Cuyahoga County,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
is divided into 21 townships.
When
Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban County (United States), county located in the Northeast Ohio, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the Canada–United States border, U.S.- ...
was founded, it was divided into
civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England, New York, and Wisconsin to ref ...
s for purposes of rural government, as were other Ohio
counties. By 1990, this county was the most urbanized county in
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, and as a result, most of its townships have been
annexed
Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
by the city of
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
or one of the other municipalities in Cuyahoga County. In Ohio, when the entirety of a civil township has been annexed by one or more municipalities, it ceases to have governmental powers and becomes a
paper township
The term paper township refers to a civil township under Ohio law that nominally exists for certain purposes but does not act as a functioning unit of civil government. Such townships usually exist on paper as a legal fiction due to municipal ann ...
, existing on maps, but possessing no governmental powers. Today, 19 of Cuyahoga County's townships are paper townships, with only a part of
Olmsted Township
Olmsted Township is a township located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. Situated in the southwest end of the county, Olmsted Township is a west side suburb of Cleveland, and a part of the even larger Greater Cleveland area. As of the 201 ...
and a tiny section of
Chagrin Falls Township remaining as civil townships — just of Cuyahoga County's total area of .
Bedford Township
Although the land that became Bedford Township was bought by the
Connecticut Land Company in 1795, no white settlers came until Elijah Nobles arrived in 1813, and the first permanent settler came only in 1821. The township was organized on April 7, 1823, and the city of
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
was incorporated as a village on March 15, 1837. Throughout the rest of the century, the township remained an agricultural area with little industry, but major industries began to arrive in the early 20th century.
In 1915, the first political change occurred in the township since 1837, when
Maple Heights
Maple Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Cleveland. The population was 23,138 at the 2010 census.
History Maple Heights Transit
In 1935, the City created Maple Heights Transit to provide connections t ...
was incorporated as a village. The rest of the township remained unincorporated until 1951, when it was divided between
Bedford Heights,
Oakwood, and
Walton Hills. As of the
2000 census, these cities and villages had a total population of 57,812.
Brecksville Township
Brecksville Township was formed in 1807 and named for
resident John Breck, the owner of significant lands in that vicinity. It included the modern community of
Brecksville
Brecksville is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb in the Greater Cleveland area. The city's population was 13,635 at the United States 2020 Census.
History
Brecksville was founded in 1811, four years after several me ...
and part of
Broadview Heights
Broadview Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb in the Greater Cleveland area. The city's population was 19,936 at the 2020 census.
History
Early history
Native Americans once occupied the land that is now p ...
. The township was first settled in 1811 by the family of one Seth Payne, who came from
Williamsburg, Massachusetts
Williamsburg is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,504 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The area was first settled in 1735 and ...
, and who was soon followed by several other families. Its first school was founded in 1814, with its first teacher being one of Payne's daughters. Within the township, the village of Brecksville was incorporated in 1921, and it gained the status of city in 1960.
Brooklyn Township
Brooklyn Township was organized on June 1, 1818. In its early years, it extended northward to Lake Erie, but most of the township incorporated into or was annexed by municipalities, the last of which was the city of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
in the southwest. Today, the township is divided between the cities of Brooklyn and Cleveland] and the villages of
Brooklyn Heights, Ohio, Brooklyn Heights,
Cuyahoga Heights,
Linndale
Linndale is the smallest village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is landlocked, surrounded by the city of Cleveland and the suburb of Brooklyn. According to the 2010 census, the village achieved the second highest growth rate in Cuya ...
, and
Newburgh Heights
Newburgh Heights is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,167 at the United States Census 2010, 2010 census.
Geography
Newburgh Heights is surrounded on three ...
.
[North Olmsted](_blank)
''The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History'', 2003-06-22. Accessed 2007-07-01.
Dover Township
In 1806, two residents of
Dover, Connecticut purchased the northwestern corner township of Cuyahoga County and named it for their hometown. Although Europeans had visited the area before 1800, the first settlers did not arrive until 1810, a family from
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
and a family from
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. The population grew rapidly; as early as the 1840 census, the township had a population of 960 people.
