Local events in Clay Township, Gallia County
Nothing is posted for Clay Township itself yet; here is what is on within 20 miles. All local events in Clay Township, Gallia County
Know a calendar we should watch? Send the link
Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Clay Township, Gallia County began
Clay Township runs along the Ohio River in southeastern Gallia County, downstream of most of the county's other river townships. Harley Sage, who built a cabin on Raccoon Bottom in 1797 and worked as a blacksmith, was the first of the township's settlers; the township itself was organized December 6, 1830. Its river village of Chambersburg, laid out in 1852 by John Chambers, grew into a boat-building center with several saw and planing mills, reaching a population of 202 by 1880 and remaining the township's only village today (unincorporated). The township's other defining modern landmark is what is now the Robert C. Byrd Lock and Dam, originally built as the Gallipolis Lock and Dam beginning in 1937, one of the Ohio River's chain of navigation dams and today the tenth lock and dam downstream from Pittsburgh.
Settled 1797, incorporated 1830-12-06, by First settler Harley Sage, a blacksmith.
Where the name comes from
No source found explains why Clay Township was given its name; it is one of nine townships named "Clay" in Ohio (likely honoring statesman Henry Clay, a common namesake for Ohio townships of this era, though no source confirms that specifically for this township), and no local origin story survives in the sources checked.
Before the town
No source found records a Native village, mound, trail, or treaty event specific to Clay Township. The township lies within Gallia County's broader Shawnee homeland of the pre-1795 Ohio River valley.
Nations recorded here: Shawnee.
Timeline
- — Harley Sage, the township's first settler, builds a cabin on Raccoon Bottom and takes up his trade as a blacksmith; Joseph Hazelett, John Day, Phillip Cubbage, Ruben Hay and B. Angel are among other early arrivals.
- — Samuel Campbell builds the township's first saw mill.
- — Dooner and Booth erect the township's first grist mill, a frame building with one run of stone.
- — Clay Township is organized; the first election is held at the house of Edward Cottrell on Raccoon Creek.
- — John Chambers lays out the village of Chambersburg on the Ohio River; by 1880 it has a population of 202, several saw and planing mills, and boat-building as its principal business.
- — Construction begins on the Gallipolis Lock and Dam on the Ohio River at the township's river frontage; it opens the same year, in October 1937.
- — Clay Township records a census population of 1,710, with no incorporated municipality within its borders.
Stories
A New Deal-era lock renamed for a senator
In August 1937, as part of the nationwide chain of dams the Army Corps of Engineers was building to make the Ohio River reliably navigable year-round, construction began on what was then called the Gallipolis Lock and Dam, on the river at the edge of Clay Township. It opened that same October, the tenth such lock and dam downstream from Pittsburgh, straddling the Ohio-West Virginia border. Its main lock chamber, 1,200 feet long and 110 feet wide, could pass barge tows too large for the smaller, older locks the dam replaced elsewhere on the river. Decades later the facility was renamed the Robert C. Byrd Lock and Dam, after the long-serving West Virginia senator, and it has since undergone major rehabilitation -- a lock replacement costing roughly $244.5 million and dam rehabilitation work costing about $46.7 million -- while continuing to carry commercial barge traffic past Clay Township's river frontage.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · ohiogenealogyexpress.com
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Gallipolis99% of residentsGroundwater wells (6 wells)
- Gallia Co. Rural Water Association1% of residentsOhio River Valley Aquifer (10 wells, Gallipolis/Addison Twp.)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Clay Township, Gallia County's boundary: 1 poor-rated bridge. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Bridges rated poor (1)
-
Williams Hollow Rd over StreamPoor · built 1974
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1974
- Length
- 10 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 385
- Coordinates
- 38.72581, -82.25194
National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025. "Poor" means one major part rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale; it calls for repair, not closing, unless the state posts or closes the bridge.
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Clay Township, Gallia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45623 Ohio Township and Crown City | 12% | Mostly private wells | Too few radon tests | Median year built 1985 | Gallia County Local · 3 stars overall | 14% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45631 Green Township and Gallipolis | 9% | Groundwater wells (6 wells) | 3.7 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1972 | Gallipolis City · 3 stars overall | 14% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Clay Township, Gallia County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2023: 1 of 1 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Issue: Clay Township Fire Levy | 322 | 136 | Passed (70.31% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Trustee | Chad Slone 376, 100.0% |
| 2023-11-07 | Fiscal Officer | Caleb G. Campbell 152, 33.26%; Carla Daniels 55, 12.04%; Bradie Angell Lewis 89, 19.47%; Wanda K. Waugh 161, 35.23% |
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.
- Basic Audit, 2024 to 2025, released 2026-05-14
The county
Gallia County: 8 ZIP codes, 22 cities, villages and townships, 30,753 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Clay Township, Ohio in?
Clay Township, Gallia County is a township in Gallia County, Ohio, with 1,710 residents.
When was Clay Township, Ohio founded?
Clay Township, Gallia County was settled 1797; incorporated 1830-12-06. Founders on record: First settler Harley Sage, a blacksmith. Source
What ZIP code is Clay Township, Ohio?
Clay Township, Gallia County is served by ZIP codes 45623 and 45631; 45623 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Clay Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Clay Township, Gallia County (Gallipolis): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Clay Township, Gallia County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/clay-township-gallia-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31
