First Elections and Government

The first elections in Salem Township were held in 1819 at the house of Jesse Williams. William Spencer had been acting in the capacity of Justice of Peace while the township was part of Highland Township, but as of the election, that office was filled by Joseph Stiers who served until 1846. Subsequent elections were held at the house of Thomas Collins, which was centrally located in the township in Section 13.

Adamsville became the polling place as of 1846 and the elections were held at different business establishments until a Town Hall could be built. Incorporation of the Village of Adamsville did not occur until January 1, 1864. The petition for Incorporation was signed by thirty nine of the town's land holders. At that time, a Mayor was elected and the first to hold that office was David Richardson. Council members elected were George A. Shoemaker, John W. Stiers and Dr. Philip A. Baker.

Those holding office in Adamsville in 1880 were:
    Mayor: George Shoemaker
    Council: August Jordan
    Council: John Prince
    Council: Dr. Thomas Gaumer
    Council: Hugh King
    Council: Martin Bowers
    Council: A. J. Hurdle

Those holding office in Salem Township in 1880 were:
    Justice of Peace: Franklin P. Winn
    Justice of Peace: Edward Spencer
    Constable: George V. Kern
    Assessor: George W. Shoemaker
    Treasurer: John W. Zimmers
    Trustee: Hugh King
    Trustee: Jacob H. Bainter
    Trustee: Riley Gaumer
    Board of Education: Julias C. Taylor
    Board of Education: Mitchell Handel
    Board of Education: Frank P. Winn
    Supervisor: Edward Brock
    Supervisor: Phillip Spragg
    Supervisor: Flavius Francis
    Supervisor: Noah P. Honnold
    Supervisor: George Peter Werts
    Supervisor: Martin Bower
    Supervisor: Julias C. Taylor
    Supervisor: Jacob Crane

A building which would act as both the Town Hall and Township Building was built in 1883 on the old School Lot on Cambridge Street. A one cell jail was located on the first floor as well as Council Chambers, Township Officer's offices and the polling place. The second floor served as the "Opera House" and was reached by a wide stairway at the rear of the building. Various community activities were held there as the room was built with a curtained stage and rooms used for dressing and storage. The high school plays, commencements and musical reviews were held here until addition was built on the school in 1930 which would be used as an auditorium.

Grange meetings were held here as well as various other activities which needed a large room. magic shows and medicine shows as well as operettas were some of the early fare that would be enjoyed there. The Town Hall would suffer from neglect before it was officially condemned and torn down in 1945.

Post Office

The first Post Office was officially opened in Mechanicsville with Jonathan Starkey the first Post Master. It probably was located in the store owned by Dr. James Lull. Starkey was appointed by then President, John Quincy Adams. The nearest post office before this time was in Zanesville. The cost of a first class letter was eighteen and a half cents, a goodly sum. In 1829, the President, Andrew Jackson appointed Henry Bainter of Monroe Twonship as Post master. About the year 1835, the Post Office was moved to Adamsville where it remained. It was located in Few's store and the Post Master was Gibson Collins. The Post Office at Adamsville served most of the Salem and Adams Township residents for many years. Another Post Office was later established in Adams Township in the Ferncliff area with a Michael Sauer, Post Master but there is no longer any record of that Post Office and the building it was supposed to be in was removed to the Bob Evan's Farms Museum near Xenia, Ohio.

Others to hold the office of Post Master were:
    Dr. Jared Cone
    Henry T. Roff
    I. D. Stoner
    John B. Spillman
    George W. Dilley
    Adam Moser
    John W. Garrett
    Nelson H. Garner
    Anna V. Jordan
    Anna E. Buker
    Dorothy Wisecarver
    Edward Sims
    George Dosch

Until the early twentieth century, mail used to arrive at Adamsville by horse-drawn service three times a week. When cars were introduced to the community, it made possible the every day delivery to every home in the township although even this was hampered by early road conditions. This did not improve until 1918 when Adamsville was able to hard surface the mud and sod streets in town. It was years later when some of the main roads between Zanesville and Dresden were likely paved. To this day there are many roads in Salem Township still unpaved but most of these are at least gravel but they still kick up much dust on a dry day.

Early Business Establishments

As previously stated, the first store was located in Mechanicsville but even that does not consitute the first business in Salem Township. That honor would probably fall on Jacob Gaumer Sr, who started a Blacksmiths business in 1812. Jacob brought this skill with him from Pennsylvania where his family settled after arriving from Germany a few generations earlier. Other's that also practiced Blacksmithing at that time were George Peter Werts and Abner Wade.

The first store was built around 1830 by Granville Moody in Adamsville on Lot #4. Goods were shipped from Norwich from a store owned by Moody's brother John. Granville Moody would go on to be a well known curcuit preacher and the store would afterwards be managed by William Wisecarver and Henry Timms before it was closed in 1836.

Many cabinet makers and woodworkers would establish themselves in early Salem Township. There was no want for work as these early craftsman helped to build homes and furnish them with furniture and cabinets. It was much cheaper to manufacture goods locally than to have them imported from larger markets. John Bruner was an early craftsman and would set up shop on Lot #13 in Adamsville. Henry Shirer was a well respected cabinetmaker and would establish his business on lot #7 on East Street and the business would continue until 1980 through many generations of Shirer craftsmen. The cabinet business would spawn another business for Henry as he became the first to make coffins and establish an undertakers business in the community. His shop would later become the Good Hope Lutheran Church and the business would remain in the basement area. The Shirer Funeral Home would later be established on Cambridge Street next to the Adamsville Baptist Cemetery. Today it is a personal residence while the original location was bought by Vensil-Orr funeral directors and served as the last funeral home in Adamsville. The Shirer family could also count many other carpenters in it's ranks as well as one of the first lumber mills in the area, located on the Upper Symmes Creek in Adams Township.