In the summer of 1901, the northern part of the township broke away and soon formed the village of Bay, which became
Bay Village Bay Village may refer to:
;United States
*Bay Village, Boston, Massachusetts, a neighborhood
*Bay Village, Ohio, a city
;Australia
*Stockland Bay Village
Bateau Bay is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It ...
in 1950. Meanwhile, the village of Dover had been incorporated to the south of Bay in 1911. It, too, changed its name, in 1940, to
Westlake. Today, most of the original Dover Township is divided between Bay Village and Westlake, although its southeastern portion has been part of
North Olmsted since that village was incorporated in 1908.
East Cleveland Township
East Cleveland Township was organized in 1805. Part of the township incorporated as the village (now city) of
East Cleveland in 1895. The Cleveland neighborhood of Central, located in East Cleveland Township, was originally a heavily farmed area, although it became industrialized after the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. At one time, this part of East Cleveland Township was the most heavily populated neighborhood in Cleveland. Today, the township is divided between the village of
Bratenahl
Bratenahl ( ) is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, on the southern shore of Lake Erie. One of Cleveland's oldest streetcar suburbs, it is bordered by the city on three sides and by the Lake Erie shoreline to the north. The populat ...
and the cities of Cleveland,
Cleveland Heights,
Euclid
Euclid (; grc-gre, Wikt:Εὐκλείδης, Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician. Considered the "father of geometry", he is chiefly known for the ''Euclid's Elements, Elements'' trea ...
, and East Cleveland.
Euclid Township
Euclid Township, named for the
ancient Greek mathematician, was formed in 1809 after being surveyed by a team sent out by
Moses Cleaveland
Moses Cleaveland (January 29, 1754 – November 16, 1806) was an American lawyer, politician, soldier, and surveyor from Connecticut who founded the city of Cleveland, Ohio, while surveying the Connecticut Western Reserve in 1796. During the Ame ...
. The first settler was likely David Dille, who built a house along
Euclid Creek
Euclid Creek is a long stream located in Cuyahoga and Lake counties in the state of Ohio in the United States. The long main branch runs from the Euclid Creek Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks to Lake Erie. The west (also known as south) ...
, and he was followed by William Coleman in 1804. In its early years, some people thought that Euclid might become more important than Cleveland, but Cleveland became dominant after 1827, when the
Ohio and Erie Canal
The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth. It also ...
was opened. At this time, the economy of Euclid Township was based on farming, although it included saltworks and sawmills, and in later years, quarries became more important. The village of Euclid was incorporated in 1877, unincorporated in 1878, reincorporated in 1903, and became a city in 1930. Euclid Township became a paper township in 1917. Today, its land is divided between the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Euclid,
Lyndhurst,
Richmond Heights, and
South Euclid
South Euclid is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland located on the city's east side. As of the 2010 census the population was 22,295.
Geography
Acting approximately as a central point for the ...
.
Independence Township
Independence Township's earliest history was destroyed by a fire. In its early years, the township was primarily agricultural, but by 1850, it possessed nationally recognized
quarries. The city of
Independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
incorporated much of Independence Township as a village in 1914, and the rest of the township was incorporated as the village of
Seven Hills in 1927. Today, Independence Township is divided between Brooklyn Heights,
Cuyahoga Heights,
Garfield Heights
Garfield Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Cleveland. The population was 28,849 at the time of the 2010 census.
Geography
Garfield Heights is located at (41.421423, -81.602682).
According to the Uni ...
, Independence, Seven Hills, and
Valley View.
Mayfield Township
Mayfield Township was organized in 1819, being split off from Chagrin Township. It existed until 1920, when the entire township was incorporated into several villages:
Gates Mills
Gates Mills is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,270 at the 2010 census. Gates Mills is a suburb of Cleveland and was originally part of Mayfield Township.
The village was named for Halsey Gates, the propri ...
,
Highland Heights,
Mayfield Village, and Riverside. Since then, these municipalities have changed:
Mayfield Heights
Mayfield Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and is an east-side suburb of Cleveland. The population was 18,827 at the 2010 census.
History
Mayfield Heights was initially built up as a streetcar suburb of Cleveland. It was ...
left Mayfield Village in 1925, Riverside joined Gates Mills in the late 1920s, and Lyndhurst annexed a small portion of the township.
