Local events in Salem Township, Muskingum County
Salem Township itself has 1 event posted in the next 90 days; the others here are within 10 miles. All local events in Salem Township, Muskingum County
Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Salem Township, Muskingum County began
Salem Township was carved out of Highland Township by the county commissioners in July 1819 and named for Salem, Massachusetts, the home region of many of its early settlers. Its principal village, Adamsville, grew up in the township's northwest corner and by the 20th century had fallen, like many small Ohio towns, into the shadow of highways that passed it by. The township's best-documented pioneer is William S. Denison, who came to Muskingum County with his family in 1810, and in 1853 pledged $10,000 to Granville's Baptist college, an act of generosity the trustees repaid by renaming the school Denison University. Salem remains a farming township of fewer than a thousand people today.
Incorporated July 1819, by set off from Highland Township by the Muskingum County Commissioners.
Where the name comes from
The township was named Salem after Salem, Massachusetts, because a large share of its early settlers had come from there.
Before the town
No source we found documents a named Native American village, mound, trail, or treaty boundary specifically inside Salem Township. The township lies in northeastern Muskingum County, part of the Wyandot, Shawnee, Delaware (Lenape), and Mingo homeland and hunting ground before the Treaty of Greenville (1795); the William Denison House and other National Register buildings sometimes linked to the township by ZIP code (the Adena Court and Alameda Apartments, the Arlington Hotel, and several Zanesville houses) sit in Zanesville, per Wikipedia's county NRHP list, not in this township, so they have no bearing on Salem's own Native history. The county-wide record includes documented Adena and Hopewell mound-building and the historic nations' presence along the Muskingum River.
Timeline
- — William S. Denison arrives in Muskingum County with his parents and siblings, a family originally from Stonington, Connecticut.
- — Salem Township is set off from Highland Township by the county commissioners.
- — The township has a gristmill, a sawmill, and two churches in operation.
- — William S. Denison, a longtime member of the Salem Baptist Church in Adamsville and by then a large landowner, pledges $10,000 to Granville's Baptist college.
- — The trustees of Granville's Baptist college rename it Denison University in gratitude for William S. Denison's gift.
- — The William Denison House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Stories
The farmer who renamed a university
William S. Denison came to Muskingum County as a boy in 1810 with parents who had left Stonington, Connecticut. He attended Ohio University, then went back to farming in Salem Township, applying enough scientific method to it that over the years he built the original Denison family farm up to nearly 1,500 acres, an enormous holding for the area. He stayed a lifelong member of the Salem Baptist Church there, and in 1853 he pledged $10,000 to the struggling Baptist college in Granville, a gift substantial enough that the trustees renamed the school Denison University in his honor, a name a Muskingum County farmer's gift still carries.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · usgenwebsites.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Historic places
1 place in Salem Township, Muskingum County on the National Register of Historic Places. Press a pin or a name for its whole record.
-
Denison, William, HouseBuilding · Adamsville · listed 1982
- Address
- 7115 Adamsville Rd. (OH 93)
- Where
- Adamsville, Muskingum County · ZIP 43802
- What it is
- Building
- Listed on the National Register
- 1982
- NRIS reference number
- 82003620
- Coordinates
- 40.05224, -81.89296
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
Mostly private wells The water here
- Zanesville51% of residentsMuskingum River valley aquifer (wells)
- Muskingum County Water - Se40% of residentsMuskingum River buried valley aquifer (wells near Duncan Falls)
- South Zanesville5% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Maysville Regional Water4% of residentsMuskingum River buried valley aquifer (wells near Duncan Falls)
- Greenlawn Estates MHP1% of residentsMuskingum River buried valley aquifer (wells near Duncan Falls)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Salem Township, Muskingum County's boundary: 1 public school and 2 poor-rated bridges. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Public schools (1)
-
Adamsville Elementary School4.5 of 5 stars · Adamsville
- Address
- 7950 East St, Adamsville, OH 43802
- School district
- Tri-Valley Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 271
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 12
- Report card, 2025-26
- 4.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 86.4%
- Ohio building IRN
- 000117
- NCES school ID
- 390488703434
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: NCES EDGE public school locations 2024-25 and Common Core of Data 2023-24 (type, students, teachers); Ohio School Report Cards 2025-26 (Department of Education and Workforce), matched by name within the district.
Bridges rated poor (2)
-
Leachman Rd over Salt CreekPoor · built 1988
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1988
- Length
- 12 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 209
- Coordinates
- 40.02981, -81.84114
National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Salem Church Road over Salt CreekPoor · built 1950
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1950
- Length
- 10 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 209
- Coordinates
- 40.02998, -81.85487
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.
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Salem Township, Muskingum 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43802 Adams Township and Adamsville | 34% | Mostly private wells | 4.9 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | Tri-Valley Local · 4 stars overall | 1.4% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 43767 Union Township and Norwich | 2% | Mostly private wells | 10.0 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | East Muskingum Local · 3.5 stars overall | 0.0% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 43701 Zanesville | 1% | Wells in the eastern floodplain of the Muskingum River along Lewis Drive/SR 666 (Riverside Park well field, reportedly in use since about 1917), adjacent to the treatment plant on Buckeye Drive | 6.5 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | Zanesville City · 3 stars overall | 1.2% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Salem Township, Muskingum County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2018: 0 of 1 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11-06 | Issue: Salem Twp Fire Renew 1 mil 5 yrs (1.0 mills, renewal) | 0 | 0 | Failed |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-02 | Trustee | Steven Matthews 91, 60.67%; James Knipe 59, 39.33% |
| 2019-11-05 | Trustee | James R. Echelberry 92, 45.54%; Rodney Paisley 66, 32.67%; J. R. Knipe 44, 21.78% |
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.
- Basic Audit, 2024 to 2025, released 2026-06-23
- Basic Audit, 2022 to 2023, released 2024-07-30
The county
Muskingum County: 17 ZIP codes, 38 cities, villages and townships, 91,875 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Salem Township, Ohio in?
Salem Township, Muskingum County is a township in Muskingum County, Ohio, with 807 residents.
When was Salem Township, Ohio founded?
Salem Township, Muskingum County was incorporated July 1819. Founders on record: set off from Highland Township by the Muskingum County Commissioners. Source
How did Salem Township, Ohio get its name?
The township was named Salem after Salem, Massachusetts, because a large share of its early settlers had come from there. Source
What ZIP code is Salem Township, Ohio?
Salem Township, Muskingum County is served by ZIP codes 43802 and 43767; 43802 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Salem Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Salem Township, Muskingum County (Zanesville): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Salem Township, Muskingum County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/salem-township-muskingum-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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