Oxford Township, Erie County, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Oxford Township is one of the nine townships
of Erie County
, Ohio
, United States
. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio
metropolitan statistical area. The 2000 census
found 1,096 people in the township, fewer than any other township in the county.
No municipalities are located in Oxford Township, although the unincorporated community
of Bloomingville
lies in the township's north.
Oxford Township is part of the Firelands
, which in turn is part of the Connecticut Western Reserve
.
Oxford Township lies within two river watersheds, both flowing into Lake Erie
. The majority of the township is within the Huron River
watershed while the northwestern area of the township is within the Sandusky Bay
watershed.
The majority of the topography of the township includes extremely flat to slightly rolling land; farm fields and small woodlots are in abundance. In the far southeast portion of the township, however, the topography becomes rugged with steep cliffs and dense woods near the west branch of the Huron River
. Some of the cliffs are over 100 feet (30.5 m) high. There are even some small waterfalls near Peru Center Road and Schaffer Road that are approximately 75 feet (22.9 m) high.
Two state natural areas are located within this township. Erie Sand Barrens State Nature Preserve, a 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) park in the northwest part of the township, can be accessed from Mason Road and Taylor Road. The 296 acres (1.2 km²) Milan State Wildlife Area in the southeast part of the township can be accessed from State Route 113 and Lovers Lane.
, known as the Firelands
. Established in 1792, this half-million-acre tract of land (originally known as the Fire Sufferers Land) was given by the Connecticut
Legislature to the citizens of towns which were invaded and damaged by British troops during the American Revolutionary War
.
It is one of six Oxford Townships statewide
.
The Ohio Turnpike
passes through Oxford Township, as does Ohio State Routes 99
and 113. Other important county and township highways include Mason Road, Patten Tract Road, Ransom Road, Strecker Road, and Thomas Road.
s:
Telephone numbers in Oxford Townships have one of two area codes
, either 419 or 567.
Parochial schools are located in the nearby towns of Monroeville
, Norwalk, and Sandusky
.
s: the Groton Township fire department, for residents in the western part of the township; and the Milan Township fire department, for residents in the eastern part of the township.
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 Erie County
Erie County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,551 people, 31,727 households, and 21,764 families residing in the county. The population density was 312 people per square mile . There were 35,909 housing units at an average density of 141 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...
. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
metropolitan statistical area. 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 1,096 people in the township, fewer than any other township in the county.
Geography
Located in the southwestern part of Erie County, it borders the following townships:- Perkins TownshipPerkins Township, Erie County, OhioPerkins Township is one of the nine townships of Erie County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio metropolitan statistical area...
- north - Huron TownshipHuron Township, Erie County, OhioHuron Township is one of the nine townships of Erie County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio metropolitan statistical area...
- northeast - Milan TownshipMilan Township, Erie County, OhioMilan Township is one of the nine townships of Erie County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio metropolitan statistical area...
- east - Norwalk Township, Huron CountyNorwalk Township, Huron County, OhioNorwalk Township is one of the nineteen townships of Huron County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,685 people in the township, 3,265 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
- southeast - Ridgefield Township, Huron CountyRidgefield Township, Huron County, OhioRidgefield Township is one of the nineteen townships of Huron County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,390 people in the township, 957 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
- south - Lyme Township, Huron CountyLyme Township, Huron County, OhioLyme Township is one of the nineteen townships of Huron County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 968 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northwestern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:...
- southwest - Groton TownshipGroton Township, Erie County, OhioGroton Township is one of the nine townships of Erie County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio metropolitan statistical area...
- west - Margaretta TownshipMargaretta Township, Erie County, OhioMargaretta Township is one of the nine townships of Erie County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio metropolitan statistical area...
- northwest
No municipalities are located in Oxford Township, although the unincorporated community
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...
of Bloomingville
Bloomingville, Ohio
Bloomingville is an unincorporated community in northern Oxford Township, Erie County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Sandusky Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bloomingville is located at the intersection of Mason Road and Patten Tract Road. The Oxford Grange Hall located where Taylor Road...
lies in the township's north.
Oxford Township is part of the Firelands
Firelands
The Firelands or Sufferers' Lands tract was located at the western end of the Connecticut Western Reserve in what is now the U.S. state of Ohio...
, which in turn is part of the Connecticut Western Reserve
Connecticut Western Reserve
The Connecticut Western Reserve was land claimed by Connecticut from 1662 to 1800 in the Northwest Territory in what is now northeastern Ohio.-History:...
.
Topography
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
. The majority of the township is within the Huron River
Huron River (Ohio)
The Huron River is a waterway in the north central Ohio in the United States. The watershed drains large portions of Erie County and Huron County, the northeast corners of Seneca County and Crawford County, and northern portions of Richland County....
watershed while the northwestern area of the township is within the Sandusky Bay
Sandusky River
The Sandusky River is a tributary to Lake Erie in north-central Ohio in the United States. It is about long and flows into Lake Erie at Sandusky Bay.-Course:...
watershed.
The majority of the topography of the township includes extremely flat to slightly rolling land; farm fields and small woodlots are in abundance. In the far southeast portion of the township, however, the topography becomes rugged with steep cliffs and dense woods near the west branch of the Huron River
Huron River (Ohio)
The Huron River is a waterway in the north central Ohio in the United States. The watershed drains large portions of Erie County and Huron County, the northeast corners of Seneca County and Crawford County, and northern portions of Richland County....
. Some of the cliffs are over 100 feet (30.5 m) high. There are even some small waterfalls near Peru Center Road and Schaffer Road that are approximately 75 feet (22.9 m) high.
