Local events in Union Township, Putnam County
Nothing is posted for Union Township itself yet; here is what is on within 20 miles. All local events in Union Township, Putnam County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Union Township, Putnam County began
Union Township, first settled by Abram Sarber and Joseph Clevenger in 1831 and organized in 1832 in central Putnam County, holds Kalida -- the county's first seat, 1834-1866, and a name meaning "The Beautiful" -- in its northwest. South of Kalida stood the Mat Unverferth Round Barn, built 1910 and once listed on the National Register of Historic Places, though the structure has since been destroyed.
Settled 1831, incorporated 1832 (organized), by Abram Sarber and Joseph Clevenger, first settlers.
Where the name comes from
No specific origin for the name 'Union' is documented in the sources checked; it is one of twenty-seven Union Townships in Ohio, a common patriotic township name.
Before the town
No Native American site or village specific to Union Township was located in the sources checked.
Timeline
- — Abram Sarber and Joseph Clevenger settle in the township with their families, its first settlers.
- — Union Township takes on a temporary organization by court order, with John Guffy as first road supervisor.
- — Congress creates Putnam County by act, with a provision requiring a town director to survey 160 acres in section 5 of Union Township and lay out the county seat there.
- — The court of common pleas appoints Abram Sarber as town director and lays out Kalida -- meaning "The Beautiful" -- as the new county seat.
- — Moses Lee purchases the first lot and builds the first cabin in Kalida; the same year Sheldon Guthrie builds the first frame house and opens the first store.
- — Kalida incorporates by act of the Ohio legislature.
- — Kalida's courthouse is entirely destroyed by fire over the winter of 1864-65, though transcribed records survive.
- — The county seat transfers from Kalida to Ottawa, a setback the town partly offsets with new railroad connections.
- — The Mat Unverferth Round Barn is built south of Kalida on Road 17N.
- — The Mat Unverferth Round Barn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it has since been destroyed.
Stories
The Township That Congress Ordered Into Being
Union Township's first families -- Abram Sarber and Joseph Clevenger in 1831, joined the next year by more Clevengers and, in 1833 and 1834, by the Sarbers, Rimers, Lees, McCrackens and Guthries -- had already been clearing farms for three years when Congress changed their township's fate. The act creating Putnam County on January 3, 1834 contained an unusual provision: a court-appointed town director was to survey 160 acres in section 5 of Union Township and lay out, under the county commissioners' direction, whatever town would become the new county seat. On May 5, 1834, the court of common pleas named Abram Sarber -- one of the township's own first settlers -- as that town director, alongside Thomas Gray, William Priddy and Samuel Myers as the county's first commissioners. Sarber's town was named Kalida, meaning "The Beautiful," and the first court of common pleas met in his own home before any courthouse existed. Moses Lee bought the first town lot on June 24 that year and built the first cabin; Sheldon Guthrie put up the first frame house and opened the first store. What began as farmland claimed by Sarber and Clevenger three years earlier had, within a single legislative act, become the seat of an entire county.
Photographs
Photo: Nyttend, public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · archive.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Columbus Grove Village46% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)
- Ottawa Village45% of residentsBlanchard River (via intake reservoir)
- Glandorf Village9% of residentsBlanchard River (via intake reservoir)
- Ottoville Village1% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Union Township, Putnam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45844 Jennings Township and Fort Jennings | 10% | Mostly private wells | 3.8 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1975 | Jennings Local · 4 stars overall | 4.5% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45830 Columbus Grove | 9% | Mostly private wells | 4.3 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1957 | Columbus Grove Local · 4.5 stars overall | 5.7% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45827 Jackson Township and Cloverdale | 7% | Mostly private wells | 8.8 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1978 | Ottoville Local · 5 stars overall | 5.1% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45875 Ottawa | 4% | Mostly private wells | 2.5 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1975 | Ottawa-Glandorf Local · 4 stars overall | 12% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Union Township, Putnam County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2021: 1 of 1 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-02 | Issue: Union Township (levy type not on the results report) | 329 | 53 | Passed (86.13% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-11-05 | Township Trustee (unofficial count) | Bill Leopold 415, 100.0% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Fiscal Officer (unofficial count) | David J. Hovest 415, 100.0% |
| 2015-11-03 | Township Fiscal Officer (unofficial count) | David J. Hovest 395, 34.83%; Kyle L. Unverferth 739, 65.17% |
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, 2023 to 2024, released 2025-06-03
The county
Putnam County: 13 ZIP codes, 31 cities, villages and townships, 35,849 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Union Township, Ohio in?
Union Township, Putnam County is a township in Putnam County, Ohio, with 1,490 residents.
When was Union Township, Ohio founded?
Union Township, Putnam County was settled 1831; incorporated 1832 (organized). Founders on record: Abram Sarber and Joseph Clevenger, first settlers. Source
How did Union Township, Ohio get its name?
No specific origin for the name 'Union' is documented in the sources checked; it is one of twenty-seven Union Townships in Ohio, a common patriotic township name. Source
What ZIP code is Union Township, Ohio?
Union Township, Putnam County is served by ZIP codes 45844, 45830, 45827 and 45875; 45844 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Union Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Union Township, Putnam County (Columbus Grove Village): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Union Township, Putnam County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/union-township-putnam-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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