File:MiltonTwpSchools-RittPress1950JAN26PG10.jpg
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| Authored / Created by | |
| Date | 1950/01/26 |
| Organization name |
|
| Year | 1950 |
| Newspaper title | Rittman Press |
| Page number | 10 |
| Article title | School Districts Reviewed by Historian |
"Here is a plot of Milton Townships School Districts and some history.
Milton Township was organized by order of County Commissioners on October 5, 1818. Jacob Kiefer one of the early pioneers, went to Wooster see about having it named. He suggested that it be "Center Swamp Township" from the fact that there was a large swamp in the center of it.
Commissioner George Bail objected to this name, saying it would bring "Odium" upon the township. Whereupon, at the suggest of Bail, it was called Milton township. The population in 1870 was 1,524.
The township land is very fertile and produces an abundance of crops wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, hay and many others. It ranks high in livestock and dairy products, also in schools and education. River Styx, Big and Little Chippewa Creeks run through it.
When the first while settlers arrived, the Indians were very friendly and would visit the settlements and exchange food. The Delaware, Shawnee and Wyandotte tribes occuped the township at this time.
Early Towns of Milton Township
Amwell was originally called Johnsons Corners, and was named after Abner Johnson, who made the first improvements in it. John Shody was the first doctor. Goodstill Foster, first postmaster. Oliver, grocer. Adna Bessey named it Amwell. The location is at the crossroads southeast of Sterling, where the Township schools are located.
Russell Station, named for the Russell Company, Massillon, Ohio, manufacturers of threshing machines and engines. They purchased the property and laid out park streets and lots - hence the name Russell. This location is about 1/2 mile northwest of Amwell now called Sterling.
Rittman or Milton Station had different name: Ellio - Arkona - Rittman - New Prospect P O called Trent settlement by the first settlers in the township.
First Settler
Martin Fritz settled on his quarter section June 1814. He was the first permanent white settler in Milton Township with his wife, Catherine (Wilt) Fritz and eleven of his children, one remained in Pennsylvania, seven boys and five girls. This is part of the quarter section which contains the 32 acre plot purchased by Rittman for a public recreation center. In this area he built his log cabin beside a running spring of water on the east hillside overlooking the River Styx bottom.
Here they ate their first dinner on a big oak stump. He cleared six or seven acres to plant the crops on top of the hill. When the Elliotts settled later - 1830 - in the next quarter section west and the lines of sections were established, he had cleared four acres off the Andrew Elliott quarter section, Elliott sold it to Fritz for $50.
This four acres is included in this area, as shown in the plot Fritz was a Revolutionary soldier, having enlisted and served under General George Washington for five years. He belonged to the 8th Battalion Pennsylvania Martin fought through the war at Brandywine, Germantown, and other engagements, spent the winter in Valley Forge at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
But what thrilled him most and was so vivid in his mind was the Battle of Trenton on Christmas night December 1776.
Trenton
I think it would be honorable and ____ to preserve the name - Trenton - and give it a place of honor in this area. It belongs to this area by settlement and name. We as residents of this community today are enjoying the fruits of this victorious Battle of Trenton ___ ___ forefathers fought and ____ to give us this liberty and freedom of these United States of America, State of Ohio, Wayne County, Milton Township.
New Prospect Post Office was called Shinersburg. Two names now cover both towns - Rittman and Sterling. Notice plot of Milton Township. It contains nine such full school districts - No. 10 is part of Sterling school district cut off by the Chippewa Creek, notice in plot.
Each school district contained four sections of land - 640 acres each, also divided into 16 quarter sections - 160 each, 36 full sections, 144 quarter sections.
Now we start with the schools - 10 districts. School district No. 1 in sections 1-2 and 11-12 called the Elliott School because of the location on the Elliott quarter section.
School district No. 2 in sections 3-4 and 9-10 called Lancetown School because the Lances were the first settlers in the district, owning nearly all the land. There were: Chrisopher, John, William, Henry and James Lance. The school was made up of many Lance children.
Here is a Poem written by an old teacher - A "Sharp School - known as the Lancetown School - Milton Township. The enrollment refers to the winter of 1843-44. H. V. Johnson, author.
"A Sharp School"
They tell us of old Harvard school,
And Yale as wondrous places,
Where young men get of knowledge some,
And more of football graces
Well, while those Alma Maters old
Are held in veneration,
I'll tell you my mater, dear,
The sharpest in creation
It stood upon a little hill,
Was built of logs and shingled,
And here the youthful Buckeye blood,
With birch was often tingled
We stood in line tor ea dand spell,
The Fosters. Johnsons. Kindigs.
The Aults and Weldays o'er out done
In all our youthful shindigs
For there stood forth a name supreme,
Heard at the roll call ever,
Which told that sweet supremacy,
Could crown the rest, no never
The total call was 63,
And this explains our chances,
Of that whole list of juveniles,
Just 42 were Lances
School district No. 3 in section 5-6 and 7-8 was called Sterling School because the first High School built in the township was names after the town Sterling.
School district No. 4 in sections 17-18 and 79-20 was called Oak Grove School because of the number of oak trees, some of which stood on the school ground.
School district No. 5 in sections 15-16 and 21-22 was called Milton Center because of its location in the center of the township. Here, elections were held for a good many years, also a town house to transact the township's business.
School district No. 6 in sections 13-14 and 23-24 was called Swagler's School because of Jonathan Swagler, early resident and large family.
School district No. 7 in sections 25-26 and 35-36 was called Crown Hill School or Yodor School because of Crown Hill Church and cemetery and Yoder family close by.
School district No. 8 in sections 27-28 and 33-34 was called Tschantz School because of the Tschantz family.
School district No. 9 in sections 29-30 and 31-32 was called the Mellinger School because of the Mellinger family.
School district No. 10 was taken from No. 3 by the Chippewa Creek section 6-7; notice in plot, and was called Steele School because of the Steele family.
I respectfully give the facts about the schools because I have been in all of the later school houses in Milton Township.
--George W. Fritz 79 West Hill Ave., Rittman, Ohio."
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