Orange Township, Meigs County

How Orange Township, Meigs County began

Orange Township, in the northern part of Meigs County, was the first of the county's Athens-County-derived townships to be organized, set off in 1813. It has no incorporated village. Its most significant documented site is Reeves Mound, an Adena burial mound north of the unincorporated community of Alfred that has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974. The Tuppers Plains-Chester Water District, created in 1966, serves rural customers in Meigs and Athens counties. The 2020 census recorded 1,085 residents.

Incorporated 1813.

Where the name comes from

No source found explaining why the township took the name Orange (Orange Township is one of six statewide in Ohio); the origin is not recorded.

Before the town

Reeves Mound, an Adena burial mound in a farm field north of the unincorporated community of Alfred, sits within Orange Township and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1974). It is an oval earthwork about 3.3 feet high and roughly 42 by 45 feet across; stone chips and projectile points recovered from the surrounding field, including a distinctive 'bird point,' suggest the site was used by Adena people over a long span, from as early as about 1000 BC to as late as about AD 400. Beyond this one site, no Native village, trail or treaty event specific to Orange Township was found. Two other NRHP listings that share this township's ZIP codes are not in the township: the 'Mound Cemetery Mound' is in Chester Township, and the 'Pomeroy Historic District' is downtown Pomeroy. At the county level, this land was claimed by the United States from the Wyandot, Shawnee, Lenape (Delaware) and other nations through the Treaty of Fort Harmar (1789) and the Treaty of Greenville (1795).

Nations recorded here: Adena culture, Wyandot, Shawnee, Lenape (Delaware).

• Reeves Mound (mound) — north of Alfred, Orange Township, Meigs County, Adena culture, roughly 1000 BC - AD 400 (en.wikipedia.org)

Timeline

1. 1813 — Orange Township was set off from Athens County, the earliest of the townships later attached to Meigs County to be organized.
2. 1974-07-15 — Reeves Mound, an Adena burial mound north of Alfred, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
3. 1966-12-31 — Tuppers Plains-Chester Water District was created as a nonprofit government entity of Ohio under ORC Chapter 6119 to serve rural customers including part of Orange Township.
4. 2024-04-05 — The Ohio River crested above 41 feet, putting part of the Tuppers Plains-Chester district's Long Bottom wellfield underwater and triggering a boil advisory after a raw sample tested positive for E. coli.
5. 2026-04-07 — Ohio EPA announced that Tuppers Plains-Chester Water District would receive $4 million from the DuPont PFAS settlement distribution to extend waterlines to homeowners with PFOA-contaminated private wells.

Stories

A mound the plow never leveled

In a farm field north of the tiny community of Alfred stands an oval earthen mound just over three feet tall and about forty feet across, built by Adena people sometime between roughly 1000 BC and AD 400. Stone chips and arrowheads turned up in the surrounding field over the years, including a distinctively shaped 'bird point,' suggesting people camped and worked stone around the mound for hundreds of years, not just built it once and left. Unlike so many of the burial mounds that once dotted Meigs County and were leveled or dug into by early settlers hunting for relics, Reeves Mound survived to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org · tpcwd.org · athensmessenger.com · wsaz.com · pfasproject.com

Mostly private wells The water here

• Tuppers Plains/chester Water District41% of residentsLocal groundwater wells near Long Bottom (Ohio River valley area)
• Little Hocking Water Association, Inc.20% of residentsOhio River Valley Aquifer (own wells, Porterfield wellfield)
• Coolville Village15% of residentsLocal groundwater wells near Long Bottom (Ohio River valley area)
• Pomeroy Village13% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
• Leading Creek Conservancy District10% of residentsGroundwater wells (4 wells)
• Syracuse Village1% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
• Middleport Village0% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)

Fire and EMS stations (1)

Money issues on the ballot since 2019: 3 of 3 passed; of those asking for new or higher taxes, 1 of 1.

Ballot issues

Elections for office

Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked. The county's results on file run through 2026-05-05; later elections are not loaded yet.

Auditor of State record

• No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
• Financial Audit, 2022 to 2023, released 2026-03-19

Statewide question: State Issue 3: Voter ID

Local questions for Orange Township, Meigs County, Meigs County and its school district:

• Meigs County: Renews a 1.6-mill property tax levy for the provide & maintain senior citizens services or facilities of Meigs County for 5 years, beginning in 2027.
• Meigs County: Authorizes an additional 2-mill property tax levy to acquire, construct, renovate, finance, maintain & operate developmental disabilities facilities of Meigs County for 5 years, beginning in 2027.
• Meigs County: Authorizes an additional 2.88-mill property tax levy for the police protection of Meigs County for a continuing period of time, beginning in 2026.

Races, candidates and every question for an address: your ballot. County offices and judges are on your county board's sample ballot.

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