about 1850, when the society erected a church edifice about one mile east, at Newport. They erected a good, substantial frame building, at a cost of about $700. This building served the society until about 1872, when the present brick house. 56x32 feet, was erected, at a cost of about $4,500, and is a very neat and comfortable house of worship, well finished and well furnished. At the time of the erection of the first church building. the society numbered about twenty persons. Since that time, the church has been served by the following ministers: Rev. Mr. Smith, John Stewart, Joseph Brown, Mr. Crum. Archibald Fleming, Mr. Spahr, Samuel Tibitt, J. T. Miller. Mr. Pitzer, A. Alexander, Mr. Heath, Mr. Vananda. A. R. Miller. I. Bradrick, Mr. King and Rev. Mr. Mackey, who are now the present pustors. In November, 1872. the new church was dedicated. Joseph Trimble preaching the dedicatory sermon. The membership is now about one hun dred. Trustees, Samuel Coberly, William Withrow, John Paulin, William Clevenger, David Watson and Washington Withrow; Stewards are Washington Withrow and David Watson; Class-Leaders, Samuel Coberly and W. Withrow. In connection with the church, they have had a good, flourishing Sunday school since the erection of the first church edifice. It now numbers about sixty scholars, with James Buell as Superintendent.

Protestant Methodist Church.—In 1850, a few persons met at the schoo!house, then located where the cemetery now stands, and, under Rev. Rameth Hussey, were organized into a class. consisting of the following persons: Presley Rains, wife, three sons and one daughter; James Jewell and wife; Elias Forbis and wife; Joseph Stroup and wife; Gideon Peck and wife; Isabel Stroup, Josie Watson. Sarah Jones, Polly Wagoner and Elizabeth Sifrit; and perhaps one or two others whose names are not now remembered. Elias Forbis was Class-Leader. The society held their meetings at the schoolhouse for three or four years. In 1854-55, they erected their present frame house in Newport, which was completed and dedicated to service the same year, and it is believed that Rev. A. H. Trumbo delivered the dedicatory sermon. The membership is now about twenty-five, with Rev. T. D. Howe as their minister, and Amos Gregg as Class-Leader, who has served as such more than twenty years. Trustees, James Evans. John W. Vent, Singleton Yates, Amos Gregg and Uriah Thornburg.

CEMETERIES.

For many years the early settlers had their family or neighborhood burying-grounds. One of these was on the John Phifer farm, where several of the Phifer family and many of the people of that neighborhood found their final resting place; but now nothing remains to show that there was ever a grave made there, the ground being used and cultivated for grain. Another was on the Hume land. Some bodies, however, have been removed from here and deposited in more permanent and well-preserved cemeteries. This ground is, however, st. lk inclosed by a fence, but no more persons are being buried there. The only one which has become a permanent burial-place is the Withrow Cemetery. This was first established as a family burying-place of the Withrow family, and was probably first opened by the reception of a body of a child of William Crider, after which it became the general burying-place for the neighborhood, and thus continued till about 1870, when it became the property of the township. Originally there was but one acre of ground fenced in. The Trustees then purchased six acres of David Watson and added to it, so that it ow contains seven acres, and is well fenced in, and laid out in walks, with good graveled roads

and walks around them, with good shade and ornamental trees, making it a very pretty rural cemetery, and a fit depository and resting-place for the dead.

SCHOOLS.

The first school, it is believed, in Paint Township, was held in a cabin on Jonathan Minshall's land, Samuel Harvey being the first, or one of the first, teachers, the school, like all early schools, being supported by subscription. The teacher received about $15 per month for his labors. The first schoolhouse was of the pioneer, primitive kind-round logs, puncheon floor, slab seats and greased paper windows. The first public schoolhouse was erected on the ground now embraced in the cemetery. This was a hewed-log house, and was then considered quite neat and comfortable. This house was succeeded by a frame one, erected on the same ground about 1847. This house was used for school purposes till about 1872, when the present brick was erected, at a cost of about $1,500. This is now known as District No. 2. The township now has nine subdistricts, and all have good brick houses, costing from $1,500. to $2,000, except in Subdistrict No. 8, which is a good frame house. The schoolhouses and the schools are perhaps in this township equal to if they do not excel those of other townships of Madison County.

TOWNS.

