Blue Rock Township

Blue Rock Township was formed from Salt Creek Township on December 3, 1810, although no election of township officers was recorded until January 6, 1814. This is similar to the situation in Salt Creek Township, which formed in 1808, but didn't officially become a township until 1815. Blue Rock is named for the creek, rich in salt deposits, that runs through it.

Blue Rock and Salt Creek Townships have a shared history, and so Capt. John Chandler (1757-1829), for whom the Salt Creek town of Chandlersville is named, is regarded as Blue Rock's first settler. In fact, all the "firsts" of Salt Creek, such as early industries, post offices, and churches, are the "firsts" of Blue Rock. The histories of the two townships are so identical that the chapter on Blue Rock Township in the Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Muskingum County, Ohio contains little more than a long list of early settlers and their occupations, and a rehashing of the founding of early churches from the Salt Creek chapter. (See Salt Creek Township)

Around 1819, the discovery of oil in the northeastern part of the township held the promise of prosperity for the township. A second field was developed in 1866. In 1878, the Carr Oil Company of Muskingum County was created to take over production. However, the oil, intended for use in oil lamps, was of a poor quality, and enterprise was soon abandoned.

The steel Gaysport Bridgewas replaced in 2021

Although there are no municipalities* in Blue Rock today, there were three population centers in the 1800's that each merited a U.S. Post Office. The township's earliest population center was located on the Muskingum River, and dates from at least the 1790's. The original name is not known, but it was eventually named Gaysport for Asa Gay (1774-1854) who migrated to the area from Massachusetts around 1830. Another settlement, Rockville, was established around 1816. J. B. Milhous platted Rockville in 1854, and renamed it Ruraldale, although its post office was known as Rural Dale. The small settlement of Ridgeway became the village of Kiefer. Like the village of Opera in Newton Township, Kiefer no longer exists.

The 4, 578 acre Blue Rock State Forest lies within the township

*A municipality is an urban area locally administered and separate from township government.