Local events in Swanton
Swanton itself has 1 event posted in the next 90 days; the others here are within 10 miles. All local events in Swanton
Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Swanton began
Swanton straddles the Fulton-Lucas county line and takes its name from Swan Creek. A post office under the name Swanton has operated since 1827, and the village was incorporated in the 1880s, with a petition dated June 17, 1882. The A. D. Baker Company, a maker of steam traction engines, patented the Baker valve gear in 1903, which saw widespread use on American steam locomotives. A Palm Sunday tornado on March 28, 1920 destroyed most of the Baker plant and wrecked other buildings, including a church.
Where the name comes from
Named for nearby Swan Creek, the same stream that gives Swan Creek Township its name.
Before the town
No Native village, mound or trail specific to Swanton is recorded. The village sits inside the tract ceded at the 1807 Treaty of Detroit.
Timeline
- — The Treaty of Detroit cedes the tract of northwest Ohio that includes the future village's land.
- — A post office called Swanton begins operating.
- — The first Swanton stands in Wayne Township, Lucas County, about three-quarters of a mile from the Fulton County line, with a log hotel owned by a Mr. Kirkland, later sold to B. T. Geer, and David Mills's double log hotel; Kirkland is thought to be the first postmaster.
- — Building of the plank road begins at Maumee and runs about eleven miles into Fulton County, stopping in the woods about halfway between Delta and Wauseon; a village begins to form along it.
- — The Air Line railroad is built through the area in 1853-54, and the business center moves from the old hamlet of Centerville to the new station.
- — Jeff Lutz reaches Swanton, then called Centreville, on the day after Lincoln was shot, finding three houses: Joseph A. Miller's store and boarding house, a small shoe shop and a shanty; Miller owns nearly all the land of the present town.
- — Binder contests are held on Joseph Miller's land, where Main Street now runs.
- — A petition for incorporation of the village is dated and signed by more than sixty residents; the village is made a town in the 1880s with Dr. L. A. Bassett as first mayor.
- — The Swanton Enterprise newspaper is founded; the Pilliod Brothers put up a flouring mill at Swanton in 1887.
- — Swanton gains more population in 1890 to 1900 than all the other villages of Fulton County combined, and in 1910 to 1920 gains more than any place except Wauseon.
- — The Baker valve gear, developed by Swanton's A. D. Baker Company for steam traction engines, is patented and goes on to see widespread use on U.S. steam railroad locomotives through the first half of the 20th century.
- — A Palm Sunday tornado destroys most of the A. D. Baker Company plant, with about $60,000 damage, and unroofs or wrecks businesses and houses across the town; the plant, then ten acres, is rebuilt.
- — A vehicle left parked on the Main Street railroad crossing causes a derailment that knocks out power to the village and disrupts one of the main Midwest-to-East-Coast rail lines.
- — The census counts 3,897 people in Swanton, which spans the Fulton and Lucas county line.
Stories
The Storm That Flattened a Church
A tornado struck Swanton in 1920. Rudolph Gartner photographed a man examining debris in front of a demolished church, and the photograph is held in the Rudolph Gartner Collection of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. The Palm Sunday tornado of March 28, 1920 also destroyed most of the A. D. Baker Company plant.
A Valve Gear Built in a Small Ohio Village
The A. D. Baker Company of Swanton, a maker of steam-powered traction engines and road contractors' equipment, patented the Baker valve gear in 1903. The valve gear saw widespread use on U.S. steam locomotives through the first half of the 20th century.
The town that kept moving
Theodore W. Knight, writing about 'Swanton in its Earlier Years,' said the town was like a paddy flea: when you had your finger on it, it was not there. In 1845 Swanton was a post office and a log hotel in Lucas County, three-quarters of a mile from the Fulton line, and farmers rode to Maumee with a sack of corn across the saddle to buy food. About 1850 the plank road from Maumee stopped in the woods halfway to Wauseon and a village began to form along it, at the hamlet called Centreville. The Air Line railroad came in 1853-54, and the business center shifted again. When Jeff Lutz arrived on the day of Lincoln's assassination in 1865, Swanton had three houses and one merchant. The fourth Swanton grew around A. D. Baker's plant, which started as a boy's mechanical shop half a mile out of town and by 1920 covered ten acres making threshing machines, engines and the Baker valve gear used on locomotives across the country, until the Palm Sunday tornado of March 28, 1920 wrecked it.
