This section is taken from the book "Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Muskingum County, Ohio" by Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1892, Columbus, Ohio. It is a wonderful source for Muskingum history and seems to be a source that Ione Bradford Supplee found much informastion in. I have found some errors and contradictions but that is to be expected especially since the author seemed to have gotten much of his information from the residents of the county as well as documented records.

    This township is bounded north by Monroe township, east by Guernsey township, south by Union township and west by Salem township. Following is the record of its erection and original survey; it was reduced to its present area July 2, 1819. "A petition was presented by a number of the inhabitants of the northeastern division of Muskingum county, praying that the 5th add 6th ranges, thence east to the county line, thence north to the place of beginning, mav be incorporated into a new township, by the name of Highland, and the election ordered to be held at the house of William Dennison. on the first Monday in April, 1814, to elect the necessary township officers. An idea of the original extent of the township may be gained from the fact that Mr. Dennison lived a mile and a half southwest of Adamsville, in what is now Salem township. Joseph K. McCune and Joseph Williamson are said to have been the first justices of the peace. The central and southern parts of this township are comparatively level and susceptible of easy cultivation. The northern area is elevated and broken.

    The settlement of Highland began in 1808, when Mathias Trace, from Washington county, Penn., located on the northeast one-fourth of section 11. The corresponding one-fourth of section 16 was entered by Lot Wortman; the northwest quarter of section 15 by James Honnold, from Virginia; the southwest one fourth of section 13 (on the property since occupied by P. P. Geyer) by Peter Bond, from Maryland, about 1811; the southwest quarter of section 19 (the George Fisher place) by Thomas Rambo, about two years later; section 22, or a part of it, by J. K. McCune and Alexander Mays, about 1813; the northwest one-fourth of section 19 by Edward Ostler, in 1814; the corresponding quarter of section 14 by Jacob Honnold in 1815 or 1816. In 1813 came William and John Davis, William, Peter, John and Casper Bradford; the Davises locating on section 7, the Bradfords on section 8. Among the early settlers also were the families of Geyer, Fell, McMichael and Shroyer.

    The advancement was so rapid in this township that in 1835 John Bradford, James Honnold and Andrew Geyer and their families were living in frame houses. A more pretentious one was erected in 1845 by Samuel Scott. Thomas Roberts built a brick house near the Bethel church in 1850. In 1815 Noah Decker built the first mill in Highland, on the northwest quarter of section 14, which was transformed from a sawmill to a distillery with a grinding attachment as a distillery auxiliary. On the northwest one-fourth of section 21, James McMichael put a gristmill in operation about 1830, which gave place to a carding machine about twelve years afterward. Another early gristmill was one built in the southern part of the township by John Geyer. William Reynolds put a sawmill in operation on White Eyes creek about 1832 or 1833. Andrew Henderson's, "Parker wheel" mill on this stream and Hugh Simms' mill on one of its branches, are well remembered. Mills were put in operation by James MacDonald at the Bloomfield site (later owned by Martin McLane) in 1843, by John Buchanan and Samuel Moorehead, on the southwest quarter of section 10 in 1853; and by Theophilus Wark, in 1873 - a combination grist, saw and planingmill, the most pretentious in the township. The Buchanan & Moorehead mill changed hands several times and was last operated, down to about twenty years ago, by Joseph Selders. The first public road laid out in this township was that from Cambridge to Dresden, about 1806; the second was that from the Findley milldam, south of New Concord, to the mouth of Wills creek, about nine years later. In May, 1817, Joseph K. McCune surveyed a road "from James Sprague's, in Highland township, to John Reynold's store, on the Wheeling road." The pioneer blacksmiths were Robert Baxter and James Honnold, on the Adamsville road. The first wagon was brought into the township by Peter Bond, grandfather of Peter B. Geyer. John Bell introduced fine sheep here in 1857. About 1835-45 David T. Bigger operated a small tannery on the Bloomfield and New Concord road. Dr. E. S. Wortman is said to have been the pioneer physician, before 1840. Dr. A. B. McCandless practiced here about 1850-55; Dr. R. T. Wark about 1850-70. Dr. J. Morris Lane came to Bloomfield about 1848. Dr. W. G. Lane is a more recent physician. Joseph Graham kept the first store, on the Samuel Moorehead place in 1833. Another early merchant was William Mason, east of Bloomfield, 1835-43. George Buchanan began merchandising in Bloomfield in 1848, and was succeeded by William Weylie, who built and did business in a new store, 1851-66. Thomas Forsyth began trading between the Concord and Dresden roads in 1852. In 1854 he built the William Mintier store. In 1857 be retired. After him came Atchison & Bell, Atchison & Bro., James Block, J. F. Warrick and Thomas McKay. The present merchants at Bloomfield are Marion F. Geyer and William B. Kelley.

