AMANDA TOWNSHIP – Located in the southwest corner of Fairfield County, the gently rolling lands of Amanda Township stretched a thirty-six square mile tract of land and officially became established with thirty-six sections in November 1805 when the Fairfield County Commissioners gathered. Clear Creek cuts through the landscape from north to south, and before the land was drained in the southeast corner of the township, the low and marshy, peat covered ground inhabited a great danger warning the crossing of the “Muddy Prairie,” and held the great “Shaking Prairie” which both now yield excellent crops. Drainage became a demanding task as the newly implemented drainage system spanned across the land to ensure crops reached the fertile soil that lied beneath. The crops included fruit, vegetables, cereals, and sugar, along with walnut, ash, oak, cherry, and hickory timber for their structures. When the first pioneer settlers arrived on the landscape the entire township lie hidden and engulfed within a forest. As Zane’s Trace paved the way for many settlers to travel to Lancaster at the turn of the nineteenth century, settlers began pushing the boundaries of what the territory offered as some still traveled south through the dense forest trees. The southern part of Fairfield County officially became established about three decades later when Amanda Township became official in 1830, Berne the year before in 1829, and Clearcreek almost took another three decades, in 1854. The first pioneer and settler in Amanda Township, Frederick Leathers, traveled to Fairfield County from Virginia and became the first known settler within the township boundaries. After he settled in the southern part of the territory, he established the first tavern in the township on the old Chillicothe road, about one hundred yards east of the Amanda village. The large two-story log structure stood as a famous resort in those years and ranked among the firsts within the county. The property also included a still-house that supplied the tavern. Leathers incorporated a vision to create a central place for people to gather, and to secure this ambition he established three or four public roads that either crossed paths with the tavern or led straight to the front doors. Leathers later sold the tavern to Isaac Griffith, who ran operations until 1834. Over two decades later, flames engulfed the structure and razed it to ash in 1858. Once the early settlers reached Lancaster they were unable to travel any further since a heavy forest obstructed their path toward Royalton. Those that lived in the area received frequent friendly visits from the natives who lived in Tobytown, a local Indian encampment and engaged in trading. They crossed the prairies in single file with their packs on their backs, which they left outside when entering neighboring cabins.