This section is taken from the book "Biographical and Historical Memoirs" of Muskingum County, Ohio" by Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1892, Columbus, Ohio.

This, the second from west to east of the second tier of townships of the county from the northern limit, is bounded north by Jackson, Cass and Madison, east by Madison and Washington, south by Falls and West by Licking. The Muskingum river flows along its eastern border. Devore's run, which has its source in Cass township flows southeasterly through the western part of Muskingum. There are in the township some smaller streams, and some never-failing springs. The general surface is undulating, but in the eastern part, near the river, are prominent headlands, some of which rise quite abruptly. The soil is chiefly a sandy loam, though in the headlands spoken of is found a predominant clayey subsoil. Coal is plentiful in the eastern portions, and iron has been found. The principal timber trees are the oaks, hickory, ash, elm, beech, chestnut and walnut. There is an abundance of sandstone and limestone. The stone is of good quality and well adapted to building purposes. The township is traversed by the Cleveland & Canton and Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley railroads. Ellis, eight miles north of Zanesville, and seven miles south of Dresden, in the eastern part of this township, on the western bank of the Muskingum river, a station on these lines was founded, and its post-office was established a little more than twenty years ago.

As it is now bounded, Muskingum township was organized September 3, 1817, when West Zanesville was divided between this and Falls township. On the last Saturday in the same month the first township election is said to have been held at the house of Capt. James Taylor. Among those who were elected to office was Henry Butler, justice of the peace.

Among the early settlers in this township were David Devore, James Black, James Beach, John Bland, Elijah Stradley, Ebenezer Ryan, Timothy Prior, Jesse Dowell, William Bland, Levi Cooper, George Welsh, Samuel McCann and Joseph Spencer. The first three named came about 1797, and were the first white men to make a home in this township. Devore at first located and erected a cabin near the Muskingum, in the east part of the present township but removed to a place on the south half of section 6, township 2, range 8, near the stream since known as Devore's run. One of the others located on the Stitt farm. The third was of an unsettled disposition and did not choose a permanent home. John Bland who located on a part of section 13, is thought to have come the next year, and Silas Bland, his son, was born in camp before his parents had got settled in their wilderness home. Stradley and Ryan came in the year last mentioned and the former located on lot 36. William, brother of John Bland, came in 1803, and Cooper, Welsh, McCann and Spencer five years later. Rev. Joseph Thrapp, John Dorsey and Samuel Guest settled in the township in 1810, Dorsey on the west part of section 4. Thrapp who had come from Virginia to Licking County, settled upon the J. E. Trapp farm in the southwest corner of the township. Samuel Baxter and Henry J. Butler came in 1812, the latter locating north of Thrapp. Three years later came J. M. Lane, a blacksmith, who located on section 19. He came from Baltimore county, Md., and Norman Gorsuch, from the same locality arrived soon afterward and located on the Joshua Gorsuch farm. He brought with him his family and his household effects, and it is said that they covered a distance of 375 miles intervening between their old home and their new one in twenty-two days. Joshua Gorsuch, a son of the pioneer, married a daughter of Rev, Mr. Thrapp, and lived to an advanced age. Norman Gorsuch died aged seventy-three years.

