Plain Township, Wayne County, Ohio
Coordinates
Historical Information
Plain Township was established in 1817 and was named because of the plains, or glades, that made up a large part of it.[1] Plain Township contains the northern section (R14, T19) of historical Springfield Township.
Place names
The following places have been named in Plain Township.
| Present Name | Former Name(s) | Plat Date |
|---|---|---|
| Blachleyville | (named for Wm B. and Wm. Blachley) | 16 Dec 1833 |
| Funk | Austin, Brownsville, Hamlet, Kauffman Corners | 7 Dec 1894 |
| Jefferson | Plain P.O. | 30 Jun 1829 |
| Killbuck College | ||
| Millbrook | ||
| Mount Wisdom | ||
| Reedsburg | laid out Dec 1835 by Wm. Reed; platted 1869 | |
| Springville | Buffalo, Heath's Corners | 16 Dec 1844 |
Maps
The department has several plat maps available for viewing. Plat maps provide the names of land owners and their location.
Businesses
- Businesses in Plain Township, Wayne County, Ohio
- Businesses in Blachleyville, Ohio
- Businesses in Millbrook, Ohio
- Businesses in Reedsburg, Ohio
- Businesses in Springville, Ohio
Churches
Schools
The early Wayne County school house was patterned very much after the log houses of that era. Heat was obtained from a fireplace located at one end of the house, light from the window frames cut out of the log; and a single door with latch and string served as an entrance and exit.
Early schools were constructed by subscription. Parents subscribed a stipulated amount for each of their school-age children. Subscriptions were usually for a quarter of the year, with the school beginning November 1st. Fifteen students would be a normal-size enrollment, with attendance being about two-thirds.
Instructors were highly regarded in the community, even to reverence, and were considered a master. Subjects taught were “the three R’s”: Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmatic. If the teacher could teach the above he was hired with no further examination.
In 1858, the first general law on free public schools was passed. Plain Township was the first to act in Wayne County and built a new school house called Peoples College. There was much controversy over this "college" as they were then called.[2]
Active
Historical One Room Schools
Residents
Early Settlers
- John Collier, first white settler of township
Census Records
Directories
Wedding officials
The following ministers are recorded as having officiated weddings in Plain Township.
| Minister | Date | Other townships | Denomination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson, A. E. | 1870 | . | Baptist |
| Buell, A. J. | 1840 | . | Baptist |
| Burke, John | 1840 | . | Baptist |
| Burton, N. S. | 1864 | . | Baptist |
| Crandall, Nelson | . | . | Baptist |
| Dillman, George | 1870 | Wooster (city) | Lutheran |
| Excell, J. J. | 1850 | . | Reformed |
| Felger, Joseph | 1876 | . | Evangelical |
| Foglesong, M. P. | 1873 | . | Lutheran |
| Fry, Jacob | 1850 | . | Lutheran |
| Guinther, C. C. | 1840 | . | Lutheran |
| Helwig, Adam | 1861 | . | Lutheran |
| Himes, Jesse | 1850 | . | Reformed |
| Jones, Harrison | 1856 | . | Disciples |
| Keiffer, S. P. | 1850 | . | Lutheran |
| Kuhn, Andrew | 1840 | East Union | Lutheran |
| Leiter, George | 1840 | Wooster | Lutheran |
| Martens, D. | 1860 | Wooster | Lutheran |
| Miller, S. W. | 1868 | Wooster (city) | Presbyterian |
| Penny, T. J. | 1850 | Wooster | Baptist |
| Porter, James K. | 1840 | . | Baptist |
| Samis, James | 1878 | . | Baptist |
| Schlosser, Jesse | 1840 | . | Reformed |
| Shaffer, George W. | 1840 | . | Lutheran |
| Smith, A. M. | 1850 | . | Lutheran |
| Smith, D. W. | 1873 | . | Lutheran |
| Spafford, Christian | 1850 | . | Methodist |
| Sparr, W. M. | 1863 | . | Lutheran |
| Starr, John S. | 1840 | . | Methodist |
| Stump, Adam | 1870 | . | Reformed |
| Taylor, G. W. | 1850 | . | Baptist |