Middleburg Township
Middleburg Township, named for
Middleburg, New York, was first settled in the summer of 1809. For several decades, few people lived in the area, which was covered with swamps and heavy forests. Significant development began in 1842, when the first quarry was developed in the southwestern part of the township. After 1850, when
Berea was incorporated in the southwestern part of the township, the rest of the township was improved so as to make it more appealing to settlement, and a few industries were founded. The township was further reduced by the incorporation of
Brook Park in 1914, and the remaining unincorporated areas were incorporated as
Middleburg Heights
Middleburg Heights is a city and a suburb of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population held steady at approximately sixteen thousand throughout the first two decades of the twenty-first century.
Government
Middleburg He ...
in 1927. Today, the township is divided between four different cities:
*Most of Berea, in the southwest
*Most of Brook Park, in the northeast
*A small corner of Cleveland, in the northwest
*All of Middleburg Heights, in the southeast
Newburgh Township
Newburgh Township was organized on 15 October 1814, some years after the settlement of Newburgh had been established. Originally, the area's natural resources were significant enough that Newburg was the leading settlement in Cuyahoga County, causing Cleveland to be referred to as "the town on the lake, six miles from Newburgh," although Cleveland's location on Lake Erie soon led to its dominance. Cleveland first annexed part of Newburgh Township in 1867 and continued to expand through the next several decades, eventually absorbing the village of
Newburgh and most of the rest of the township by 1905. The village of
Newburgh Heights
Newburgh Heights is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,167 at the United States Census 2010, 2010 census.
Geography
Newburgh Heights is surrounded on three ...
was incorporated in 1904, although it has since been reduced in area significantly. Today, Newburg Township is divided between four cities and three villages: Brooklyn Heights, Cleveland,
Cleveland Heights,
Cuyahoga Heights,
Garfield Heights
Garfield Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Cleveland. The population was 28,849 at the time of the 2010 census.
Geography
Garfield Heights is located at (41.421423, -81.602682).
According to the Uni ...
, Newburgh Heights, and
Shaker Heights.
Orange Township
Orange Township was formed in 1820. It included the modern communities of
Beachwood,
Hunting Valley
Hunting Valley is a village in Cuyahoga and Geauga counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, and an eastern suburb of the Greater Cleveland area. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 707. At the 2000 census, it was ranked the 6th highest- ...
,
Moreland Hills,
Orange,
Pepper Pike
Pepper Pike is a city in eastern Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,796 as of the 2020 census. It is an affluent suburb of the Cleveland metropolitan area.
History
In 1763, sixteen pioneers settled the area along the eas ...
, and
Woodmere, plus part of
Chagrin Falls Township. The first settler was Serenus Burnett, who arrived in 1815. It was named after
Orange, Connecticut, the hometown of several early settlers.
Parma Township
Parma Township, named for
Parma, New York, was organized in 1826, 10 years after the first settlers arrived from New York. The township was long a farming region, with its only industry being a
clockmaker's shop. In 1911, part of the western region of the township was incorporated as
Parma Heights
Parma Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States and a western suburb of Cleveland. Parma Heights is surrounded on the north, east and south by the larger city of Parma, Ohio, Parma. The cities of Brook Park a ...
, and the rest was incorporated as
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
in 1924. In
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, what was once Parma Township had a population of 107,314.
Riveredge Township
Riveredge Township was organized in 1926 by residents of
Brook Park, who disagreed with the village's course and seceded. It was always a very small township; even after expansion in 1932, it had an area of only 48 acres (19 ha). The township changed over the years; it was originally primarily a
truck farm
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to ...
, became a trailer park in the 1950s, and expanded greatly in the 1960s. However, the township was purchased in 1983 by
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and it has been virtually uninhabited since 1986. Riveredge Township was officially dissolved on July 1, 1992, when it was divided by the cities of Cleveland] and
Fairview Park, Ohio, Fairview Park.
The township is now divided between Brookpark, Fairview Park, and Cleveland.
Rockport Township
Located on the shoreline of Lake Erie, Rockport Township was organized on February 24, 1819. In its early years, many farms covered the township. Today, the township's original area is divided between several municipalities: Cleveland, a small portion of Brook Park, Fairview Park,
Lakewood Lakewood may refer to:
Places Australia
* Lakewood, Western Australia, an abandoned town in Western Australia
Canada
* Lakewood, Edmonton, Alberta
* Lakewood Suburban Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Philippines
* Lakewood, Zamboanga del S ...
