Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 23 Oct 2004

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We here give as complete a list of the township officers from the organization of the township to the present time, together with the result of the Presidential elections, as is possible to obtain, owing to the incomplete records of the elections in the early history of the township.

The first election of which we have any record was held on the 8th day of October, 1816, It was for State and county officers and for Representative in Congress. There wore 210 votes polled, of which Thomas Worthington had, for Governor, 193; James Dunlap, 17; William H. Harrison, for Congress, 134; Thomas R. Ross, 76; Aaron Harlan, for Commissioner, 118; all others, 92; David Sutton, for representative in Legislature, 139; all others, for Representative in Legislature, 71. There were several candidates for Congress and the Legislature, who received from two to twenty-five votes each.

The first township election recorded was held April 7,1817, although John Blair was Clerk and Lewis Woodward, John Blair and Thomas Venard were commissioned as Justices of the Peace in 1815. The following is a list of township officers:

1817—-Trustees, William Crossley, Henry King, Samuel Gustin; Treasurer, Jacob Eulass; Clerk, William Blair; Constables, J, R. Blackford, Charles Burroughs; Justices of the Peace, Lewis Woodard, Thomas Venard, Jeremiah Black.
1818—Trustees, James Wills, Thomas Venard, William Crosley; Treasurer, Jacob Eulass; Clerk, William Blair; Constables, Daniel Crane, J. R. Blackford; Justice of the Peace, Lewis Woodard, Thomas Venard, Jeremiah Black.
1823—Trustees, William Crossley, Harman Aughee, Henry King; Treasurer, Daniel Crane; Clerk, Seneca Ball; Constables, Noah Bunnell, James Mullen; Justices of the Peace, Thomas Venard, William Sawyer, William Blair.
1825—Trustees, Harman Aughee, Henry King, James Wills; Treasurer, Moses Crosley; Clerks, Joseph Merritt, Thomas Morrow; Constables, David Wills, John Comer; Justices of the Peace, Thomas Venard, Daniel Crane, James K. Dearth.
1826—Trustees, Harman Aughee, James Wills, Robert E. Lafetra; Treasurer, Joshua Carter; Clerk, Joseph Merritt; Constables, David Wills, John Comer; Justices of the Peace, Thomas Venard, Daniel Crane, James E. Dearth,
1827—Trustees, Harman Aughee, James Wills, Robert E. Lafetra; Clerk, Joseph Merritt; Constables, David Wills, John Tresslar; Justices of the Peace, Daniel Crane, John Comer, Jacob Pence.
1828-—Trustees, Robert Lafetra, Daniel Crane, Jacob Pence; Clerk, Joseph Williamson; Constable, Joseph Merritt; Treasurer, Joshua Carter; Justices of the Peace, Daniel Crane, John Comer, Jacob Pence.
1829—Trustees, Jacob Pence, George C. Smith, Amos Kelsey; Treasurer, John C. Brooks; Clerk. Joseph S. Williamson; Constable, John Tresslar; Justices of the Peace, Daniel Crane, Jacob Pence, Amos Kelsey.
1830—Trustees, Daniel Crane, Robert Lafetra, Jarvis Stokes; Treasurer, Joshua Carter; Clerk, John Clymer; Constable, Jeremiah Earnhart; Justices of the Peace, Jacob Pence, Daniel Crane, Amos Kelsey, J. S. Williamson.
1831—Trustees, Daniel Crane, Jarvis Stokes, Robert Lafetra; Treasurer; William Crosley; Clerk, C. A, Richardson; Constable, J. R. Blackford; Justices of the Peace, Jacob Peace, Daniel Crane, Amos Kelsey, J. S. Williamson..
1832—Trustees, Daniel Crane, Jarvis Stokes Robert Lafetra; Treasurer, William Crosley; Clerk, C. A. Richardson; Constable, Levi Clymer; Justices of the Peace, Daniel Crane, Jacob Pence, George Harlan.

