Walnut Township

Prior to 1805 Walnut Township was part of Richland Township and in 1805 became part of Pleasant Township when that township was created. In 1807 Walnut Township was created from the northern part of Pleasant Township. Its name came from Walnut Creek. In legal terms it is known as Township 16 of Range 18 and the northern part contains 2 rows of sections of Township 17 of Range 18, a part of the Refugee Tract. Also in this Township is Buckeye Lake called the "Great Swamp". With the construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal, this swamp was converted into the Licking Reservoir, which served as a feeder for the canal. In 1894 the name was changed to Buckeye Lake. Some of the early settlers were Asa and William Murphy, David Lyle, and men with the last names of Crawford, Hendricks, Watson, and Lebald.

Towns and Villages:

Millersport ---laid out by Mathias Miller and established on February 12, 1827.

Monticello ---was settled about 1803 by a small group of Virginia pioneers. It grew as a community for those working on the construction of the canal. It had a post office from 1827 to 1833. Now nothing remains of Monticello.

New Salem ---originally called Salem. Laid out by Abraham Hershberger and established on December 12, 1832.

Pleasantville ---part of this town lies in Pleasant Township also.

Roby ---was laid out by Daniel and Ettie Mauger in 1806 but never materialized.

Thurston ---originally called Hitedale in 1849, was laid out as Bush City in 1881 by George Bush, and a year later became Hadley Junction (as called by railroad officials). In 1913 the village officially became Thurston, named for a well-liked Methodist minister.

Cemeteries:

Boby-Roby, Dellinger, Fairfield Baptist, Geiger, Haver, Hite, Keller, Kemp, Ketner, Lamb, McNamee, Miller #1, Miller #2,
Millersport, Murphy #2, New Salem Methodist Episcopal, New Salem Methodist Protestant, Parrish, Rinehart, Thurston
Primitive Baptist, Wagner, Walnut Creek, Warner, Witaker.

[Amanda] [Berne] [Bloom] [Clear Creek] [Greenfield] [Hocking]

[Liberty] [Madison] [Pleasant] [Richland] [Rush Creek] [Violet] [Walnut]

©1995-2001 Fairfield County Genealogical Society