doctor amos palmer organized and taught the first school in strawtown during the winter of 1822-23. the county was separated into two equal townships in 1823, white river to the north and delaware to the south. rapid growth, spurred partly by the state’s plans to run the central canal through strawtown, caused the creation of seven additional townships. the canal in that area never materialized and growth stagnated, thanks in part to the location of the nearest railway four miles to the west.