Local events in Salem Township, Ottawa County
Nothing is posted for Salem Township itself yet; here is what is on within 20 miles. All local events in Salem Township, Ottawa County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Salem Township, Ottawa County began
Salem Township lies along the Portage River in southern Ottawa County, with the village of Oak Harbor in its northwest. In 1828 it was still part of the large Portage Township, with a few settlers near Hartford, the town Adolphus Kraemer platted at the head of navigation that became Oak Harbor; the Gordon family arrived in 1831. It had 108 residents in 1840. German immigrants arriving from the 1850s cleared its timber for staves, lumber and farms, and the township had 2,683 residents by 1880 and 5,311 in 2020.
Settled 1831 (Gordon family); a few settlers near Hartford by 1828.
Where the name comes from
Not confirmed for this township. 'Salem' comes from the Hebrew word for peace and is borne by fourteen Ohio townships; no source consulted explains this township's naming or its organization year.
Before the town
No source found documents a Native village, trail, or other specific site within Salem Township's own boundary. The township sits along the Portage River in what was Great Black Swamp country, ceded under the 1807 Treaty of Detroit.
Timeline
- — Salem was still part of Portage Township, with a few inhabitants near Hartford.
- — John and Rachel Gordon of Somerset County, New Jersey, settled in the township, which had no roads or schoolhouses; their son David was its oldest living resident in 1896.
- — Salem Township became part of the newly organized Ottawa County.
- — The township had 108 residents.
- — Ernst Franck, trained in forestry and finance at Tuebingen, settled near Oak Harbor; as county engineer and surveyor he laid out most of the roads and ditches in the county.
- — David Fetterly settled in the township and became its first justice of the peace.
- — Henry F. Harrison of Yorkshire bought a rough, uncultivated tract of land in the township, then wilderness.
- — Thomas Cullenen came to Salem Township to make lumber and staves.
- — The township had 2,683 residents.
- — Township population, including Oak Harbor, was recorded at 5,311.
Stories
A rescue in the Portage River
David Fetterly, a blacksmith born in 1807 to Dutch parents, married in Canada and moved to Painesville, Ohio, in 1849. In 1852 the family settled in Salem Township, where he became the first justice of the peace. In 1857 he tried to save two men from drowning in the Portage River, at the place where the Locust Street bridge later crossed at Oak Harbor. The effort burst a blood vessel, he sank, and he was dead when his body was recovered. His widow lived until 1889 and was buried beside him in the Oak Harbor cemetery; two of their sons served in the Civil War, one surviving three months in Libby Prison.
Photographs
Photo: Nyttend, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain · 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 · archive.org · archive.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Oak Harbor Village77% of residentsLake Erie
- Ottawa County Regional Water District15% of residentsLake Erie
- Carroll Water and Sewer8% of residentsLake Erie
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Salem Township, Ottawa County's boundary: 1 nursing home, 1 private school, 1 public charging site, 2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities and 2 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Nursing homes (1)
-
Ottawa Co Riverview Nursing Ho4 of 5 stars · Oak Harbor
- Address
- 8180 W State Rt 163, Oak Harbor, OH 43449
- Certified beds
- 115
- Residents on an average day
- 85
- Medicare overall rating
- 4 of 5 stars
- Health inspections
- 3 of 5 stars
- Staffing
- 4 of 5 stars
- Quality measures
- 5 of 5 stars
- Penalties since 2023
- 1 fine totalling $17,345 (latest 2025-06-10)
- Ownership
- Government - County
- Takes
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Phone
- (419) 898-2851
- Medicare ID
- 365498
Medicare Care Compare ↗ CMS nursing home data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: CMS Care Compare nursing home provider and penalties files; Medicare star ratings run 1 to 5.
Private schools (1)
-
Ottawa County Christian AcademyPrivate, conservative Christian · Oak Harbor
- Address
- Po Box 69, Oak Harbor, OH 43449
- Kind
- conservative Christian
- Students, 2023-24
- 70
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 8
- Students per teacher
- 8.75
- Phone
- (419) 898-3888
- NCES private school ID
- A1101852
Source: NCES Private School Survey 2023-24.
