About
Township Trustees
The trustee is assisted by a three-member Township Board whose members are also elected to four year terms. Duties of the board include adopting the annual budget, serving as a board of finance and approving township contracts. In January of each year, the trustee presents to the board an annual report showing the receipts, expenditures, investments and debts of the township. The approved report is then published in local papers for public inspection.
Duties 
State law requires the township trustee to perform the following duties:
1. Keeping a written record of official proceedings.
2. Managing all township property interests.
3. Keeping township records open for public inspection.
4. Attending all meetings of the township legislative body.
5. Receiving and paying out township funds.
6. Examining and settling all accounts and demands chargeable against the township.
7. Administering township assistance under IC 12-20 and IC 12-30-4.
8. Performing the duties of Fence Viewer under IC 32-26.
9. Providing and maintaining cemeteries under IC 23–14.
10. Providing fire protection under IC 36-8, except in a township that is located in a county having a consolidated city that has consolidated the township’s fire department under IC 36-3-1-6.1.
11. Filing an annual personnel report under IC 5-11-13.
12. Providing and maintain township parks and community centers under IC 36-10.
13. Destroying detrimental plants, noxious weeds, and rank vegetation under IC 15-16-8.
14. Providing insulin to the poor under IC 12-20-16.
15. Performing other duties prescribed by statute.
Liberty Township
Liberty township is the middle division of the three southern townships, being bounded on the north by Center and Washington townships, on the east by Guilford, on the south by Morgan county and on the west by Franklin and Clay. There are nearly forty-nine square miles within the area, in townships 14 and 15 north, range 1 east and 1 west. It is the largest of the twelve townships in the county.
Clayton
On sections 33 and 34, in the northwestern part of Liberty township, the town of Clayton is located. It was platted in the year 1851 by George W. Wills and contains about eleven acres, which tract was purchased from Elizabeth Wills. The first name of the town was Claysville, in honor of Henry Clay, the Kentucky statesman. However, the name was changed to Clayton because there was another town in Indiana having the former name.
The first house in Clayton was constructed by Thomas Potts and the second by Lewis T. Pounds, both of them being frame structures. The first store was opened by Parker & Foote, the second by Richard and James Worrel and the third by Morrison & Thomas, near the year 1852. The first hotel was built by George W. Wills and operated by Ephraim Hartsuck. The first justice of the peace was Amos S. Wills, elected in 1852. The first flouring mill was built in 1852 by John Miles and James Worrel.
Belleville
Next to Danville and Stilesville, Belleville is the oldest town in the county. It was laid out by William H. Hinton, Lazarus 8. Wilson and Obadiah Harris in 1829. The construction of the national road through the village, which soon followed, greatly stimulated its growth and it increased rapidly in population. It soon became the social and educational center of the county. But, with the completion of the Indianapolis & Terre Haute railroad, in 1850, passing more than a mile north of the village, the town of Belleville began to retrograde and now is but a very small village of one hundred and fifty people.
The first house was built by William H. Hinton, who also kept the first store.
Belleville Lodge No. 205, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized in April, 1859, by John 0. Gilliland, Dr. L. H. Kennedy, James T. Mccurdy, Z. S. Reagan and Dr. R. C. Moore. This lodge has since been moved to Clayton, a mile north.
Cartersburg
On section 31, in the northeast comer of Liberty township, is situated the village of Cartersburg. The village owes its existence to the Vandalia railroad, the construction of which caused the village to be laid out in 1850 by John Carter, after whom it was named. The first lots were sold on January 1, 1850. Van Matlock and Simon Hornaday started the first store and soon established Cartersburg as a good trading point for produce. John Biddle later bought land and set up a store. In 1854 William H. Oliver bought land of Biddle, which lay north of the railroad, and laid the tract out in lots, which he offered for sale. He donated certain lots to the Methodist Episcopal church. Land was also bought on the south of the railroad in the John Carter farm and west of gravel road was laid off in lots. This gravel road is now the main street of Cartersburg.
The village of Cartersburg is perhaps one of the most beautiful spots in Hendricks county, due in no small measure to the orderly rows of stately trees which tine the streets. Great care was exercised in the sixties to plant these trees and now the village is enjoying the benefits.
Belleville Lodge No. 65, Free and Accepted Masons, has a membership of forty in Cartersburg. Although small, the lodge is in good condition. Cartersburg has a population of about two hundred and fifty.
The Cartersburg magnetic springs supply a large amount of water to the state. It is a mineral water and was first found in 1887 on Dobbin’s farm, five miles southeast of Danville.
Hazelwood
Hazelwood, Indiana, is a small, tight-knit community located in Liberty Township, offering a quintessential small-town American experience. With a population of just over 100 residents, the town is characterized by its serene, rural atmosphere and friendly ambiance. The area features historic homes, local farms, and scenic landscapes that provide a peaceful retreat from urban hustle. The local economy is predominantly driven by agriculture, with many residents engaged in farming or related activities. Community events and gatherings are central to life in Hazelwood, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie among neighbors. While amenities are limited compared to larger towns, residents enjoy the tranquility and simplicity of their surroundings, along with a supportive community spirit that defines life in Hazelwood.
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Office Address
4945 Iowa St.
Clayton, IN 46118
Mailing Address
487 Martha Eunice Ln.
Clayton, IN 46118