According to Everts' 1880 History of Clermont County, Ohio Township "is one of the original townships, and lies on the Ohio west of the centre of the county. On the east is the township of Monroe, and west and north is Pierce, until thirty years ago (1850) a part of its territory. Bordering the narrow strips of bottom-lands along the Ohio are high hills, some of them having an altitude of three hundred feet, but whose sides are gently sloping. Their tops are generally level, forming beautiful uplands, which extend to the broken ground along the streams flowing through the interior of the township. The northern part is pleasantly undulated, and in all the township there is but little waste land. The principal stream is Twelve Mile Creek, flowing from Monroe south of the centre, in a slightly southwestern course, to its mouth, below New Richmond."
"Isaac Ferguson and his family were the first to make a permanent settlement in Ohio township" ... "In the spring of 1796 he moved his family to his new home, eighteen miles above Cincinnati and two miles below New Richmond." ..." Isaac Ferguson lived on the W.T. Gray farm, where he established a ferry soon after his settlement, which was maintained for many years."
Today, Ohio Township is the smallest of the 14 townships in Clermont County with a total area of 13.8 sq. mi. The 2010 census reported 5,192 living in the township, 2610 of whom were in the unincorporated portions of the township. There are two school districts that serve the area, New Richmond Exempted Schools and West Clermont Schools.
Located within the township are, the Village of New Richmond and the unincorporated settings of Lindale and Mt Pisgah. The township itself offers a rural setting, yet close to shopping, churches and easy access to major highways.
Ohio Township Hall, completed February 18, 1874, was considered the finest Township building in this part of the state. Trustees at that time were Charles Wulf, J.C. Haines, and A.J. Morin. Thomas D. Hamilton was clerk. E.J. Donham was mayor of New Richmond and presided at the dedication ceremonies.
The building was 102 feet long and 50 feet deep. The foundation was of native limestone, the walls of brick and window caps and cornices of galvanized iron. The roof was slate. The upper part, which was approached by stairways from the hall at the west end of the buildings as an elaborate auditorium. This room had a stage at one end, a gallery at the other end, and could seat 1000 people. The lower floor had six rooms which were used for various township purposes. The basement had ten room and the furnace which heated the building. The hall cost $30,000.
In 1957, the building, having been condemned by the federal government as a site for the post office which it had been housing, and considered unsafe for the movie theater Elstun Dodge had been operating in the auditorium, was razed. The cost of repairs and maintenance was too great.
In 1963, the New Richmond Volunteer Fire Department completed on those lots, 103 and 104 Market Street, the building which is now the home of that organization and the Ohio Township Trustees.
Helen R. Winspear
Clerk of Ohio Township
CANDIDATE FOR RE-ELECTION
November 2, 1971
A traditional black cemetery, Samarian cemetery is the final resting place for numerous African-American soldiers that fought for freedom and the Union during the Civil War.
Black soldiers and sailors of New Richmond supported General Grant’s siege of Vicksburg in 1863. Five New Richmond men served in the same infantry unit, Company K of the 27th U.S. Colored Troops. Silas Owens, Joseph King, Jacob Thomas, Ila Houston and Alex Adams fought valiantly at Petersburg in July of 1864. These men are buried in Samarian Cemetery.
After the war, many African American Union veterans established New Richmond as their home. Samarian Cemetery on Rt. 132 just outside New Richmond is the final resting places for some of these brave men. The cemetery is a featured stop on the Clermont Freedom Trail.
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