Springfield Township, Lucas County, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Springfield Township is one of the eleven townships
of Lucas County
, Ohio
, United States
. As of 2000, the total population is 24,123, making it the third most populous part of Lucas County, behind Toledo
and Sylvania Township
. The township's population growth was up 20.3% between the 1990 and 2000 census. In 1990 the population was 20,045. The township also entirely encompasses the village of Holland, Ohio
. Excluding Holland, the township had a population of 22,817 in 2000 and 19,035 in 1990.
Located in the central part of the county, it borders the following townships and cities:
The village of Holland
lies in eastern Springfield Township.
Swan Creek and Wolf Creek run through the township.
.
The township was formed on 1836-06-30 by the detachment of land from Waynesfield Township (now Maumee, Ohio). This occurred after Wood County
was dismembered and Lucas County formed in 1835. The first session of the County Commissioners at their first meeting held in Toledo on September 14, 1835, was the creation of this new township. The first election of officers was held at the house of William Ford on October 8, 1836, with James Egnew, Thomas Wood and John Burchfield being named trustees. Peter Holloway was named clerk, John Wiltse, treasurer, William Ford, constable, and John Burchfield and John Spencer, justices of the peace.
Springfield Township is located in both the area covered by the Great Black Swamp and Oak Openings, and was mainly settled by immigrants from New England
and New York
. Many of the original settlers suffered great hardship from the lack of drainage and the "airs" from the swamp. The "History of Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio", states that Dennis Sage was probably the first to settle in the area in 1829, but other records dispute that claim. Daniel Hubbell is shown as one of the first County Commissioners of Wood County when it was formed in 1820. In the 1830 census he is shown as living in Waynesfield Township, while in the 1840 and 1850 census he was counted in Springfield Township. Jacob Wiltse (the father of John Wiltse, one of the first trustees) is named on the monument with his wife, son and daughter-in-law in Springfield Township Cemetery. Jacob Wiltse died in 1827. He and Thomas Wood are responsible for the land where the Cemetery now lies. Both families claim that they had a part in erecting the first church (Methodist) adjacent to it in the 1840s. The Wiltse family later moved to Michigan, but the Wood family remained in the Township and Lucas County.
The Oak Openings region was an area of large, open, sandy savannahs with occasional outcroppings of oak trees and heavy clay soil. Many types of berries grew wild in the area and several settleers took advantage of the soil for that purpose. Strawberries were a mainstay for many years and one family had many acres of cranberries that were cultivated. Although mostly a farming community, residents also took advantage of business in adjacent areas, with sailors being seen there in 1840 as a result of business on the Miami Erie Canal and the Maumee River, railroad men arrived or were so occupied in the 1860s with the running of the first railroad on May 20, 1852 between Toledo and Chicago, through what would later be called Holland, workers were available for the oil fields that appeared in northwest Ohio in the 1870s and 1880s, and finally the automobile industry provided and still provides work for many in the township.
of 2000, there were 24,123 people, 9,453 households, and 6,400 families residing in the township. The racial makeup of the township was 88.4% White, 6.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 2.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 9,453 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.03. There was a total of 9,982 housing units in the township, of which 529 (5.3%) were vacant.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18 and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.5 years. For every 100 females there were 93.76 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.71 males.
The following highways are important transportation arteries in Springfield 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 Lucas County
Lucas County, Ohio
----...
, 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...
. As of 2000, the total population is 24,123, making it the third most populous part of Lucas County, behind Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo 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...
and Sylvania Township
Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio
Sylvania Township is one of the eleven townships of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. As of 2000, the total population was 44,253, making it the second most populous county subdivision of Lucas County, as well as the third most populous in all of northwest Ohio and the 419 / 567 area codes...
. The township's population growth was up 20.3% between the 1990 and 2000 census. In 1990 the population was 20,045. The township also entirely encompasses the village of Holland, Ohio
Holland, Ohio
Holland is a village in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,306 at the 2000 census.-History:The first name of the village was Drakes, which possibly came from the name of a family or was in reference to the large number of geese that did and still fly over the area...
. Excluding Holland, the township had a population of 22,817 in 2000 and 19,035 in 1990.
Geography
- Sylvania TownshipSylvania Township, Lucas County, OhioSylvania Township is one of the eleven townships of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. As of 2000, the total population was 44,253, making it the second most populous county subdivision of Lucas County, as well as the third most populous in all of northwest Ohio and the 419 / 567 area codes...
- north - 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...
- east - MaumeeMaumee, OhioMaumee is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Toledo along the Maumee River. The population was 14,286 at the 2010 census. Maumee was also declared an All-America City by the National Civic League in June 2006.-Geography:...
- southeast - Monclova TownshipMonclova Township, Lucas County, OhioMonclova Township is one of the eleven townships of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 6,767 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the central part of the county, it borders the following townships and city:...
- south - Spencer TownshipSpencer Township, Lucas County, OhioSpencer Township is one of the eleven townships of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,708 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Richfield Township - north...
