Local events in Chester Township, Geauga County
60 events in the next 90 days from 3 public calendars. All local events in Chester Township, Geauga County
Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
Notable people from Chester Township, Geauga County
Ohioans tied to this place, each with a sourced profile. All notable Ohioans
How Chester Township, Geauga County began
Chester Township was organized in 1816, one of sixteen townships surveyed out of the Connecticut Western Reserve that became Geauga County, though the 1879 county history dates its first settler, Justice Miner, to 1801. In the nineteenth century the township was home to the Geauga Seminary, a Free Will Baptist school whose students included future president James A. Garfield. Chesterland, an unincorporated census-designated place, sits at the township's center; the township remains a Cleveland-exurb farm community, with a 2020 population of 9,957.
Settled 1801-1802 (Justice Miner cleared land in 1801; the families arrived in 1802), incorporated 1816-10 (township set off from Burton and organized; first town meeting November 18, 1816), by Set off on petition of Wm. N. Hudson and others from the township of Burton as towns 7 and 8 of range 9; township 7 (Russell) was detached in March 1827.
Where the name comes from
The reason for the township's name is not recorded.
Before the town
No Native village, mound or trail within Chester Township is recorded. The 1879 county history records only that during the War of 1812, after the fall of Detroit in August 1812, a rumor spread through the Chester woods that Indians were scalping women and children in the settlements east of it; the women gathered their children and hid in the woods until John Miner found them at nightfall, and the rumor was contradicted the next morning.
Timeline
- — The boundaries and tract lines of Chester are run under the direction of Joshua Stowe of Middletown, Connecticut, aided by Seth Pease and Amzi Atwater; Theodore Lacy divides the south tract into forty lots in 1801.
- — Justice Miner is recorded as Chester Township's first settler in the 1879 county history's settlement list.
- — General Edward Paine, as state commissioner with surveyor Abram Tappan, opens the Old Chillicothe Road from Painesville through Chester and Russell toward Hudson and the Tuscarawas, a blazed line with the brush lopped; Justice Miner clears four acres and builds the first cabin in Chester on or about May 1.
- — The Miner and Sheffield families, fifteen people in four families, journey from Lima, New York with ox teams, then by a repaired boat along Lake Erie from Cattaraugus to General Paine's at Grand River; they reach their cabins in July, and Mrs. Philo Miner is the first white woman to set foot on Chester ground.
- — Altha, daughter of Philo and his wife Miner, is born, the first child of European descent born in Chester; the first apple seeds are planted this year.
- — In April, John Sheffield and Anna Miner are married by David Hudson, Esq., the first wedding in Chester; in mid-July a tornado levels about a sixth of the forest and kills Dr. John Miner, the first death, which discourages eastern emigrants and halts settlement until 1806.
- — William Archer comes and marries Sally Miner, the second wedding in Chester; further tornadoes strike in June 1810 and the last of June 1812.
- — Asahel Gilmore moves in from Massachusetts, and his brother James settles the next year on lot 12, tract 2, the site of the village near the center; Jeremiah Iles marries Betsey Miner and Alpheus Sheffield marries Dorothy Miner.
- — Chester Township is organized as one of Geauga County's sixteen townships.
- — The first town meeting is held at the house of William N. Hudson, with Justice Miner chosen chair and Silas Tanner and Hudson as judges; Justice Miner is elected justice of the peace.
- — There are about twenty families in the township, by Dr. Hudson's count, and Joel Gilbert, Charles Odell and others arrive from Genoa, New York; thirty-nine families live there by 1823.
- — Dr. William N. Hudson, son of David Hudson, returns after studying medicine and becomes the first postmaster; he leaves for Meigs County in 1838 or 1839.
- — Township 7, the forest-covered southern half, is detached from Chester and becomes Russell Township.
- — Grazing and dairying are the prevailing industries and four cheese factories operate in the township, which also produces maple sugar and apples.
- — Chester Township District School No. 2 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 4.
- — U.S. Census records 9,957 residents in Chester Township, with Chesterland as its unincorporated center.
Stories
The seminary that taught a future president
In the nineteenth century Chester Township was home to the Geauga Seminary, a Free Will Baptist school that James A. Garfield, later President of the United States, attended.
