Local events in Spencer Township, Lucas County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Spencer Township, Lucas County began
Spencer Township was set off from Richfield and Swanton townships by the Lucas County commissioners in 1845, but its first settlers -- many of them German families -- had already been clearing the wilderness for a decade, arriving between 1832 and 1835 during the wave of immigration then moving toward Michigan. One pioneer's own recollection, preserved in the township's history, put the balance of the frontier plainly: 'When we came here, it was all woods. There were more Indians than white people.' The township's only real settlement, Frankfort, was long known instead as Java, home to its post office from 1848 until 1901, and German Catholic, Baptist and Reformed congregations that organized through the mid-1800s still mark the township's mixed religious history today.
Settled 1832 to 1835, largely by German immigrant families, incorporated township organized 1845, set off from Richfield and Swanton townships; first election April 7, 1845 at Abraham Johnson's house, by Lucas County commissioners; early settlers including Abraham Johnson, Bennett Warren, Benjamin Fairchild and William Brown.
Where the name comes from
No source we consulted explains why the township took the name Spencer.
Before the town
No Native village, camp or treaty event specific to Spencer Township's own boundaries is documented in the sources we reviewed, but the township's own history preserves a settler's blunt recollection of the frontier balance in the 1830s: 'When we came here, it was all woods. There were more Indians than white people.' No name, nation or specific site is attached to that memory in the source, so it is a general impression rather than a documented settlement.
Timeline
- — The township's first settlers, largely German immigrant families, arrive during a wave of immigration then still mostly headed toward Michigan.
- — The township's first log schoolhouse is built on Eli Munson's land, with Chester Holloway as first teacher; settlers split timber for the floor and secured the roof with poles, since nails were unavailable.
- — Father Amadeus Rappe begins Catholic missionary work among the township's German residents, the start of what becomes the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
- — Spencer Township holds its first election at Abraham Johnson's residence, having been set off from Richfield and Swanton townships.
- — A post office opens under the name Java at what is now Frankfort (also called Frankfort Corners).
- — The German Reformed Church organizes, founded by Isaac Matzinger, Conrad Swine and Andrew Reginald.
- — The frame Catholic church built in 1864 burns; a new $12,000 structure is consecrated in 1876, then partly demolished by a tornado on March 4, 1880 and rebuilt by that August.
- — The Java post office closes after 53 years of operation.
Stories
A church rebuilt twice in five years
Spencer Township's German Catholic community, ministered to from 1838 by the missionary priest Amadeus Rappe, worshipped first in a log church that later became a schoolhouse once a frame replacement went up in 1864. Bad luck found the congregation twice more before the century was out. The frame church burned to the ground on June 7, 1875, and the parish answered by building something far grander: a roughly $12,000 structure, a serious sum for a rural farm township, consecrated in 1876. Less than four years later, on March 4, 1880, a tornado tore through and demolished the new church except for its side walls -- and the congregation rebuilt again, finishing the repair by August 15 of the same year. Three churches, two disasters, and eighteen years, in a township where German Protestant and Catholic families together made up roughly two-thirds of the population, tell a small story about how much a frontier congregation was willing to spend, twice, to keep a building standing.
Local history sources: spencertownship.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Water
Lake Erie, intake crib roughly 3 miles offshore of the Collins Park plant in Maumee Bay near Oregon, OH The water here
- Toledo City Of76% of residentsLake Erie
- Swanton Village21% of residentsSwan Creek, stored in Swanton Reservoir
- Arrowhead Lake MHP1% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Swanton Meadows1% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Spencer Township, Lucas County's boundary: 1 health center, 1 fire or EMS station, 3 Superfund sites, 2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities and 12 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Community health centers (1)
-
Holland Health CareHealth center · Holland
- Run by
- a federally qualified health center
- Setting
- Clinic
- City
- Holland
- Coordinates
- 41.63299, -83.77821
Find a Health Center (HRSA) ↗ HRSA data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: HRSA health center service delivery sites, active, September 2026 (school-based sites left out). Health centers see patients whether or not they have insurance, with fees on a sliding scale.
Fire and EMS stations (1)
-
Spencer Township Fire and RescueHolland
- Address
- 9445 Frankfort Road, Holland, OH 43528
- Coordinates
- 41.64403, -83.76862
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: USGS National Map structures (most Ohio records last updated 2019 to 2022), checked against the Columbus and Cleveland station lists. The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction and mutual aid, not by distance.
