Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Steuben Township is one of twelve townships
in Warren County
, Indiana
, USA
. It was established in 1834. As of the 2000 census
, its population was 427. It contains no incorporated towns and is largely agricultural.
("all of Pine Township south and west of Redwood Creek") and was the seventh township to be formed. The township was named in honor of Baron Von Steuben, a Prussian soldier who fought for the Americans in the Revolutionary War
.
The first settlements were in the more wooded areas near the river; it wasn't until later that settlers realized the value of the prairie land for farming. The township grew rapidly in the 1830s and 1840s. In 1870, the population was 1068, and in 1882 the estimated taxable value in the Steuben Township was $770,905, higher than any of the other townships at that time.
. The north and west portions are mostly open prairie and excellent farmland, whereas the south and east portions are more hilly and wooded. The streams of Chesapeake Creek, Mud Run and Possum Run pass through this township.
Steuben Township contains the towns of Johnsonville
and Marshfield
. The town of Chesapeake
no longer exists, but was the first town in Steuben Township, about two miles southeast of present-day Marshfield; the first meetings of the township trustees were held there in the 1830s. Sloan
, a small community that once existed on the township's northern border, is also extinct. The short-lived town of Dresser
existed in the southeast part of the township around the turn of the 20th century.
runs from the western border of the township, which is also the Indiana state line, east across the northern part of the township. Indiana State Road 63
is a four-lane divided highway which runs roughly north to south in the eastern part of the township; a 12-mile portion of its original route is now designated Indiana State Road 263
, which passes through the southeastern corner of the township.
A Norfolk Southern Railroad line runs from southwest to northeast through the township on its way from Danville, Illinois to Lafayette. A Conrail line used to run from Danville into the township and continued north; but the tracks have been removed in recent years, though the railroad grade is still present.
Steuben Township is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district
, Indiana House of Representatives
District 42, and Indiana State Senate District 38.
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
in Warren County
Warren County, Indiana
Warren County lies in western Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River in the United States. Before the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by several Native American tribes. The county was officially established in 1827 and...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was established in 1834. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, its population was 427. It contains no incorporated towns and is largely agricultural.
History
The area that became Steuben Township was first settled in 1827. The township was officially created in March 1834 from a section of Pine TownshipPine Township, Warren County, Indiana
Pine Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 436.-History:Pine Township was established in March 1830. There were originally four townships in the county; Pine and Washington were the first two new townships to be...
("all of Pine Township south and west of Redwood Creek") and was the seventh township to be formed. The township was named in honor of Baron Von Steuben, a Prussian soldier who fought for the Americans in the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
The first settlements were in the more wooded areas near the river; it wasn't until later that settlers realized the value of the prairie land for farming. The township grew rapidly in the 1830s and 1840s. In 1870, the population was 1068, and in 1882 the estimated taxable value in the Steuben Township was $770,905, higher than any of the other townships at that time.
Geography
Steuben Township covers an area of 39.6 square miles (102.6 km²); of this, 0.03 square mile (0.0776996433 km²) or 0.07 percent is water. Most of its area is given over to agriculture. In the southeast there is approximately one mile of frontage on the Wabash RiverWabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
. The north and west portions are mostly open prairie and excellent farmland, whereas the south and east portions are more hilly and wooded. The streams of Chesapeake Creek, Mud Run and Possum Run pass through this township.
Steuben Township contains the towns of Johnsonville
Johnsonville, Indiana
Johnsonville is a small town in Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana.- History :Johnsonville was platted July 8, 1874 by John R. Johnson, Senior, near Sumner Station. A post office was established there on December 2, 1875, with George W. Johnson as postmaster...
and Marshfield
Marshfield, Indiana
Marshfield is a small town in Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana, USA.- History :The town of Marshfield was platted on May 22, 1857, and named for Marshfield, Massachusetts, the home of statesman Daniel Webster. A post office was established on April 6, 1857, which operated until 1989. In...
. The town of Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Indiana
Chesapeake was the first town in Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana, which was formed in 1834. It was located about two miles southeast of present-day town of Marshfield and was the site of the first meetings of the township trustees in the 1830s. County Agent Luther Tillotson lived south...
no longer exists, but was the first town in Steuben Township, about two miles southeast of present-day Marshfield; the first meetings of the township trustees were held there in the 1830s. Sloan
Sloan, Indiana
Sloan is an extinct town that was located on the border of Jordan Township and Steuben Township in Warren County, Indiana, less than a mile east of the town of Hedrick.- History :...
, a small community that once existed on the township's northern border, is also extinct. The short-lived town of Dresser
Dresser, Indiana
Dresser was a small town in Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana, United States. It was founded shortly before the turn of the 20th century and consisted of several residences and a post office. The post office operated only from 1899 to 1903...
existed in the southeast part of the township around the turn of the 20th century.
Cemeteries
There have been at least 15 cemeteries and burial sites in Steuben Township. Some still exist, but many have been destroyed by nature or by people (in many cases having been farmed over). These include Tillotson Cemetery (destroyed), Cronkhite Cemetery (destroyed), Jordan Cemetery (destroyed), Sisson Cemetery, Tomlinson Cemetery, High Cemetery (destroyed), Redwood Point, Payne Cemetery, Lyons Cemetery, and the Irish Catholic Cemetery (also known as Saint Patrick's Cemetery).Transportation
Indiana State Road 28Indiana State Road 28
State Road 28 is an east–west road in central Indiana in the United States that crosses the entire state from east to west, covering a distance of about and passing about to the north of the state capitol of Indianapolis.-Route description:...
runs from the western border of the township, which is also the Indiana state line, east across the northern part of the township. Indiana State Road 63
Indiana State Road 63
State Road 63 in the U. S. state of Indiana is a north–south route in the western portion of the state. Until mid-2008, it covered a distance of just over , but now is a discontinuous route. For , from the city of Terre Haute until it rejoins U.S. Route 41 near Carbondale, it is a four-lane...
is a four-lane divided highway which runs roughly north to south in the eastern part of the township; a 12-mile portion of its original route is now designated Indiana State Road 263
Indiana State Road 263
State Road 263 is a business route of State Road 63 which runs through West Lebanon in Warren County, covering a distance of about . It is an undivided two-lane surface road for its entire length.-Route description:...
, which passes through the southeastern corner of the township.
A Norfolk Southern Railroad line runs from southwest to northeast through the township on its way from Danville, Illinois to Lafayette. A Conrail line used to run from Danville into the township and continued north; but the tracks have been removed in recent years, though the railroad grade is still present.
Government
Steuben Township has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief, manages cemetery care, and performs farm assessment, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.Steuben Township is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district
Indiana's 8th congressional district
Indiana's 8th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Based in Southwest and west central Indiana, the district is anchored in Evansville and also includes Terre Haute, Vincennes and Washington....
, Indiana House of Representatives
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
District 42, and Indiana State Senate District 38.