Local events in Franklin Township, Portage County
Franklin Township itself has 1 event posted in the next 90 days; the others here are within 10 miles. All local events in Franklin Township, Portage County
Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Franklin Township, Portage County began
Franklin Township was purchased by Aaron Olmsted of East Hartford, Connecticut at 12.5 cents an acre and named, around 1798, for his son Aaron Franklin Olmsted; it was one of the first civil townships organized in the Western Reserve, formally organized in 1802 with its first election in 1815. Its first permanent settlers, John Haymaker and family, arrived in November 1805 on the Cuyahoga River at the falls that became Franklin Mills — later renamed Kent — and the township's history is deeply intertwined with that city's. The Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad (1851) and the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad (1863-64) all crossed the township and drove its growth. Today Franklin Township, sharing ZIP codes and a school district with Kent, has 6,251 residents (2020).
Settled November 1805 (John Haymaker and family), incorporated Organized 1802; first township election 1815, by Aaron Olmsted (proprietor); John Haymaker (first settler).
Where the name comes from
Named for Aaron Franklin Olmsted, son of proprietor Aaron Olmsted of East Hartford, Connecticut, who bought the township at 12.5 cents an acre and christened it for his son around 1798.
Before the town
No Native American village, camp or mound site specific to Franklin Township is documented by name in the sources consulted, though the 1957 county history 'Portage Heritage' lists Franklin among the townships with recorded prehistoric mounds and village sites, without giving an exact location for any of them. The Standing Rock council site on the Cuyahoga River, described in county sources as lying above Kent, sits at or near the township's boundary with the city. For the county's broader Native history.
Timeline
- — Aaron Olmsted of East Hartford, Connecticut buys the township at 12.5 cents an acre and names it for his son, Aaron Franklin Olmsted.
- — Franklin Township is organized as one of the first civil townships in the Western Reserve.
- — John Haymaker and his family move west from Warren in November and settle on the Cuyahoga River, founding what becomes Franklin Mills (later Kent).
- — John's brother George and father Jacob Haymaker join the settlement with their families, and the Haymakers build a gristmill in 1807.
- — Franklin Township holds its first township election.
- — Joshua Woodard establishes the 'Upper Village,' initially known as Carthage, within the township.
- — Franklin Township Hall is built, originally intended as the headquarters of a silk company.
- — The Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad is built across the township's northern section.
- — Franklin Mills, within the township, is renamed Kent and incorporates.
Stories
A silk company's hall becomes the town hall
When Franklin Township built its township hall in 1837, the building was not originally meant for township business at all — it was constructed to serve as the headquarters of a silk manufacturing company, part of a wave of speculative silkworm and silk-production ventures that swept the Ohio country and much of the eastern United States in the 1830s, chasing the promise of a homegrown American silk industry. The silk boom collapsed nationally before the decade was out, as it did almost everywhere it had been tried, and Franklin Township's grand building was repurposed for civic use instead — a small physical record of a get-rich scheme that failed to leave much else behind.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org
Historic places
1 place in Franklin Township, Portage County on the National Register of Historic Places. Press a pin or a name for its whole record.
-
Olin, Arvin, HouseBuilding · Kent · listed 1995
- Address
- 1425 Ravenna Rd.
- Where
- Kent, Portage County · ZIP 44240
- What it is
- Building
- Listed on the National Register
- 1995
- NRIS reference number
- 95001157
- Coordinates
- 41.18381, -81.34226
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
Groundwater wells (13+) of the Breakneck Creek Wellfield, tapping a shallow buried-valley aquifer close to the city's Water Treatment Plant; one well (No. 13) taps a sandstone bedrock formation The water here
- Kent City87% of residentsBreakneck Creek Wellfield, Buried Valley Aquifer
- Ravenna City5% of residentsLake Hodgson
- Aqua Ohio - Beechcrest3% of residentsBuried valley/sandstone aquifer wells (12 county wells)
- Portage County Water Resources1% of residentsBuried valley/sandstone aquifer wells (12 county wells)
- Beechwood Island Estates1% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Akron City1% of residentsLake Rockwell (Cuyahoga River impoundment)
- Meadow Creek Condo Assoc1% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Maple Del Manor Llc0% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Birchwood Manor Mhc New0% of residentsGroundwater wells (1 wells)
- Ranch Club Estates Water Association0% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Orchard Estates I Mhc, Llc0% of residentsBuried valley/sandstone aquifer wells (12 county wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Franklin Township, Portage County's boundary: 2 high-hazard dams, 2 poor-rated bridges, 1 Toxics Release Inventory facility and 6 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
High-hazard dams (2)
-
Camp Spelman Lake Dam PoorTributary To Cuyahoga River · condition: poor
- Hazard class
- High: a failure would probably cost a life
- Condition
- Poor (assessed 09/13/2021)
- River or stream
- Tributary To Cuyahoga River
- Purpose
- Recreation
- Type
- Earth
- Height
- 23 ft
- Storage
- 166 acre-feet
- Owner type
- Private
- County
- Portage County
- Last inspection
- 09/13/2021
- Emergency action plan
- Yes
- NID ID
- OH03217
National Inventory of Dams record ↗ National Inventory of Dams (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Lake Rockwell Dam PoorCuyahoga River · condition: poor
- Hazard class
- High: a failure would probably cost a life
- Condition
- Poor (assessed 03/15/2024)
- River or stream
- Cuyahoga River
- Purpose
- Water Supply
- Type
- Earth
- Height
- 35 ft
- Storage
- 18,250 acre-feet
- Completed
- 1913
- Owner type
- Local Government
- County
- Portage County
- Nearest town (NID)
- Kent
- Last inspection
- 04/20/2023
- Emergency action plan
- Yes
- NID ID
- OH00668
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.
