Washington Township was organized by the board of county commissioners in 1835.The first school was taught in a log cabin on the farm of Moses Stanley by Amanda Huston in 1838.
The first settlers lived in log homes built of round logs, fourteen feet by eighteen feet, one room, a large fireplace in one end of the house; two windows, one door, floor made of puncheons, roof made out of clapboards four feet in length; the joists were smooth round poles, wooden pins in place of nails; the chimney made out of slats, mortar placed between; a crane in the mouth of the fireplace, made to swing out, with hooks to attach the pots. Johnnycake was baked before the coals on the hearth. The cabin was used for a parlor, sitting-room, dining-room, bed-room and kitchen. By the light of tallow candles or a lard lamp the family ate their evening meal and the children studied their lessons.
Among the first settlers were
Moses Stanley,
J. G. Treen,
Daniel Dunham,
Anthony Brown,
J. G. Cohee,
W. McClain,
Thomas Trimble,
R. Cornell,
C. Hinkle,
V. D. Cohee,
James Cooper,
Jacob Shusser,
Aaron Cline,
William Mills,
William Wright,
J. Yenkis [Josiah Yerkes],
J. Shank [John Shanks],
J. Tipton,
L. West,
J. Lake,
R. Harris,
A. Stipp,
William Crocket,
A. Hardy,
William Cox,
James Newer and others.
