Washington County

The first pioneer into what has been a part of Waterford, Watertown then Wooster, Roxbury, Wesley and is now in Palmer township , was Christopher Malster who settled here in 1796. Other early settlers were the Palmers, Rices, Dauleys, Cards, etc.

Prior to the formation of Noble County in 1851, a man standing on the northeast corner of section six, now in Palmer, could have placed himself by a single step, either northeast, in Watertown, southeast in Barlow, southwest in Wesley, or northwest in Roxbury. From this point the dividing lines ran toward the four points of the compass in two straight lines through the present township. But, by the formation of Noble, Morgan County lost large areas, and was partially Recompensed by the addition of the larger part of Roxbury, taken from Washington County. At a special session of the commissioners, May 19, 1851, the remaining portions of Roxbury, with parts of other townships just mentioned, were consolidated into a new township, named after the family so much concerned in the settlement and growth of its territory and interests. The entry on the journal reads as follows :

A petition was received from citizens of Roxbury and parts of Wesley, Watertown and Barlow for the erection of a new township composed of territory embraced within the following boundaries, viz.: Commencing at the northwest corner of one hundred and sixty acre lot No. 1.079, range eleven, town eight; ihence south to the southwest corner of said lot; thence to the northwest corner of one hundred and sixty acre lot No. 1.080: thence south to the southwest corner of section thirteen, range eleven, town eight; thence south to the souihwest corner of section No. 17. range eleven, town seven: thence to the southeast corner of section No. 5. range eleven, town seven; thence east to the southeast corner of section No. 35. range ten, town three; thence north to the southwest corner of one hundred and sixty acre lot No. 780; thence east to the southeast corner of one hundred and sixty acre lot No. 780; thence north to the northeast corner of section No. 30. range ten, town three; thence north to the northeast corner of fractional lot No. 838, range ten, town four; thence north to the southeast corner of one hundred acre lot No. 47, range ten. town four, south branch allottment: thence to the northeast corner of one hundred acre lot No. 47 aforesaid; thence west to the northwest corner of one hundred acre No. 14, range ten, town four, west branch allottment; thence south to the southwest corner of one hundred acre lot No. 15, range ten, town four, west branch allottment; thence westwardly to follow the line which divides the late township of Roxbury, setting off the said township to Morgan county, to the place of beginning.

Schools were started in Palmer township at the very first; as early as 1806 Russell Darrow was engaged as teacher. JamesAshcroft, Jabesh Palmer, John T. Dumont and William Brown were early teachers.

Free Will Baptist and Methodist meetings were customarily held in private houses throughout the early years. In 1837 a Methodist Church was built. The first store was opened about 1825 by Hiram Gard.

Source: History of Marietta and Washington County, by Martin R. Andrews, MA, 1902, Transcribed by C. Anthony