Changes

The first exploration ever made through the township was made in the fall of 1802 by a company of four young men who had come from Pennsylvania to Cleveland who, by some motive or other, were propelled to make a strike southward, aiming for a little town which had just been laid  out on the Muskingum, at the junction of the Tuscarawas with the Walhonding river, then called "Tuscarawa", now Coshocton, the seat of Coshocton county.  

The first exploration ever made through the township was made in the fall of 1802 by a company of four young men who had come from Pennsylvania to Cleveland who, by some motive or other, were propelled to make a strike southward, aiming for a little town which had just been laid  out on the Muskingum, at the junction of the Tuscarawas with the Walhonding river, then called "Tuscarawa", now Coshocton, the seat of Coshocton county.  

==First Death==

==First Death (Pre-Green)==

On the third day of their journey, after reaching what afterwards was made the south east quarter of section No. 5 of this township (now the farm owned by William {{Surname|Pontius}}) not having quite half the distance of their tramp, they got into some difficulty with the Indians, when one of the young men was shot through the breast and instantly died. The fall passing through his body and entering into a small sized oak tree, which the Indians for some reason or other instantly knotched from the ground up as high as they could reach-perhaps as a monument of their bloodshed. With much terror and dismay the three surviving young men lastened from the scene without witnessing what was done with the body of their slaughtered companion. Having in view of retrace, in case they should become lost, blazed the trees along the line of their route, two years afterwards, tow of these young men, in company of some others, made a tramp back on the same route. They again saw the "Knotched white oak" but neither clew nor trace could be found of the body, which two years ago they had seen fall in crimsoned carnage at its root, by the ball of the "red man"! This was the first death known to occurred upon the soil of Green township.

On the third day of their journey, after reaching what afterwards was made the south east quarter of section No. 5 of this township (now the farm owned by William {{Surname|Pontius}}) not having quite half the distance of their tramp, they got into some difficulty with the Indians, when one of the young men was shot through the breast and instantly died. The fall passing through his body and entering into a small sized oak tree, which the Indians for some reason or other instantly knotched from the ground up as high as they could reach-perhaps as a monument of their bloodshed. With much terror and dismay the three surviving young men lastened from the scene without witnessing what was done with the body of their slaughtered companion. Having in view of retrace, in case they should become lost, blazed the trees along the line of their route, two years afterwards, tow of these young men, in company of some others, made a tramp back on the same route. They again saw the "Knotched white oak" but neither clew nor trace could be found of the body, which two years ago they had seen fall in crimsoned carnage at its root, by the ball of the "red man"! This was the first death known to occurred upon the soil of Green township.

David {{Surname|Herman}} and Jacob {{Surname|Hess}} being elected elders and Joshua {{Surname|Hess}} and Joseph {{Surname|Hutchison}} were appointed deacons. This organization was held in the old Presbyterian meeting house still standing at Smithville. Not having a house of their own wherein to worship they for about ten years continued to hold their services in that of the Presbyterian.

David {{Surname|Herman}} and Jacob {{Surname|Hess}} being elected elders and Joshua {{Surname|Hess}} and Joseph {{Surname|Hutchison}} were appointed deacons. This organization was held in the old Presbyterian meeting house still standing at Smithville. Not having a house of their own wherein to worship they for about ten years continued to hold their services in that of the Presbyterian.

In 1952 the old school Lutheran and German Reformed denominations erected a church building together at Smithville of 35 feet by 45 feet dimension comfortable seating an auditorium of about 300. Here the Lutherans are still holding their worship. This church is in a prosperous condition at present, its attending members now being about 70 in number. Its Pastoral order of succession is as follows:

In 1952 the old school Lutheran and German Reformed denominations erected a church building together at Smithville of 35 feet by 45 feet dimension comfortable seating an autitory (auditorium) of about 300. Here the Lutherans are still holding their worship. This church is in a prosperous condition at present, its attending members now being about 70 in number. Its Pastoral order of succession is as follows:

*  Rev. A. {{Surname|Myers}}

*  Rev. A. {{Surname|Myers}}

*  Rev. William {{Surname|Emmerson}}

*  Rev. William {{Surname|Emmerson}}

John {{Surname|Winkler}} the oldest pioneer of Green and first son of Lawrence {{Surname|Winkler}} was born on the 22nd day of April 1799 in Birk County of North Carolina. In 1806 at the age of seven years, he with his parents emigrated to Monogahala County in Western Virginia. Here eight years, years of his early boyhood were spent. In the spring of 1814 he went with parents to Pennsylvania to where his grant father George {{Surname|Payne}} then resided. Here the remainder of the family took up a temporary stay, while John who was now about 15 years of age, accompanied his father to then much talked of now State of Ohio where they selected a site in Green township for their future home. After arriving here among the Bears, Indians, Wolves, Snakes and Mosquito's, they fell to work and cleared off about 4 acres of ground and cut sticks for a cabin. But there being then but tow men in the township besides themselves, they failed in getting the cabin raised. They then split out puncheons for the floor and clapboards for the roof and made every thing ready for the cabin. They then started back to where the family was.

John {{Surname|Winkler}} the oldest pioneer of Green and first son of Lawrence {{Surname|Winkler}} was born on the 22nd day of April 1799 in Birk County of North Carolina. In 1806 at the age of seven years, he with his parents emigrated to Monogahala County in Western Virginia. Here eight years, years of his early boyhood were spent. In the spring of 1814 he went with parents to Pennsylvania to where his grant father George {{Surname|Payne}} then resided. Here the remainder of the family took up a temporary stay, while John who was now about 15 years of age, accompanied his father to then much talked of now State of Ohio where they selected a site in Green township for their future home. After arriving here among the Bears, Indians, Wolves, Snakes and Mosquito's, they fell to work and cleared off about 4 acres of ground and cut sticks for a cabin. But there being then but tow men in the township besides themselves, they failed in getting the cabin raised. They then split out puncheons for the floor and clapboards for the roof and made every thing ready for the cabin. They then started back to where the family was.

Notebook on Green Township and Smithville Area History

Notebook on Green Township and Smithville Area History

by D. L. {{Surname|Kieffer}}

by D. L. {{Surname|Kieffer}}

Photocopied, indexed, and transcribed by Bonnie {{Surname|Knox}}

Photocopied, indexed, and transcribed by Bonnie {{Surname|Knox}}

by the Wayne County Public Library (Wooster, Ohio) in 1988

by the Wayne County Public Library (Wooster, Ohio) in 1988

Digitized in the Wayne County, Ohio Online Resource Center in 2018 by Jim {{Surname|Yergin}}

Digital entry in the Wayne County, Ohio Online Resource Center in 2018 by Jim {{Surname|Yergin}}