Superfund sites (3)
-
Bush SiteSuperfund program · Swanton
- Address
- 10839 Old State Line Road, Swanton, OH 43558
- County
- Lucas County
- Status
- Superfund program site, not on the National Priorities List
- EPA program ID
- OH0000234203
- EPA registry ID
- 110009342755
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Eber RoadSuperfund program · Spencer Township
- Address
- 340 Eber Road, Spencer Township, OH 43558
- County
- Lucas County
- Status
- Superfund program site, not on the National Priorities List
- EPA program ID
- OH0000234187
- EPA registry ID
- 110067352545
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Griswold SiteSuperfund program · Swanton
- Address
- 10745 Old State Line Road, Swanton, OH 43558
- County
- Lucas County
- Status
- Superfund program site, not on the National Priorities List
- EPA program ID
- OHD987035714
- EPA registry ID
- 110009304699
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: EPA Facility Registry Service, Superfund (SEMS) and National Priorities List sites. Many program sites were assessed and needed no cleanup.
Facilities reporting toxic releases (2)
-
Creative Products, Inc.Toxics Release Inventory · Holland
- Address
- 1750 South Eber Road, Holland, OH 43528
- County
- Lucas County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
- EPA program ID
- 43528SMTHSSOUTH
- EPA registry ID
- 110002109708
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Johnson Controls Inc Battery GroupToxics Release Inventory · Holland
- Address
- 10300 Industrial Rd, Holland, OH 43528
- County
- Lucas County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
- EPA program ID
- 43528JHNSN10300
- EPA registry ID
- 110000383638
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 (12)
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2025-08-20 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2025-08-20
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 700 gallons
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2508EPA0001426
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Transformer Non Pcb2025-05-19 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2025-05-19
- What spilled
- Oil Transformer Non Pcb
- Largest amount reported
- 10 gallons
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2505EPA0000797
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Contaminated Water2025-01-18 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2025-01-18
- What spilled
- Contaminated Water
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2501EPA0000063
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sheen Rainbow / Hydrocarbon Reached water2024-04-01 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2024-04-01
- What spilled
- Sheen Rainbow / Hydrocarbon
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2404EPA0000505
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Pesticide(S) Nos (Not Specified)2023-05-22 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2023-05-22
- What spilled
- Pesticide(S) Nos (Not Specified)
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2305EPA0000832
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Other / All Other / Trade Name / Mixture / Solution Etc2023-04-01 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2023-04-01
- What spilled
- Other / All Other / Trade Name / Mixture / Solution Etc
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2304EPA0000490
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Orphan Drum(S)2023-03-29 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2023-03-29
- What spilled
- Orphan Drum(S)
- Largest amount reported
- 660 gallons
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2303EPA0000469
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Gasoline ( 25% Ethanol Not E85)2023-03-23 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2023-03-23
- What spilled
- Fuel Gasoline ( 25% Ethanol Not E85)
- Largest amount reported
- 20 gallons
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2303EPA0000427
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Transformer Non Pcb2022-12-21 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2022-12-21
- What spilled
- Oil Transformer Non Pcb
- Largest amount reported
- 10 gallons
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2212EPA0001889
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Other / All Other / Trade Name / Mixture / Solution Etc2022-06-21 · Null
- Reported
- 2022-06-21
- What spilled
- Other / All Other / Trade Name / Mixture / Solution Etc
- Where
- Null, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2206EPA0000935
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Transformer Non Pcb2022-06-02 · Spencer Twp
- Reported
- 2022-06-02
- What spilled
- Oil Transformer Non Pcb
- Largest amount reported
- 2 gallons
- Where
- Spencer Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2206EPA0000819
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2021-05-28 · Toledo
- Reported
- 2021-05-28
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Where
- Toledo, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2105EPA0000754
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 Spencer Township, Lucas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43528 Springfield Township and Holland | 7% | Lake Erie, intake crib roughly 3 miles offshore of the Collins Park plant in Maumee Bay near Oregon, OH | 2.8 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1993 | Springfield Local · 3.5 stars overall | 3.2% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 43558 Swanton | 5% | Mostly private wells | 2.6 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | Swanton Local · 3.5 stars overall | 6.9% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Spencer Township, Lucas County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Auditor of State record
- No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
- Financial Audit, 2022 to 2023, released 2025-08-26
The county
Lucas County: 26 ZIP codes, 20 cities, villages and townships, 427,372 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Spencer Township, Ohio in?
Spencer Township, Lucas County is a township in Lucas County, Ohio, with 1,746 residents.
When was Spencer Township, Ohio founded?
Spencer Township, Lucas County was settled 1832 to 1835, largely by German immigrant families; incorporated township organized 1845, set off from Richfield and Swanton townships; first election April 7, 1845 at Abraham Johnson's house. Founders on record: Lucas County commissioners; early settlers including Abraham Johnson, Bennett Warren, Benjamin Fairchild and William Brown. Source
What ZIP code is Spencer Township, Ohio?
Spencer Township, Lucas County is served by ZIP codes 43528 and 43558; 43528 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Spencer Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Spencer Township, Lucas County (Toledo City Of): Lake Erie, intake crib roughly 3 miles offshore of the Collins Park plant in Maumee Bay near Oregon, OH.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Spencer Township, Lucas County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/spencer-township-lucas-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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