Two state natural areas are located within this township. Erie Sand Barrens State Nature Preserve, a 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) park in the northwest part of the township, can be accessed from Mason Road and Taylor Road. The 296 acres (1.2 km²) Milan State Wildlife Area in the southeast part of the township can be accessed from State Route 113 and Lovers Lane.
Name and history
Oxford Township is one of only thirty townships located in a unique subregion of the Connecticut Western ReserveConnecticut Western Reserve
The Connecticut Western Reserve was land claimed by Connecticut from 1662 to 1800 in the Northwest Territory in what is now northeastern Ohio.-History:...
, known as the Firelands
Firelands
The Firelands or Sufferers' Lands tract was located at the western end of the Connecticut Western Reserve in what is now the U.S. state of Ohio...
. Established in 1792, this half-million-acre tract of land (originally known as the Fire Sufferers Land) was given by the Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
Legislature to the citizens of towns which were invaded and damaged by British troops during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
It is one of six Oxford Townships statewide
Oxford Township, Ohio
Oxford Township, Ohio may refer to:*Oxford Township, Butler County, Ohio*Oxford Township, Coshocton County, Ohio*Oxford Township, Delaware County, Ohio*Oxford Township, Erie County, Ohio*Oxford Township, Guernsey County, Ohio...
.
Regional and national government
- All of Oxford Township is located within the . Marcy Kaptur (DDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-ToledoToledo, OhioToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
) is the elected official for this district, which spans the Lake Erie shoreline from ToledoToledo, OhioToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
to the western suburbs of ClevelandCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. - All of Oxford Township is located within the Ohio State 2nd Senate District. Mark WagonerMark WagonerMark D. Wagoner, Jr. is an American politician, who is a Republican member of the Ohio Senate, representing all of Wood and Erie counties and portions of Ottawa and Lucas counties. Wagoner previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives...
(RRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-Ottawa HillsOttawa Hills, OhioOttawa Hills is a village in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,564 at the 2000 census. The village serves as an affluent bedroom community and suburb of Toledo. The village maintains a full time police and fire rescue department. The Ottawa Hills school district ranked first...
) is the elected official for this district (and also serves as the Senate Majority Whip). - All of Oxford Township is located within the Ohio State 80th House DistrictOhio House of Representatives, 80th DistrictOhio House district 80 encompasses both Ottawa and Erie Counties, with the major population centers being Port Clinton, Rocky Ridge, Genoa, Marblehead, Sandusky, Huron, Berlin Heights and Vermilion. District 80 is largely a rural, agricultural district with a few tourist attractions such as...
. Dennis MurrayDennis Murray (Ohio politician)Dennis Murray is a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, serving the 80th District since 2009.-Career:Murray obtained his law degree from Georgetown University and returned to Ohio to work in his family's law firm in Sandusky, where he specializes in contracts, antitrust, securities, and...
(DDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-SanduskySandusky, OhioSandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
) is the representative for this district.
Local 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.Transportation
Ohio Turnpike
The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a -long, limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor to Chicago and Pittsburgh...
passes through Oxford Township, as does Ohio State Routes 99
Ohio State Route 99
State Route 99 is a north–south state highway in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. The highway's southern terminus is in the southern end of Willard at a T-intersection with U.S. Route 224...
and 113. Other important county and township highways include Mason Road, Patten Tract Road, Ransom Road, Strecker Road, and Thomas Road.
Communication
Addresses in Oxford Township have several different ZIP codeZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s:
- 44846 (MilanMilan, OhioMilan is a village in Erie and Huron counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,445 at the 2000 census.The Erie County portion of Milan is part of the Sandusky Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Huron County portion is part of the Norwalk Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History...
), in the east - 44847 (MonroevilleMonroeville, OhioMonroeville is a village in Huron County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,433 at the 2000 census.Monroeville High School sports teams are known as the "Eagles".-Geography:Monroeville is located at ....
), in the southwest - 44857 (NorwalkNorwalk, OhioAt the 2000 census, there were 16,238 people, 6,377 households and 4,234 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,950.3 per square mile . There were 6,687 housing units at an average density of 803.1 per square mile...
), in the far southeast - 44870 (SanduskySandusky, OhioSandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
), in the north
Telephone numbers in Oxford Townships have one of two area codes
Telephone numbering plan
A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunications to allocate telephone numbers to subscribers and to route telephone calls in a telephone network. A closed numbering plan, such as found in North America, imposes a fixed total length to numbers...
, either 419 or 567.
Education
Children from Oxford Townships attend one of three different public school districts:- The Berlin-Milan Local School DistrictBerlin-Milan Local School DistrictThe Edison Local School District is a district in Erie County and Huron County in north central Ohio serving the municipalities of Berlin Heights, Milan, and parts of Norwalk as well as parts of the townships of Berlin, Florence, Huron, Milan, Norwalk, Oxford, Perkins, and Vermilion.Edison High...
, in the east - The Monroeville Local School District, in the south
- The Perkins Local School DistrictPerkins Local School DistrictPerkins Local School District is a public school district serving students in Perkins Township near the city of Sandusky in Erie County, Ohio, United States...
, in the northwest
Parochial schools are located in the nearby towns of Monroeville
Monroeville, Ohio
Monroeville is a village in Huron County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,433 at the 2000 census.Monroeville High School sports teams are known as the "Eagles".-Geography:Monroeville is located at ....
, Norwalk, and Sandusky
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
.
Safety
Residents are protected by the Erie County Sheriff's Department, North Central EMS, and one of two volunteer fire departmentVolunteer fire department
See also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
s: the Groton Township fire department, for residents in the western part of the township; and the Milan Township fire department, for residents in the eastern part of the township.