Local events in Van Buren Township, Hancock County
Nothing is posted for Van Buren Township itself yet; here is what is on within 10 miles. All local events in Van Buren Township, Hancock County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Van Buren Township, Hancock County began
Van Buren Township, on Hancock County's southern border, was set off on March 7, 1831 and named for Martin Van Buren, then serving as U.S. Secretary of State and later president. Benjamin Sparr made the first land entry on January 4, 1831; the first permanent settlers, Nicholas Essinger, Adam Gassman, and Peter Pifer, arrived around 1833, followed by German families -- Heldman, Wilch, Stineman, Freed, Besserman -- whom the 1881 county history calls 'industrious, thrifty, honest and moral.' The township lost territory in 1840 to the creation of Madison Township. Today it holds the village of Jenera in its northern half and remains farm country drained by the Ottawa and Riley creeks.
Settled 1831 (first land entry, Benjamin Sparr, January 4); permanent settlement c. 1833 (Essinger, Gassman, Pifer), incorporated township organized March 7, 1831; boundaries adjusted 1834 and 1840, by Hancock County commissioners.
Where the name comes from
The township was named for Martin Van Buren, who at the time of its 1831 organization had served as U.S. Secretary of State and would later become the eighth President of the United States.
Before the town
Neither the 1881 county history's chapter on Van Buren Township nor other sources we checked name a specific Native village, mound, or trail within the township's boundaries. The township lies in the region ceded under the 1817 Treaty of the Maumee Rapids and sits some distance from the documented Wyandot and Shawnee reserve lands centered around Upper Sandusky and Blanchard's Fork to the north and east; no reservation tract is recorded as having extended into Van Buren Township itself in the sources we reviewed. That is not proof that none existed -- we have not yet surveyed Native sites across the whole county.
Timeline
- — Benjamin Sparr makes the first land entry in what becomes Van Buren Township.
- — Hancock County commissioners set off surveyed townships one and two, range ten south, and organize them as Van Buren Township.
- — Nicholas Essinger, Adam Gassman, and Peter Pifer make the first permanent settlement in the township.
- — Log schoolhouses are built at Fulbert's and John Tilles' places, among the township's first schools.
- — The township's boundaries are enlarged by county commissioners.
- — Part of Van Buren Township is set off to help form the new Madison Township, reducing Van Buren's area.
- — Jenera is laid out after the railroad is extended to the site in northern Van Buren Township, and named for Dr. Amos B. Jenner, its first postmaster.
Stories
German farms on the Ottawa and Riley
Van Buren Township filled in more slowly than some of Hancock County's other townships, and when settlers did arrive in numbers they came heavily from one background: the 1881 county history singles out the Heldman, Wilch, Stineman, Freed, and Besserman families as 'nearly all Germans,' following the first permanent settlers Nicholas Essinger, Adam Gassman, and Peter Pifer, who arrived around 1833. The history's own assessment of these settlers -- 'industrious, thrifty, honest and moral' -- reflects the county historian's admiration more than it documents any single event, but the pattern it describes, a township built up by chain migration of German farm families along the Ottawa and Riley creeks, shaped the township's four early churches: Methodist Episcopal, Dunkard, German Reformed, and German Lutheran. The first church building recorded was the German Reformed congregation's house at Jacob Traucht's place, a marker of how much of the township's early social life ran through German-language congregations rather than the English-speaking institutions more typical elsewhere in the county.
Local history sources: ohiogenealogyexpress.com · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · treaties.okstate.edu · en.wikipedia.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Forest Village79% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)
- Arlington Village21% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Van Buren Township, Hancock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45841 Van Buren Township and Jenera | 56% | Mostly private wells | 2.8 pCi/L average radon | Parcel list only | Cory-Rawson Local · 3 stars overall | 4.7% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45843 Forest | 5% | Mostly private wells | 4.0 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1974 | Riverdale Local · 3 stars overall | 1.2% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 45814 Arlington | 1% | Groundwater wells (3 wells) | 3.4 pCi/L average radon | Parcel list only | Arlington Local · 4 stars overall | 4.8% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Van Buren Township, Hancock County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Who holds office
| Office | Name | Party | Term ends | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trustee | Aaron Smith | 419-306-2768 | ||
| Trustee | Mark Spaeth | 419-722-5694 | ||
| Trustee | Wayne Weihrauch | 419-326-7400 | ||
| Fiscal Officer | Todd Rossman | 419-348-7021 |
Roster as of 2026 edition (Directory of Officials): county board of elections.
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-04 | Trustee | Mark Spaeth 147, 41.64%; Wayne L. Weihrauch 129, 36.54%; John W. Wilson 77, 21.81% |
| 2023-11-07 | Trustee | Aaron C. Smith 330, 100.0% |
| 2023-11-07 | Fiscal Officer | Todd L. Rossman 324, 100.0% |
| 2021-11-02 | Trustee | Nolan Redd 79, 43.41%; David Weihrauch 177, 97.25%; John W. Wilson 138, 75.82%; Todd L. Rossman 182, 100.0% |
| 2019-11-05 | Trustee | Aaron C. Smith 110, 100.0% |
| 2019-11-05 | Fiscal Officer | Lowell Rossman 108, 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.
- Basic Audit, 2023 to 2024, released 2025-08-19
The county
Hancock County: 12 ZIP codes, 26 cities, villages and townships, 68,477 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Van Buren Township, Ohio in?
Van Buren Township, Hancock County is a township in Hancock County, Ohio, with 767 residents.
When was Van Buren Township, Ohio founded?
Van Buren Township, Hancock County was settled 1831 (first land entry, Benjamin Sparr, January 4); permanent settlement c. 1833 (Essinger, Gassman, Pifer); incorporated township organized March 7, 1831; boundaries adjusted 1834 and 1840. Founders on record: Hancock County commissioners. Source
How did Van Buren Township, Ohio get its name?
The township was named for Martin Van Buren, who at the time of its 1831 organization had served as U.S. Source
What ZIP code is Van Buren Township, Ohio?
Van Buren Township, Hancock County is served by ZIP codes 45841 and 45843; 45841 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Van Buren Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Van Buren Township, Hancock County (Forest Village): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Van Buren Township, Hancock County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/van-buren-township-hancock-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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