By ox team, boat and gale to Chester
Justice Miner of Lima, New York, drove forty head of cattle to the Reserve in 1801, chose three hundred acres in the southeast corner of the future Chester, and built the first cabin about May 1. In February 1802 the Miners and the Sheffields set out with ox teams for the 250 miles of roadless country to the cabin. A thaw held them a week and they spent a rainy stretch at Cattaraugus in an old Indian block-house while the young men found a stove boat at Austinburg and repaired it. On April 15 four families, fifteen people, embarked on Lake Erie. A gale on the last day tore their sail to shreds and they only just made land at Cattaraugus, where an Indian helped drag the boat ashore. On May 1 they entered the Grand River and landed at General Paine's, who welcomed them. Meantime two younger men had driven the oxen through in ten or eleven days. In July the families were at last in their cabins, and young Mrs. Philo Miner was the first woman of European blood to stand on the ground of Chester.
The tornado of 1804
The settlement was not yet two years old when, in the middle of July 1804, one of the tornadoes bred on the lake struck the forests of Chester. The morning was serene; the black cloud rose slowly to the zenith, beasts fled to their deepest haunts, and the settlers shrank into their cabins. A roar came from the northwest, and where the century-grown forest had stood lay a wide mass of prostrate trunks and upturned roots. The storm went on to the southeast and flattened the woods of Newbury and Burton. Dr. Hudson, who told the story, judged that a sixth of the forest of Chester was gone in that hour. Dr. John Miner, new in a bark-covered cabin without door or floor, laid his children on the ground below the bare floor joists, which saved them, but he was killed, the first death in Chester. The 1879 history says the news set back settlement: Mr. Beard moved away, eastern emigrants chose homes elsewhere, and no new settlement was made until 1806. More tornadoes struck in June 1810 and June 1812, which Dr. Hudson counted a chief cause of the township's slow growth.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · archive.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Historic places
1 place in Chester Township, Geauga County on the National Register of Historic Places. Press a pin or a name for its whole record.
-
Chester Township District School No. 2Building · Chesterland · listed 1982
- Address
- 7798 Mayfield Rd.
- Where
- Chesterland, Geauga County · ZIP 44026
- What it is
- Building
- Listed on the National Register
- 1982
- NRIS reference number
- 82001463
- Coordinates
- 41.52271, -81.36275
National Register file (NPS) ↗ Search Wikipedia ↗ Street map and directions ↗ On the Cracked Buckeye map
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places point file. The listing year is shown where NPS's certification date agrees with the listing's reference number. Listing recognizes significance; it does not restrict a private owner.
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Manchester Farms Water84% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Cleveland Public Water System13% of residentsLake Erie
- Maywood Community Inc.4% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Chester Township, Geauga County's boundary: 2 fire and EMS stations, 1 college, 1 high-hazard dam, 3 public schools, 2 private schools, 1 library, 1 police station, 1 Toxics Release Inventory facility and 7 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Fire and EMS stations (2)
-
Chester Township Fire RescueChesterland
- Address
- 8552 Parkside Drive, Chesterland, OH 44026
- Coordinates
- 41.52407, -81.33678
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Chesterland Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services Station 2Chesterland
- Address
- 11767 Chillicothe Road, Chesterland, OH 44026
- Coordinates
- 41.55093, -81.33873
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: USGS National Map structures (most Ohio records last updated 2019 to 2022), checked against the Columbus and Cleveland station lists. The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction and mutual aid, not by distance.
Colleges (1)
-
International Culinary Arts and Sciences InstituteFor-profit career school · Chesterland
- What it is
- For-profit career school
- City
- Chesterland
- Students, 2023-24 (12-month count)
- 32
- IPEDS unit ID
- 453297
College Navigator (NCES) ↗ IPEDS data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: NCES IPEDS 2024 directory, 2023-24 enrollment and tuition, graduation rates for the 2017 (four-year) and 2020 (two-year) entering classes.
