User:Addis-Bot/township/Category:Townships in Ohio by county/Townsend Township, Sandusky County, Ohio

Townsend Township, Sandusky County, Ohio
镇区
Across the broad fields of rural Townsend Township
Location of Townsend Township, Sandusky County, Ohio
国家	美国
州份	俄亥俄州
县	Sandusky
面积
• 总计	33.8 平方英里（87.6 平方公里）
• 陸地	32.5 平方英里（84.1 平方公里）
• 水域	1.3 平方英里（3.5 平方公里）
海拔	604 英尺（184 公尺）
人口（2000年）
• 總計	1,670人
• 密度	51.4人/平方英里（19.9人/平方公里）
时区	东部（EST）（UTC-5）
• 夏时制	EDT（UTC-4）
FIPS代码	39-77162
地名信息系统特征识别码	1086918

Townsend Township is one of the twelve townships of Sandusky County, 俄亥俄州, 美国. As of the 2000 census, 1,670 people lived in the township.

地理

Located in the northeastern corner of the county, 与以下镇区接壤：

• Margaretta Township, Erie County - 北east
• Groton Township, Erie County - 东南
• York Township - 南
• Green Creek Township - 南west corner
• Riley Township - 西

No municipalities are located in Townsend Township, although the unincorporated community of Vickery is located in the township's west. Prior to the settlement the southern part of the township was all heavily timbered. Extensive prairies broke the forest in the northern part. These prairies were covered with a heavy marsh grass, interspersed with an occasional branch of a more nutritious variety, which attracted the cows of the early settlers. The surface slope of the township is uniformly toward the northwest, and a number of small streams flow rapidly in that direction.

Only a faint idea can be formed by our own generation of the "appearance of things" before the white man's axe changed the condition of nature. Except in the marshy northern sections, heavy trees united their tops and completely excluded the sun. Smaller trees filled the intervening spaces below, while at many places shrubs and bushes made the forest absolutely impenetrable. Through the central part of the township walnut was the predominating heavy timber; on the ridge further south oak prevailed. Thick grape-vines, with long tendrils, bound the trees together and made it necessary in some instances to cut half a dozen trees before one could be brought to the ground. They finally came down with a crash, crossing each other in every direction. Complete clearings generally were made only where it was designed to erect the cabin. Land was first prepared for crops by cutting the smaller trees, grubbing out the underbrush, and girdling the large trees. This method of clearing saved a great deal of labor. The girdled trees soon became dry and were easily burned down during the warm months of the fall. But, although the large trees were not cut down, heavy logs had to be piled together and burned before the plow or cultivator could be used. For ages trees had been growing, dying, then falling and giving place to others. These dead and decaying trunks were lying almost concealed by underbrush.

Name and history

It was ordered by the county commissioners at their April session, 1820: That a township be detached from the town of Croghanville (Fremont), to be known by the name of "Townsend," bounded as follows: Beginning on the east bank of Green Creek, at the division line between Sandusky and Seneca counties, thence east with said line to the east line of Seneca reservation, thence north along said line until it shall intersect the road leading from Croghanville to Strong's settlement, thence along said road until it shall reach the Huron county line, thence north along said line to Sandusky Bay, thence along the shore of the bay until it shall reach Green Creek, thence along the bank of the creek to the place of beginning. An old document says there were within this territory at that time more than twenty voters, but their names are not given, and early election records are lost. The establishment of Green Creek in 1822, and Riley in 1823, reduced Townsend to its present size. Statewide, the only other Townsend Township is located in Huron County.

The first settler in the township was Moses Wilson. He built his cabin on the North ridge in the spring of 1818. When the land came into market, he made a purchase and removed to the west part of the county. The Townsend family, whose name the township bears, made the second improvement on the present Brush farm, in the spring of 1818. Abraham Townsend emigrated from New York to Canada before the War of 1812. His son, Ephraim K., joined the United States army, which circumstance, together with his known sympathy with his native country, made it not only judicious, but necessary, at the opening of that unfortunate struggle, for the family to return to the States. The war over Mr. Townsend was one among the earliest of the pioneers of Northern Ohio, and in 1818 pushed into the thick and heavy forest of this county. The place of settlement had possibly been selected, during the war, by Ephraim K. The family, at the time of coming to this county, numbered two sons and five daughters, viz: Ephraim K. and Gamalial, Margaret (Chit-tendon), Betsey, wife of Addy Van Ness, Mary (Loux), Amy, and Eliza. Mr. Town-send removed to Huron county about 1824, and a few years later to Michigan. Ephraim K. remained in Townsend, where he owned eighty acres of land, until 1826, when he removed to Sandusky City, where he died the following year. Mr. Townsend was the first clerk of the township.

政府

镇区有3人组成的理事会管理。理事会理事选举在奇数年11月举行，并在来年1月1日开始四年任期。两名理事的选举在总统选举后一年举行，另一名的选举在总统选举前一年举行。镇区财务官亦由选举产生，与一名镇区理事选举同时举行，不过在来年4月1日才开始四年任期。若财务官或理事职位有空缺，将由剩余理事填补。

The first election was held at the house of M. Wilson. The town government of that year was as simple as possible. It was, indeed, little more than a law and order society. The land had not yet come into market, and consequently the principal business of our present official system—the collection and expenditure of taxes—was a thing of the future. Indeed, officers for the protection of personal property were unnecessary, for the citizens took into their own hands the business of inflicting punishments.

外部链接

• County website