Jefferson Township, Brown County

How Jefferson Township, Brown County began

Jefferson Township was organized in June 1853 out of surplus territory from Byrd Township, after a survey found Byrd large enough to spare a full second township without drawing on Jackson, Franklin or Pleasant as first proposed. Its citizens petitioned for the split so they would no longer have to wade through mud and stand on beech roots to reach Byrd's polling place on election day. It holds the village of Russellville, laid out in 1817 by and named for Russell Shaw, and its first township election was held August 16, 1853 at John C. Davis's tavern.

Settled c. 1800 (James Morrow, Joseph Washburn, Isaac Washburn and others), incorporated 1853-06, by Brown County Commissioners, from surplus territory of Byrd Township.

Where the name comes from

The county history does not say whom Jefferson Township was named for.

Before the town

No Native American village, mound or trail specific to Jefferson Township is recorded. The township lies in the Virginia Military District, within the land ceded by the 1795 Treaty of Greenville.

Nations recorded here: Shawnee, Miami.

Timeline

1. c. 1800 — Several settlers including James Morrow (from Ireland), Joseph Washburn and Isaac Washburn (both from Pennsylvania) take up farms in what becomes Jefferson Township, among the area's earliest arrivals.
2. 1807 — Abraham Shepherd builds the township's first saw-mill, water-powered, on Eagle Creek, operating it until he leaves the county.
3. 1810 — Baptist doctrine is preached in the township as early as this year; the congregation organizes in 1828 at the house of Elihu Parker, and its church burns from an unknown cause in the spring of 1855.
4. 1815 — Abraham Shepherd, later the first Clerk of Brown County, builds a grist-mill on Eagle Creek on his own farm -- the first mill of any importance in the township.
5. 1817 — Russell Shaw lays out Russellville within the township, taking his own name.
6. 1817 — A petition goes to Washington Presbytery from people on Eagle Creek asking to be known on the minutes as the Eagle Creek Congregation, the first Presbyterian organization recorded at Russellville.
7. 1830 — The Presbyterians raise a brick church 40 by 70 feet in the east part of Russellville, begun in 1829; Associate Reformed members also band together in 1830 to build, on a lot given by Eli Collins, and finish their church in 1831.
8. 1834 — Southerland, Mann & Spencer build the township's first steam sawmill in the south part, operated a few years; the Miller brothers build a steam sawmill in Russellville in 1842.
9. 1837 — The Methodists, who had been preaching in the township since 1825, put up a brick church in the north part of Russellville; they build a large frame church in the northwest part of town in 1872.
10. 1839 — The first turnpike road in the township, and the first in the county, begins construction: the Ripley & Hillsboro Turnpike, a double-track road half funded by the state, built by Brooks & Crayton.
11. 1845 — The Disciples, who first heard Elder Lucas preach in Russellville about 1840, build a frame church for about $700; a new frame church on the old Old School Presbyterian lot replaces it in 1870.
12. 1853-06 — Brown County Commissioners grant a new township, formed from surplus territory in Byrd Township, and name it Jefferson; the first election is held August 16 at John C. Davis's tavern, electing W. B. Logan, Michael Benner and James Glaze as Trustees.
13. 1855 — A two-story brick school building with primary, intermediate and high departments is built in Russellville.
14. 1860-05 — A tornado sweeps over Russellville, unroofing the Associate Reformed church and demolishing part of its wall.
15. 1861 — Men of the township serve through the Civil War, in battles the county history lists as Cheat Mountain, Green Brier, Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge.
16. 1871 — The Russellville & Winchester turnpike is built, half paid by the county commissioners and half by citizens on the line; the Russellville & Georgetown turnpike follows in 1872, paid by a tax on land within two miles of the road.
17. 1874-05-16 — Russell Lodge No. 573, I.O.O.F., is chartered and instituted on June 20, 1874.
18. 2020 — The census counts 1,407 people in Jefferson Township.

Stories

Wading through mud for the vote

The petition that created Jefferson Township opens with an unusually vivid complaint: citizens of Byrd Township argued that "justice and mercy" demanded relief from "the hard task of wading in mud through rain, and standing on beech roots, on election days" to reach the polling place. After public meetings and posted notices in May 1853, the petition went to the County Commissioners, who ordered a survey. It turned out Byrd Township already held enough territory for two full townships under the state constitution, so the new township of Jefferson was carved entirely from Byrd's surplus, without taking land from Jackson, Franklin or Pleasant as first proposed.

Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org

Mostly private wells The water here

• Brown County Rural Water74% of residentsOhio River Valley Aquifer (wells)
• Georgetown Village24% of residentsOhio River Valley Aquifer (wells)
• Tate-monroe Water Association1% of residentsOhio River valley aquifer (collector/vertical wells)
• Adams County Regional Wd1% of residentsOhio River Valley Aquifer (wells near Manchester)

Public libraries (1)

Spills reported since 2021 (2)

Who holds office

Roster as of 2026-09-18: county board of elections.

Elections for office

Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.

Auditor of State record

• No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
• Financial Audit, 2023 to 2024, released 2026-02-12

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