Photographs
Photo: Rudolph Gartner, via Toledo Lucas County Public Library / Digital Public Library of America, no known copyright restrictions · Wikimedia Commons
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org · archive.org · archive.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Swanton Village89% of residentsSwan Creek, stored in Swanton Reservoir
- Arrowhead Lake MHP5% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
- Swanton Meadows5% of residentsGroundwater wells (2 wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Swanton's boundary: 2 nursing homes, 1 fire or EMS station, 3 public schools, 1 private school, 1 library, 1 police station, 2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities and 5 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Nursing homes (2)
-
Embassy of Swanton4 of 5 stars · Swanton
- Address
- 214 S Munson Rd, Swanton, OH 43558
- Certified beds
- 68
- Residents on an average day
- 61
- Medicare overall rating
- 4 of 5 stars
- Health inspections
- 3 of 5 stars
- Staffing
- 2 of 5 stars
- Quality measures
- 5 of 5 stars
- Penalties since 2023
- none
- Ownership
- For profit - Corporation
- Chain
- EMBASSY HEALTHCARE
- Takes
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Phone
- (419) 825-1145
- Medicare ID
- 366073
Medicare Care Compare ↗ CMS nursing home data (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Swanton Valley Rehabilitation and Healthcare Cente2 of 5 stars · Swanton
- Address
- 401 W Airport Hwy, Swanton, OH 43558
- Certified beds
- 92
- Residents on an average day
- 78
- Medicare overall rating
- 2 of 5 stars
- Health inspections
- 2 of 5 stars
- Staffing
- 2 of 5 stars
- Quality measures
- 4 of 5 stars
- Penalties since 2023
- 1 fine totalling $18,880 (latest 2025-06-09)
- Ownership
- For profit - Limited Liability company
- Chain
- CROWN HEALTHCARE GROUP
- Takes
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Phone
- (419) 825-1111
- Medicare ID
- 365745
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)
-
Swanton Fire and Rescue Division Station 1Swanton
- Address
- 432 Church Street, Swanton, OH 43558
- Coordinates
- 41.59197, -83.88369
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 (3)
-
Swanton Elementary School3.5 of 5 stars · Swanton
- Address
- 111 Crestwood Dr, Swanton, OH 43558
- School district
- Swanton Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 454
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 23.65
- Report card, 2025-26
- 3.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 87.4%
- Ohio building IRN
- 029108
- NCES school ID
- 390470902777
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Swanton High School3.5 of 5 stars · Swanton
- Address
- 601 N Main St, Swanton, OH 43558
- School district
- Swanton Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 325
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 20.49
- Report card, 2025-26
- 3.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 79.8%
- Four-year graduation rate
- 97%
- Ohio building IRN
- 036582
- NCES school ID
- 390470902778
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Swanton Middle School3.5 of 5 stars · Swanton
- Address
- 101 Elton Pkwy, Swanton, OH 43558
- School district
- Swanton Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 358
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 24.85
- Report card, 2025-26
- 3.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 80.6%
- Ohio building IRN
- 006072
- NCES school ID
- 390470902775
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.
Private schools (1)
-
St Richard SchoolPrivate, Catholic · Swanton
- Address
- 333 Brookside Dr, Swanton, OH 43558
- Kind
- Catholic
- Students, 2023-24
- 53
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 7.8
- Students per teacher
- 6.79487
- Phone
- (419) 826-5041
- NCES private school ID
- 01061288
Source: NCES Private School Survey 2023-24.
