Local events in Elk Township, Vinton County
Nothing is posted for Elk Township itself yet; here is what is on within 10 miles. All local events in Elk Township, Vinton County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Elk Township, Vinton County began
Elk Township, formed on March 7, 1811, from part of Athens County's Alexander Township, was Vinton County's earliest-settled ground: the Friend Brothers built cabins on the future site of McArthur but did not stay, leaving Levi Kelsey, who arrived about 1802, as the county's first permanent settler. A second early settler discovered the region's fine burr-stone in 1805 or 1806 and opened the first millstone quarry, launching an industry that drew some fifty quarrying families to the area within a decade. The township contains the village of McArthur, Vinton County's seat, administered separately from the township's own unincorporated area, whose early record includes the county's first marriage, first horse-mill, and a vivid 1874 settler's memoir of the overland journey from Maryland in 1814.
Settled 1802, incorporated 1811-03-07, by Levi Kelsey, the first permanent settler; the township itself organized from Alexander Township, Athens County.
Where the name comes from
Not found in sources checked; likely named for elk once native to the area, a common naming pattern for Ohio townships, but not independently confirmed.
Before the town
No Native American site or village specific to Elk Township's unincorporated area was found in the sources checked.
Timeline
- — Levi Kelsey arrives with his family and becomes the first permanent settler of both Elk Township and Vinton County, after the earlier, short-lived Friend Brothers had left the future McArthur site.
- — A settler remembered as "a Mr. Musselman," a miller by trade, discovers the region's fine burr-stone and starts the county's first millstone quarry the following spring.
- — The commissioners of Athens County order that the western part of Alexander Township be erected into a new township named Elk.
- — Levi Johnson settles in the township, builds its first horse-mill and first still-house, becomes its first Justice of the Peace, and performs its first marriage.
- — Elk Township's first marriage is performed, joining Abraham Cassill to a young woman living with the Shry family, officiated by Squire Levi Johnson.
- — The Bothwell family settles near the future site of McArthur, after a thirty-two-day overland and river journey from Silveysport, Maryland recounted sixty years later by family matriarch Charlotte E. Bothwell.
- — Isaac Pierson, Levi Johnson, Moses Dawson, George Will and John Reach purchase the quarter-section on which McArthur is later platted, laying out the town of McArthurstown on November 25, 1815.
- — Two water-mills are built on Elk Fork of Raccoon Creek by Moses Dawson; one later becomes known as the Gold Mill.
Stories
Sixty years an Ohioan: a pioneer wife remembers
In 1874, at eighty-six years old, Charlotte E. Bothwell wrote down her memory of the day sixty years earlier when she and her husband, with two small children, left Silveysport, Maryland, for Ohio. They traveled by wagon, flatboat and hired pirogue down the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, weathering seasick children, a night alone with them in a Pittsburgh tavern, and a storm at Gallipolis that sent her running for shelter into a bakery she had no real reason to enter except to have an excuse to sit down. Thirty-two days after setting out, and four days after arriving, one of her children died. The cabin her husband had raised that spring had no floor, door, window or chimney when the family moved in, and for five months she lived behind a hung table-cloth for a window and a bed-quilt for a door, listening to wolves howl outside. When they first arrived, she recalled, some fifty families lived in and around the settlement, nearly all of them quarrying and cutting millstones rather than farming, work that would define the township's economy for a generation.
The county's first millstone and its finder
Little is remembered of Elk Township's second settler beyond his surname, Musselman, but his discovery shaped the township for years afterward. A miller by trade with an eye for geology, he found the region's fine burr-stone deposits in 1805 or 1806 and opened the first millstone quarry in the county the following spring. Other pioneers along Raccoon Creek soon followed his example, and by the time the Bothwell family arrived in 1814, quarrying and dressing millstones, not farming, was the principal business of the fifty or so families already settled in and around the future site of McArthur.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Mcarthur, Village Of100% of residentsGroundwater wells (7 wells)
- Ross County Water Co. Inc0% of residentsTeays Valley Aquifer (buried valley groundwater)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Elk Township, Vinton County's boundary: 1 health center, 1 nursing home, 2 public schools, 1 poor-rated bridge, 1 museum, 1 police station, 3 Toxics Release Inventory facilities and 12 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Community health centers (1)
-
Hopewell Health Centers - McArthurHealth center · Mc Arthur
- Run by
- a federally qualified health center
- Setting
- Clinic
- City
- Mc Arthur
- Coordinates
- 39.26197, -82.47714
Find a Health Center (HRSA) ↗ HRSA data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: HRSA health center service delivery sites, active, September 2026 (school-based sites left out). Health centers see patients whether or not they have insurance, with fees on a sliding scale.
