Nancy Maxwell stated in an interview that she and William never had a door on their cabin southeast of Alpha, but used a blanket to cover the doorway.  When William had to be away from home, she and the children would sleep in the loft to avoid detection if Indians came around.  Supplies for William’s funeral included two pair of hinges – the extra may have been to hang a door on the cabin since William would no longer be there for protection.  He is thought to have been buried near Valley Road on the south side of U.S. Route 35 in an area early known as Allen’s Woods.

Albert Ankeney wrote, "I used to go over there (Allen's Woods) and hunt mushrooms and sometimes look for the tombstone of Mr. Maxwell.  His grave was just marked by a limestone slab that was set on edge.  It had been removed but I knew approximately where the stone could be found.  It was pretty well toward the west end of that big woods that's still there."

In 1941, the Dayton Club of Printing House Craftsmen erected a memorial monument to William Maxwell, it currently stands alongside the bike path in Trebein.  The Ohio Newspaper Association presents the William Maxwell Award in recognition of outstanding individual achievement in the advancement of the newspaper profession.

• Front Of William Maxwell Marker Front Of William Maxwell Marker
• Close View Of Front Close View Of Front
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• Back Of William Maxwell Marker Back Of William Maxwell Marker
• William Maxwell William Maxwell
• David Maxwell David Maxwell
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Another notable local settler was William Maxwell (c.1766-September 10, 1809), he and wife Nancy raised nine children – son John said to be the first non-native child born in Greene County.  William was the first engraver to publish a newspaper in Cincinnati, Ohio. The paper was called the Centinel of the Northwest Territory, and the first issue was published on Saturday, November 9, 1793. The motto of the paper was "Open to all parties–but influenced by none".  He used a portable wood printing press, which he took with him to Lexington, Kentucky and set up a business. In 1793 he left for Cincinnati and began his weekly newspaper, which consisted of four pages and had a limited circulation. The printing press he used was much like the one invented by Johann Gutenberg.

In 1796 he printed Laws of the Territory of the United States Northwest of the Ohio in Cincinnati, a 225 page book with one-thousand issues printed. Subsequently known as ‘Maxwell's Code’, this was the first book printed in the Northwest Territory.  He also purchased 1,015 acres (almost 1.6 square miles!) in the eastern portion of Beavercreek Township in 1796 where he helped cut a road from Dayton east to Alpha; present Dayton-Xenia Road still follows part of that original Road.

• Gutenberg Press Gutenberg Press
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