Public libraries (1)
-
Swanton Public LibraryCentral library · Swanton
- Address
- 305 Chestnut St., Swanton, OH 43558
- What it is
- Central library
- Library system
- Swanton Public Library
- Open
- 2,452 hours a year, 52 weeks
- Building
- 9,885 sq ft
- System's visits, FY2024
- 22,412
- System's loans, FY2024
- 58,758
- People the system serves
- 9,101
- Phone
- (419) 826-2760
IMLS Public Libraries Survey (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: IMLS Public Libraries Survey FY2024 (outlets and their systems). Any Ohio resident can get a free card at any Ohio public library.
Police stations (1)
-
Swanton Police DivisionSwanton
- Address
- 219 Chestnut Street, Swanton, OH 43558
- Coordinates
- 41.58877, -83.88728
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: USGS National Map structures, police stations, corrected and completed by hand (September 2026). The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction, not by distance.
Facilities reporting toxic releases (2)
-
Pilliod of OhioToxics Release Inventory · Swanton
- Address
- 105 Woodland, Swanton, OH 43558
- County
- Fulton County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
- EPA program ID
- 43558PLLDC105WO
- EPA registry ID
- 110001624243
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Scottdel IncToxics Release Inventory · Swanton
- Address
- 400 Church St, Swanton, OH 43558
- County
- Fulton County
- Status
- Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
- EPA program ID
- 43558SCTTD400CH
- EPA registry ID
- 110000383852
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 (5)
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2023-04-12 · Swanton
- Reported
- 2023-04-12
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 350 gallons
- Where
- Swanton, Fulton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2304EPA0000570
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Petroleum Not Otherwise Specified (Nos) Reached water2022-03-18 · Swanton
- Reported
- 2022-03-18
- What spilled
- Oil Petroleum Not Otherwise Specified (Nos)
- Reached a waterway
- 99 - Unnamed
- Where
- Swanton, Fulton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2203EPA0000365
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2021-10-30 · Swanton
- Reported
- 2021-10-30
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 25 gallons
- Where
- Swanton, Fulton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2110EPA0001684
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2021-10-01 · Swanton Twp
- Reported
- 2021-10-01
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 100 gallons
- Where
- Swanton Twp, Lucas County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2110EPA0001556
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Chlorine (Cl) (Gas)2026-07-23 · Swanton
- Reported
- 2026-07-23
- What spilled
- Chlorine (Cl) (Gas); Fish Kill
- Where
- Swanton, Fulton County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2607EPA0001340
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 Swanton, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43558 Swanton | 30% | 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 Swanton, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2016: 9 of 9 passed; of those asking for new or higher taxes, 1 of 1.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Issue: Swanton LSD, Income Tax Renewal, 0.75% | 1,290 | 976 | Passed (56.93% for) |
| 2021-11-02 | Issue: Swanton Library 1 Mill Renewal Current Expenses (1.0 mills, renewal) | 836 | 322 | Passed (72.19% for) |
| 2021-11-02 | Issue: Swanton LSD 3.4 Mills Substitute Necessary Requirements (3.4 mills, substitute) | 654 | 516 | Passed (55.9% for) |
| 2020-04-28 | Issue: Swanton Village 1.2 mills addtl for parks (1.2 mills, additional) | 251 | 166 | Passed (60.19% for) |
