Oxford Township, Erie County, Ohio

Oxford Township is one of the nine townships of Erie County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio micropolitan statistical area and the Cleveland-Akron-Canton Combined Statistical Area. The 2010 census recorded 1,201 residents, fewer than any other township in Erie County. However, the township's population gain of 9.6% since the 2000 census population of 1,096 is the largest increase in entire county.[3]

Oxford Township, Erie County, Ohio
Township
Along the West Branch of the Huron River in southeastern Oxford Township
Location of Oxford Township in Erie County
Coordinates: 41°19′43″N 82°41′16″W
CountryUnited States
StateOhio
CountyErie
Area
 • Total26.1 sq mi (67.6 km2)
 • Land26.0 sq mi (67.4 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation696 ft (212 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total1,201
 • Density46.2/sq mi (17.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code39-59276[2]
GNIS feature ID1086068[1]
Websitehttp://www.oxfordtownshipohio.com/

A small section of NASA Glenn Research Center's Plum Brook Station facility is located in Oxford Township. Most notably, the Space Power Facility (SPF)---the world's largest thermal vacuum chamber---is located in the northeastern corner of the township.

Geography

Located in the southwestern part of Erie County, it borders the following townships:

No municipalities are located in Oxford Township, although the unincorporated community of Bloomingville lies in the northern part of the township.

Oxford Township is part of the Firelands, which in turn is part of the Connecticut Western Reserve.

Topography
Farm fields and woodlots are a common scene across Oxford Township.

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.[4]

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 m) high. There are even some small waterfalls near Peru Center Road and Schaffer Road that are approximately 75 feet (23 m) high.

Two state natural areas are located within this township. Erie Sand Barrens State Nature Preserve, a 32-acre (130,000 m2) park in the northwest part of the township, can be accessed from Mason Road and Taylor Road.[5] The 296-acre (1.20 km2) Milan State Wildlife Area in the southeast part of the township can be accessed from State Route 113 and Lovers Lane.[6]

Name and history

Oxford Township is one of only thirty townships located in a unique subregion of the Connecticut Western Reserve, 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.[7]

It is one of six Oxford Townships statewide.[8]

Government

Regional and national government

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,[9] 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.

Public services

Transportation
An early winter view from Ransom Road just south of NASA Plum Brook Station in Oxford Township.

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.

Communication

Addresses in Oxford Township have several different ZIP codes:

Telephone numbers in Oxford Townships have one of two area codes, either 419 or 567.

Education

Children from Oxford Townships attend one of three different public school districts:

Parochial schools are located in the nearby towns of Monroeville, Norwalk, and Sandusky.

Safety

Residents are protected by the Erie County Sheriff's Department, North Central EMS, and one of two volunteer fire departments: the Groton Township fire department, for residents in the western part of the township;[10] and the Milan Township fire department, for residents in the eastern part of the township.

References
  1. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. Ohio Department of Development (PDF) Archived 2011-06-27 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 23 January 2012.
  4. http://www.ohiodnr.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=U51T82PmwVw%3d&tabid=21661. Accessed 15 December 2009
  5. http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/location/eriebarrens/tabid/938/Default.aspx. Accessed 15 December 2009
  6. http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/wild_resourcessubhomepage/WildlifeAreaMaps/NorthwestOhioWildlifeAreaMaps/MilanWildlifeArea/tabid/20011/Default.aspx. Accessed 15 December 2009
  7. http://firelandsmuseum.org/History/. Accessed 15 December 2009
  8. "Detailed map of Ohio" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  9. §503.24, §505.01, and §507.01 of the Ohio Revised Code. Accessed 4/30/2009.
  10. Groton Township Volunteer Fire Department - History Page Accessed 04 December 2009.
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