Van Buren Township is one of the fourteen 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 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...

. 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 1,599 people in the township, 1,424 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.

Geography

Located in the northwestern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:

• Washington Township, Auglaize County
  Washington Township, Auglaize County, Ohio
  Washington Township is one of the fourteen townships of Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,320 people in the township, 1,429 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - north
• Pusheta Township, Auglaize County
  Pusheta Township, Auglaize County, Ohio
  Pusheta Township is one of the fourteen townships of Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,346 people in the township, 1,295 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - northeast corner
• Dinsmore Township
  Dinsmore Township, Shelby County, Ohio
  Dinsmore Township is one of the fourteen townships of Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,357 people in the township, 1,371 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - east
• Franklin Township
  Franklin Township, Shelby County, Ohio
  Franklin Township is one of the fourteen townships of Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,842 people in the township, 1,773 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - southeast
• Turtle Creek Township
  Turtle Creek Township, Shelby County, Ohio
  Turtle Creek Township is one of the fourteen townships of Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,583 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the central part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
  
   - south
• McLean Township
  McLean Township, Shelby County, Ohio
  McLean Township is one of the fourteen townships of Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,082 people in the township, 1,738 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - southwest, east of Jackson Township
• Jackson Township, Auglaize County
  Jackson Township, Auglaize County, Ohio
  Jackson Township is one of the fourteen townships of Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,577 people in the township, 776 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - southwest corner, west of McLean Township
• German Township, Auglaize County
  German Township, Auglaize County, Ohio
  German Township is one of the fourteen townships of Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,831 people in the township, 929 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - west
• Saint Marys Township, Auglaize County
  Saint Marys Township, Auglaize County, Ohio
  Saint Marys Township is one of the fourteen townships of Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 11,600 people in the township, 3,457 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - northwest

The village of Kettlersville

Kettlersville, Ohio

Kettlersville is a village in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 175 at the 2000 census. The "s" is traditionally silent when pronouncing Kettlersville as "Kettler-ville" by the locals.-Geography:Kettlersville is located at ....

 lies in central Van Buren Township, and the 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...

 of McCartyville

McCartyville, Ohio

McCartyville is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. Located at the junction of State Routes 29 and 119, it lies in southern Van Buren Township, south of central Kettlersville and approximately northwest of the city of Sidney, the county seat of Shelby County...

 and St. Patrick

St. Patrick, Ohio

St. Patrick is an unincorporated community in southwestern Van Buren Township, Shelby County, Ohio, United States. It lies at the intersection of Hoying and Wright-Puthoff Roads, northwest of the city of Sidney, the county seat of Shelby County. Its elevation is 971 feet , and it is located...

 are located in the township's south and southwest respectively.

Name and history

Statewide, other Van Buren Townships are located in Darke

Van Buren Township, Darke County, Ohio

Van Buren Township is one of the twenty townships of Darke County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,573 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Adams Township - north...

, Hancock

Van Buren Township, Hancock County, Ohio

Van Buren Township is one of the seventeen townships of Hancock County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 943 people in the township, 708 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...

, Putnam

Van Buren Township, Putnam County, Ohio

Van Buren Township is one of the fifteen townships of Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,128 people in the township, 721 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...

 Counties.

Van Buren township was organized on December 1, 1834. Its first families had only arrived a short time before: the first white child

First white child

The birth of the first white child was a celebrated occasion across many parts of the New World. Such births are a matter of pride for many townships, and they are commemorated with plaques and monuments at the location of the event. The birth was seen as such an honor that it was at times...

in the township's present boundaries was Charles Maurer, who was born in the fall of 1833.

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.