Fayette Co. townships: Focusing on Madison Twp.

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This is the sixth article in a series about the townships of Fayette County.

At the Nov. 5 general election, Green Township will have one township trustee and the township fiscal officer to elect.

Green Township is one of 10 townships in Fayette County and is situated in the southwestern corner of the county. According to the 2010 US Census Bureau, out of the 29,030 population in Fayette County 532 residents lived in Green Township.

One of the current township trustees who has a term expiring Dec. 31 of this year is Byron Gustin. The fiscal officer who has a term expiring March 31 of next year is Amy Gustin.

The other two trustees have terms expiring on Dec. 31 of 2021. These two trustees are Ryan Corzatt and James Worley.

Byron said current activities of the trustees mostly include road repaving projects. There is also a new culvert being put in on Cross Road. A culvert allows water to pass beneath a road.

Green Township has three cemeteries. Only one cemetery is active which means it is the only one accepting new burials. It is the trustees’ responsibility to keep this cemetery maintained.

The other two cemeteries are inactive, meaning they are no longer accepting new burials. Byron explained, “We don’t really maintain them. They’re really old and almost non-accessible. They’re kind of out in the middle of farm ground.”

The township has three part-time employees who help mow the cemetery, mow road ditches, help with snow removal and help with brush clean-up.

The trustees do some snow removal themselves. According to Byron, they have two snow trucks: one bigger truck, which helps with heavier snowfalls, and one smaller truck, which helps with the smaller roads.

According to the Ohio Genealogy Express website, Green Township originally contained what is now Concord Township and parts of what is now Jasper and Perry townships.

In 1910, the population was approximately 694. The first person to enter the township with the intent to remain permanently was Jesse Rowe.

Rowe initially emigrated from Virginia to Ross County in 1803 with his family—including nine children—and then “located on the Little Wabash, the old homestead, in 1807.”

Once Fayette County was organized in 1810, Rowe was chosen as a justice of the peace and served for four terms. He held the trustee office as well as other township offices. He died in 1845 but it is noted on the website that a couple of his sons stayed nearby and also held offices.

The Fayette County Historical Society Museum, which is located at 517 Columbus Ave. in Washington Court House, is featuring the history of the townships as its exhibit this year. People are welcome to tour the museum from 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There is no cost although donations are welcome.

Follow the Record-Herald for future articles detailing more information on the individual townships within Fayette County. For more information now please visit www.ohiogenealogyexpress.com. For specific information on what the board of township trustees are responsible for, please visit codes.ohio.gov/orc/5 to look over the Ohio Revised Code section 5.

Reach Jennifer Woods at 740-313-0355.

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By Jennifer Woods

[email protected]

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