A long ago published history of Hendricks County states that "In 1845 the Township (Clay) was formed by separating from the North end of Franklin Township three tiers of sections of land and taking three sections off the Southeast corner of Marion Township." A board of county commissioners ordered this. The first settlers came into this township around 1825. The first families were Tinchers, Hadleys, Hodsons, Benbows, Kerseys, Hunts, Wests, Osburns and Hancocks.
The township in all likelihood took its name from the Virginia-Kentucky lawyer and statesman Henry Clay. There are within the confines of the township the following towns and villages: A part of Hadley that lies South of the Big 4 railroad; Amo, a town of some 475 residents; Coatesville, situated in the Western part of Clay; Reno a village a mile North and two other villages seldom thought of or recognized today; Springtown, once known as Springfield; and East of Amo, on the Vandalia railroad a onetime village called Pecksburg. This last named place once boasted a grist mill, a store and a Post office. A man by the name of John Sheerer operated a general store. Two outstanding families here for several years were the Reitzels and the Tresters.
Amo was laid out around 1850 by Joseph Morris and was at first called Morristown. Among the early families here were the names, Owens, Rudd, Coffin, White, Doan, Summers, Cosner, Rogers, Hill, Hunt, Layman, Kersey, Benbow, Kendall, Tincher, and Masten.
Coatesville took its name from an early settler named Henry Coates and a plot of the town was laid out around 18509. By this data a Methodist Church had been erected and several families had moved in to take advantage of what a new railroad had to offer. Familiar early names here were Blair, Elrod, Gambold, Bourne, Bryant, Sharpe, Shields, Masten, Knight, McAninch, Kelso and Stanley. Some very early citizens were the Spaughs who belonged to a Moravian Brotherhood and built a church in the South part of town.
Reno came into folks, knowledge and talk about 1852. It's first families were Greenlees, Christys and the Mendenhalls.
Hadley was a cluster of small houses around 1852 and was from the first a decidedly Quaker community. Names of families here to be remembered were Christy, Hadley, Wheeler, Stanley and Hayworth.
Each and every town and village in Clay Township has had its share of folks who have won fame or at least praise in some form of endeavor.
Coatesville has sent forth its college teachers in the persons of Claude O'Neal, Frank Davidson, James Elrod, Willard Gambold, Laura Bryant and Ardith Phillips. This small town gave South Dakota Charles Elrod as governor. It has furnished the Big Ten with a basketball player and a noted football center.
The town likes to boast of its commercial artist, David Hadley and a Terre Haute minister, Allan Harlan.
Andy Layman of Amo was several years ago the third best shot putter in the State of Indiana.
Hadley, though a mere village had its David and Sarah Hadley who were once considered the outstanding Quaker ministers of the Western Yearly Meeting.
This village also gave the township and state a noted artist, Clifton Wheeler.
Addison Coffin belonged to both Hadley and Amo. He was a remarkable man in that he belonged to the Underground Railroad, was a farmer, traveler, lecturer and author.
Little, old Pecksburg gave our State Arthur Trester who helped to organize and was later the Commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Arthur was often called the "Czar" but one thing was sure; he brought to the State schools, clean and organized athletics.
( Hence the Trester award, given by the state to an outstanding basketball player.)
To Springtown goes the honor of the first election ever held in Clay Township. A record of this election gives the names of over a hundred voters.
In politics Clay Township has consistently voted Republican. It was voting that ticket for Abraham Lincoln and it has changed but little since his day. Just now and then is a Democrat Trustee.
Clay Township is an agricultural township with hundreds of acres of fairly level land, well drained and the type that, farmed as it is today, produces bumper crops of corn, wheat, soy beans or whatever crop the farmer decides to grow.
(In the year 2000, the township remains primarily an agricultural area, but the "hundreds of acres of fairly level land" has been dotted with subdivisions. Frontage of long standing farm land has been sold for building lots. The Wendell Elrod farm has been sold and subdivided along with the Carol and Waldo Brown acreage on the north end of Coatesville. Coatesville resisted the temptation of an "addition" in the 60's, unlike Bellville and Clayton, but succumbed in the 90's. Everett Smith developed the Brown farm, and Roland Neier developed the Elrod farm.)
The township has had a people who believed in education and from very early times they have endeavored to have the best of schools for their children.
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Questions about Coatesville:
Contact Town Hall at 4994 Milton Street
Coatesville, IN 46121 765-386-7205