(incorporated as a village on August 31, 1889),
Linndale
Linndale is the smallest village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is landlocked, surrounded by the city of Cleveland and the suburb of Brooklyn. According to the 2010 census, the village achieved the second highest growth rate in Cuya ...
, and
Rocky River Rocky River may refer to:
Localities
*Rocky River, Ohio, USA
* Rocky River, New South Wales near Uralla, Australia
Electorates
*Electoral district of Rocky River (South Australia)
Streams
In Australia:
* Rocky River (New South Wales)
* R ...
.
Royalton Township
Royalton Township was formed on October 27, 1818, seven years after the first settlers arrived in the area. It was named after
Royalton, Vermont
Royalton is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,750 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Royalton, South Royalton, and North Royalton. Vermont Law School, the state's only accredited law school, i ...
, the hometown of two of the township's earliest settlers. Only one village was incorporated in the township, Royalton Center. For some time, the township was an important center of agriculture, especially
dairying. To avoid confusion with another
Royalton Township in northwest Ohio and another
Royalton village in southeastern Ohio, its name was changed to North Royalton Township in 1881. The township ceased to exist in April 1927, when it incorporated into the village of
North Royalton. The township is now divided between most of North Royalton and the western half of Broadview Heights.
Solon Township
Solon Township was named for Isaac Solon Bull, the son of one of the first settlers. The township was first settled in 1820, although development was retarded by the
swamp
A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
land common in the area. By 1850, the swamps had been drained, leaving rich farmland. The village of
Solon
Solon ( grc-gre, Σόλων; BC) was an Athenian statesman, constitutional lawmaker and poet. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in Archaic Athens.Aristotle ''Politics'' ...
was incorporated in 1917 and became a city in 1961, while
Glenwillow was first settled in 1893. Today, the entire township is occupied by one of these two municipalities, and in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, it had a population of 22,697.
Strongsville Township
Strongsville Township was organized in 1818 and named for John Strong, an early pioneer who came from Vermont. By 1820, the township had a population of 297. Agriculture was long the mainstay of the township's economy, although sawmills, a quarry, and a plant for manufacturing bricks were opened in the early years. Except for a small part that was annexed by Berea, the township was eventually entirely incorporated into
Strongsville
Strongsville is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb of Cleveland. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 44,750. The city's nickname 'Crossroads of the Nation,' originated from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O ...
, which was incorporated in 1927 and became a city in 1960. In 2000, Strongsville had a population of 43,858.
Warrensville Township
Warrensville Township was formed in 1814, several years after the first attempts at settlement. The first permanent settler in Warrensville Township was
Daniel Warren, formerly of
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, who came with his family in 1810, and after whom the township is named. In 1822, members of the
Shakers
The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, more commonly known as the Shakers, are a Millenarianism, millenarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian sect founded in England and then organized in the Unit ...
organized the North Union Shaker Community in the township in present-day Shaker Heights. It endured until 1888, by which time the community had become too small to be viable. Their land was eventually purchased in 1904 by developers who quickly arranged for the construction of subdivisions in the township.
The village of
Beachwood was incorporated in Warrensville Township on June 26, 1915. As the Cleveland metropolitan area expanded, parts of Warrensville Township were divided among Orange, Shaker Heights,
University Heights, and
Warrensville Heights
Warrensville Heights is a city located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is an East Side suburb of Cleveland. The population was 13,789 at the 2020 U.S. Census.
Geography
Warrensville Heights is located at (41.438653, -81.523262).
Ac ...
. In 1990, Warrensville Township became a paper township when its last unincorporated area was incorporated as the village of
Highland Hills. The township is now divided between Cleveland, Garfield Heights, Highland Hills, Orange, Shaker Heights, Beachwood, Warrensville Heights, North Randall, University Heights, and Cleveland Heights.
West Park Township
West Park Township was a small, short-lived township that was split from Rockport Township in 1900. Historically, the area had been poor and underdeveloped, leading to its nickname of the "lost city". The township lasted little more than 20 years, as it was annexed to the city of Cleveland in 1923. Today,
West Park comprises four westside neighborhoods of Cleveland: Jefferson, Kamm's Corners, Puritas-Longmead, and Hopkins (formerly called Riverside).
West Park
''The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History'', 1997-06-30. Accessed 2007-05-18.
References
External links
Cuyahoga County website
{{coord, 41.54, -81.66, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-OH_source:UScensus1990
Cuyahoga
Townships