- west
The village of Holland
Holland, Ohio
Holland is a village in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,306 at the 2000 census.-History:The first name of the village was Drakes, which possibly came from the name of a family or was in reference to the large number of geese that did and still fly over the area...
lies in eastern Springfield Township.
Swan Creek and Wolf Creek run through the township.
Name and history
It is one of eleven Springfield Townships statewideSpringfield Township, Ohio
Springfield Township, Ohio may refer to:*Springfield Township, Clark County, Ohio*Springfield Township, Gallia County, Ohio*Springfield Township, Hamilton County, Ohio*Springfield Township, Jefferson County, Ohio*Springfield Township, Lucas County, Ohio...
.
The township was formed on 1836-06-30 by the detachment of land from Waynesfield Township (now Maumee, Ohio). This occurred after Wood County
Wood County, Ohio
Wood County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 125,488. Its county seat is Bowling Green. The county was named for Captain Eleazer D. Wood, the engineer for General William Henry Harrison's army, who built Fort Meigs in the War of 1812...
was dismembered and Lucas County formed in 1835. The first session of the County Commissioners at their first meeting held in Toledo on September 14, 1835, was the creation of this new township. The first election of officers was held at the house of William Ford on October 8, 1836, with James Egnew, Thomas Wood and John Burchfield being named trustees. Peter Holloway was named clerk, John Wiltse, treasurer, William Ford, constable, and John Burchfield and John Spencer, justices of the peace.
Springfield Township is located in both the area covered by the Great Black Swamp and Oak Openings, and was mainly settled by immigrants from New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Many of the original settlers suffered great hardship from the lack of drainage and the "airs" from the swamp. The "History of Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio", states that Dennis Sage was probably the first to settle in the area in 1829, but other records dispute that claim. Daniel Hubbell is shown as one of the first County Commissioners of Wood County when it was formed in 1820. In the 1830 census he is shown as living in Waynesfield Township, while in the 1840 and 1850 census he was counted in Springfield Township. Jacob Wiltse (the father of John Wiltse, one of the first trustees) is named on the monument with his wife, son and daughter-in-law in Springfield Township Cemetery. Jacob Wiltse died in 1827. He and Thomas Wood are responsible for the land where the Cemetery now lies. Both families claim that they had a part in erecting the first church (Methodist) adjacent to it in the 1840s. The Wiltse family later moved to Michigan, but the Wood family remained in the Township and Lucas County.
The Oak Openings region was an area of large, open, sandy savannahs with occasional outcroppings of oak trees and heavy clay soil. Many types of berries grew wild in the area and several settleers took advantage of the soil for that purpose. Strawberries were a mainstay for many years and one family had many acres of cranberries that were cultivated. Although mostly a farming community, residents also took advantage of business in adjacent areas, with sailors being seen there in 1840 as a result of business on the Miami Erie Canal and the Maumee River, railroad men arrived or were so occupied in the 1860s with the running of the first railroad on May 20, 1852 between Toledo and Chicago, through what would later be called Holland, workers were available for the oil fields that appeared in northwest Ohio in the 1870s and 1880s, and finally the automobile industry provided and still provides work for many in the township.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 24,123 people, 9,453 households, and 6,400 families residing in the township. The racial makeup of the township was 88.4% White, 6.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 2.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 9,453 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.03. There was a total of 9,982 housing units in the township, of which 529 (5.3%) were vacant.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18 and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.5 years. For every 100 females there were 93.76 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.71 males.
Schools
Springfield Township school system has four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The schools are Holloway, Crissey, Dorr Street, and Holland Elementary Schools, Springfield Middle School, and Springfield High School.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
- Interstate 475Interstate 475 (Ohio)Interstate 475 is an Interstate Highway in Ohio that is a western bypass of Toledo. The southern terminus is I-75 near Perrysburg. The northern terminus is I-75 near downtown Toledo...
from Sylvania Township, Lucas County, OhioSylvania Township, Lucas County, OhioSylvania Township is one of the eleven townships of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. As of 2000, the total population was 44,253, making it the second most populous county subdivision of Lucas County, as well as the third most populous in all of northwest Ohio and the 419 / 567 area codes...
to Monclova Township, Lucas County, OhioMonclova Township, Lucas County, OhioMonclova Township is one of the eleven townships of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 6,767 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the central part of the county, it borders the following townships and city:... - U.S. Route 23 Interstate 475/US 23 (Sylvania Township, Lucas County, OhioSylvania Township, Lucas County, OhioSylvania Township is one of the eleven townships of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. As of 2000, the total population was 44,253, making it the second most populous county subdivision of Lucas County, as well as the third most populous in all of northwest Ohio and the 419 / 567 area codes...
to Monclova Township, Lucas County, OhioMonclova Township, Lucas County, OhioMonclova Township is one of the eleven townships of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 6,767 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the central part of the county, it borders the following townships and city:...
) - State Route 2 "Airport Highway" (Swanton Township, Lucas County, OhioSwanton Township, Lucas County, OhioSwanton Township is one of the eleven townships of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,354 people in the township, 3,330 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
to Toledo, OhioToledo, 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...
)