Staunton Township, the longest of the twelve divisions of the
county, extending from the southern line of Spring Creek to the
northern boundary of Monroe, has a history peculiarly its own. Its
elongated appearance on the county map has brought forth numerous
comments, being wide at the top and running wedge like southward
till it seems about to dart arrow-like into the domain of Monroe.
Its western boundary is very uneven, owing to the windings of the
Miami, which separates it from the western part of the county. It
has not a cluster of houses which can be called by the name of
town, though, if history can be relied upon, it had a narrow escape
from becoming the county seat township. The few houses which form
what is known as the hamlet of Staunton became the first official
habitation of the county, for here the first court was held, in the
house of Peter Felix, the trader, and here primitive justice was
first dispensed to the evildoers.

Staunton much desired the county seat, but lost out in the deal,
and when the seat of justice and otherwise crossed the Miami and
was established at Troy, much to the chagrin of Piqua, Staunton
henceforth lost much of its importance. Today it has not so much as
a recognition on the map. But when one looks back upon the genesis
of the county and notes the early struggles that preceded the
establishment of the county seat he is prone to give Staunton her
just dues. It has been narrated in a previous chapter how the
Knoops and other hardy pioneers established themselves at
"Dutch Station," which occupied the site of the present
hamlet of Staunton.  It is not necessary to refer to them here.
Besides the initial settlers at Dutch Station there were others who
came across the rugged barriers of the mountains and found homes
among the forests that stretched eastward from the banks of the
Miami. Perhaps the names of some of these men have been lost, but
all were worthy members of that advance guard of civilization which
made the woods of the Miami blossom like the rose. It is a fairly
established fact that the early explorers of this region reached
the lands of Staunton. Peter Felix shrewd little Frenchman that he
was one of the first white men to settle in Staunton Township and
the hard bargains lie drove with the Indians over his counter
enabled him to erect at Staunton the first tavern, where he
entertained all with the natural eclat of one of his race. Simon
Landry was probably contemporaneous with Felix. In 1807 Amariah
Smalley put up a blacksmith shop, though he did not shoe many
horses till later in life. Levi Martin was another of the Staunton
pioneers. His wife was scalped by the Indians and left for dead,
but she eventually recovered and lived many years to exhibit to the
younger generations the scalp ark on her cranium.

Henry Marshall and John Defrees came into the township in 1806
and lived upon their farms till death claimed them at a green old
age. A Virginian, named William McCampbell, entered the township in
1807, and subsequently became one of the first justices of the
peace elected in the county. About the same time the Staunton
colony was increased by the arrival of Jacob Riddle, William and
James Clark. A few years afterward John Gilmore built his house
near the Miami, but previously Uriah Blue, Richard Winans, John
Julian, and Rev. William Clark had come.

The early pioneers of the township had more than their share of
Indian troubles. Situated as many of them were along the banks of
the Miami, which afforded abundant waterways for the little canoes
of the red prowlers, there were many alarms, some of them
fortunately false. A story showing the perils and annoyances to
which the Staunton settlers were put is told of the Carver family.
At one time when Mr. Carver was hauling wood on a sled, an Indian,
well loaded with the white man's "fire water," proceeded
to make the woods resound with his heathenish yells. These so
frightened Carver's team that it was all the settler could do to
restrain his horses. He begged the drunken brave to desist, but as
he exhibited no intentions in that direction, Carver proceed to lay
him out with a cudgel, whereupon the hilarious red man, upon
recovering, betook himself to a less dangerous locality. Quite
frequently bands of drunken Indians kept the women and children of
Staunton Township in a state of terror, and at times the settlers,
when forbearance had ceased to be a virtue, took the law into their
own hands and visited the drunken warriors with well merited
thrashings.

I cannot refrain from going back to the reminiscent days of
Dutch Station.  A whole volume might be filled with the story of
the men who erected it after casting their fortunes in the Miami
wilderness. It has aptly been said, as showing the prominence of
this township, that the Dutch Station was the first place of
settlement, Staunton was the first town in the county, and the
first seat of justice.

Jane Gerard Deweese was the first female white child, and Jacob
Knoop the first male white child born in Staunton Township, dating
back to 1800.  Peter Felix, as I have already said, was a man who
could drive a cool, hard bargain. He frequently sold needles to the
unsophisticated Indians at one dollar apiece and when the would be
purchaser demurred to the price Peter without the semblance of a
smile on his bland face would inform his customer that the needle
maker was dead and that he (Peter) was offering the last of his
stock dirt cheap. This bit of craft generally closed the deal, and
the Indian would walk off congratulating himself on the bargain,
while Peter's white witnesses of the transaction playfully observed
that the needle maker had a knack of dying that was astonishing,
not to say commendable.

The full history of Staunton Township, especially that
interesting part which comprises its early chapter, in all
probability will never be written.  Some of this history has been
merged into that of other townships. Upon the establishment of the
county seat at Troy, Staunton lost some of its prestige, though she
still deserves the appellation of "The Mother of the
County."

A few years ago Miami Chapter, Daughters of the American
Revolution, marked with a huge boulder the site of the old Dutch
Fort at Staunton.  This memorial appropriately inscribed is one of
several which have been placed within the boundaries of Miami
County to mark historic spots. It is said that General Wayne's army
passed through a part of Staunton Township in 1794. It was also the
scene of several animated scouting expeditions during the War of
1812.

Situated in Staunton Township is the County Infirmary, with the
buildings pertaining thereto. The land was purchased by the county
in 1838, the buildings erected the following year, and opened for
the reception of inmates in 1840. In 1853 a storm demolished the
Infirmary buildings, injuring a number of the public charges, but a
year later new buildings were ready for occupancy.  Since then
additional buildings have been added, especially one for the proper
care of the insane. Today the Miami County Infirmary is one of the
best institutions of the kind in the state and has been well
conducted from the first. The inmates are well cared for, the
buildings well kept up and the finances of the institution
satisfactory managed. The Miami County Infirmary is the largest
public institution on the eastern side of the river, the other
being the Knoops Children's Home in Elizabeth Township.