| 2019-05-07 | Issue: Swanton LSD 0.75% Ren Inc - COE | 470 | 229 | Passed (67.24% for) |
| 2019-05-07 | Issue: Swanton Vill 2 Mill Ren - Fire (2.0 mills) | 333 | 102 | Passed (76.55% for) |
| 2019-05-07 | Issue: Swanton Vill 0.5 Mill Ren - Park (0.5 mills) | 302 | 126 | Passed (70.56% for) |
| 2017-11-07 | Issue: Swanton Sports Center-Sunday Sales | 144 | 54 | Passed (72.73% for) |
| 2017-05-02 | Issue: SWANTON VILLAGE 0.25% INCOME TAX | 314 | 274 | Passed (53.4% for) |
| 2017-05-02 | Issue: SWANTON LSD 4.45 MILL REN EMG REQS (4.45 mills) | 613 | 327 | Passed (65.21% for) |
| 2016-11-08 | Issue: Swanton Library Ren 1 mill COE (1.0 mills) | 2,401 | 885 | Passed (73.07% for) |
| 2015-11-03 | Issue: Swanton Legion-Sunday Sales | 139 | 64 | Passed (68.47% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-04 | Member of Council | Patricia Pilliod 412, 20.99%; David Pilliod 405, 20.63%; Noah Kreuz 379, 19.31%; Deacon D. Dzierzawski 261, 13.3%; Patrick L. Messenger 255, 12.99%; Stephen Kasprzak 251, 12.79% |
| 2023-11-07 | Member of Council | Dianne M. Westhoven 736, 54.08%; John J. Schmidt, Jr. 625, 45.92% |
| 2023-11-07 | Mayor | Neil Toeppe 713, 61.04%; Deacon Dzierzawski 455, 38.96% |
| 2021-11-02 | Member of Council | Samantha Disbrow 372, 26.14%; Derek Kania 363, 25.51%; Patrick L. Messenger 351, 24.67%; Mikey Disbrow 337, 23.68% |
| 2019-11-05 | Member of Council | Dianne Westhoven 630, 90.0%; David J. Pilliod 40, 5.71%; WRITE-IN 1130 30, 4.29% |
| 2019-11-05 | Member of Council | David Smith 805, 50.6%; Ben Remer 786, 49.4% |
| 2019-11-05 | Mayor | Neil Toeppe 411, 53.1%; Ann Roth 363, 46.9% |
| 2017-11-07 | Member of Council | Kathy Kreuz 491, 29.4%; Michael L. Rochelle 427, 25.57%; Paul Dzyak 394, 23.59%; Craig Rose 358, 21.44% |
| 2017-11-07 | Member of Council | Steve A. Brehmer 871, 36.75%; Kristina Oberheim 802, 33.84%; Autumn D. Adams 697, 29.41% |
| 2015-11-03 | Member of Council | Jeff Pilliod 575, 31.93%; Dianne Westhoven 489, 27.15%; Craig Rose 388, 21.54%; Scott Herrick 182, 10.11%; Michael A. Westmeyer 167, 9.27% |
| 2015-11-03 | Member of Council | David S. Smith, Jr. 1,094, 50.51%; Shannon M. Crow 1,072, 49.49% |
| 2015-11-03 | Mayor | Ann Roth 674, 64.62%; Ron Moore 369, 35.38% |
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, 2024, released 2025-12-30
- Financial Audit, 2022 to 2023, released 2025-02-11
The county
Fulton County: 8 ZIP codes, 21 cities, villages and townships, 47,557 people.
Nearby places
Rain and snow
How much has actually fallen on Swanton, day by day, from 1871 to now. Daily totals, not averages.
- rain, last 30 days
- 2.03 in
- 2026-09-30 to 2026-10-29
- rain so far in 2026
- 32.3 in
- 2.4 in above normal for the date
- snow so far in 2026
- 17.9 in
- a normal year brings 34.7 in
- a normal year
- 35.3 in
- average of 30 years, 1991-2020
| Month | Rain (in) | Snow (in) | Days counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 2.02 | — | 29 |
| September 2026 | 3.61 | — | 30 |
| August 2026 | 5.61 | — | 31 |
| July 2026 | 2.42 | — | 31 |
| June 2026 | 3.42 | — | 30 |
| May 2026 | 1.93 | — | 31 |
| April 2026 | 6.96 | — | 30 |
| March 2026 | 4.61 | 0.1 | 31 |
| February 2026 | 0.67 | 3.1 | 28 |
| January 2026 | 1.10 | 14.6 | 31 |
| December 2025 | 1.77 | 7.7 | 31 |
| November 2025 | 1.88 | 6.6 | 30 |
| Wettest year | 1950 — 50.9 in |
|---|---|
| Driest year | 1889 — 21.9 in |
| Snowiest year | 2014 — 76.8 in |
| Wettest day on record | 4 July 1969 — 3.62 in |
| Heaviest snowfall in a day | 28 February 1900 — 13.82 in |
| Deepest snow on the ground | 6 February 1978 — 18.87 in |
Estimated, not measured. No rain gauge has ever stood inside Swanton, so every figure here is worked out from the gauges around it - the nearest ones weighted most. Treat them as close estimates rather than readings.
