William M. Linton
It appears the first actual settler to penetrate the territory of what has since become Range Township was William M. Linton, with his family. He was born in England about 1753, emigrated to Virginia, there married Mary Williams and settled in Hardy County. About 1797, they emigrated to Ohio and settled in Ross County. In 1800-01, they removed to Madison County, settling just south of where Midway is now located, and there resided till his death, in 1835. He devoted his life to the occupation of a farmer. A few years before his death, he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was the father of eight children–Maria, George, Sarah, Susan, Hannah, Nancy, Betsey and Peggy, all now deceased. Maria married Cyrus Ward; had three children, one only now living–W. Curtis Ward; now freight agent at London; George never married, and resided in this township till his death, in 1876, aged eighty-seven years; Sarah married Archibald Stewart; had two children, one now surviving–Mrs. Rev. James Dunlap, of Springfield, Ohio; Susan married Joseph Pancake, had two children, who are now living–Isaac and Jesse, residents of Illinois; Hannah married Benjamin Walker, by whom she had several children, and all the surviving ones are residents of Iowa; Nancy married William Davis, had six children, and all surviving are residents of Illinois; Betsey married David Dye, had four children, three now survive (David, a resident of Yellow Springs, Ohio; Sarah, now Mrs. Cartmell, residing in Indiana; and George, a resident of Republic, Kan.); Peggy married Lockhart Biggs, had five children, one now survives; William, a resident of Missouri.
From HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY - W. H. Beers [Chicago, 1883]