High-hazard dams (1)
-
Shadow Hill Lake DamTributary To East Branch Chagrin River · condition: satisfactory
- Hazard class
- High: a failure would probably cost a life
- Condition
- Satisfactory (assessed 05/17/2024)
- River or stream
- Tributary To East Branch Chagrin River
- Purpose
- Recreation
- Type
- Earth
- Height
- 21 ft
- Storage
- 35 acre-feet
- Completed
- 1973
- Owner type
- Private
- County
- Geauga County
- Nearest town (NID)
- Kirtland
- Last inspection
- 06/28/2023
- Emergency action plan
- No
- NID ID
- OH01629
National Inventory of Dams record ↗ National Inventory of Dams (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Inventory of Dams, August 2026. "High hazard" rates what a failure would cost downstream, not how likely one is; the condition is the state's assessment.
Public schools (3)
-
Robert C Lindsey Elementary School5 of 5 stars · Chesterland
- Address
- 11844 Caves Rd, Chesterland, OH 44026
- School district
- West Geauga Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 465
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 24.1
- Report card, 2025-26
- 5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 99%
- Ohio building IRN
- 027821
- NCES school ID
- 390472202806
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
West Geauga High School5 of 5 stars · Chesterland
- Address
- 13401 Chillicothe Rd, Chesterland, OH 44026
- School district
- West Geauga Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 660
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 38.2
- Report card, 2025-26
- 5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 98.2%
- Four-year graduation rate
- 98.6%
- Ohio building IRN
- 038653
- NCES school ID
- 390472202808
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
West Geauga Middle School5 of 5 stars · Chesterland
- Address
- 8611 Cedar Rd, Chesterland, OH 44026
- School district
- West Geauga Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 514
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 24.1
- Report card, 2025-26
- 5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 96.9%
- Ohio building IRN
- 038661
- NCES school ID
- 390472202809
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: NCES EDGE public school locations 2024-25 and Common Core of Data 2023-24 (type, students, teachers); Ohio School Report Cards 2025-26 (Department of Education and Workforce), matched by name within the district.
Private schools (2)
-
Hawken SchoolPrivate, nonsectarian · Gates Mills
- Address
- Po Box 8002, Gates Mills, OH 44040
- Kind
- nonsectarian
- Students, 2023-24
- 1,101
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 76.6
- Students per teacher
- 14.3734
- Phone
- (440) 423-4446
- NCES private school ID
- A1903433
-
St Anselm Elementary SchoolPrivate, Catholic · Chesterland
- Address
- 13013 Chillicothe Rd, Chesterland, OH 44026
- Kind
- Catholic
- Students, 2023-24
- 153
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 12.5
- Students per teacher
- 12.24
- Phone
- (440) 729-7806
- NCES private school ID
- 01058355
Source: NCES Private School Survey 2023-24.
Public libraries (1)
-
Geauga West BranchBranch · Chesterland
- Address
- 13455 Chillicothe Rd, Chesterland, OH 44026
- What it is
- Branch
- Library system
- Geauga County Public Library
- Open
- 3,536 hours a year, 52 weeks
- Building
- 23,000 sq ft
- System's visits, FY2024
- 620,568
- System's loans, FY2024
- 3,017,332
- People the system serves
- 85,791
- Phone
- (440) 729-4250
IMLS Public Libraries Survey (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: IMLS Public Libraries Survey FY2024 (outlets and their systems). Any Ohio resident can get a free card at any Ohio public library.
Police stations (1)
-
Chester Township Police DepartmentChesterland
- Address
- 12696 Opalocka Drive, Chesterland, OH 44026
- Coordinates
- 41.52320, -81.33523
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: USGS National Map structures, police stations, corrected and completed by hand (September 2026). The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction, not by distance.
Facilities reporting toxic releases (1)
-
Channel Products IncToxics Release Inventory · Chesterland
- Address
- 7100 Wilson Mills Rd, Chesterland, OH 44026
- County
- Geauga County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
- EPA program ID
- 44026CHNNL7100W
- EPA registry ID
- 110002110091
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: EPA Facility Registry Service, Toxics Release Inventory reporters. Reporting a release is required of large users of listed chemicals; it is not by itself a violation.