List of jurors retained by township trustees for the five years beginning with 1816:
1816—Paul Lewis, William Sawyer, Col. John McDannell, Moses Harlan, William Crosley, Thomas Venard, Peter Kesling, John Gordon, Daniel Kelsey, William Blair, Jonathan Wright, Adam Miller, William Sweney, Peter Proud.
1817—Henry King, Samuel Gustin, James Kelsey, Joseph Davis, John Blair, Jacob Pence, Jesse Wilson, Jeremiah Gustin, William Patton, Thomas McLean.
1818—Moses Crosley, William Sweney, George Harlan, James Wills, Daniel Bradstreet, William Edwards, Col. John McDannell, Charles Fox, Richard Lackey, Thomas Venard, Nathan Marchant, Jacob Hampton, Nathaniel Blackford, Henry Clymer.
1819—John Ripley, John Roberts, Asher Brown, William B. Seaman, Fergus McLean, Joel Wright, Isaac Mullen, James McDannell, Henry J. Key, Stephen Bunnell, Joseph Kirby, Adam Surface, Bazil Death, Martin Proud, George Keever, William Garwood.
1820—Jonathan Garwood, Job Throckmorton, John Penington, William Wilgus, William Miltenberger, John Kelsey, John Blackford, Nathaniel McLean, Francis Lucas, Samuel Harlan, Aaron Harlan, Gabriel Drullinger, Harman Aughee, Daniel Alexander.

Presidential electors for 1816—Abram Looker, Alien Shepherd, Benjamin Hough, Aaron Wheeler, John G. Young, Joseph Vance, William Skinner, John Patterson, had each thirty-three votes.
In 1824, Jackson received 32 votes; Adams, 99 votes and Clay, 17 votes.
In 1832, Jackson received 205 votes; Clay and others, 325 votes.
In 1840, Harrison received 356 votes; Van Buren, 168 votes.
In 1844, Clay received 362 votes; Polk, 198.
In 1848, Taylor received 244 votes; Cass, 195 votes; Van Buren, 95 votes.
In 1852, Scott received 261 votes; Pierce, 227 votes; Hale, 44 votes,
In 1868, Grant received 395 votes; Seymour, 239 votes.
In 1872, Grant received 385 votes; Greeley, 248 votes.
In 1876, Hayes received 363 votes; Tilden, 290 votes.
In 1880, Garfield received 442 votes; Hancock, 318 votes.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the vote increased from 210, in 1816, to 760, in 1880.
Since 1840, the township has given a uniform majority of about 22 per cent for the Whig and Republican parties.

Comparing the vote and census of the township for 1880, we find that the voters constituted about 25 per cent of the population; on that basis, the population in 1815 was about 840.

We have endeavored to ascertain the population of the township at each census since its organization, but have not been able to procure any reports antedating the sixth census, or 1840. At that time the population was 2,821: in 1850, it was 2,770; in 1860, 2,785; in 1870, 2,605; in 1880. 2,789.

The population of Springboro in 1840 was 417; in 1850, it was 454; in 1860, 502; in 1870, 477; in 1880, 553.

Springboro is the only incorporated village in the township. The others—-Red Lion, Ridgeville, Utica and Pekin—being mere hamlets. Ridgeville was laid out in 1814 by Fergus McLean, father of Judge John McLean, formerly of the United States Supreme Court.

Springboro was laid out in 1816 by Jonathan Wright. When the time came to select a name for the place, some one suggested that it be called Wrightstown, in honor of the founder, but he objected and proposed the name of Springboro, which was adopted. One condition imposed on all who purchased lots in the village, was, that no liquor was to be sold on the premises for ten years, and I am informed that no saloon has ever been kept in that part of the town. But an addition, called Job Carr's Addition, was made to the village, and, as no such restrictions were placed on the sale of lots there, liquor-sellers were not slow to take advantage of the opportunity to engage in the nefarious business, and Springboro, in a measure, lost her good name.

In 1817, Abner Crane laid out the village of Westfield, now called Red Lion. Soon after, a man by the name of Holly opened a hotel there, and had painted on his sign a red lion rampant; from this the village probably derived its present name.