Montra, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Montra is an unincorporated community
in Jackson Township
, Shelby County
, Ohio
, United States
. Established in the middle of the nineteenth century, the small community is prominent because of a landmark church.
and in the middle of a triangle formed by the villages of Anna
, Botkins
, and Jackson Center
.
ted in 1849 by landowners Isaac and William Mahuren; surveying was completed on May 22, and the plat was filed on June 30. Houses and businesses quickly sprang up in the community, including a hotel, a blacksmith's shop, and a liquor store. A small school was founded in the village, and a post office was established on February 27, 1850. Two churches, one Lutheran
and one Methodist
, were founded in 1860 and in the winter of 1864-1865 respectively. In the early 1880s, the community comprised approximately forty houses and had an estimated population of 150 residents.
Today, Montra has shrunk from its height in the late nineteenth century. Since the closure of the community's post office on September 30, 1903, its mail has gone through the Anna
post office, and the village of Jackson Center
is now the largest community in Jackson Township. A cemetery remains of the Methodist church, but the Emanuel Lutheran Church
is still active. The church, a landmark on the community's eastern edge, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Jackson Township
Jackson Township, Shelby County, Ohio
Jackson Township is one of the fourteen townships of Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,346 people in the township, 977 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, Shelby County
Shelby County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,910 people, 17,636 households, and 13,085 families residing in the county. The population density was 117 people per square mile . There were 18,682 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, 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...
. Established in the middle of the nineteenth century, the small community is prominent because of a landmark church.
Geography
Montra's elevation is 1,047 feet (319 m), and it is located at 40°25′55"N 84°5′42"W (40.4319933, -84.0949438), in one of the hilliest portions of generally flat Shelby County. It lies at the intersection of Montra and Pasco-Montra Roads, one mile south of State Route 274Ohio State Route 274
State Route 274 is a two-lane east–west state highway located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. The western terminus of State Route 274 is at a T-intersection with U.S. Route 127 approximately west of Chickasaw...
and in the middle of a triangle formed by the villages of Anna
Anna, Ohio
Anna is a village in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,319 at the 2000 census.Anna is the location of a Honda Motor Co., Ltd plant that builds the GM L66 engine and Honda J engine....
, Botkins
Botkins, Ohio
Botkins is a village in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,205 at the 2000 census. The village's welcome sign reads "Where the waters divide and the people unite."-Geography:Botkins is located at ....
, and Jackson Center
Jackson Center, Ohio
Jackson Center is a village in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,369 at the 2000 census. Since 1952, Jackson Center has been the home of the popular Airstream travel trailers and motor homes.-Geography:...
.
History
Montra was platPlat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1849 by landowners Isaac and William Mahuren; surveying was completed on May 22, and the plat was filed on June 30. Houses and businesses quickly sprang up in the community, including a hotel, a blacksmith's shop, and a liquor store. A small school was founded in the village, and a post office was established on February 27, 1850. Two churches, one Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
and one Methodist
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
, were founded in 1860 and in the winter of 1864-1865 respectively. In the early 1880s, the community comprised approximately forty houses and had an estimated population of 150 residents.
Today, Montra has shrunk from its height in the late nineteenth century. Since the closure of the community's post office on September 30, 1903, its mail has gone through the Anna
Anna, Ohio
Anna is a village in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,319 at the 2000 census.Anna is the location of a Honda Motor Co., Ltd plant that builds the GM L66 engine and Honda J engine....
post office, and the village of Jackson Center
Jackson Center, Ohio
Jackson Center is a village in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,369 at the 2000 census. Since 1952, Jackson Center has been the home of the popular Airstream travel trailers and motor homes.-Geography:...
is now the largest community in Jackson Township. A cemetery remains of the Methodist church, but the Emanuel Lutheran Church
Emanuel Lutheran Church of Montra
The Emanuel Lutheran Church of Montra is a historic church in Jackson Township, Shelby County, Ohio, United States. Located in the unincorporated community of Montra, north-northeast of the county seat of Sidney, it is the congregation's second building....
is still active. The church, a landmark on the community's eastern edge, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.