Richhill Township
Established March 13, 1793
The Supreme Executive Council, on March 13th, 1793, upon the application of the court of Washington County, established this township, assigning as its boundaries, Finley township on the north, Franklin and Greene on the east, Mason and Dixon’s line on the south, and the State of Virginia on the west. By the act of the Legislature of February 9, 1796, this township, with Franklin, Greene, Morgan and Cumberland townships, comprised Greene county. Since then it has been reduced in size until its present boundaries are West Virginia on the west, Washington county on the north, Morris and Center townships on the east, Jackson on the south-east and Aleppo on the south. Enslow’s fork of Wheeling forms the boundary line between this and Washington county; then we have the south and north forks of Wheeling creek, which form the Wheeling creek at Ryerson’s station, and their tributaries, which are Stone Coal run, Wharton’s run, Crabapple, Barney’s run, Kent’s run, Wright’s run, Whitethorn run, and Long run, Owen’s run in the north, a tributary of Enslow’s fork Laurel run, tributary to Crabapple, Gray’s run in the north-east, tributary to Ten-Mile creek.
This township has four villages within its borders; they are Graysville, (Harvey’s P.O.) near the east side, on Grays run, Jacksonville, near the centre of the township, on Elkridge, Ryerson’s station, on the State road, at the junction of the north and south fork of Wheeling creek and Bristoria in the south-east part of the township, on the north fork of Wheeling creek. On Long run, one-half mile from the north fork of Wheeling creek on the farm now owned by Spencer Parsons, is a 9 foot vein of coal, of three different qualities, one part supposed to be anthracite, one bituminous and the other Kennel coal, overlaid with quartz rock or ore; also an 18 inch vein of coal, 15 feet below the former coal on Wheeling creek first vein or stratum 2 feet, then a stratum of lime stone, then about 150 feet below this is a six foot vein of coal, divided as follows: 16 inches of coal, 18 inches of slate, then 38 inches of coal, then below this comes the soda rock. This vein of coal is at or near where Thomas Scott, Esq. resides. This vein is above the bed of the creek, and as you go up the creek as far as Ryerson’s station, it is supposed to be about 40 or 50 feet below the bed of the stream. This township, as well as the rest of the county, possesses a vast number of excellent springs, from which flow as pure a current as ever quenched human thirst.