Clark County, Ohio

History and Genealogy



Name and Boundary


From 20th Century History of Springfield and Clark County, Ohio by Hon. William A. Rockel
Chicago: Biographical Publishing Co., 1908


Just who suggested the name that should be given to this territory is a problem that remains hidden in the mysteries of the past. It was certainly appropriate that some county in Ohio should bear down to posterity the name of that distinguished general who had done so much upon Ohio Territory in assisting the cause of the Revolution. And if any territory should be so named, what would be more appropriate than that that county which had within its borders the location of one of his most famous battles should be the favored one. The Act granting this county described the boundaries as follows:

"That so much of the counties of Champaign, Madison and Green as comes within the following boundaries, be and the same is hereby erected into a separate county, which shall be known by the name of Clark, to-wit: beginning on the line between the counties of Miami and Champaign, on the north boundary of the fifth tier of sections in the tenth range between sections thirty-five and thirty-six, thence east with the sectional line between the fifth and sixth tier of sections in said range, to the line between the United States land and the Virginia Military Land, thence eastwardly to the line of Madison County; thence southwardly to the line of Madison County to a point on said line six miles north of the southeast corner of Champaign County; thence diagonally so as to intersect the south line of Champaign County two miles west of the southeast corner of said county; thence west with the line of Champaign County one mile; thence south five and a half miles into Madison County; thence west to the line of Greene County; thence to continue west five miles in said county of Greene; thence north one-half mile; thence west to the line between township four and five in the eighth range; thence north with said township line to the line between sections three and four; thence west with said sectional line to the line of the third township; thence north with said line to the sectional line between the fourth and fifth tier of sections in said range; thence westwardly with said line to the east line of Montgomery County; thence north with the line between the counties of Miami and Champaign to the place of beginning."

The boundaries were afterwards changed in a slight manner near Clifton, so as to place the residence of General Whiteman in Greene County, he not desiring to be cut off from that old county. This old residence is still standing a short distance east of Clifton. It will be observed in this description of Clark County that it is taken from Greene, Champaign and Madison. An interesting question then will be, "What part of the present county was taken from these three!"

The township line between Springfield Township and Green Township, extended east and west, will form the dividing line of that which was taken from Champaign and that which was taken from Greene, that north having belonged to Champaign, and that south to Greene County.

When Champaign County was formed, a distance of six miles was added to it on the east from Franklin County, out of which latter county, Madison was afterwards formed.

This would have made a jog in the eastern boundary line of Clark County when taking in a part of Greene County, therefore with some slight changes the Clark County line was continued south in the same direction as its eastern boundary line, five and one-half miles into Madison County, and thence west through Madison County to the Greene County line, so that, about one-half or more of Madison Township off of its eastern end in this county was taken from Madison County. The county is twenty-nine miles long from east to west and about seventeen miles wide from north to south and contains 412 square miles.







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