This township contains but one small village within it borders. In 1849, the land where Newport now stands was owned by Ephraim Freshour, and in that year he laid off some lots for the town, and donated one lot for school purposes. James Coberly erected the first house, in which he lived till his death. The second was built by Elias Forbes as a dwelling for himself. The first blacksmith was James Jewell. He was succeeded by Henry Roland. About 1851-52, John Coberly built a steam saw-mill in the town, with the old kind of upright saw, which, after some years, was supplanted with a circular saw, and is now owned by Jackson Cloberly. Elias Forbes was the first wagon-maker. The first store was opened by Napoleon Moore, who erected a building and put in a general stock of goods in 1854. post office was established in 1856-57, with James Gossard as Postmaster. The present Postmaster is Thomas Durkee. The village now contains about one hundred and fifty inhabitants; has one general store, one grocery, two blacksmiths, one wagon-maker, one carriage painter; and contains two churches, and one schoolhouse with two departments--one for the small and one for the larger scholars.

ROADS AND PIKES.

This township is supplied with good roads and free turnpikes, passing through it and leading in all directions to the important towns in other townships and counties. Through the northwest corner of the township passes the Jefferson, South Charleston & Xenia Turnpike; running in a northeast and southwest direction through the township, a little west of the center, is the old London & Xenia road; then further east is the Madison & Fayette Turnpike, the London & Bloomingburg road, and the Yankeetown road, the latter forming the boundary line between Paint and Union Townships for two to three miles. Through the northwest part of. the township, and running nearly parallel with the Jefferson, South Charleston & Xenia Turnpike, passes the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Rail road, and, although there is no town on its line within Paint Township, yet they have a way station called Florence.

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CHAPTER XIV.

OAK RUN TOWNSHIP.

HIS was the last township erected in Madison County, and is one of the smallest in territory and the most irregular in its contour and boundary lines, and another peculiarity it has is in not possessing a single town or village within its limits; hence it is purely a rural township. On March 5, 1856, a petition was presented to the Commissioners of Madison County, signed by Robert C. Amos and others, asking for the erection of a new township to be composed of parts of the townships of Range, Pleasant, Fairfield and Union: Beginning at the southeast corner of the land of John Dun, in Pleasant Township; thence northeasterly with his line crossing Deer Creek to his corner; thence with his northerly boundaries to the James Innis Surveys, thence with the James Innis Surveys to Deer Creek; thence up Deer Creek with the Fairfield Township line to the north line of the land formerly owned by John Harrison, deceased; thence westerly with the line of said Harrison to the John Jones road; thence westerly with said road to the La Fayette road; from thence a southwesterly course to northwesterly corner of Jesse Rea's land and corner with Maxwell Murray; from thence southwesterly with Jesse Rea's line crossing the land of Robert Armstrong to Levi Springer's northeast corner; thence with Springer's southeast line to the Yankeetown road; thence southeasterly with said road to the southeast line of the lands of David and Isaac McClimans, and with the west line of Joseph Morgan's; from thence to the beginning. Wherefore, it is hereby ordered by the Commissioners of Madison County that the foregoing described territory be and is hereby established a township, which shall be known by the name of Oak Run Township; and be it further ordered that Henry Alder, Surveyor of the county of Madison, and Edward Fitzgerald, meet at said Fitzgerald's on March 24, 1856, and proceed to survey and establish the lines and boundaries of said township, erecting monuinents at the several corners thereof. Ordered by the Commissioners that the legal voters within the territory heretofore described, meet at Harvey's Mills on Monday. the 7th day of April next, that being the first Monday of said month, and then and there proceed as provided by the statutes in such cases to elect all necessary officers for such township.

On June 2, 1856, a petition by citizens of Oak Run Township was presented to and granted by the Commissioners, changing the west line of Oak Run Township as follows: "Down the London & Yankeetown road to the line of William Johnson, Sr., and William Johnson, Jr.; thence with their line to a branch of Bradford's; thence with the meanderings of said branch to the line of Thomas Foster, and thence with the line of him and James McClimans to the west line of John Foster, bounding with I. and W. Mc Clim..ns; thence with their line to John Foster's southwest corner, being two black oaks; thence in a direct line to the northwest corner of James W. Rob inson and corner to land bought of said Robinson by I. and D. McClimans, near Bradford's Run; thence with the line of said Robinson and I. and D. McClimans to their corner in the line of Joseph Morgan."