On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Union Township is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #353 of 993 in Ohio. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Union Township’s overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Union Township’s 1.0 sits near the middle of its state (49% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1806.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.7 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Union Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Kessler
1862–1913
Garland
1891–1905
18601940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
GarlandKesslerNashville
Gone or out of use
Fouts SchoolschoolGarland Post Officepost officeHarshbarger SchoolhouseschoolKessler Post Officepost officeLudlow ChurchchurchLudlow QuarryminePierce Schoolschool
8cemeteries and burying grounds inside Union Township
Center FriendsCurtis UnionHighlandHoneymanOld LudlowVoreWest BranchWheelock
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Union Township on the map, 1905 to 1970
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Union Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1905Brookville sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Union Township.
The story so far
Union Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Union Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Union is a city in Montgomery and Miami counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 6,859 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Dayton metropolitan area.
Union Township was established in 1806. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 9,871 to 9,569 (-3%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Union Township, 1880–1909
Passages that mention Union Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Miami county, Ohio1880 · page 844Read the page →
Read the text
Miriam (Mendenhall) Mote ; they settled first in Montgomery Co. in 1811, but in 1822 moved to Miami Co. Persons bearing the surname Mote (more correctly Motte) and those in marriage connection with the family, were numerically large, and bore a conspicuous part among the first settlers in Union Township, Miami Co., Ohio, not only in clearing out farms in the forest, but also in making up its first church and civil organizations ; the first emigrants of this name came over from England, near London, to Pennsylvania, soon after its first settlement ; they were three brothers, John, Jonathan and William ; John went into the Southern
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The History of Miami County, Ohio1880 · page 847Read the page →
Read the text
The first organized church in Union Township was the Friends’ of West Branch, in 1804. Religious meetings had been held some time previously, at the houses of the early settlers. The first meeting-house put up there stood northeast of the present brick, a rude log structure, 20x30 feet, built cabin fashion. The next one stood west, of larger dimensions, 22x44 feet, of hewed logs, with shingle roof, built in 1808. The third and present one, of brick, 40x60 feet, was built in 1818. People would come from miles around to attend these meetings, of every persuasion, professors or non-professors ; they were not so prejudiced in those
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Miami county, Ohio1880 · page 847Read the page →
Read the text
The first organized church in Union Township was the Friends’ of West Branch, in 1804. Religious meetings had been held some time previously, at the houses of the early settlers. The first meeting-house put up there stood northeast of the present brick, a rude log structure, 20x30 feet, built cabin fashion. The next one stood west, of larger dimensions, 22x44 feet, of hewed logs, with shingle roof, built in 1808. The third and present one, of brick, 40x60 feet, was built in 1818. People would come from miles around to attend these meetings, of every persuasion, professors or non-professors ; they were not so prejudiced in those
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio1909 · page 230Read the page →
Read the text
Lat Patty practiced in Union Township from 1826 to 1836. He was a pioneer of Kansas and died there just before the outbreak of the Civil War. Some of the other doctors in this township were Dr. Bolisky, a Pole of good family (1838), Dr. Dulon (1840). Dr. Dulon was a strong anti-slavery man and was known as a station agent
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Union Township, 1806 to 1913
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1806, according to Wikidata. Union Township’s post office opened in 1824, and the census of 1880 counted 224 people here.
How does Union Township rank for history?
Union Township is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #353 of 993 in Ohio. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Union Township?
22% of Union Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1970.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikidata (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
