Marion Township, Pike County

How Marion Township, Pike County began

Marion Township, the smallest in Pike County and in its southeastern corner, was settled in 1808 along McDowell's Run and Beaver Creek by the Samsons, McDowells and their neighbors. It was organized December 4, 1848, cut from Beaver Township, and was by the 1884 county history's account 'next to the last township organized in the county.' Its village, California, 'dates back to ante bellum days,' was resurveyed in 1881, and had a woolen mill, a flour mill and a post office named Flat; it was later renamed Stockdale. Part of the village of Beaver also lies in the township; the 2020 census counted 1,478 residents.

Settled 1808, incorporated December 4, 1848 (township organization), by taken from Beaver Township.

Where the name comes from

Not established from the sources read. Wikipedia notes that Ohio has twelve Marion townships. The 1958 county history says the village of California, first called Flat, was later renamed Stockdale.

Before the town

No village, mound, trail or encounter is recorded for Marion Township in the sources read. What the record supports is the land's status: Pike County lies south and east of the Greenville line, and the Treaty of Greenville (signed August 3, 1795) ceded roughly two-thirds of Ohio to the United States. The first settlers in this part of the county came within a few years after it, in 1796 and later.

Timeline

1. 1808 — The township's first settlers, David and James Samson, David Samson Jr., John Beech, Lyttleton Bradford, John Yeager, Peter Wykoff, Elijah Piles, Jacob Keller and John and James McDowell, open land along McDowell's Run and Beaver Creek.
2. 1825 — The United Brethren church is organized by Rev. Daniel Bonebrake and for years meets in members' cabins.
3. 1826 — The township's first mill is built on McConnell Creek by James Samson, a small affair.
4. 1827 — The first school-house is built about a mile east of California, with Winston Jones as teacher.
5. 1835 — The Methodist Episcopal society is organized with eighteen members; it meets in homes and the school-house until it builds a log church east of California in 1847.
6. 1839 — The United Brethren erect a church; in 1850 they move it to California.
7. 1845 — The Salem Methodist Episcopal Church is organized by Rev. Andrew Carroll; it builds a log church in 1853, and rebuilds in 1873 after the roof burns.
8. December 4, 1848 — Marion Township is organized, cut from Beaver Township; the first election is ordered for December 18 at the house of H. S. Westfall.
9. 1850 — The census counts 900 residents, the first count for the township.
10. 1853 — California's flouring mill is first erected by Nelson Austin and Israel Dewey.
11. 1858 — The Pleasant Hall Brill Church, Methodist Protestant, builds a frame church costing $600; it was organized in 1848.
12. 1860 — William Gordon builds a card machine, run by horse-power, that becomes California's woolen mill.
13. 1862 — James McGinniss, who had bought the mill, puts in a steam engine and a spinning machine.
14. about 1862 — After fifteen years in its log church the California Methodist Episcopal society builds a 32-by-46-foot frame church costing $1,500.
15. 1869 — The woolen mill adds twenty feet to its building, two power looms, a fulling machine, a cloth press and a shearing machine, making it a full woolen mill.
16. 1878 — The Free-Will Baptist Church of California is organized on February 3 by Revs. Alva Crabtree and T. E. Peden with thirty-eight members and builds a frame church the same year.
17. 1880 — The township has 908 residents (793 in 1860 and 813 in 1870).
18. 1881 — California is resurveyed, becoming one of the most enterprising hamlets in the county, with two general stores, a drug store, a millinery, a hotel, a physician and a post office named Flat.
19. 2020 — The census counts 1,478 residents.

Stories

California's woolen mill

The woolen mill at California, in Marion Township, started in 1860 as a card machine, a device for combing wool into rolls, run by horse-power and built by William Gordon. In 1862 James McGinniss bought the plant, put in an engine and added a spinning machine. Over the next years he put in a new set of cards, enlarged the building to 32 by 50 feet, and in 1869 added twenty feet more with a fourteen-foot boiler shed, two power looms, a fulling machine, a cloth press and a shearing machine, making the shop a full-fledged woolen mill. By 1883 it was still run by McGinniss and made jeans, flannels, yarns and blankets, and the county historian called it a good and profitable business for so small a place. The hamlet around it also had a flour mill dating from 1853, three blacksmiths and a carriage works.

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

Mostly private wells The water here

• Beaver100% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)

Fire and EMS stations (1)

Bridges rated poor (2)

Museums, historical societies, gardens and zoos (1)

Money issues on the ballot since 2019: 1 of 1 passed.

Ballot issues

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.
• Agreed Upon Procedures, 2024 to 2025, released 2026-08-04

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