    David Rankin was the original owner of the town site of Bloomfield, an inland postoffice, twenty miles northeast of Zanesville, and four miles north of Now Concord, the nearest shipping point. It is situated in the northeastern part of Highland township, and has a daily hack line to and from New Concord, its nearest banking point. Population is about 100. Thomas Clegg, William Weylie and Daniel McLane bought a few acres each, and had them surveved into lots in 1853, by Joseph Fisher. Additions were later platted by John D. Hogseed and J. P. Lytle. John Crooks, the first postmaster here, was appointed in 1857. This place is historical as the seat of M. C. Corkle college, an institution which, though of humble origin, came to be popular and prosperous. In 1862 Rev. William Ballantiue, of the Associate Presbyterian Church, induced several young men to prepare for the ministry, and himself heard recitations in his study. Numbers increasing, the meeting-house was offered and used, and the name of Bloomfield High School bestowed. For years it continued an individual enterprise, until the first students were ready to enter the senior class. In 1868 the synod passed an act appointing Messrs. Robert Atcheson, John Bell, William Finney, Samuel McKee, Robert Hyslop, Robert Brown, A. McCreery, J. H. Johnson and John Baird a board of trustees. In 1869 the Bloomfield Academy was incorporated, and a house purchased. A college building became a necessity and J. Bell, president of the board, being appointed general financial agent, sufficient funds were raised; a foundation was laid in the fall of 1872, and the spring term of 1873 was held in the basement. A college charter was obtained on February 12, 1873, and the school became clothed with full university powers. Rev. W. Ballantine, A. M., was elected president, James Hindman, A. B., vice-president, and R. C. Kerr, A. B., professor of languages. The college proper began existence April 3, 1873. It had an endowment of $8,000, and, including values in building, a capital of $20,000. The postoffice at this point is known as Sago. The primitive log schoolhouse of the township was standing in 1818, and doing double duty as temple of learning and house of worship, on the northwest one-fourth of section 11. Later it was moved to a site further down the Cambridge road, and finally gave place to one of the three hewed-log, hexagonal buildings used in this township for school purposes, all of which have disappeared. Lorenzo Dow, the first teacher in this old school, was buried near by, in 1818, his having been the first interiment in what is now Bloomfield cemetery. The site of this cemetery was devoted to the citizens by Walter Hogseed. A third of an acre was added in 1879, and a deed to the whole given by James Hogseed, the area then being three and one-third acres. In 1853 Peter Bond was buried near his grandson, Peter B. Geyers. In 1878, upon the removal of his body to Bethel cemetery, it was found to be completely petrified.

    The first Methodist class was organized bv Rev. William Knox in 1816. A hewed-log meeting house was erected in 1828, which was two years later replaced by a brick edifice. The latter was burned in 1854, and Bethel Methodist Episcopal church, a large frame building, was erected soon after. The Bloomfield Associated Presbyterian congregation was organized at the house of David Duff, by Rev. John Walker, March 20, 1818. Meetings were hold in tents, one pitched near the site of the present house of worship, and a later one about a mile north of the Russell farm, till the first log church was built, in 1822, near the eastern side of the present graveyard. This was succeeded by another log structure, hewed, near the site of the present building. It was erected in 1831, and is remembered as having had two wings or additions. The third church was a frame building, erected on the present site in 1847. In 1858 the Associate Presbyterian and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian churches consolidated under the name of the United Presbyterian church. Twenty out of the 170 members of the Associate Presbyterian church declined to go into the union, and built a church for themselves in 1863, the old building having been taken by the majority.