Bridges rated poor (2)
-
Judson Road over Wheeling & Lake Erie RrPoor · built 2000
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 2000
- Length
- 46 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 1,886
- Coordinates
- 41.19361, -81.38000
National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Ravenna Road over Ns RailroadPoor · built 1983
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1983
- Length
- 20 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 1,297
- Coordinates
- 41.17222, -81.31278
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.
Facilities reporting toxic releases (1)
-
Schneller Llc (1667040015)Toxics Release Inventory · Kent
- Address
- 6019 Powdermill Road, Kent, OH 44240
- County
- Portage County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
- EPA program ID
- 44240SCHNL6019P
- EPA registry ID
- 110000840485
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 (6)
-
Material White2025-08-27 · Franklin Twp
- Reported
- 2025-08-27
- What spilled
- Material White
- Where
- Franklin Twp, Portage County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2508EPA0001459
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Transformer Non Pcb2025-02-03 · Franklin Twp
- Reported
- 2025-02-03
- What spilled
- Oil Transformer Non Pcb
- Largest amount reported
- 35 gallons
- Where
- Franklin Twp, Portage County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2502EPA0000141
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sludge (Non-Sewage)2024-08-03 · Franklin Twp
- Reported
- 2024-08-03
- What spilled
- Sludge (Non-Sewage)
- Largest amount reported
- 2,000 gallons
- Where
- Franklin Twp, Portage County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2408EPA0001338
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Orphan Drum(S)2022-08-30 · Franklin Twp
- Reported
- 2022-08-30
- What spilled
- Orphan Drum(S)
- Largest amount reported
- 55 gallons
- Where
- Franklin Twp, Portage County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2208EPA0001337
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sewage Human2021-08-05 · Franklin Twp
- Reported
- 2021-08-05
- What spilled
- Sewage Human
- Largest amount reported
- 1,000 gallons
- Where
- Franklin Twp, Portage County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2108EPA0001197
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Chlorine (Cl) (Gas)2026-06-03 · Franklin Twp
- Reported
- 2026-06-03
- What spilled
- Chlorine (Cl) (Gas)
- Where
- Franklin Twp, Portage County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2606EPA0000979
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 Franklin Township, Portage County, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.
The county
Portage County: 15 ZIP codes, 29 cities, villages and townships, 169,745 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Franklin Township, Ohio in?
Franklin Township, Portage County is a township in Portage County, Ohio, with 6,251 residents.
When was Franklin Township, Ohio founded?
Franklin Township, Portage County was settled November 1805 (John Haymaker and family); incorporated Organized 1802; first township election 1815. Founders on record: Aaron Olmsted (proprietor); John Haymaker (first settler). Source
How did Franklin Township, Ohio get its name?
Named for Aaron Franklin Olmsted, son of proprietor Aaron Olmsted of East Hartford, Connecticut, who bought the township at 12.5 cents an acre and christened it for his son around 1798. Source
What ZIP code is Franklin Township, Ohio?
Most of Franklin Township, Portage County is in ZIP code 44240.
Where does Franklin Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Franklin Township, Portage County (Kent City): Groundwater wells (13+) of the Breakneck Creek Wellfield, tapping a shallow buried-valley aquifer close to the city's Water Treatment Plant; one well (No. 13) taps a sandstone bedrock formation.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Franklin Township, Portage County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/franklin-township-portage-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31
