Millcreek Township

Parent Township(s):

Millcreek Township was one of the three original townships of Union County.

First Settled: between 1814 or 1815

First Settler:

Ephraim Burroughs was the first settler in the area between 1814-1815. He settled near the site of the town of Watkins.

Surveyed: Early surveys date to 1797. The township was officially surveyed for Union County by County Surveyor Levi Phelps on March 12, 1829.

Recorded: March 12, 1821

Name Origin: This township is named for Mill Creek, a creek that flows through the area

Past and Present Towns and Places of Habitation:

Past and Present US Post Offices:

One-Room Schools: Beecher, Liggett, Tossey, Shields, Oraville, Faulkner, Rausch, Myers (Sub-District no.1) and Watkins.

Hyattville - The precise location of this village is unknown. It was either located in present day Jerome or Millcreek Township.

Oraville - This town once boasted two churches and a neighborhood school. It was located at the present-day Bell Road and Harriott Road intersection.

Watkins - The village of Watkins was surveyed on July 12, 1838 by Deputy Surveyor Joseph S. Watkins. The town was named for Thomas P. Watkins a proprietor of the town. In approximately 1840, James Thompson built the first house. He used a room of this house as a town store. The US post office was established in this village in 1840, with James Thompson as the first postmaster. The Watkins Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1818. For many years services were held in members houses. In 1849 a frame building was built to house the congregation. A brick church was built in 1870 to serve the congregation. The Christian Church at Watkins was organized in 1825. Services were conducted for a few years in members houses and then the school house. For a period of time the congregation also held services in the building belonging to the Watkins Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1861 the congregation erected their own church building. At one time this small village once supported two general stores, a doctor, a wagon maker, a blacksmith, a harness shop, and a school district. Today this village is home to the Millcreek Township hall as well as a small church.

The Millcreek Rural School District, which eventually became the Watkins School District, was located in this village. The school building was erected in 1913. It was chartered in 1920. The school district was consolidated over the years and is now a part of the Fairbanks Local District. The old school in this village has sat empty for many years.

Watkins - The Watkins post office was established on March 18, 1840. James Thompson served as the village's first post master. The post office closed for the first time on February 3, 1842 only to reopen on November 11, 1842. The post office remained in operation until July 31, 1908. Marysville then assumed mail delivery to this small village.