Local events in Springfield Township, Gallia County
Springfield Township itself has 2 events posted in the next 90 days; the others here are within 20 miles. All local events in Springfield Township, Gallia County
Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Springfield Township, Gallia County began
Springfield Township occupies the northern part of Gallia County and, like Green Township, touches no other county; it was organized June 2, 1812. Decades before Bidwell existed, the township's first platted village was Porter, laid out March 1, 1830 by surveyor Joseph Fletcher for proprietor Charles Russell; the village of Evergreen followed in 1855. The township's main modern populated place, Bidwell, began life in 1881 as a railroad depot village called Heatly (or Blaccock), renamed around 1900 for Prohibition Party presidential candidate John Bidwell; the older depot village of Porter grew up beside it and the two now share the township's center along with the unincorporated community of Kerr. The Crispus Attucks, Hocking Valley and Toledo Railroad line that created Bidwell (and ran past the older Porter) has since been pulled up and turned into a bike path across the county. Otherwise the township remains rural farmland with no incorporated village of its own.
Incorporated 1812-06-02, by Organized by petition of the early settlers.
Where the name comes from
No source found explains why Springfield Township was given its name specifically; it is one of eleven townships named "Springfield" across Ohio, a common statewide township name, and no local origin story survives in the sources checked.
Before the town
No source found records a Native village, mound, trail, or treaty event specific to Springfield Township. The township lies within Gallia County's broader Shawnee homeland of the pre-1795 Ohio River valley.
Nations recorded here: Shawnee.
Timeline
- — Charles Mills, one of the township's earliest settlers, arrives; Michael Womeldorff follows in 1801 and Thomas Sawyer erects a cabin in 1803, beginning settlement on section thirty-five.
- — By petition of the early settlers, the township is laid out and organized; the first election, held the last week of September, draws about nineteen votes.
- — Samuel Denney builds a log grist mill on Barren creek, the township's first.
- — The village of Porter, in section twenty-four, is laid out by surveyor Joseph Fletcher for proprietor Charles Russell; it never incorporates and had a population of 172 by 1880.
- — The village of Evergreen is laid out by surveyor Henry Graham for proprietor John Cherrington, on the Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo Railroad.
- — The Crispus Attucks, Hocking Valley and Toledo Railroad reaches the township's center and a depot settlement, first called Heatly (also recorded as Blaccock), grows up on land owned by Charles Heatly (1809-1888).
- — Around this year Heatly is renamed Bidwell, honoring John Bidwell, the Prohibition Party's 1892 presidential candidate.
- — The village expands with several mills and stores as the neighboring depot community of Porter also grows, named for the Porter rail station built on the same Heatly land.
- — Bidwell records a census population of 863 and keeps its own ZIP code (45614) despite remaining unincorporated; the former rail line through it is now a bicycle path crossing much of the county.
Stories
A railroad depot renamed for a presidential candidate
When the Crispus Attucks, Hocking Valley and Toledo Railroad pushed a line through the center of Springfield Township in 1881, a small depot settlement grew up on land belonging to Charles Heatly and took his name. Around 1900 the town renamed itself Bidwell, after John Bidwell, the California rancher and reformer who had run for President in 1892 as the Prohibition Party's candidate -- an unusual choice of namesake for a rural Ohio depot town, and one the sources checked do not explain further. A companion station, Porter, grew up alongside it on the same Heatly land and kept a separate identity as the rail traffic built up mills and stores through the early 20th century. The railroad itself is long gone: the tracks were pulled up and the right-of-way converted into a bicycle path that now runs across much of Gallia County, with an Ohio historical marker at the old station site the only physical trace of the line that created the village.
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · ohiogenealogyexpress.com
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Gallipolis79% of residentsGroundwater wells (6 wells)
- Gallia Co. Rural Water Association17% of residentsOhio River Valley Aquifer (10 wells, Gallipolis/Addison Twp.)
- Rio Grande2% of residentsOhio River Valley Aquifer (10 wells, Gallipolis/Addison Twp.)