Nursing homes (1)
-
Maple Hills Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation3 of 5 stars · Mcarthur
- Address
- 31054 State Route 93 North, Mcarthur, OH 45651
- Certified beds
- 42
- Residents on an average day
- 35
- Medicare overall rating
- 3 of 5 stars
- Health inspections
- 2 of 5 stars
- Staffing
- 2 of 5 stars
- Quality measures
- 5 of 5 stars
- Penalties since 2023
- none
- Ownership
- For profit - Corporation
- Chain
- LIONSTONE CARE
- Takes
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Phone
- (740) 596-5955
- Medicare ID
- 366139
Medicare Care Compare ↗ CMS nursing home data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: CMS Care Compare nursing home provider and penalties files; Medicare star ratings run 1 to 5.
Public schools (2)
-
Vinton County High School3 of 5 stars · Mc Arthur
- Address
- 63910 Us Highway 50, Mc Arthur, OH 45651
- School district
- Vinton County Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 494
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 40.6
- Report card, 2025-26
- 3 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 71.4%
- Four-year graduation rate
- 97.6%
- Ohio building IRN
- 038471
- NCES school ID
- 390503903933
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Vinton County Middle School2.5 of 5 stars · Mc Arthur
- Address
- 63870 Locker Plant Road, Mc Arthur, OH 45651
- School district
- Vinton County Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 388
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 26.4
- Report card, 2025-26
- 2.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 62%
- Ohio building IRN
- 111526
- NCES school ID
- 390503904405
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.
Bridges rated poor (1)
-
County Road 24 over Elk ForkPoor · built 1960
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1960
- Length
- 29 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 573
- Coordinates
- 39.23413, -82.43791
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.
Museums, historical societies, gardens and zoos (1)
-
Moonville Rail TrailHistorical society · Mcarthur
- What it is
- Historical society
- City
- Mcarthur
- Coordinates
- 39.26192, -82.50171
Search Wikipedia ↗ IMLS Museum Data Files (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
The museum list is IMLS's 2018 file; a museum may have closed or moved since.
Source: IMLS Museum Data Files, 2018.
Police stations (1)
-
Vinton County Sheriff's OfficeMcArthur
- Address
- 31835 State Highway 93, McArthur, OH 45651
- Coordinates
- 39.26315, -82.47693
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 (3)
-
Austin Powder CoToxics Release Inventory · Mcarthur
- Address
- 32000 Powder Plant Rd, Mcarthur, OH 45651
- County
- Vinton County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (***unchanged***)
- EPA program ID
- 4565WSTNPW32PWD
- EPA registry ID
- 110070312456
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Austin Powder EmulsionToxics Release Inventory · Mc Arthur
- Address
- 430 Powder Plant Rd., Mc Arthur, OH 45651
- County
- Vinton County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
- EPA program ID
- 45651STNPW430PO
- EPA registry ID
- 110000395242
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Mcarthur Lumber and PostToxics Release Inventory · Mcarthur
- Address
- 31310 St Rte 93, Mcarthur, OH 45651
- County
- Vinton County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
- EPA program ID
- 45651MCRTHROUTE
- EPA registry ID
- 110000497043
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 (12)
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2025-05-03 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2025-05-03
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road); Antifreeze Vehicle Cooling; Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle
- Largest amount reported
- 20 gallons
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2505EPA0000697
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Foam Reached water2022-12-01 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2022-12-01
- What spilled
- Foam
- Reached a waterway
- Elk Fork
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2212EPA0001781
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road) Reached water2022-10-06 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2022-10-06
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 10 gallons
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2210EPA0001517
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sulfuric Acid (H2S04)2022-08-03 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2022-08-03
- What spilled
- Sulfuric Acid (H2S04)
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2208EPA0001173
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road) Reached water2021-10-07 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2021-10-07
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 80 gallons
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2110EPA0001585
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sewage Sludge / Biosolids Reached water2021-09-25 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2021-09-25
- What spilled