56,915 days of records, 1871-01-01 to 2026-10-29. Source: NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily, 3,240 gauges in and around Ohio. A day is "gauged" when a gauge standing inside the boundary reported it, and the value is the mean of those gauges. Otherwise it is interpolated by inverse distance from every gauge reporting within 50 miles. Nothing is carried forward, back-filled or smoothed. Against NOAA nClimDiv county monthly precipitation over 136,848 complete county-months (checked 2026-10-31): correlation 0.9515, median absolute difference 0.217 in a month. Built 2026-10-31 from the Cracked Buckeye precipitation archive. Snow is the softer number — snowfall is measured by hand with a ruler, no agency publishes a gridded county snowfall series, and blowing snow defeats every observer.
Environmental permits and filings
What Ohio EPA has on file for Swanton: permits, inspections, violations, cleanups and the state loans behind sewer and water work. Every line links to the agency's own document.
- facilities and sites on file
- 21
- those placed on the map inside Swanton
| Program | Facilities and sites |
|---|---|
| Hazardous waste | 8 |
| State sewer loans | 4 |
| Wastewater and stormwater discharge | 4 |
| State water loans | 3 |
| Public drinking water | 1 |
| Site assessment | 1 |
| Date | Facility or site | What |
|---|---|---|
| SWANTON VILLAGE PWS | State water loans | |
| SWANTON VILLAGE PWS | State water loans | |
| SWANTON VILLAGE PWS | State water loans | |
| SWANTON VILLAGE PWS | State water loans | |
| SWANTON WTP LABORATORY | Public drinking water | |
| SWANTON HIGH SCHOOL | Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit | |
| SWANTON VILLAGE PWS | State water loans | |
| VILLAGE OF SWANTON | Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit | |
| VILLAGE OF SWANTON PROJECT 7 CHURCH HARRISON LAW | Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit | |
| NEIS DITCH STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT | Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit | |
| NEIS DITCH STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT | Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit | |
| SWANTON WTP | State water loans | |
| SWANTON WTP | State water loans | |
| SWANTON WTP | State water loans | |
| SWANTON WTP | State water loans | |
| SWANTON WTP | State water loans | |
| SWANTON WTP | State sewer loans | |
| SWANTON WTP | State sewer loans | |
| SWANTON WTP | State sewer loans | |
| SWANTON WTP | State sewer loans | |
| SWANTON WTP | State sewer loans | |
| RITE AID #2355 | Hazardous waste compliance letter | |
| SWANTON PROJECT 7 SEWER SEPARATION | State sewer loans | |
| SWANTON PROJECT 7 SEWER SEPARATION | State sewer loans | |
| SWANTON PROJECT 7 SEWER SEPARATION | State sewer loans |
Source: Ohio EPA eDocument portal (edocpub.epa.ohio.gov), indexed 2026-10-14. Facilities are placed on the map from Ohio EPA's own map layers, EPA's Facility Registry, coordinates written in the filings, or a geocoded street address. A permit filed under a private person's name (most are household septic systems) is counted but never named, placed or linked; licenses for individual workers and open-burning notices are left out entirely.
Quick answers
What county is Swanton, Ohio in?
Swanton is a village in Fulton County, Ohio, with 3,892 residents.
How did Swanton, Ohio get its name?
Named for nearby Swan Creek, the same stream that gives Swan Creek Township its name. Source
What ZIP code is Swanton, Ohio?
Most of Swanton is in ZIP code 43558.
Where does Swanton, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Swanton (Swanton Village): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Swanton, Fulton County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/swanton/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31
