Richmond Township, Huron County, Ohio
PictureTownship #1 in Range 24
Early Beginnings

The original name for Richmond was Cannon, given in honor of Samuel Cannon, a wealthy merchant of Norwalk, Connecticut who was one of the Fire Lands "sufferers."  From 1815 to 1836, Richmond was attached to New Haven. In March 1836 the householders of the township met at the house of Philip Upp to prepare a petition to send to the commissioners of Huron County, requesting an organization of the township under the name of Richmond. At the April election of 1836, Amos Ogden was elected a supervisor for Richmond Township. The petition to organize as Richmond was granted by the County commissioners, and the election for township officers was held 4 Jul 1836.
Early Settlers
​William Tindall bought the first land for settlement in 1825. That same year, Tindall cleared the land, built a cabin, and set out an orchard, the first in Richmond. Eventually, Tindall traded his land to Judge Ives, of New Haven, and left the township. The first permanent settler was Amos Ogden, who came in 1833, and died in 1850, leaving no children.

​Other early settlers, and their dates of arrival in Richmond, were:
Reuben Franklin 1833
Hurriah Robinson 1833
Jacob Croninger 1835
Philip Upp 1835
James Young 1835
Eleazer Day 1836
William Hutchison 1836
Daniel Sykes 1836
Jonas Fackler 1837
Jacob Fackler 1837
William Johnson c.1839
Daniel Sweetland c.1839
Benjamin B. Tanner ?
George Baker ?
Elisha Baker ?
Peris Miner ?
James Reed ?
Abram Reed?
Griffith Johns ?
John Kelsey ?
Henry Rush ?
James Lutts ?
Michael Lutts ?
John Hall ?
Robert Moore ?
Samuel Post ?
Some First Events
  • The first birth was a daughter born to John and Susan Cline, named Savilla.
  • The first marriage was that of Eliza Day to James McManigal.
  • The first death was that of Mrs. Higley. The body was buried near the house, and some two years later it was disinterred to be removed to a more suitable location.
  • In 1839 a post office was established with John Fogelsong as postmaster. The office was located in his house.
  • In 1848, Amos Ogden built a steam saw mill in the east part of the township, on Tiffin Road.
  • The Tiffin Road was the first opened in the township. It was started in 1836 and completed four years later.
  • In 1837, Richmond Township was divided into two school districts, and a frame school house built in each, but a school was kept only in the west one, then standing at Day's corner. Eliza Day was the first teacher. Her students were: Jonathon, Jacob, David, Susan, Hannah and Lydia Croninger; William, Eliza and Charles Day; Charles, Margaret and Mary Ann Cline; Andrew and Elizabeth Anderson; and Elizabeth Lingerfelter.
  • In the fall of 1838, Rev. Michael Long, of the Brethren faith, held an evening meeting at the house of Jacob Croninger, and preached the first sermon in the township.
  • Benjamin Tanner was the class leader of a small group of Methodists who held their evening prayer meetings at the houses of the settlers. This was in 1840-1841. Subsequently, a class of Methodists was organized, consisting of F. D. Read and wife; Seth Read and wife; and John Keesey and wife. John Keesey served as class leader.
Early Population Indicators
  • 1840 U. S. Census - 306
  • 1880 U. S. Census - 1,014
    ​
Cemetery Locations in Richmond Township
The numbers of the cemeteries below, correspond
​with the circled numbers on the map above.
  1. Richmond Township or Bethel Cemetery (Section 3)
  2. Moore-Fackler or Richmond Township Pauper Cemetery (Section 1)
  3. Mennonite Cemetery (Section 2)
  4. Higley Farm Cemetery (Section 3)
  5. St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery (Section 2)
  6. Trinity Lutheran Cemetery (Section 2)

Information compiled by Ken Shute.
Maps by Bob Kerner.
Transcribed from the old Huron County OHGenWeb site
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​All Rights Reserved.
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