Local events in Ottawa Township, Putnam County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Ottawa Township, Putnam County began
Ottawa Township, organized in 1835, is the only Ottawa Township in Ohio, named like the county seat it contains for the Ottawa (Odawa) people whose Blanchard's Fork Reserve occupied this ground until 1831. It holds both Ottawa, the county seat platted on the site of the former Ottawa village of Lower Tawa Town, and Glandorf, the German Catholic village founded northwest of it in 1833-34. The township's history is largely the history of those two villages.
Incorporated 1835 (organized).
Where the name comes from
Named for the Ottawa (Odawa) Indians, whose Blanchard's Fork Reserve and village of Lower Tawa Town occupied the township until the 1831 cession; it is the only Ottawa Township in Ohio.
Before the town
Ottawa Township contains the former Blanchard's Fork Reserve and the site of Lower Tawa Town, the Ottawa (Odawa) village on the Blanchard River that stood where the village of Ottawa now stands. The reserve was held under the 1817 Treaty of the Maumee Rapids (Fort Meigs) until the Ottawa ceded it in 1831 and removed to Kansas by 1832. The 1915 county history says the tribe held about twenty-eight sections here, that the township was a famous settlement of the Indians whose hunting ground held bears, deer, wolves and turkeys, and that Christian Huber's first school, in a log cabin northeast of the present Ottawa waterworks, enrolled a number of Indian boys who often played hooky to hunt and fish. Major Alexander Truman and William Lynch were killed at Lower Tawa Town in 1792.
Nations recorded here: Odawa (Ottawa).
- Blanchard's Fork Reserve (treaty) — along the Blanchard River, Ottawa Township, 1817-1831 (en.wikipedia.org)
- Lower Tawa Town (village) — on the Blanchard River where the village of Ottawa was laid out in 1834, before 1832 (archive.org)
Timeline
- — The Blanchard's Fork Ottawa Reserve occupies the township until its 1831 cession.
- — George Agner comes to the township in 1832 and the next year settles on a farm east of Ottawa; William Galbreath, a War of 1812 veteran who was at Fort Meigs, settles on the farm adjoining the town site.
- — Johann Wilhelm Horstmann and six fellow German emigrants from Glandorf found the settlement of Glandorf in the township's northwest.
- — Aughinbaugh and Barnett lay out the town of Ottawa, with 128 lots, on the site of the old Ottawa town of Lower Tawa.
- — Ottawa Township organizes.
- — The first township election is held at Michael Row's hewed-log tavern: George Agner, William Galbreath and Joseph Adgate are chosen trustees and William Sackett clerk.
- — John Cox and William Williams are elected the township's first justices of the peace.
- — The village of Ottawa, within the township, incorporates as the future county seat.
- — The township's population is recorded as 8,034 across 36.3 square miles, the most populous of Putnam County's fifteen townships owing to the county seat within it.
- — The census counts 8,034 residents in Ottawa Township.
Stories
The teacher who taught Indian boys
The first school in Ottawa Township was taught by Christian Huber, a German-born, well-educated man who took a prominent part in the county's early politics. It met in a log cabin northeast of the present Ottawa waterworks, and its pupils were a mixed assemblage: a number of Indian boys were enrolled, but they were loth to attend regularly and often played hooky to hunt and fish. The township was organised in March 1835, a year after the town of Ottawa was laid out on the ground of the old Lower Tawa town, and its first election was held at Michael Row's hewed-log tavern, which was well patronized by travellers and was where early meetings of the citizens were held.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Ottawa Village82% of residentsBlanchard River (via intake reservoir)
- Glandorf Village16% of residentsBlanchard River (via intake reservoir)
- Leipsic Village3% of residentsGroundwater wells (7 wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Ottawa Township, Putnam County's boundary: 1 spill case. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Spills reported since 2021 (1)
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2026-02-22 · Ottawa Twp
- Reported
- 2026-02-22
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Where
- Ottawa Twp, Putnam County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2602EPA0000224
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 Ottawa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45875 Ottawa | 23% | Mostly private wells | 2.5 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1975 | Ottawa-Glandorf Local · 4 stars overall | 12% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45856 Leipsic | 1% | Mostly private wells | 4.0 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1946 | Leipsic Local · 4 stars overall | 0.2% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Ottawa Township, Putnam County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2021: 1 of 1 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-02 | Issue: Ottawa Township (Unincorporated) (levy type not on the results report) | 215 | 50 | Passed (81.13% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Township Fiscal Officer | Mary Rose Ellerbrock 2,545, 83.09%; Chloe L. Lenhart 518, 16.91% |
| 2021-11-02 | Township Trustee | Don G. Croy 603, 46.89%; Steven Leopold 683, 53.11% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Trustee (unofficial count) | James Leopold 1,227, 100.0% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Fiscal Officer (unofficial count) | Barbara Rieman 1,207, 100.0% |
| 2017-11-07 | Township Trustee (unofficial count) | Don Croy 1,363, 47.02%; Steven Leopold 1,536, 52.98% |
Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.
The county
Putnam County: 13 ZIP codes, 31 cities, villages and townships, 35,849 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Ottawa Township, Ohio in?
Ottawa Township, Putnam County is a township in Putnam County, Ohio, with 2,604 residents.
When was Ottawa Township, Ohio founded?
Ottawa Township, Putnam County was incorporated 1835 (organized). Source
How did Ottawa Township, Ohio get its name?
Named for the Ottawa (Odawa) Indians, whose Blanchard's Fork Reserve and village of Lower Tawa Town occupied the township until the 1831 cession; it is the only Ottawa Township in Ohio. Source
What ZIP code is Ottawa Township, Ohio?
Most of Ottawa Township, Putnam County is in ZIP code 45875.
Where does Ottawa Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Ottawa Township, Putnam County (Ottawa Village): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Ottawa Township, Putnam County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/ottawa-township-putnam-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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