Local events in Jennings Township, Putnam County
Nothing is posted for Jennings Township itself yet; here is what is on within 20 miles. All local events in Jennings Township, Putnam County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Jennings Township, Putnam County began
Jennings Township, in the southwestern corner of Putnam County, was first settled by Samuel Washburn in 1825 or 1826, decades before its namesake village saw permanent civilian settlement, and organized sometime in the 1830s -- the exact date lost when its early records were destroyed. It holds the village of Fort Jennings, named for a stockade Colonel Jennings's militia built nearby in 1812-13 to supply General William Henry Harrison's Northwest campaign, in its northwest corner, and the unincorporated community of Rushmore. It is the only Jennings Township in Putnam County; Van Wert County has the state's other one.
Settled 1825 or 1826, incorporated 1830s (organized; exact date unknown, records destroyed), by Samuel Washburn, first settler to purchase land.
Where the name comes from
Named, like the village of Fort Jennings within it, for the 1812 fort built near the site by forces under Colonel William Jennings.
Before the town
No Native American site or village specific to Jennings Township was located in the sources checked. The township takes its name from the fort at Fort Jennings, which has its own War of 1812 military history, and Putnam County's wider record includes Ottawa treaty and removal history.
Timeline
- — Fort Jennings, the stockade that gives the township its name, is built near the site of the later village.
- — Samuel Washburn becomes the first settler to purchase land in the township, buying two farms which he later clears and sells to Isaiah Clawson and William Cochran in 1827 or 1828.
- — James Thatcher and William Scott settle along the Auglaize river; Samuel Washburn's son Thomas, born August 9, is the first white child born in the township.
- — The township takes on a temporary organization, with William Cochran serving as first justice of the peace.
- — Several German families -- John Disher, Henry Wellman, and C., Henry and John Raabe -- arrive and settle permanently; early township records are destroyed at an unrecorded later date.
- — Jennings Township organizes; the exact date is unknown because early records were destroyed.
- — At the fall election, only seventeen votes are cast in the township.
- — The first permanent civilian settlement is made at Fort Jennings village, in the township's northwest.
- — Fort Jennings village incorporates.
Stories
A Township Settled Long Before Its Village
It is easy to assume Jennings Township grew up around Fort Jennings village, since both carry the name of the same War of 1812 stockade. The record says otherwise. Samuel Washburn bought the first farmland in the township in 1825 or 1826, cleared it, and sold it on to Isaiah Clawson and William Cochran within a couple of years -- a full generation before the village of Fort Jennings saw its first permanent civilian settlers around 1850. By 1828 Washburn's own son Thomas was the first white child born in the township, and by 1833 German families like the Disher, Wellman and Raabe households were arriving to farm along the Auglaize river. The township took on a temporary organization as early as 1832, with William Cochran as its first justice of the peace, though a fire later destroyed the records that would have fixed its formal organization date. By the time the stockade's name finally attached itself to an actual town in the 1840s, the township around it had already been under cultivation by farming families for a quarter-century.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Delphos City92% of residentsLittle Auglaize River, stored in city reservoir
- Ottoville Village8% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Jennings Township, Putnam County's boundary: 1 poor-rated bridge and 2 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Bridges rated poor (1)
-
County Road S over Farm DitchPoor · 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
- 12 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 385
- Coordinates
- 40.90380, -84.27820
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.
Spills reported since 2021 (2)
-
Material White Reached water2023-04-24 · Jennings Twp
- Reported
- 2023-04-24
- What spilled
- Material White
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Jennings Twp, Putnam County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2304EPA0000658
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle Reached water2021-02-26 · Jennings Twp
- Reported
- 2021-02-26
- What spilled
- Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle
- Reached a waterway
- 69 - Auglaize River
- Where
- Jennings Twp, Putnam County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2102EPA0000253
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 Jennings Township, Putnam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45844 Jennings Township and Fort Jennings | 39% | Mostly private wells | 3.8 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1975 | Jennings Local · 4 stars overall | 4.5% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45833 Delphos | 2% | Little Auglaize River, stored in city reservoir | 1.3 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | Delphos City · 3 stars overall | 10% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Jennings Township, Putnam County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2019: 3 of 3 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) - Jennings Township | 963 | 288 | Passed (76.98% for) |
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Jennings Township | 814 | 164 | Passed (83.23% for) |
| 2019-11-05 | Issue: Jennings Township Tax Levy - Road Repair (levy type not on the results report) | 424 | 82 | Passed (83.79% for), unofficial |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Township Trustee | Scott A. Neidert 364, 39.74%; Luke Pothast 552, 60.26% |
| 2021-11-02 | Township Trustee | Kevin W. Hoersten 193, 53.76%; David R. Wieging 166, 46.24% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Trustee (unofficial count) | Denis S. Neidert 458, 100.0% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Fiscal Officer (unofficial count) | Jeanne Bruskotter 432, 100.0% |
| 2017-11-07 | Township Trustee (unofficial count) | Dave Gasser 431, 49.09%; David R. Wieging 447, 50.91% |
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 2025-04-15
The county
Putnam County: 13 ZIP codes, 31 cities, villages and townships, 35,849 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Jennings Township, Ohio in?
Jennings Township, Putnam County is a township in Putnam County, Ohio, with 1,486 residents.
When was Jennings Township, Ohio founded?
Jennings Township, Putnam County was settled 1825 or 1826; incorporated 1830s (organized; exact date unknown, records destroyed). Founders on record: Samuel Washburn, first settler to purchase land. Source
How did Jennings Township, Ohio get its name?
Named, like the village of Fort Jennings within it, for the 1812 fort built near the site by forces under Colonel William Jennings. Source
What ZIP code is Jennings Township, Ohio?
Jennings Township, Putnam County is served by ZIP codes 45844 and 45833; 45844 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Jennings Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Jennings Township, Putnam County (Delphos City): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Jennings Township, Putnam County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/jennings-township-putnam-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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