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This township is located in the eastern part
of the county, being the third from the top in the eastern tier of townships.
It has for its boundaries on the north Wayne and Massie Townships; on
the east, Clinton County; on the south, Harlan and Salem Townships, and,
on the west, Salem and Turtle Creek Townships, the Little Miami River
forming its western boundary.
Todd's Fork enters the township on the east, and, running in a southwest
direction, empties into the Little Miami River at Morrow. The lands along
this stream are broken into abrupt hills about 100 feet high, indented,
at short intervals, with ravines extending in most places but little beyond
the tops of the hills.
The most considerable tributary of Todd's Fork on the southeast side
is Penquite's Run, and on the northwest side are Scaffold Lick Run and
Emily's Run. These all empty into Todd's Fork
The Little East Fork running from the east empties into Todd's Fork about
one-half mile west of the Clinton County line and forms the terminus of
a large area of bottom lands along Todd's Fork in Clinton County. But
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small portion of these bottom lands lie along the stream
in Washington Township, amounting in all to about 150 acres below and 100
acres above the mouth of East Fork.
A. little south of the center of the township, near the College Township
road, are the highest lands in the township, on which is a swamp called
Sweet Gum Swamp. The water from this swamp moves slowly northward about
two miles, where it meets another small sluggish stream, and, from the
junction to its mouth, bears the name Flat Fork After it receives the
waters of the north branch of Flat Fork, it becomes a more rapid stream,
and, rushing down the hills, empties into Caesar's Creek.
The western portion of the township, along the Little Miami River, is
drained by Pigeon's Run, Kidy's Run and Olive Branch on the northwest,
and by Bloody Run, Hungry Hollow Run and their tributaries in the southwest.
The bottom lands along the Miami River are of small area, and are estimated
as being about as follows: At Freeport and below, to Mathers, 125 acres;
at Mathers, below the ford of the river, 30 acres; at Fort Ancient, 100
acres, and, at Hammel, opposite Millgrove, 100 acres
From the foot of the bottoms at Fort Ancient to the mouth of Stony Run,
about one mile below, the hills on either side crowd close to the river
and form what is called the "Narrows."
The hills along the Miami are steep, wild and rugged, pierced with numerous
ravines, and in the highest parts reach an elevation of 250 feet.
In the northeastern quarter of the township is a table hill about one
and one-half miles in diameter and about sixty feet high, called "The
Knobs." It has a deep red clay soil, rich, friable, and easily cultivated,
surrounded by a flat black swamp of equal depth of soil From the base
of this hill flow some fifteen or twenty living springs of pure, clear,
cold water, from which it takes the name of "Spring Hill."
Thus you have the principal topographical features of the township as
it existed originally, provided you can picture to yourself the level
portions covered with a dense growth of timber and a denser growth of
underbrush, with a covering of leaves and decayed matter on the ground
sufficient to retain the moisture during the whole of the year. |