Rush Creek --Part 3

Sorry that it took me a few days to get back to the conclusion of my history of Rush Creek series.  I just felt like I needed to talk about 9/11 and pay tribute to the ones who died on that fateful day.

So, on to the last history lesson of the Rush Creek Township of Logan County, Ohio.  I thought, since I am school teacher and have a love of history I'd talk about the first schools in Rushsylvania.  As a teacher Rev. W.W. Wright stands almost without a rival. He was a very popular instructor. The school sat atop a hill that looked out over the town and surrounding countryside. The district had about 200 students. These are the statistics as reported by the then Board of Education.  The property was valued at $3, 235.  Male teachers were paid $50 and female teacher $20 a month. (Wait a minute! How is that fair?)

The village was considered to have a "high moral influence". ....though like other places had its vagabonds and idlers.  Saloons were not in the village, though it had been attempted. These efforts always failed.  Public improvement was very high on the list with the residents of Rushsylvania.

I love the names of the surrounding villages. Big Springs (obviously named because of a spring located there) and  Walnut Grove (named for a lovely grove of black walnut trees)  are my favorites.  The names remind me of Little House on the Prarie.  Big Springs had a tavern, grocery and dry goods store, a blacksmith shop, a shoe shop and a large saw and planing mill. There were about 12 dwellings and around 50 people.  Walnut Grove was originally called Slim Town (after the man that laid out the town, J. Slim. ) but gained it's later name from the surrounding walnut trees.  This town is located on Mill Creek and had about 6 dwellings, one store, one blacksmith shop, and one church.

An fact that I found interesting was that the first church in the township was built by the Quakers. It was a log structure.  It was built sometimes before 1820.  In 1827 , the second church was built by the Baptists and called "Rush Creek Baptist Church".  It was also a log structure. Other denominations in the area were Methodists, Presbyterians, The Disciple Church, and a church in Equality that was no particular denomination. Also there were Indian missionaries that preached to to the native americans in their own language.