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This township occupies a central position in the southern tier of townships in the county of Madison. It embraces a scope of beautiful country, which, from the earliest advance of civilization, and its occupancy by the whites, had its fine prairies, with their exuberance of grass, occupied by herds of stock which were driven here from Ross County and herded by men hired for that purpose. This afforded the finest of pasturage, adn continued to be occupied in this manner by the extensive stock-dealers of Ross County and other counties, with no cost whatever but to employ men to watch the stock and keep them together upon this broad, unfenced and unbounded expanse of country, till finally the land was so generally taken up by purchasers and actual settlers that those from other counties were debarred from carrying on their former profitable herding business any longer in this portion of country.
This township was early erected and put into full working order. Upon the records of the county at London we find the following, bearing date December 7, 1812:
"At a meeting of the Commissioners of Madison County (on petition), ordered that the following bounds compose a new township, which shall be here after known and designated by the name of Range Township, viz.: Beginning on the county of Fayette at the crossing of the North Fork of Paint Creek; thence to the eight-mile tree on Langham's road; thence with said road westwardly to the line of Union Township; thence with the said line to the southwest corner of Judge Baskerville's survey; and then from the aforesaid place of beginning, west with Fayette County line, to a point one mile east from the crossing of Main Paint; thence northerly to the southwest corner of Judge Baskerville's survey aforesaid."
The surface of the territory composing this township is remarkably level, there being only small portions of it along the creeks, and occasionally a small tract here and there in certain localities, that are undulating, and a few places of small extent that may be called as approching the order of hills. The township is bounded on the north by Paint and Oak Run Townships, east by Pleasant Township, south by Fayette County, and west by Stokes and Paint Townships. It was, as the settlers first found it, possessed of large oak openings and prairies, with some portions, especially along the creeks, heavily timbered. The varieties of timber consisted principally of burr, white and red oak, hickory, walnut, elm and maple, the first two varieties mentioned predominating, and the burr oak growing to a large size, and probably in excess in number of any other variety. In some localities there was an abundance of fine walnut timber, which, in an early day, was cut down and burned on the ground in order to get the land cleared and ready for cultivation. Hundreds and thousands of beautiful logs were piled up at their log-rollings, which, if in possession of the owners of the land to-day, would net them a large income. Most of the timbered land of this section of country was perfectly clear from any brush or undergrowth when the first settlers located here, consituting some of the most beautiful oak groves which the eye ever beheld. This condition was brought about by the effects of the yearly fires, which were set in the grass late in the fall by the Indians, and the entire country burned over for miles in extent in every direction, the object being to give a clear and unobstructed view and opportunity for hunting in the winter season, as game, such as bear, deer, opossum, wild turkeys, etc., were then in great abundance. The contrast between the country then and the timbered portions which remain to-day is remarkable and striking; then so open and beautiful that a man would ride through anywhere and in any direction, on horseback, at a gallop, in the hunt or chase, with no obstructions to their rapid travel; now it is so thick and close with the undergrowth, since it has ceased to be burned over by these fires, that in some sections it is almost impossible for man or beast to get through at all, at the slowest pace.
The soil of this township is very rich and productive, the flat and more level portions being composed of a vegetable soil, very deep, rich and black; while the rolling and more elevated portions are a strong loam and clay soil, excellent for wheat and grass. While the black, rich loam of the flat land is superior for corn, yet, as it becomes older and more thoroughly drained, will also become better for wheat, adn, in fact, for all grains. The leading and most profitable business with the farmers for many years was stock-raising, but of late years, as the land is becoming ditched, tiled and drained, so as to get clear of the abundance of surface water, it is becoming better adapted to the raising of wheat and corn, and the farmers have gone quite extensively into the cultivation of these cereals. This year (1882), they have raised a wonderful crop of wheat; and, though the season has been uncommonly wet, adn considerably against the progress of a good corn crop, yet there is a fair prospect of somewhat below an average crop, the prospect in this township being probably fully up to that of most of the townships of Madison County. The township is abundantly watered by numerous creeks and branches, fed by beautiful springs, and, with a clay and disintegrated limestone subsoil, is almost proof against common or ordinary droughts. The principal streams are the Bradford, the head branches of which rise in Paint and Oak Run Townships, and, uniting on the north boundary line of this township, flows in a southeasterly direction, forming the boundary line between Range and Oak Run Townships, for about one and a half miles, then passes into Oak Run tTownship, then again enters this township, passing through its northeast corner, and enters Pleasant Township. In its course it receives a tributary which is formed by two branches, which water all the northern portion of the township, by their various branches penetrating it in numerous directions. In the center of the township, on the Chrisman land, rises Mud Run, and flows southeast into Pleasant Township. The North Fork of Paint is formed by two branches, which rise a little northeast of Midway and form a junction just north of Danville, flowing southeast into Fayette county. In the southern central portion of the township is Thompson's Run, and in the western and southwestern part are Willow Spring Branch and East Fork of Paint, which flow in a southeastern course, form a junction about one-half mile north of the township line, and flow on into Fayette County. The general direction of all these creeks and their brnaches is east, southeast and south, showing distinctly that the northwest portion of the township has the greatest elevation.
From Atlas of Madison County by J.A. Caldwell, Condit, Ohio (1875)
Range Township was organized by the County Commissioners for civil purposes in 1810. The surface is level and the soil very productive, and is well adapted to the growing of corn, oats, wheat, hay and grass. This township has very large farms, and is well watered by Bradford's Fork, Mud Run, North Fork of Paint Creek and Thompson Fork. The Federal road from South Solon, through Midway and Danville, to Mt. Sterling is piked: it has also the Madison and Fayette turnpike and two or three more pikes in its borders.
The first settlers within the present limits of Range were, Wm. M. Linton and George Linton, in 1800; the latter is still living at the age of 86; Daniel Counts, in 1801; Eleven Willoughby, 1808; Peter Moneyhorn, 1808; Daniel Gambrel, 1808; John Selsor, David Selsor, Joseph Burris, David Dye, Adam Funk and family, George DePugh, John Fisher, James McClimans and family, Burton Blizard, Wm. Vinson, Richard Gosley, Jesse Dungan, John Rayburn, Joseph Thomas the old pilgrim, Daniel Thomas, John Howsman and his son Isaac Howsman. Peter Counts came into the county, in 1812, to herd cattle, his father lived in Ross County; he found sedge grass so tall that he could sit on his horse and tie the grass over his head.
At that time there were plenty of Indians here, the Wyandotts and Potawatimies. The Wyandotts had resided on the soil of Ohio long before the French or English visited this country. Andrew Johnson first came her [sic] to herd cattle in 1818; at the time Mr. Johnson came here and also when Peter Counts, there was no underbrush among the timber. The Indians were in the habit of having their circle fires in the fall of the year to burn all herbage from Paint Creek, in Stokes township, to Deer Creek, in Pleasant, so that they could have a good chance at the game which abounded here in those days; Deer and Gray Wolves were very plenty then. The first land surveyed in this township was in 1804.
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