Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 23 Oct 2004

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587

Perhaps a more interesting, if not more accurate, history of this township could have been written a few years since, than can be given now, owing to the fact that during the past fifteen or twenty years so many of the old settlers have passed away and with them much valuable information pertaining to pioneer life in the township. This is a serious loss and one greatly to be regretted, for a record of the experience of the pioneers of our country would certainly contain a wealth of incident and anecdote illustrative of life on the frontier, that can lie obtained from no other source.

We, who are now enjoying the fruits of their labor, can scarcely realize the hardships and privations to which they were subject nor can we understand how they endured such a ceaseless round of toil and poverty; and yet. many of them reach a " green old age," exempt from most of the ills to which we are heir. The secret lies in the fact that they accepted with equanimity whatever favors fortune deigned to bestow. They pursued the "even tenor of their way," not continually striving after the unattainable; in a word, they did not worry.

Clear Creek Township is located in the northern part of the county, and is bounded as follows; On the north, by Montgomery County; on the east, by Wayne Township; on the south, by Turtle Creek Township, and, on the west, by Franklin Township, The township is six miles wide from east to west, and nearly seven miles long from north to south, containing a fraction less than, forty-two square miles, or about 29,800 acres. The greater part of the township is sufficiently rolling to insure ample drainage, and but little of it is so broken that it is not susceptible of tillage.

The soil of the township is generally fertile and easy of cultivation; it will compare favorably with, the other townships of the county. Wheat, corn, barley, tobacco and hogs are the staple productions. Oats, hay and potatoes are also quite extensively grown, but generally not more than enough for home consumption. In favorable seasons, large quantities of fruit of various kinds are produced—chiefly apples and pears.

Owing to there being so convenient market for small fruits, but little attention is paid to their cultivation. In former years, apples were almost a certain crop in the township, but now they are a very uncertain crop.

When the first settlers came here, a dense growth of forest trees covered the land, principally oak, ash, hickory, walnut, hard and soft maple and elm.
In many parts of the township, large quantities of maple molasses and sugar were made, but now the sugar camps have nearly all disappeared, and most of the farms are denuded of all except the most inferior quality of timber, many of them not possessing even that. Formerly, there was a great deal of fine walnut timber in most parts of the township, of which the owners were very prodigal, using it without stint for all purposes for which, such timber was

A few of the monarchs, however, were left standing, but, a great demand for walnut lumber springing up, even they were sacrificed, and now & few diminutive specimens are about all that are left to tell that such trees ever existed in the township.

The following exhibit of the agricultural products of the township for the year 1880 is, perhaps, not strictly correct, a portion at least being mere "guess-work". But it is probably as accurate a report as could be easily obtained, being taken from the Assessor's returns. I make the report for the precincts separately:

East Precinct Corn, 108,245 bushels; wheat, 29,090 bushels; barley, 22,215 bushels; tobacco, 337,050 pounds; pork, 637,000 pounds. West Precinct—Corn, 145,415 bushels; wheat, 35,887 bushels; barley 19,330 bushels; tobacco, 398,016 pounds; pork, 623,000 pounds.
I also give the valuation of the property in the township at the last appraisement; that in the Springboro Special School District separately, and that in the township; including the above district: Springboro District, $877,804: total township, $2,241,242.

Clear Creek, from which the township derives its name, is the largest stream in the township; all the others are mere rivulets. Clear Creek passes almost entirely across the Township from east to west, and discharges its waters in the Great Miami about one mile below Franklin.

The greater part of the water from the township flows west, or toward the Great Miami, while the remainder flows east and south toward the Little Miami.
The absence of large streams, though perhaps a detriment in some ways, is an advantage in this respect. We thus have less broken land and fewer comparatively worthless bluffs, such as are usually found along the larger streams and rivers.

Except in time of an excessive drought, an ample supply of good water for all ordinary agricultural purposes is found by digging from ten to forty feet deep. It is generally hard or limestone water. There are but few springs of any considerable size in the township. Some fine springs near Springboro are, however, an exception, they will be noticed hereafter.

The township contains parts of four original surveyed townships, viz, Town 2, Range 5; Town 3, Range 5; Town 3, Range 4, and Town 4, Range 4.
Prior to October 17, 1815, this was a part of Franklin and Wayne Townships, two-thirds belonging to Franklin. The following is the action taken by the County Commissioners in the matter of the establishment of the township:

It having been made to appear to the satisfaction of the Commissioners that it is necessary to make over and set off a new township in the county of Warren, by taking a part of the township of Franklin, and a part of the township of Wayne. Therefore agreed and ordered, that all that part of the townships of Franklin and Wayne hereafter designated and described, be erected and set off, and made into a new township with the boundaries and lines following, to wit: Beginning at southeast corner of Section 21, Township 4, Range 4, and thence north with the line of the sections to the county line, thence west with the county line to the northwest comer of Section 15, Township 3, Range 5, thence south with the line of the sections to the southwest corner of Section. 15, Township 3, Range 4, to the line of Turtle Creek Township, thence east with the line of Turtle Creek Township to the place of beginning. The same shall be erected and set off into a new and separate township, and shall be designated and known by the name of Clear Creek Township.

	ICHABOD B. HALSEY,	)
	AARON HARLAN,	) Commissioners.
October 17, 1815	ENOS WILLIAMS	)

The township remained as organized, with the voting-place at Ridgeville, until the year 1855, when it was divided into two election precincts, a little more than half of the Territory being set off to Springboro Precinct, D. N. Thomas and George Denise were two of the Commissioners appointed to make the division.