Timothy Prior, one of the pioneers, died in 1799, and his is believed to have been the first burial in the township. Two other pioneers, Jesse Dowell and James Devore, died the following year. The Gardner farm was the scene of tbeir burial, and thus became the township's first cemetery. William Bland and Daniel Devore set out the first orchards in the first year of the present century, and not long afterward an apple and peach orchard was started by George Welsh. The first hewed-log house was erected by David Devore in 1798. It is stated that the first barn built in Muskingum township was one on the George Welsh farm, erected by Richard Owens, carpenter, about 1810, and it is believed that Owens was the first regular carpenter here. John M. Lane combined blacksmithing with farming, and was known as a blacksmith in this township prior to 1815. In the year last mentioned, or in 1816, Beal Owens set up his forge, and soon afterward another blacksmith shop was established by Otto Miller. David Devore built the first gristmill on Devore's run in 1812, or thereabouts. This establishment was one of the most primitive description, it being necessary to carry the ground wheat upstairs in sacks on men's shoulders for bolting, and the bolting was done by hand at that. About the same time Rev. Joseph Thrapp put a sawmill in operation on his improvement. Devore's gristmill gave place to a sawmill, which was standing there about 1825, then the property of Elias Green. Dutton Lane established a tannery on the Dresden road about 1812, and Firman Spencer another in his part of the township about five years later. Among early school teachers were Sanford Raimy, John Elliott, Archibald McCann, a man named Phelps, and another named Shurtliffe or Shutliff, who is thought to have taught the first school in the township in the Pierson schoolhouse about 1815. David Pierson and James Welsh are accredited with having been actively engaged in the management of a distillery prior to 1820. Another was established near the river by Col. George Jackson about 1818 or 1819. Michael Hahn was operating a distillery in the township in 1824, or about that time. Col. Jackson, above mentioned, was making salt in the eastern part of the township, near the river, as early as 1821. The first public house was opened by David Devore, at his residence, as early as 1812. The house of Dutton Lane was thrown open to the public traveling over the Zanesville and Coshocton road about 1820. The Devore log house was primitive enough as a tavern, but Lane's was still more so, for it is said to have contained only one room, and that a by no means large one. Firman Spencer, above mentioned, erected the first brick house in Muskingum in 1825, near where Shannon was laid out five years later. Robert Welsh opened the first store in that locality about 1845. It is stated that at that time, when wheat was unsaleable at 20 cents a bushel in trade, its producers bad to pay three to four shillings per yard for calico, 50 cents and more a pound for coffee, and $2 a pound for tea. Silver coin and scrip were employed in all transactions where barter was not resorted to of necessity, and there are those who sav that coins were cut in halves and quarters when change could not be made conveniently without.

Early in the history of the townsbip blooded horses were brought from Maryland and Virginia by some of the pioneers. Joshua Gorsuch introduced imported hores about 1828 to 1830. A little later Isaac Dillon of Falls township introduced an improved breed of sheep. Joshua Gorsuch, John M. Lane, Col. Ellis, John McDonald, and some of the Welshes and Blands were extensive and successful sheep growers. Durbara cattle were introduced by James Still and James McCammon.

Rev. Joseph Thrapp, who was a Methodist minister of much ability, well known throughout a wide extent of country, organized the first church in the township at his residence in 1810, with himself and family and John Thrapp and Messrs. Hickson and Hall and their families as members. Rev. James Quinn was the first pastor. This organization has had a successful existence, and during recent years has met for worship at Sherrard cbapel. In 1815 a camp meeting was held by the Methodists on Mr. Thrapp's farm, and among those who preached were Bishops McNendree and Asbury, as they have since been known. Conversions were numerous, a notable one having been that of Samuel Hamilton, of Hopewell, who subsequently became a preacher in the same denomination, and as such labored successfully during a long and useful life. The first Sunday-school was started by Archibald McCann, who taught the Bible all day Sunday, as he taught ordinary school on other days. He is remembered as having had the welfare of the young, people of his community at heart, and as being profoundly devoted to their spiritual and educational interests. An old newspaper contains an account of his accidental death by drowning in the canal at Zanesville some time in the latter part of March, 1839, by walking off the abutment of the open drawbridge, In 1813 the Baptists organized a church sometimes called the Baxter church, with the following among its constituent members: Samuel Baxter, John Dorsey, and Samuel Guest and their wives and Mrs. Henry Butler, Mrs. Lane, and Mrs. Eastenbauer. Rev. Amos Nix was the first pastor. The house of worship of this congregation is located on the John Welsh farm. The Presbyterian church in the western part of the township was organized in 1814. Its first pastor was Rev. James Culbertson, of Zanesville. Among its original members were David Pierson and family, in whose honor it has sometimes been referred to as the Pierson church, Joseph McDonald and family and members of the Welsh family. The church and cemetery lot was given by David Pierson and George Welsh. A Sunday-school was organized about 185O. St Mary's Catholic church was organized at tile residence of William Mattingly in 1834, and was ministered to by the Dominican fathers of Zanesville until 1855. In 1856 a commodious brick edifice was erected on John Mattingly's farm, on a church lot of an acre which Mr. Mattingly had given. The building was furnished by Francis Mattingly.

Early deaths in the township have been mentioned, and early burials on the Gardner farm have been noted. There were other early interments on the Joshua Butler farm. Many pioneers and their descendants are buried in the Baptist and Presbyterian cemeteries, the first mentioned of which comprises three acres of ground. The first burial in the Catholic cemetery was that of William Mattingly who died in 1857, aged about seventy-five.