Granville Township is a beautiful, rolling land five miles square centrally located in Licking County. Through the center of it runs a tributary of the Licking River known as Raccoon Creek. In the center of the township is Granville village which has always retained a uniquely New England flavor of its founders while the township has more of an individualistic Midwestern nature. While possessing a wide diversity of geographical features, it is the people and their history that mark Granville Township as a special place to live. It is a community that has always been deeply involved in civic affairs and keenly aware of its history.

No one knows when people first set foot in the Granville area but the best estimates are that semi-nomadic American Indian tribes frequented the area between 100 B.C until 500 A.D. These were followed by more permanent Indian communities of the Hopewell era that built numerous mounds and earthen enclosures. When the first white settlers arrived they were greeted by 32 mounds and 7 earthen enclosures left behind by these original settlers. The most notable of these, the Alligator Mound, is still preserved and open to the public, dates back to 1100 A.D. At the township’s founding in 1805, there still existed two small Indian camps populated by the Wyandot tribe, one out on Hankinson Road, two miles north of the village, the other located at the juncture of Clear Run and Raccoon Creek. The Indian presence in the township vanished shortly thereafter.

The township’s founding in 1805 pre-dated that of Licking County by three years as it was originally part of Fairfield County. When Licking County was established in 1808 Granville Township was included. The original township possessed much larger boundaries with St. Albans breaking off in 1813 and McKean Township separating in 1818. The legal establishment of the township was concurrent with the founding of the village of Granville by a large group of New Englanders who migrated from the Granville, Massachusetts area. Their arrival and division of lands were carefully planned by the Licking Land Company.

Prior to their arrival, a small number of native Welsh families had settled in the northeast quadrant of the township in the hills that still bear the name “Welsh Hills”. The initial trickle of Welsh immigrants was to continue so that by the Civil War, they numbered around 330. Originally existing as a separate self-sufficient Welsh speaking community, joint cooperation in commerce and Welsh lads serving alongside local boys during the Civil War hastened the end of the separate communities into one Granville community. That said, there still exists today a strong pride in Welsh heritage and many old Welsh names are prominent in the community.

While farming was always central to the local economy, it was the clear intent of the founders to establish a center of industry and trade to rival nearby Newark. During the period of 1820-1840 the area became an emerging industrial center boasting several woolen mills, a belching iron furnace, numerous tanneries and a vigorous gun-smithing operation. As long as the canal system remained viable the area was able to compete utilizing the Granville Feeder Canal to transport resources in and finished products out. The decision of the railroads to bypass Granville effectively doomed these industries and Granville would not be directly linked by rail to the outside until the 1880’s.

The failure to evolve into an industrial power resulted in the community focusing on education as its industry. With the New England migrants bringing along their value of good education, the focus on schools manifested itself over time. Not only were public schools emphasized, but the following years witnessed the establishment of numerous educational establishments for outsiders. These included the Granville Female Academy, Doane Academy, Young Ladies Institute, Shepardson College, and of course, Denison University. In effect, the education of other people’s children became Granville’s industry.

The connection of Granville area’s history with Denison University is a long and beneficial one. Apart from the obvious economic benefits of its proximity, the presence of the university has added an incalculable benefit to the community in terms of cultural and sporting events. Additionally, over the years both faculty and students have demonstrated a high level of civic participation with volunteers found within the fire department, local civic organizations and local government.

Indeed, Denison students (then known as Granville College) were in the forefront of the local abolitionist movement which culminated in the first anti-slavery convention in Ohio to be held at the Bancroft House and Barn in the township. Held in 1836, this meeting roused considerable local opposition to their radical approach (they even allowed female delegates!) which degenerated into a physical confrontation that went down in local history as “The Great Riot”. The convention and its notorious aftermath quickly obtained national attention and was publicized in papers across the nation. The Township was also the site of several verified locations of the famed Underground Railroad as local families assisted fugitive slaves escape to freedom in Canada, often at great personal risk.

The Civil War period arguably stands as the most significant period of Granville Township’s long history. In a community best known as a center of education and culture, the community responded to the conflict from the day Fort Sumter was fired upon until the last troops returned home, both on the battlefield and home front. Out of an 1860 census population of 2919, over 600 local men donned the Union uniform (and several fought for the Confederacy!). Of those, 64 would make the ultimate sacrifice. Further, an incredible number of individuals rose to become senior military leaders with 5 generals hailing from the Granville area. Major General Charles Griffin, outstanding combat leader who rose to command the V Corps in the Army of the Potomac. Appointed by Grant to serve as the Surrender Commissioner at Appomattox, he later served as military governor of Texas during Reconstruction. His childhood home still stands adjacent to the Raccoon International Golf Course and is historically marked by the State of Ohio. General Willard Warner who served with Sherman and after the war was a leading industrialist and U.S. Senator; General William Stedman, noted cavalry leader and Consul to Cuba after the war; General Erastus Tyler who attended Denison and was one of the few Union officers ever to defeat Stonewall Jackson in battle and General George Wright who served as the Quartermaster General for Ohio during the conflict. One would be hard pressed to find any other similarly sized community in the nation that matched, let alone exceeded the contribution of the Granville community during the war to preserve the union and end slavery.

The township’s link to national military service has extended far beyond the Civil War. A large number of Revolutionary War veterans were among the earliest settlers, most of whom repose in the historic Old Colony Burying Ground. For over 200 years since the War of 1812 the men and women of this area have faithfully served in every armed conflict up to and including the recent engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Granville community has seen its share of citizens whose achievements have garnered public attention over the years. A representative few would include the previously mentioned, General Charles Griffin; Dr. Kirtley Mather, noted academic and geologist who was summoned to testify as an expert witness at the Scopes “Monkey Trial”; and Minnie Hite Moody who achieved fame as a author and historical journalist. In the athletic arena it was home to Lee Ann Parsons, Olympic medalist, George Roudebush, QB at Denison and later a NFL player who threw the first forward pass in college football in 1912; Wilkie Moody, husband to Minnie and Denison standout who started in the first NFL game ever played; Judson Harmon who served as Governor of Ohio, U.S. attorney General and was a leading contender for the 1912 Democratic presidential nomination; and the never to be forgotten “Woody” Hayes who attended and played football at Denison and started his coaching career at the school. His record of consecutive undefeated seasons in 1947-48 still stands as a university record and old-timers still recall when he frequented local businesses and lived in a modest house in the village.

Our long history is a story of change with a strong appreciation for our rich heritage. The Granville community has constantly evolved and this will continue as it faces the challenges posed by the expansion of the Columbus Metropolitan area. In facing the challenges of the future, the community will continue to benefit from the high level of civic participation, a legacy of the original settlers who strongly believed in active democracy where a citizen’s opinion and vote mattered and were expected.

As noted in the beginning, the inhabitants of Granville Township have always had a sense that our township is special which is sometimes mistaken by outsiders for arrogance. This feeling was shared by the earliest inhabitants, the Native Americans, who through the building of elaborate ceremonial earth works and mounds provided testimony that they too, perceived the area as special. That feeling, evidenced through  civic participation, dedication to excellent education and appreciation of the rich local heritage, continues to this day.