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Hiram Township - a different feel from the village
Hiram Township trustee Kathy Schulda said her long-term goal is to build a new township hall that would be large enough for residents to rent space for gatherings and events. The current township hall is located in the Hiram Village. “The hall is a historic building and was once the site of our jail,” said Schulda. (Photo courtesy of Hiram Township).
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: July 18, 2013
Located in the northwest corner of Portage County, Hiram Township has very little in common with the smaller village located in its center. In fact the main thing the two share is a name.
The village is largely dependent on Hiram College and officials there are looking to attract a more diverse group of businesses, but those in the township are focused on maintaining the rural atmosphere since it is not dependent on income tax revenue from the college or companies.
“The bulk of our revenue is generated by property taxes and four levies,” said Fiscal Officer Stan Carlisle, who has lived in the township for 59 years. “We have two road levies, a fire and an emergency medical services levy. We contract the village to provide our fire and EMS services, which are covered by those levies. Police protection is covered by the Portage County Sheriff’s Office.”
Carlisle said other revenue sources include zoning fees, motor vehicle license taxes and a permissive sales tax along with “some” Local Government Funds. In addition, officials apply for grants whenever possible.
“We are not part of a joint economic development district and we do not have a business district,” said Carlisle.
Residents do their shopping in neighboring communities like Garrettsville or Aurora and the bulk work outside the area or operate businesses out of their homes, he said.
Carlisle said since the township is not dependent on revenue from businesses there were not many problems during the downturn.
“We had one person on our road crew who went to part time,” said Carlisle. “We still have three full-time employees remaining. The township handles all of its own road maintenance.” However, he said, there were a few foreclosures. Officials have applied for Moving Ohio Forward money to demolish two properties.
Hiram Township is an agricultural community, and as a result there are a number of large farms that provide employment, including Monroe’s Orchard & Farm Market on Pioneer Trail.
“Monroe’s is a third generation farm,” said trustee Kathy Schulda. “I would say they are the largest employer.”
There is also Mackenzie Creamery, which makes a wide variety of fresh goat cheese, Wolff’s Blueberry Field, Pochedly Greenhouses and the Groselle Farm, which won the 2011 Ohio Soybean Association soybean yield contest, among others.
“Last year the owner of Groselle’s (Hiram Township trustee Jack Groselle) used his award money to purchase equipment for our fire department,” said Schulda.
The township is also the home of the Asbury Camp and Retreat Center, which is owned and operated by the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. It operates year round offering various camping and educational opportunities to children and youth. Schulda said there is a monastery located behind the camp, and the Hungarian Cultural Center of Northeastern Ohio is located on Abbott Road.
Although there are a number of shallow or Clinton wells in the township, there is no drilling taking place as a result of the recent oil and gas boom.
“Permits have been issued but there is no activity yet,” said trustee Steve Pancost. “We have several injection wells in the township that are generating a lot of traffic, which a lot of people are not happy about.
“We are working with one company involved to help alleviate the problem.”
Established in 1817, Hiram Township has about 2,400 residents and is the only township in Ohio bearing its name. It was originally 25 square miles but over the years some of the land was used to establish the villages of Garrettsville and Hiram.
Last year, the village of Hiram extended its boundaries, annexing about 89 acres, directly north of its corporate limits that formerly belonged to the township. Hiram College plans to build a senior retirement complex on the property.
Children in the township attend school in the Crestwood and James A Garfield districts.
The community does not have its own park or a recreation center but there is a baseball field.
“We have been trying to acquire a piece of property to build a community park or a community house for years,” said Pancost. “Almost every community has a park except for us. There is not a lot of land available but if we can find the right piece, I would definitely like to see us build one.”
There are other recreational opportunities in the area, including Headwaters Trail, an eight-mile limestone-paved trail built on the former Cleveland-Mahoning Railroad line between Mantua and Garrettsville, as well as Camp Hi Canoe Livery on Abbott Road, where people can rent kayaks and canoes and take trips along the Upper Cuyahoga River.
One of the main historic attractions in the township is the John Johnson home, which dates back to 1818 when John Johnson Sr. moved his family to the township from Vermont, establishing the John Johnson Farm. After reading the Book of Mormon, Johnson and his wife, Elsa, reportedly met with Latter Day Saint movement founder Joseph Smith Jr., inviting him to live with them. Smith made the farm his home and the temporary headquarters of the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) in 1831. During his years at the farm, Smith is said to have worked on translating the Bible. Today visitors can tour the home and learn about its history.
In the future, Schulda said she would like to see the township build a new garage for the road crew. “We need a larger facility so we will have more room for salt in the winter and gravel in the summer.
“My long-term goal is for us to build a new township hall that would be large enough for residents to rent space for gatherings and events. Right now our township hall is located in the village.
“The hall is a historic building and was once the site of our jail,” said Schulda.
One thing officials are not looking to do is attract more businesses.
“Most of the township does not have sewer or water so it would be difficult to attract large companies to begin with,” said Carlisle. “But attracting more businesses is not something our residents want. We want to keep our scenic views and rural atmosphere.
“This has been my home all my life, and I enjoy going to Akron and Cleveland but it is always nice to come back to this area.”