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Township History

The Pilgrim Fathers brought the township form of government to America in 1620. This unit of local government, still referred to in New England as the "town," spread eventually as far west as the Rocky Mountains. It is found today in twenty-two states, known either as the town or the township.

In Ohio, the township predates our state government. The townships' size and shape were determined by the Congressional Acts which established the various land grants. All of the lands defined by these acts were surveyed under the range and township systems, except for the Virginia Military Lands. Some of these lands were sub-divided into townships five miles square - such as those in the Connecticut Western Reserve that was established in 1786. The others were surveyed into townships that were six miles square, as in the Congress Lands, 1789-1801. Within each of the Ohio land grants, Congress set aside sections of the land for the use of schools and the support of religious institutions. In the Symmes Purchase, for example, Section 16 of each township was reserved for schools and Section 29 was set aside for religious institutions.

As the Ohio Territory became populated, it was only natural that the surveyed townships should become the basic unit of local government. In 1804, the elected officials of a township consisted of three trustees, a clerk, two overseers of the poor, and a sufficient number of supervisors of highway, in addition to justices of the peace and constables. A township treasurer and assessor were later added. In the early years of statehood, Ohio township government cared for the poor, maintained the roads, preserved the peace, registered brands and fulfilled the needs of local government generally.

Today, just as in 1804, the township in Ohio is a political subdivision of the state. As such, it has only those powers granted to it by the state legislature and performs functions defined by the state. To keep pace with the demands of changing time, the functions, duties and obligations of the township have changed over the years. Demands for increased or different services have prompted the state legislature to grant Ohio's 1309 townships the authority to fulfill these changing demands.

Three trustees and a clerk, each elected for a four-year term, administer each of our townships today. Officially they fill their offices on a part-time basis, but they are always ready to meet their responsibilities and put in many hours of work to serve their constituents. Their intimate knowledge of their community, its needs, and its citizens enables them to offer more personal service than any other unit of government.

Article Provided by the Ohio Township Association