First Marriage:
James Dillon and Sarah Fitzgerald, the widow of Patrick Fitzgerald were the first couple united in marriage.
First Birth:
The first birth in the township was Sarah N., daughter of John J. and Julia Thornton, born in the fall of 1851.
First Death:
The first death was that of William Dobbins, who died September 6, 1852.
First Church:
The fist church was erected by the Society of Friends, in 1854.
Educational:
The people that settled in Providence township believe in education, and from the beginning, have looked well to those institutions calculated to make men wiser, and therefore better.
The first public school held in the township was in the winter of 1854-5, in the double log house already spoken of as erected for church purposes, near or on the site of the present Honey Creek meeting house. Mr. James Tulburt was the first teacher. There are now in the township 10 school houses, valued at $800 each.
In addition to the public schools, there is a fine academy in the village of New Providence, which is doing a good work, an account of which is given elsewhere in this work.
First Steam Mill:
The first steam mill, built in Providence township was in 1854, by Reuben Bond.
First Water Mill:
The first water mill was built by I. Lawrence. Mr. J.S. Hadley afterwards purchased it, and it was known as the Hadley mill. There is nothing left at this writing but a portion of the dam and flume to mark its existence.
Religious:
Providence township is one of the finest and wealthiest townships in the county, and comprises Congressional township 86 north, range 20, west of the fifth principal meridian. It was first settled in the fall of 1851. Levi Reece, William Dobbins, E.I. Reece, and John J. Thorton landed here on the first day of September, of that year, located their claims, and commenced erecting their cabins. William Reece also located a claim at the same time, with a view of making it his home in the near future. In the following winter James L. Tulburt, William Hobson and Samuel Dillon were also numbered among the settlers of this fine township. In the spring of 1852 Joseph Dillon, the father of Samuel Dillon, and James Fitzgerald joined the settlement, each of whom erected a cabin and commenced to improve a farm which was to be to them a home. This was the beginning of the settlement, and to these pioneers the credit is due of having endured the privations of frontier life and smoothing the way for those who came in at a later day. In connection with this chapter will be found sketches of many of these early settlers, as well as some who came later, to which he reader's attention is invited.
First Settlers:
The first to settle here is 1853 was William Reece, who located his claim in the fall of 1851, as already stated. He was followed the same year by Levi Reece, Jessie Allgood and E.J. Reece. In 1854 David Bennett, Thomas Bennett, and others, located here. David Bennett and a son of Thomas Bennett subsequently lost their lives, being struck by lightning while breaking prairie.. John Allen Hayworth come (sp) in 1854; also, J.A. Allgood and William Flemming.
The First Ferry:
The first ferry on Honey creek was at Hadley's mill; it was built for the construction of a dam. In the spring of 1858 the water on Honey creek was very high, and people would come for miles to cross the creek, there being no bridges at that time. The Hadley boys tell of a little circumstance of a party crossing while on their way to attend court at Eldora. One of the party was the Judge of the Court, Hon. C.F. McFarland, who, not wishing to swim his horse, persuaded the boys to take him over on their boat, which they did, the Judge taking passage also; when in about the center of the stream, the old horse got uneasy and commenced to back up, stepping on one side, capsized the boat, throwing the Judge, horse and the two Hadley boys into the stream. The boys soon swam out, and secured the horse while the Judge stood in the water up to his arms, having taken out his gold watch and hung it upon a limb. The boys brought the old horse around, loaded on the Judge,and finally landed him on terra firma. The two lawyers concluded to swim their horses and get across without accident.
Temperance:
Providence township is noted for its good morals. Among its thrifty people intemperance is unknown, and every effort in behalf of the cause of temperance enlisted the active cooperation of nearly every citizen. This being the case, it is not strange that when the constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors was to be submitted to a vote of the people, the citizens of this township were among it strongest advocates. They worked for it "in season and out of season." They prayed for it and argued in its favor, the result being that, when the vote was counted on the evening of the 27th of June, it was found that 250 votes were cast in the township in favor of the amendment and only 2 against.
There never has been a saloon in the township.
Insurance:
The first organization of the Providence Township Mutual Insurance Company was effected November 11, 1870, by selecting Cyrus Lundy, William P. Hunnicutt, Caleb Baldwin, William Wildman, William F. Andrews, E. Andrews, L.G. Hunt and C.A. Lundy, a Board of Directors, who completed the organization by electing William Wildman, President; William F. Andrews, Vice-President: Cyrus Lundy, Secretary and Treasurer. The President and Secretary, together with Eleazer Andrews, were constituted an Executive Committee. Those officers and their successors, who are annually elected, have conducted the business of the association to the present time without any loss, carrying insurance to the amount of $100,000, on an average. The total expense to the members of the association has not exceeded $5.00 on the thousand dollars insured for each five years.