac in 1839, and then moved to Indiana. Moses Predmore settled on Section 9, and James Caton on Section 8. Both sold their farms and went to Iowa. All of the foregoing came about 1830."
pg 437
"Religious Societies.
"- A class of the Methodist Episcopal denomination was organized at the house of Johnson Bonham as early as 1831. Among the earliest members were Johnson Bonham and wife, Amos Bonham, Mrs. Meredith Parrish, Mrs. Addison Hampton, Nathan Frakes and wife, Mrs. William Fountain and Barna Beardsley and wife. The class was organized by Revs. Thomas Thompson and Elnathan C. Gavit. In 1851 this society built a frame church across the line in Findlay Township, which is still used by the Methodists of the neighborhood." |