Jefferson Township, Logan County, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Jefferson Township is one of the seventeen townships
of Logan County
, Ohio
, United States
. The 2000 census
found 2,946 people in the township.
Several municipalities are located in Jefferson Township:
Compared with most of western Ohio, Jefferson Township is quite hilly. Campbell Hill, the highest point in Ohio, is located inside the Bellefontaine city limits in western Jefferson Township. On the other hand, the Marmon Valley, which extends through the southern part of the township, is a small pass
through the Bellefontaine and Bristlecone Ridges. The same forces that shaped the township's terrain also created Zane Shawnee Caverns
, a cave
system in the northeastern part of the township.
As a result of its hilly topography, Jefferson Township contains the source of the Mad River
, and a ski resort
— unusual for western Ohio — is located near Valley Hi in the southern part of the township.
.
Jefferson Township was formed in 1813 from Zane Township
. It was one of the earliest parts of Logan County to be settled
: its first settler was Isaac Zane, who arrived in 1800 and built the first house in what is now Zanesfield in 1811, and the Marmons who arrived in the township in 1805 were the first white families to live in the county. Because a significant percentage of the early settlers were Quakers
, the township was once home to a large number of African American
s. Today, the township is the location of Goshen Friends Church, the oldest church in Logan County, and of the Martin Marmon House
, one of the best examples of early nineteenth-century Quaker architecture in Ohio.
In the elections of November 2007
, Michael Kenoyer defeated two other candidates in the election for the position of township trustee.
is the most important highway in Jefferson Township. Other significant highways include State Routes 47, 292, 533, and 540.
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
of Logan County
Logan County, Ohio
Logan County is a county in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,858. The county seat is Bellefontaine. The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who fought Native Americans in the area....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
found 2,946 people in the township.
Geography
Located in the eastern part of the county, it borders the following townships:- Rushcreek TownshipRushcreek Township, Logan County, OhioRushcreek Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,191 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northeastern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
- north - Perry TownshipPerry Township, Logan County, OhioPerry Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,022 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the eastern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Bokes Creek Township - north...
- east - Zane TownshipZane Township, Logan County, OhioZane Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 968 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southeastern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:*Perry Township - north...
- southeast corner - Monroe TownshipMonroe Township, Logan County, OhioMonroe Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,503 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southeastern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
- south - Liberty TownshipLiberty Township, Logan County, OhioLiberty Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,126 people living in the township.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
- southwest - Lake TownshipLake Township, Logan County, OhioLake Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 12,492 people in the township, making it the largest in population in Logan County.-Geography:...
- west
Several municipalities are located in Jefferson Township:
- The village of ZanesfieldZanesfield, OhioZanesfield is a village in Logan County, Ohio, United States of America. The population was 220 at the 2000 census. It is the smallest incorporated village in Logan County.-History:...
, in the south center - Part of the city of BellefontaineBellefontaine, OhioBellefontaine is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Bellefontaine Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003...
, in the west - Most of the village of Valley HiValley Hi, OhioValley Hi is a village in Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 244 at the 2000 census. The village is located nearby U.S. Route 33 and is about an hour northwest of Columbus....
, in the south
Compared with most of western Ohio, Jefferson Township is quite hilly. Campbell Hill, the highest point in Ohio, is located inside the Bellefontaine city limits in western Jefferson Township. On the other hand, the Marmon Valley, which extends through the southern part of the township, is a small pass
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
through the Bellefontaine and Bristlecone Ridges. The same forces that shaped the township's terrain also created Zane Shawnee Caverns
Zane Shawnee Caverns
The Zane Shawnee Caverns is a cave system in Jefferson Township, Logan County, Ohio, United States. The caverns are a show cave, presently owned by the United Remnant Band of the Shawnee Nation...
, a cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
system in the northeastern part of the township.
As a result of its hilly topography, Jefferson Township contains the source of the Mad River
Mad River (Ohio)
The Mad River is a stream located in the west central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It flows from Logan County to downtown Dayton, where it meets the Great Miami River. The stream flows southwest from its source near Campbell Hill through West Liberty, along U.S...
, and a ski resort
Mad River Mountain
Mad River Mountain is a ski and snowboard resort in Valley Hi, Ohio, United States. The elevation of Mad River Mountain is with a vertical drop of , and it has a ski season that runs from December 1 through March 16...
— unusual for western Ohio — is located near Valley Hi in the southern part of the township.
Name and history
It is one of twenty-four Jefferson Townships statewideJefferson Township, Ohio
Jefferson Township, Ohio may refer to:*Jefferson Township, Adams County, Ohio*Jefferson Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio*Jefferson Township, Brown County, Ohio*Jefferson Township, Clinton County, Ohio*Jefferson Township, Coshocton County, Ohio...
.
Jefferson Township was formed in 1813 from Zane Township
Zane Township, Logan County, Ohio
Zane Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 968 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southeastern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:*Perry Township - north...
. It was one of the earliest parts of Logan County to be settled
History of Ohio
The history of Ohio includes many thousands of years of human activity. What is now Ohio was probably first settled by Paleo-Indian peoples, who lived in the area as early as 13,000 BCE. Later ancestors of Native Americans were known as the Archaic peoples...
: its first settler was Isaac Zane, who arrived in 1800 and built the first house in what is now Zanesfield in 1811, and the Marmons who arrived in the township in 1805 were the first white families to live in the county. Because a significant percentage of the early settlers were Quakers
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, the township was once home to a large number of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s. Today, the township is the location of Goshen Friends Church, the oldest church in Logan County, and of the Martin Marmon House
Martin Marmon House
The Martin Marmon House is a historic house near the village of Zanesfield in Jefferson Township, Logan County, Ohio, United States. Built by pioneer settler Martin Marmon around the year 1820, it is one of the best remaining examples of Quaker architecture....
, one of the best examples of early nineteenth-century Quaker architecture in Ohio.
Government
The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1. Two are elected in the year after the presidential election and one is elected in the year before it. There is also an elected township fiscal officer, who serves a four-year term beginning on April 1 of the year after the election, which is held in November of the year before the presidential election. Vacancies in the fiscal officership or on the board of trustees are filled by the remaining trustees.In the elections of November 2007
United States general elections, 2007
The 2007 United States general elections were held on Tuesday, November 6. During this off-year election, the only seats up for election in the United States Congress were special elections held throughout the year. None of these congressional seats changed party hands...
, Michael Kenoyer defeated two other candidates in the election for the position of township trustee.
Transportation
U.S. Route 33U.S. Route 33
U.S. Route 33 is a United States federal highway that runs northwest-southeast for 709 miles from northern Indiana to Richmond, Virginia, passing through Ohio and West Virginia en route. Although most odd-numbered U.S...
is the most important highway in Jefferson Township. Other significant highways include State Routes 47, 292, 533, and 540.