Founding Families and Revolutionary Roots of Scioto Township

Honoring the Patriots Who Helped Build Our Community

Before there were roads, street signs, or town meetings, there were a few determined families carving a new life out of the Ohio wilderness. Scioto Township was formally organized in 1810, just seven years after Ohio became a state. But some of its earliest settlers had already fought another, greater battle—one for American independence.

Veterans of the Revolution, Founders of Our Township

Among the first families to settle here were Captain Eleazer Williamson and brothers John and Thomas Thompson—all veterans of the American Revolutionary War. These men weren’t just pioneers; they were patriots who helped win our nation’s freedom, then came west to build something lasting.

• Captain Williamson brought with him the discipline and determination of military life. He played a key role in establishing order and progress in the early township.
• The Thompson brothers, having served under Washington’s command, were part of the wave of veterans granted land in what was then the Virginia Military District—a region of Ohio reserved for war service grants.

This policy is part of the reason Scioto Township grew early and steadily. Land ownership here was not speculative—it was earned.

1858 map of Scioto Township showing original landowner plots and early settlements.

🏫 Historic Landmark: The 1888 One-Room Schoolhouse

One of the township’s most tangible links to those early years still stands today: the District No. 2 Schoolhouse, built in 1888 by Ater & Kern. This charming brick building, complete with a builder’s stone plaque above the door, reminds us that education was a priority even in those rural beginnings.

The original 1888 one-room schoolhouse still standing today in Scioto Township.

🏫 A More Recent Chapter: The Lost Scioto Township School

In 1917, a new Scioto Township School was built in Commercial Point. It served the community for nearly a century before being torn down in 2003 to make way for modern facilities. A new Scioto Elementary School was constructed just behind it, continuing the tradition of learning.

The original Scioto Township School in Commercial Point before it was demolished in 2003.

🏡 The Wiegand House

A surviving example of Scioto Township’s early homes, the Wiegand House reflects 19th-century architecture and frontier life. Historic residences like this provide a personal link to the township’s founding families and the craftsmanship of the time.

The Wiegand House, a rare glimpse into residential life in early Scioto Township.

🪦 Robtown and the Robison Family Legacy

South of Commercial Point lies Robtown, a quiet farming crossroads with deep roots. Founded by Michael and Isaac Robison in 1822, this small community still holds its early charm—and its original cemetery.

• The Robtown Cemetery includes headstones from the early 1800s, offering a quiet testimony to the township’s German-American heritage.
• The Scioto Chapel, founded in 1843, continues to serve the community today, originally organized by the United Brethren in Christ.

Scioto Chapel United Methodist Church—established in 1843 and still active today.

📜 Where to Learn More

• District No. 2 Schoolhouse Historical Marker
• Pickaway County Historical Society & Clarke-May Museum
• View Old Maps of Scioto Township

🧭 Final Thought

The families who founded Scioto Township were more than settlers—they were citizens who had fought for freedom, then crossed mountains and rivers to build something new. That legacy of grit and service still shapes our community today.