Spills reported since 2021 (7)
-
Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle2024-12-05 · Chester Twp
- Reported
- 2024-12-05
- What spilled
- Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle
- Largest amount reported
- 50 gallons
- Where
- Chester Twp, Geauga County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2412EPA0001978
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Gasoline ( 25% Ethanol Not E85)2023-12-10 · Chester Twp
- Reported
- 2023-12-10
- What spilled
- Fuel Gasoline ( 25% Ethanol Not E85)
- Largest amount reported
- 53 gallons
- Where
- Chester Twp, Geauga County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2312EPA0002039
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sewage Human2022-04-15 · Chester Twp
- Reported
- 2022-04-15
- What spilled
- Sewage Human; Fat(S) / Oil / Grease / Tallow Food Types (Fog)
- Where
- Chester Twp, Geauga County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2204EPA0000515
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sheen Rainbow / Hydrocarbon Reached water2021-11-20 · Chester Twp
- Reported
- 2021-11-20
- What spilled
- Sheen Rainbow / Hydrocarbon
- Reached a waterway
- 28 - Griswold Creek
- Where
- Chester Twp, Geauga County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2111EPA0001761
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Oil/ Home Heating / Heating Oil2021-11-15 · Chester Twp
- Reported
- 2021-11-15
- What spilled
- Fuel Oil/ Home Heating / Heating Oil
- Where
- Chester Twp, Geauga County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2111EPA0001742
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Oil/ Home Heating / Heating Oil Reached water2021-09-12 · Chester Twp
- Reported
- 2021-09-12
- What spilled
- Fuel Oil/ Home Heating / Heating Oil
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Chester Twp, Geauga County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2109EPA0001436
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Food Waste Reached water2021-02-11 · Chester Twp
- Reported
- 2021-02-11
- What spilled
- Food Waste
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Chester Twp, Geauga County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2102EPA0000188
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: Ohio EPA emergency response spill reports, 2021 to September 2026, one point per case where Ohio EPA placed it. A report is what the caller or responder recorded; amounts are often blank or estimated.
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Chester Township, Geauga County, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.
| ZIP | Share | Water | Radon | Home value | Schools | Flood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44026 Chester Township and Chesterland | 92% | Mostly private wells | 2.6 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1963 | West Geauga Local · 5 stars overall | 0.6% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Chester Township, Geauga County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2024: 4 of 4 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-05 | Issue: Renewal Chester Township 1.5 mills - Streets, Roads, and Bridges (1.5 mills, renewal) | 4,199 | 2,084 | Passed (66.83% for), unofficial |
| 2024-11-05 | Issue: Renewal Chester Township 2.5 mills - Streets, Roads, and Bridges (2.5 mills, renewal) | 3,882 | 2,430 | Passed (61.5% for), unofficial |
| 2024-11-05 | Issue: Renewal Chester Township 0.5 mills - Police (0.5 mills, renewal) | 4,227 | 2,098 | Passed (66.83% for), unofficial |
| 2024-11-05 | Issue: Renewal Chester Township 2.5 mills - Police (2.5 mills, renewal) | 4,031 | 2,287 | Passed (63.8% for), unofficial |
| 2023-05-02 | Issue: Sunday Sales | 10 | 6 | Passed (62.5% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-19 | Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) | Cydny Heimovitz (DEM) 28, 100.0% |
| 2024-03-19 | Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) | Heather Fisher (DEM) 38, 100.0% |
| 2024-03-19 | Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) | Patty Varanese (DEM) 39, 100.0% |
| 2024-03-19 | Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) | Sally Biel Contizano (DEM) 39, 100.0% |
| 2024-03-19 | Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) | Rebecca Gorski (DEM) 45, 100.0% |
Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.
Auditor of State record
- No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
- Financial Audit, 2024 to 2025, released 2026-06-23
The county
Geauga County: 11 ZIP codes, 20 cities, villages and townships, 89,999 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Chester Township, Ohio in?
Chester Township, Geauga County is a township in Geauga County, Ohio, with 9,957 residents.
When was Chester Township, Ohio founded?
Chester Township, Geauga County was settled 1801-1802 (Justice Miner cleared land in 1801; the families arrived in 1802); incorporated 1816-10 (township set off from Burton and organized; first town meeting November 18, 1816). Founders on record: Set off on petition of Wm. N. Hudson and others from the township of Burton as towns 7 and 8 of range 9; township 7 (Russell) was detached in March 1827. Source
How did Chester Township, Ohio get its name?
The reason for the township's name is not recorded. Source
What ZIP code is Chester Township, Ohio?
Most of Chester Township, Geauga County is in ZIP code 44026.
Where does Chester Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Chester Township, Geauga County (Manchester Farms Water): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Chester Township, Geauga County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/chester-township-geauga-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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