Local events in Harris Township, Ottawa County
Nothing is posted for Harris Township itself yet; here is what is on within 10 miles. All local events in Harris Township, Ottawa County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Harris Township, Ottawa County began
Harris Township lies in southwestern Ottawa County along the Portage River, with most of the village of Elmore in its western part. It was settled in the 1830s as part of Sandusky County, when the river lowlands flooded most springs; families such as the Gordons (1831), the Weatherwaxes (1837) and Moses Boggs, a Nova Scotian, were among its first. It had 318 residents in 1840 and 2,515 in 1880, many of them German immigrants who cleared the timber after 1850. It is the only Harris Township in Ohio.
Where the name comes from
Not confirmed by any source consulted, beyond the fact that this is the only township of the name in Ohio.
Before the town
No source consulted records a Native village, trail or other site inside Harris Township. The county was hunting ground of the Ottawa of the Maumee, according to the 1872 Maumee Valley history, and the Portage River land was ceded under the 1807 Treaty of Detroit.
Nations recorded here: Ottawa.
Timeline
- — John and Rachel Gordon from Somerset County, New Jersey, lived about three years in Harris Township after six months in Salem Township.
- — Lawrence and Nancy Weatherwax, married April 2, 1837, settled soon after on the Harris Township farm where they still lived in 1896.
- — The township had 318 residents at the first census after Ottawa County was formed.
- — Ottawa County is formed from parts of Sandusky, Erie and Lucas counties; Harris Township, with 318 people, is one of its townships.
- — Benton Township is set off from the northern part of Harris Township.
- — Elmore village, in the township's western section, was surveyed and platted in the drained Great Black Swamp along the Portage River.
- — The Toledo, Norwalk and Cleveland Railroad begins service across the western part of Ottawa County.
- — Frederick Holtkamp, a Prussian immigrant, settled in Section 6 of the township after ten years in Wood County.
- — Jacob Harmon bought forty acres of timber in Section 5 and cleared it; for years he expected his home to flood each spring as the river rose.
- — The township had 2,515 residents.
- — The Ohio State Route 51 Bridge over the Portage River, at the Elmore/Harris Township line, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- — Elmore completed a 4.38-mile, 12-inch waterline connecting to Ottawa County Regional Water, a Lake Erie surface-water treatment plant, switching its water supply for the township's western section.
Stories
Between the Portage River and Toussaint Creek
Jacob Harmon grew up on his father's farm in Harris Township, and in 1875 bought forty acres of timber land in Section 5, which he cleared, plowed and planted with an orchard. His 1896 biography describes the land as it had been: for years after he settled, he expected each spring that his house would be flooded as the river rose, and he had ridden on horseback from the Portage River to Toussaint Creek through woods where the water was deep enough to wet his feet in the stirrups. His wife recalled the cabin standing in a dense forest. Harmon later served as township supervisor and as a school director for five years.
Photographs
Photo: Nyttend, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ruhrfisch and Nyttend, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org · archive.org · ottawa.ohgenweb.org · archive.org
Water
Lake Erie, via a submerged intake crib serving the county's regional plant near Port Clinton (precise offshore crib coordinates not documented) The water here
- Elmore Village74% of residentsLake Erie
- Woodville Village12% of residentsGroundwater wells (9 wells)
- Oak Harbor Village9% of residentsLake Erie
- Ottawa County Regional Water District2% of residentsLake Erie
- Green Valley Mobile Home Park1% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Lindsey Village1% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Carroll Water and Sewer1% of residentsLake Erie
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Harris Township, Ottawa County's boundary: 2 museums, 1 Toxics Release Inventory facility and 4 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Museums, historical societies, gardens and zoos (2)
-
Elmore Historical Railroad ClubHistorical society · Woodville
- What it is
- Historical society
- City
- Woodville
- Coordinates
- 41.46677, -83.32232
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.
-
Elmore Historical SocietyHistorical society · Woodville
- What it is
- Historical society
- City
- Woodville
- Coordinates
- 41.46677, -83.32232
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.