The Shirer's were also well known for their butchering skills. They were also farmers and the butchering grew out of necessity. The skills were passed on through many generations and though the early butchering was done by taking the tools and equipment to other farms to perform the job of butchering the animals, it would later establish a permanent business that still exists today, Shirer Brothers Meats on Route 93 just east of Salem Township.

Denison Ross built the first Tavern in the township and the first distillary was built by Phillip Baker on his land in Section #19 in 1819. George Stoner built a distillary in 1822 on his land in Section #4. Famous for his jarred whiskey which was known as "Stoner's liquors", it would be used for everything from consumption to medicinal uses and sterlizing of cuts and contusions. It was reported to be a great reliever of pain for sprains, bachache, sore muscles used externally and internally it could cure many colds and elevate the spirits and improve even the nastiest disposition. In the early 1890's, a saloon was proposed in Adamsville but it met overwhelming opposition. The town officially remained dry while the distillaries continued to produce their "medicinal" products.

A hotel operated in the Adamsville community for a number of years and was the focal point of many visiting the area. The first to run such an establishment was Denison Ross. It was on Lot #3 of Wheelers Addition to Adamsville, which was on the north east corner of Cambridge and East Streets, where the hotel stood. It was known for years as Adamsville House. The proprietors changed over the years and a few of them were: John Bratton, John Zimmerman, Jacob Stenger, David Richardson, Samuel VanKirk, George Shoemaker, David Zimmer, R. H. Lowe and John P. Sturtz who bought the hotel April 1, 1890 and changed the name to Sturtz House. The local Newspaper, the Adamsville Register, used to print the weekly residents at the hotel. John Sturtz was also the senior partner in the Sturtz & Ferrell Hardware store and later on October, 1890, John's daughter, Anna, married E. S. Ferrell who was a partner in the hardware store with his father-in-law. Other's followed Mr. Sturtz as proprietor, one of whom was Mrs. Matilda Winn. The building was purchased in 1921 and turned into a private residence by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Shepfer. They also afforded rooms for board to teachers, and also to circuit players who would come to Adamsville to perform in tent shows. Mr. Shepfer also operated a filling station that operated adjacent to the hotel and also at varying times had converted a room to sell Ice Cream and also food items but this was later turned into a family room for their private use. After the Shepfers died, Samuel in 1961 and Ada (Bainter-Ross) in 1963, their son continued residency there until his death in 1968. The hotel stood empty after that until it was finally torn down in 1983.

A grist mill was built by Peter Livingood on Big Salt Creek in 1822 in Section #18. It was deemed necessary to build a road to transport goods to and from the mill. Charles Beck also erected a grist mill in Adamsville in 1862 which later would be sold to John D, Hanks and sons Winfield and Carson. A feed mill operated in Adamsville about 1915 to 1923 and a feed mill and store would be opened by Paul Radcliffe in 1922 or 23 in the south end of Adamsville.

Joseph Bowers and Denison Ross erected sawmills in the township about the same time. The Bower's Mill was located in Section #16. It would later be sold to Jacob Kleffer in 1849 and continued in operation for many years. Ross built his mill on the northern branch of Symmes Creek but it did not last long and in 1836 Charles Sturtz built a saw mill just west of the site of Ross's mill and was much more successful. As previously mentioned, Valentine and David Shirer also operated their own mill near the site of the Sturtz mill. A steam operated mill was built on lot #20 of the School Lands in Salem Township in 1848 or 1849 and this was later sold to William Shrigley who later sold it to George W. Shoemaker. He sold it in about 1843 or 1855 to John Skinner and soon afterwards, the mill exploded and was completely destroyed by fire.

Many doctors have operated practices in Adamsville but the first was Dr. Jacob Reasoner for whom the town's second house was built. The house which also housed his practice was built on Lot #10 and the practice was later taken over by Dr. P. A. Baker who practiced there until 1879. The house was eventually converted in to a saddle and harness shop. In 1840, Dr. Jared Cone built a red brick house on the corner of Cambridge and East Street which still stands. It was the first brick house to be built in town and the brick was made on site from materials gathered there called marl. Dr. Henry Decker, Dr. Reasoner's first student of medicine, established his practice with his associate, John Mills, just west of Dr. Cone's residence on Lot #34 and he also built a house across from his office on Cambridge Street. Other doctor's to follow were Dr. James Crawford, Dr. Loy, Dr. Blake, Dr Sidle, Dr. Thomas Gaumer, Dr. W. R. Hosick, Dr. W. C. Waters, Dr. Luther Jackson, Dr. Bruce Bainter, Dr Willis Kinner, Dr. Haudenshield and Dr. F. O. Hunt who was the last to practice when he retired in 1940. In the early days, many of the doctors were taught by each other as evidenced by Dr. Henry Decker and Dr. Jacob Reasoner. Dr. Waters was also known to teach medicine and his student would be Dr. James Grant Shirer, the grandson of Dr. Henry Decker. Dr. Shirer was a well known practitioner in Newark, Ohio where his parents, Winfield Scott and Cidna Decker Shirer, had moved with their family.