Nimishillen Township is one of the seventeen

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

of Stark 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 2000 census found 9,098 people in the township.

Geography

Located in the eastern part of the county, it borders the following townships: * Marlboro Township - north * Washington Township - east * Paris Township - southeast * Osnaburg Township - south * Canton Township - southwest corner * Plain Township - west * Lake Township - northwest corner Two cities are located in Nimishillen Township:

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

in the south, and a small part of Canton, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Stark County, in the southwest.

Name

It is the only Nimishillen Township statewide. According to tradition, Nimishillen Township was named for the

Nimishillen Creek Nimishillen Creek is a tributary of Sandy Creek, 24.5 miles (39.4 km) long, in northeastern Ohio. Via Sandy Creek and the Tuscarawas, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 187 ...

that takes its rise mainly in the township. This stream was originally named by local Native Americans, as a combination of ''missilla'' (''black alder'', or ''

American Winterberry ''Ilex verticillata'', the winterberry, is a species of holly native to eastern North America in the United States and southeast Canada, from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, and south to Alabama. Other names that have been used in ...

'', a common tree along the stream) plus ''ni'' (''stream'' or ''water'').

History

The first settlers arrived in the area between 1805 and 1807, founding Nimishillentown, and organizing Nimishillen Township in 1809. Its earliest trustees, elected in 1809, were Jacob Shively, Jesse Fetts and John Gans. Other early township officials were township clerk John Rupert; constable James Coney; treasurer Mathias Bower; appraiser of property Isaac Clay; overseer of the poor George Shidler; fence supervisor John Miller; and road supervisor Michael Miller. The courts were composed of juries chosen by the trustees and presided over by

Justices of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

Schools A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...

were also established by the township, and for this purpose the trustees carried out a census of heads of households. Early township clerks were responsible for recording livestock brands,

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...

indentures An indenture is a legal contract that reflects or covers a debt or purchase obligation. It specifically refers to two types of practices: in historical usage, an indentured servant status, and in modern usage, it is an instrument used for commercia ...

, and the names of men whose wives required them not to use

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

. In 1833, Nimishillen Township contained one

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

, five saw mills, two

tanneries Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...

, and one store.

Government

The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1. Two are elected in the year after the presidential election and one is elected in the year before it. There is also an elected township fiscal officer,§503.24§505.01
an
§507.01
of the

Ohio Revised Code The ''Ohio Revised Code'' contains all current statutes of the Ohio General Assembly of a permanent and general nature, consolidated into provisions, titles, chapters and sections. However, the only official publication of the enactments of the G ...

. Accessed 4/30/2009. who serves a four-year term beginning on April 1 of the year after the election, which is held in November of the year before the presidential election. Vacancies in the fiscal officership or on the board of trustees are filled by the remaining trustees.

Education

The township is split into two school districts. Most of Nimishillen Township's students attend school within the Louisville City School District.

Plain Local School District Plain Local School District is a public school district located in Plain Township, Stark County, Ohio, United States. The district educates approximately 6,100 students K–12. In addition to Plain Township the district also serves parts of the ci ...

serves students within the far northwestern corner of the township.

Parks and recreation

Molly Stark Park, named after the wife of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

John Stark Major-General John Stark (August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) was an American military officer who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. He became known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Batt ...

. It is located at 7900 Columbus Road, the former grounds of the Molly Stark Hospital, between Louisville and Harrisburg. The Hospital memorialized

Molly Stark Molly Stark, née Elizabeth Page (February 16, 1737 – June 29, 1814) was the wife of General John Stark, made famous by his battle cry during the American Revolutionary War. Described as "mother of 11 children, homemaker, patriot, and def ...

using her home as a hospital for Revolutionary War soldiers.

Library

The

Louisville Public Library The Louisville Public Library is located in Louisville, Ohio, United States. The library serves the residents of Nimishillen Township and the city of Louisville. Since October 1969, the library has been located at 700 Lincoln Avenue. Hist ...

serves Nimishillen Township.

References

External links

Township websiteCounty websiteLouisville Public Library
{{authority control Townships in Stark County, Ohio Townships in Ohio