Public EV charging (1)
-
Tri Motor Sales1 Level 2 · Oak Harbor
- Address
- 1430 Route 19 South, Oak Harbor, OH 43449
- Ports
- 1 Level 2
- Plugs
- J1772
- Network
- Blink Network
- Hours
- 24 hours daily
- Price
- Free
- Phone
- 888-998-2546
Station Locator (NREL) ↗ Alternative Fuels Data Center (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: NREL Alternative Fuels Data Center station list (May 2026), public and open stations, the posts at one address counted as one site.
Facilities reporting toxic releases (2)
-
Avery Dennison, Oak HarborToxics Release Inventory · Oak Harbor
- Address
- 320 N Toussaint South Rd, Oak Harbor, OH 43449
- County
- Ottawa County County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (***unchanged***)
- EPA program ID
- 4344WVRYDN32NTU
- EPA registry ID
- 110070945659
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Northern Manufacturing CoToxics Release Inventory · Oak Harbor
- Address
- 150 N Lake Winds Pkwy, Oak Harbor, OH 43452
- County
- Ottawa County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
- EPA program ID
- 4344WNRTHR15NLA
- EPA registry ID
- 110046538243
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 (2)
-
Chemical(S) Unk2025-12-17 · Salem Twp
- Reported
- 2025-12-17
- What spilled
- Chemical(S) Unk
- Where
- Salem Twp, Ottawa County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2512EPA0002013
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2023-03-14 · Salem Twp
- Reported
- 2023-03-14
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 50 gallons
- Where
- Salem Twp, Ottawa County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2303EPA0000383
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 Salem 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43449 Oak Harbor | 30% | 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 |
Local government
Who holds office in Salem 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 | Aaron C. Avery | 2028-03-31 | P.O. Box 417 Oak Harbor, OH 43449 | |
| Trustee | Ryan Hetrick | 2027-12-31 | P.O. Box 417 Oak Harbor, OH 43449 | |
| Trustee | Randall L. Wilburn | 2029-12-31 | P.O. Box 417 Oak Harbor, OH 43449 | |
| Trustee | Todd P. Winke | 2029-12-31 | P.O. Box 417 Oak Harbor, OH 43449 |
Roster as of 2026-04-10: county board of elections.
Money issues on the ballot since 2022: 1 of 1 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Salem Township Tax Levy | 1,486 | 706 | Passed (67.79% for) |
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Local Liquor Option On Premise Salem 2 | 254 | 90 | Passed (73.84% for) |
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Local Liquor Option Carryout Salem 2 | 258 | 86 | Passed (75.0% for) |
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Local Liquor Option On Premise Salem 3 | 257 | 94 | Passed (73.22% for) |
| 2022-11-08 | Issue: Local Liquor Option Carryout Salem 3 | 255 | 96 | Passed (72.65% for) |
| 2016-11-08 | Issue: Salem Twp. Local Liquor Option Salem 3 Friendship Food Store | 274 | 150 | Passed (64.62% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-04 | Trustee | Todd P. Winke 719, 37.74%; Randall L. Wilburn 605, 31.76%; Steven Harder 581, 30.5% |
| 2023-11-07 | Trustee | Ryan Hetrick 1,195, 66.5%; Steven R. Wagner 602, 33.5% |
| 2023-11-07 | Fiscal Officer | Aaron Avery 1,648, 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.
- Financial Audit, 2022 to 2023, released 2024-12-17
The county
Ottawa County: 15 ZIP codes, 19 cities, villages and townships, 38,204 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Salem Township, Ohio in?
Salem Township, Ottawa County is a township in Ottawa County, Ohio, with 2,506 residents.
When was Salem Township, Ohio founded?
Salem Township, Ottawa County was settled 1831 (Gordon family); a few settlers near Hartford by 1828. Source
How did Salem Township, Ohio get its name?
Not confirmed for this township. 'Salem' comes from the Hebrew word for peace and is borne by fourteen Ohio townships; no source consulted explains this township's naming or its organization year. Source
What ZIP code is Salem Township, Ohio?
Most of Salem Township, Ottawa County is in ZIP code 43449.
Where does Salem Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Salem Township, Ottawa County (Oak Harbor Village): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Salem Township, Ottawa County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/salem-township-ottawa-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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