- Sewage Sludge / Biosolids
- Reached a waterway
- 82 - Raccoon Creek
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2109EPA0001521
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Waste Water Reached water2021-09-01 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2021-09-01
- What spilled
- Waste Water
- Reached a waterway
- 82 - Raccoon Creek
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2109EPA0001381
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fat(S) / Oil / Grease / Tallow Food Types (Fog) Reached water2021-07-08 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2021-07-08
- What spilled
- Fat(S) / Oil / Grease / Tallow Food Types (Fog); Sewage Human
- Reached a waterway
- 82 - Raccoon Creek
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2107EPA0001015
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Tnt / Trinitrotoluene (C7H5N3O6)2021-06-19 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2021-06-19
- What spilled
- Tnt / Trinitrotoluene (C7H5N3O6); Chemical(S) Unk
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2106EPA0000895
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Cutting /Cutting Oil / Coolant / Lubricant Reached water2021-04-07 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2021-04-07
- What spilled
- Oil Cutting /Cutting Oil / Coolant / Lubricant
- Largest amount reported
- 15 gallons
- Reached a waterway
- 82 - Raccoon Creek
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2104EPA0000472
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road) Reached water2026-04-24 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2026-04-24
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 25 gallons
- Reached a waterway
- 82 - Pigeon Creek
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2604EPA0000688
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Antifreeze Vehicle Cooling2026-04-07 · Elk Twp
- Reported
- 2026-04-07
- What spilled
- Antifreeze Vehicle Cooling
- Largest amount reported
- 20 gallons
- Where
- Elk Twp, Vinton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2604EPA0000582
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 Elk Township, Vinton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45651 Mcarthur and Mc Arthur | 26% | Mostly private wells | 0.8 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | Vinton County Local · 3 stars overall | No digital FEMA flood map for this county |
Local government
Who holds office in Elk Township, Vinton County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2019: 5 of 5 passed; of those asking for new or higher taxes, 1 of 1.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-05 | Issue: Proposed Tax Levy (Renewal) - Fire - Elk Township | 393 | 227 | Passed (63.39% for) |
| 2023-11-07 | Issue: Proposed Tax Levy (Renewal) oo9 ELK TOwNSHIP | 253 | 134 | Passed (65.37% for) |
| 2023-11-07 | Issue: Proposed Tax Levy (Renewal) Elk Township | 600 | 239 | Passed (71.51% for) |
| 2020-11-03 | Issue: Proposed Tax Levy (Renewal, 0.5 mill, Cemeteries) Elk Township (0.5 mills, renewal) | 966 | 435 | Passed (68.95% for) |
| 2019-11-05 | Issue: Proposed Tax Levy (Replacement) Elk | 174 | 80 | Passed (68.5% for), unofficial |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Township Trustee | Roy Robinette 402, 50.89%; Audra Wright 388, 49.11% |
| 2023-11-07 | Township Fiscal Officer | William Keith Hagerty 639, 100.0% |
| 2021-11-02 | Township Trustee (unofficial count) | Delbert Fulton 367, 52.88%; Donald Hamiltan 327, 47.12% |
| 2021-11-02 | Township Trustee (unofficial count) | Audra Wright 404, 100.0% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Trustee (unofficial count) | Donald E. Hamilton 238, 41.46%; John L. Knox 336, 58.54% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Fiscal Officer (unofficial count) | Marlene Allman 209, 37.12%; William Keith Hagerty 236, 41.92%; Sharon Case Nickels 118, 20.96% |
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, 2022 to 2023, released 2026-06-30
- Financial Audit, 2020 to 2021, released 2024-10-15
The county
Vinton County: 7 ZIP codes, 13 cities, villages and townships, 11,430 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Elk Township, Ohio in?
Elk Township, Vinton County is a township in Vinton County, Ohio, with 1,504 residents.
When was Elk Township, Ohio founded?
Elk Township, Vinton County was settled 1802; incorporated 1811-03-07. Founders on record: Levi Kelsey, the first permanent settler; the township itself organized from Alexander Township, Athens County. Source
How did Elk Township, Ohio get its name?
Not found in sources checked; likely named for elk once native to the area, a common naming pattern for Ohio townships, but not independently confirmed.
What ZIP code is Elk Township, Ohio?
Most of Elk Township, Vinton County is in ZIP code 45651.
Where does Elk Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Elk Township, Vinton County (Mcarthur, Village Of): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Elk Township, Vinton County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/elk-township-vinton-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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