From Ohio History Central Woodsfield is the county seat of
Monroe County, Ohio. Founded in 1814, residents named Woodsfield
after Archibald Woods, who established the community. Woodsfield
has been Monroe County�s only seat of government. According to
legend, to clear the town�s main street of trees, in 1814,
Archibald Woods purchased a keg of brandy, offering drinks to
any man who would help him clear the street. Reportedly, after a
single afternoon of work, the street was clean of trees.
Woodsfield grew slowly. In 1830, only 157 people resided in the
community, and in 1840, the number of inhabitants had only grown
to 262 people. In 1846, only two churches, six stores, one
newspaper office, and one private school existed in the
community. By 1880, 861 people lived in Woodsfield. Completion
of a railroad through the community helped to spur the town�s
growth, but Woodsfield remained small. In 1886, the town did
boast three newspapers. Two of these newspapers ranked among
Woodsfield�s largest employers, with f