- Leading Creek Conservancy District2% of residentsGroundwater wells (4 wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Springfield Township, Gallia County's boundary: 1 nursing home, 1 fire or EMS station, 2 public schools, 3 poor-rated bridges and 5 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Nursing homes (1)
-
Holzer Senior Care Center3 of 5 stars · Bidwell
- Address
- 380 Colonial Drive, Bidwell, OH 45614
- Certified beds
- 41
- Residents on an average day
- 40
- Medicare overall rating
- 3 of 5 stars
- Health inspections
- 2 of 5 stars
- Staffing
- 2 of 5 stars
- Quality measures
- 5 of 5 stars
- Penalties since 2023
- none
- Ownership
- Non profit - Corporation
- Takes
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Phone
- (740) 446-5001
- Medicare ID
- 365998
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.
Fire and EMS stations (1)
-
Springfield Township Fire DepartmentBidwell
- Address
- 13984 State Highway 554, Bidwell, OH 45614
- Coordinates
- 38.92681, -82.28148
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.
Public schools (2)
-
River Valley High School3 of 5 stars · Bidwell
- Address
- 8785 State Route 160, Bidwell, OH 45614
- School district
- Gallia County Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 402
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 20.85
- Report card, 2025-26
- 3 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 67.3%
- Four-year graduation rate
- 94.9%
- Ohio building IRN
- 019364
- NCES school ID
- 390656804135
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
River Valley Middle School3.5 of 5 stars · Bidwell
- Address
- 8779 State Route 160, Bidwell, OH 45614
- School district
- Gallia County Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 361
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 18.29
- Report card, 2025-26
- 3.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 72.3%
- Ohio building IRN
- 002683
- NCES school ID
- 390656804129
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 (3)
-
Campaign Road over Campaign CreekPoor · built 1965
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1965
- Length
- 16 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 209
- Coordinates
- 38.93194, -82.24544
National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
White Rd over Blosser CreekPoor · built 1965
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1965
- Length
- 22 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 522
- Coordinates
- 38.90997, -82.22131
National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Woods Mill Rd over Barren CreekPoor · built 1965
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1965
- Length
- 10 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 149
- Coordinates
- 38.92472, -82.32158
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.
Spills reported since 2021 (5)
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road) Reached water2025-03-15 · Springfield Twp
- Reported
- 2025-03-15
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Springfield Twp, Gallia County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2503EPA0000369
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2024-12-18 · Springfield Twp
- Reported
- 2024-12-18
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 30 gallons
- Where
- Springfield Twp, Gallia County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2412EPA0002038
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Material Undetermined / Other2024-12-18 · Springfield Twp
- Reported
- 2024-12-18
- What spilled
- Material Undetermined / Other
- Where
- Springfield Twp, Gallia County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2412EPA0002037
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Other / All Other / Trade Name / Mixture / Solution Etc2023-05-10 · Springfield Twp
- Reported
- 2023-05-10
- What spilled
- Other / All Other / Trade Name / Mixture / Solution Etc
- Where
- Springfield Twp, Gallia County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2305EPA0000762
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2022-05-27 · Springfield Twp
- Reported
- 2022-05-27
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 100 gallons
- Where
- Springfield Twp, Gallia County
- Ohio EPA district office
- SEDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2205EPA0000776
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 Springfield Township, Gallia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45614 Springfield Township and Bidwell | 56% | Mostly private wells | Too few radon tests | Median year built 1985 | Gallia County Local · 3 stars overall | 1.8% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45686 Huntington Township and Vinton | 5% | Mostly private wells | Too few radon tests | Median year built 1985 | Gallia County Local · 3 stars overall | 2.1% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45631 Green Township and Gallipolis | 4% | Groundwater wells (6 wells) | 3.7 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1972 | Gallipolis City · 3 stars overall | 14% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Springfield Township, Gallia County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Trustee | Robert E. Massie 664, 100.0% |
| 2023-11-07 | Fiscal Officer | Courtney R. Burnett 603, 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.
- Agreed Upon Procedures, 2024 to 2025, released 2026-04-02
- Agreed Upon Procedures, 2022 to 2023, released 2024-08-29
The county
Gallia County: 8 ZIP codes, 22 cities, villages and townships, 30,753 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Springfield Township, Ohio in?
Springfield Township, Gallia County is a township in Gallia County, Ohio, with 3,413 residents.
When was Springfield Township, Ohio founded?
Springfield Township, Gallia County was incorporated 1812-06-02. Founders on record: Organized by petition of the early settlers. Source
What ZIP code is Springfield Township, Ohio?
Springfield Township, Gallia County is served by ZIP codes 45614, 45686 and 45631; 45614 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Springfield Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Springfield Township, Gallia County (Gallipolis): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Springfield Township, Gallia County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/springfield-township-gallia-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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