Pleasant Valley Township

Pleasant Valley Township. - Jas. A. Smith presented a petition with fifty signatures to the County Commissioners on Jan. 4, 1870, asking for the creation of a new municipal township out of the east half of Guilford tp., which was granted, and Clark post-office designated as the voting place. The new township was named Pleasant Valley and its area was 6 x 8 miles. The annual spring election, April 5th, 1870, was the first one held in the township. The first settlement was made June 23d, 1868, by Geo. F. Houghton, who still lives in the township. Messrs. Lumly and Ramis soon followed. The spring and summer of 1869 brought Ezra and Wesley Averill, J. B. Ditmars, Alex. Doll, Frank Bacon, W. S. Thom and others. A. Long settled in the south part of the township in 1869 with a family of twenty-two persons, all of whom were living, together with nine additions, at the time of the Centennial anniversary. H. D. Ward settled in the fall of 1869. In 1870 settlers flocked in like the children of Israel into Canaan, and toward the close of that year about every desirable claim afforded a log cabin, board shanty or tent to serve the purpose of human habitations and to guarantee "possession." Sept. 20, 1869, Clark past-office[sic] was established, with Alexander Doll as P. M. In the spring of 1870 Wm. A. Hall opened a store and sold goods at his place, which he called Mound Springs, and Sept. 5, 1870, a post-office was established, with himself as post-master. This was the first and only store ever kept in the township. In 1877 the Cumberland Presbyterians erected a fine frame church near the centre of the township. Ward P. O. was established April 25, 1872, H. D. Ward, P. M.; Rest P. O. July 18, 1877, L. T. Perry, P. M.