Facilities reporting toxic releases (1)
-
Materion Brush IncToxics Release Inventory · Elmore
- Address
- 14710 W Portage River South Rd, Elmore, OH 43416
- County
- Ottawa County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (open)
- EPA program ID
- 43416BRSHWSOUTH
- EPA registry ID
- 110000383184
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 (4)
-
Beryllium (Be)2024-06-21 · Harris Twp
- Reported
- 2024-06-21
- What spilled
- Beryllium (Be)
- Where
- Harris Twp, Ottawa County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2406EPA0001047
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sheen Rainbow / Hydrocarbon2024-01-24 · Harris Twp
- Reported
- 2024-01-24
- What spilled
- Sheen Rainbow / Hydrocarbon
- Where
- Harris Twp, Ottawa County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2401EPA0000119
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road) Reached water2023-05-12 · Harris Twp
- Reported
- 2023-05-12
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Reached a waterway
- 62 - Portage River
- Where
- Harris Twp, Ottawa County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2305EPA0000771
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2026-08-20 · Harris Twp
- Reported
- 2026-08-20
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 50 gallons
- Where
- Harris Twp, Ottawa County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2608EPA0001551
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 Harris Township, Ottawa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43416 Elmore | 41% | Lake Erie, via a submerged intake crib serving the county's regional plant near Port Clinton (precise offshore crib coordinates not documented) | 5.8 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1950 | Woodmore Local · 3.5 stars overall | 8.6% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 43469 Woodville | 5% | Groundwater wells (9 wells) | 4.6 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | Woodmore Local · 3.5 stars overall | 10% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 43449 Oak Harbor | 3% | Mostly private wells | 3.5 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1963 | Benton Carroll Salem Local · 4.5 stars overall | 20% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 43442 Washington Township and Lindsey | 2% | Mostly private wells | 5.7 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | Fremont City · 3.5 stars overall | 2.2% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Harris Township, Ottawa County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Who holds office
| Office | Name | Party | Term ends | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal Officer | Laura J. Hazel | 2028-03-31 | P.O. Box 341 Elmore, OH 43416 | |
| Trustee | Jerald Haar | 2027-12-31 | P.O. Box 341 Elmore, OH 43416 | |
| Trustee | Paul Perry | 2029-12-31 | P.O. Box 341 Elmore, OH 43416 | |
| Trustee | James M. Wilburn | 2029-12-31 | P.O. Box 341 Elmore, OH 43416 |
Roster as of 2026-04-10: county board of elections.
Money issues on the ballot since 2015: 6 of 6 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-04 | Issue: Harris Township Tax Levy Cemeteries | 601 | 261 | Passed (69.72% for) |
| 2024-11-05 | Issue: Harris Township Tax Levy Current Expenses | 1,020 | 706 | Passed (59.1% for) |
| 2023-11-07 | Issue: Harris Township Tax Levy Fire | 932 | 308 | Passed (75.16% for) |
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Local Liquor Option Harris 1 | 448 | 168 | Passed (72.73% for) |
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Local Liquor Option Harris 1 | 454 | 162 | Passed (73.7% for) |
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Harris Township Tax Levy | 912 | 468 | Passed (66.09% for) |
| 2020-11-03 | Issue: Harris Township Tax Levy (Cemeteries) Harris Township | 1,261 | 509 | Passed (71.24% for) |
| 2015-11-03 | Issue: Harris Elmore Public Library | 2,978 | 1,062 | Passed (73.71% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-04 | Trustee | James Michael Wilburn 501, 32.53%; Paul Perry 400, 25.97%; Donald J. Greenhill II 399, 25.91%; Angela M. LeForce 240, 15.58% |
| 2023-11-07 | Trustee | Jerald A. Haar 484, 43.14%; Donald Goldsby 453, 40.37%; Ronald E. Distel 185, 16.49% |
| 2023-11-07 | Fiscal Officer | Laura J. Hazel 1,014, 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.
- Agreed Upon Procedures, 2023 to 2024, released 2025-08-21
The county
Ottawa County: 15 ZIP codes, 19 cities, villages and townships, 38,204 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Harris Township, Ohio in?
Harris Township, Ottawa County is a township in Ottawa County, Ohio, with 1,509 residents.
How did Harris Township, Ohio get its name?
Not confirmed by any source consulted, beyond the fact that this is the only township of the name in Ohio. Source
What ZIP code is Harris Township, Ohio?
Harris Township, Ottawa County is served by ZIP codes 43416, 43469 and 43449; 43416 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Harris Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Harris Township, Ottawa County (Elmore Village): Lake Erie, via a submerged intake crib serving the county's regional plant near Port Clinton (precise offshore crib coordinates not documented).
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Harris Township, Ottawa County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/harris-township-ottawa-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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