| History of the Twin Creek Watershed |
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| Historically, during the first half of the nineteenth century, Twin Creek was used by Euroamerican populations as a transportation route and site for early industries. Grist and saw mills were built all along the main branch of the creek and several of its secondary tributaries. Farmsteads also appeared all along Twin Creek during the first half of the nineteenth century, and many of the original Federal style brick homes and wooden peg barns still remain and are in use today. Much of the available tillable land along the bluff tops and valley floors was utilized for crops. As a consequence, most prehistoric sites in and adjacent to the valley have been impacted by 200 years of cultivation. However, there are exceptions. Some old growth forest survived in isolated patches in difficult terrain, such as within the boulder belt. |
| Both Darke and Preble counties were and still are known for their prodigious cattle raising, which means that sizable amounts of acreage have been utilized for pasture and/or hay production and thus have been either infrequently or never cultivated. While most of Twin Creek can still be considered a rural area, substantial residential growth within the cities of Germantown and Franklin has occured along the creek's lower drainage. ~ Keener and Biehl, North American Archaeologist, V.20, N.4, 1999, pg. 319-346. |