Smith Township is one of the sixteen townships

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 Belmont County

Belmont County, Ohio

Belmont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 70,400. Its county seat is St. Clairsville...

, 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 1,445 people in the township.

Geography

Located in the central part of the county, it borders the following townships:

• Richland Township
  Richland Township, Belmont County, Ohio
  Richland Township is one of the sixteen townships of Belmont County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 13,571 people in the township, 8,514 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - north
• Mead Township
  Mead Township, Belmont County, Ohio
  Mead Township is one of the sixteen townships of Belmont County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 6,023 people in the township, 2,405 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - southeast
• Washington Township
  Washington Township, Belmont County, Ohio
  Washington Township is one of the sixteen townships of Belmont County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 537 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Smith Township - north...
  
   - south
• Wayne Township
  Wayne Township, Belmont County, Ohio
  Wayne Township is one of the sixteen townships of Belmont County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 624 people in the township, 587 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - southwest
• Goshen Township
  Goshen Township, Belmont County, Ohio
  Goshen Township is one of the sixteen townships of Belmont County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,252 people in the township, 1,307 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - west

No municipalities are located in Smith Township, although two unincorporated communities

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...

 are located in the township: Jacobsburg

Jacobsburg, Ohio

Jacobsburg is an unincorporated community in southeastern Smith Township, Belmont County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43933. It lies along State Route 147....

 in the southeast, and Warnock

Warnock, Ohio

Warnock is an unincorporated community in northern Smith Township, Belmont County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43967. It lies along State Route 9....

 in the north.

Name and history

Statewide, the only other Smith Township is located in Mahoning County

Smith Township, Mahoning County, Ohio

Smith Township is one of the fourteen townships of Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 4,977 people in the township, 3,895 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...

.

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.

Notable residents

• Susanna M. Salter
  Susanna M. Salter
  Susanna Madora "Dora" Salter was a U.S. politician and activist. She served as mayor of Argonia, Kansas, becoming the first woman elected as mayor and the first woman elected to any political office in the United States....
  
  , born in 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 Lamira in Smith Township. She was the first woman elected to be a mayor
  Mayor
  In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
  
  in the United States.