Portage Township, Summit County, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Portage Township was one of the 16 original townships in Summit County, Ohio
. It was in the middle of Summit County, containing Akron
and Cuyahoga Falls
and earlier part of Middlebury. Eventually it was absorbed by Akron and Cuyahoga Falls and ceased to exist. When created it occupied survey Town 2, Range 11 in the Western Reserve and was about 25 square miles (64.7 km²) in area. The township derived its name from the Portage Path which extends from north to south through the middle of the township. (Grant, 1891)
, Northampton
, Tallmadge
, and Coventry
townships. Later on the village of Middlebury started in the southeast corner, then Akron in the south and Cuyahoga Falls in the northeast corner.
, Simon Perkins, Jr., George Babcock; Clerk, Horace K. Smith; Treasurer, Samuel A. Wheeler. (Grant, 1891) This is later than when Akron and Cuyahoga Falls started from within its boundaries.
In the early days Portage Township was sparsely populated. This is partly because Simon Perkins
held large tracts of land but also because of the land, which was not good for agriculture due to being hilly in some places and swamp or muddy in others. (Knepper, 1994).
It is difficult to find information on the history of Portage Township because it was generally treated as an appendage to Akron.
Most townships in the area developed a village in the middle of the township. For Portage this would be at the modern-day corner of Edgerton Ave. and Merriman Rd. in Akron, but no village started there. It was 50 feet (15.2 m) from the top of a 350 feet (106.7 m) hill over the Little Cuyahoga river, which was a bad location geographically to start a village. (McGovern, 1996)
Summit County, Ohio
Summit County is an urban county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 542,899. In the 2010 Census the population was 541,781. Its county seat is Akron...
. It was in the middle of Summit County, containing Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
and Cuyahoga Falls
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,374 people, 21,655 households, and 13,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,932.9 people per square mile . There were 22,727 housing units at an average density of 889.7 per square mile...
and earlier part of Middlebury. Eventually it was absorbed by Akron and Cuyahoga Falls and ceased to exist. When created it occupied survey Town 2, Range 11 in the Western Reserve and was about 25 square miles (64.7 km²) in area. The township derived its name from the Portage Path which extends from north to south through the middle of the township. (Grant, 1891)
Geography
Portage Township lay between the original CopleyCopley Township, Summit County, Ohio
Copley Township is one of the nine townships of Summit County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 13,641 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships and cities:...
, Northampton
Northampton Township, Summit County, Ohio
Northampton was one of the 16 original townships in Summit County, Ohio. It was in the middle of Summit County, bordering Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. No incorporated areas were formed within the township but Akron and Cuyahoga Falls expanded into Northamption via annexation. In 1986, Northampton...
, Tallmadge
Tallmadge, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,390 people, 6,273 households, and 4,711 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.9 people per square mile . There were 6,494 housing units at an average density of 465.1 per square mile...
, and Coventry
Coventry Township, Summit County, Ohio
Coventry Township is one of the nine townships of Summit County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 10,900 people in the township.-Geography:Coventry Township is located in southern Summit County...
townships. Later on the village of Middlebury started in the southeast corner, then Akron in the south and Cuyahoga Falls in the northeast corner.
History
The first white settler who "stuck" was Maj. Miner Spicer in 1810, who located near what is now the corner of Spicer and Carroll streets, in "Spicertown". The township was organized in 1838, at a meeting held in the house of Warren H. Clark. The following being its first officers: Trustees, Wm. B. MitchellWilliam B. Mitchell
William Mitchell was a distinguished American lawyer and judge from Minnesota. He was the namesake of William Mitchell College of Law and father of William DeWitt Mitchell, U.S. Attorney General during the Hoover Administration.- Early life :Mitchell was born to Scottish immigrants in Ontario,...
, Simon Perkins, Jr., George Babcock; Clerk, Horace K. Smith; Treasurer, Samuel A. Wheeler. (Grant, 1891) This is later than when Akron and Cuyahoga Falls started from within its boundaries.
In the early days Portage Township was sparsely populated. This is partly because Simon Perkins
Simon Perkins
General Simon Perkins was an early settler, businessman and surveyor of the Western Reserve of Connecticut, which would later become northeast Ohio. He co-founded Akron, Ohio with Paul Williams in 1825. He served as a brigadier-general during the War of 1812....
held large tracts of land but also because of the land, which was not good for agriculture due to being hilly in some places and swamp or muddy in others. (Knepper, 1994).
It is difficult to find information on the history of Portage Township because it was generally treated as an appendage to Akron.
Counties
Portage Township's land has been in the following counties: (Author unknown, 1999-2005)| Year | County |
|---|---|
| 1788 | Washington Washington County, Ohio Washington County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 61,778. Its county seat is Marietta. The county, the oldest in the state, is named for George Washington. Washington County is included in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, West Virginia-Ohio... |
| 1797 | Jefferson Jefferson County, Ohio Jefferson County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 69,709. Its county seat is Steubenville and is named for Thomas Jefferson, who was at the time Vice President.... |
| 1800 | Trumbull Trumbull County, Ohio As of the census of 2000, there were 225,116 people, 89,020 households, and 61,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 365 people per square mile . There were 95,117 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile... |
| 1808 | Portage Portage County, Ohio Portage County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 152,061 at the 2000 Census and 161,419 at the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Ravenna. Portage County is named for the portage between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers... |
| 1840 | Summit Summit County, Ohio Summit County is an urban county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 542,899. In the 2010 Census the population was 541,781. Its county seat is Akron... |
Hamlets
Unlike other townships, Portage didn't really have hamlets, only the villages of Middlebury, Akron, and Cuyahoga Falls. Middlebury was absorbed into Akron in the 1870's and Akron and Cuyahoga Falls grew into cities.Most townships in the area developed a village in the middle of the township. For Portage this would be at the modern-day corner of Edgerton Ave. and Merriman Rd. in Akron, but no village started there. It was 50 feet (15.2 m) from the top of a 350 feet (106.7 m) hill over the Little Cuyahoga river, which was a bad location geographically to start a village. (McGovern, 1996)