Oxford Township, Butler County, Ohio



Oxford Township, also known as the College Township, is one of thirteen townships in the county and is located in the northwestern corner of Butler County, Ohio, United States, where it meets Preble County, Ohio, and Union County, Indiana. The city of Oxford and Miami University are located here. The Census Bureau counted 24,133 inhabitants in 2000, up from 23,092 in 1990. Excluding the city of Oxford and the village of College Corner there are 2,008 residents of the unincorporated portion of Oxford Township. It comprises one full survey township (R1E T5) in the Congress Lands and is thirty-six square miles in area.

History
The eleventh in order of creation, Oxford Township was erected from Milford Township by the Butler County Commissioners (James Blackburn, William Robison, and John Wingate) on August 5, 1811, with these boundaries:


 * So much of the township of Milford as lies within the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of the county of Butler; thence south with the western boundary line of the said county of Butler to the southwest corner of township numbered five in the first range east of the meridian line drawn from the mouth of the Great Miami river; thence east with the southern boundary line of the same township to the southeast corner thereof; thence north with the eastern boundary line thereof to the north boundary line of the said county of Butler; thence west with the same to the place of beginning.

The first election of township officers was held at Sylvester Lyons's house on August 24, 1811. When Butler County was originally divided into townships, this land was in St. Clair Township. The site was chosen by the State of Ohio for a college in order to fulfill the unkept promise of John Cleves Symmes. (See College Township for more details.)

Historic population figures

 * 1820—1,653
 * 1830—2,928
 * 1840—3,388
 * 1890—3,689
 * 1900—3,766
 * 1910—3,309
 * 1920—3,678
 * 1930—4,320
 * 1940—4,685
 * 1950—3,336
 * 1960—4,081
 * 1970—2,357
 * 1980—4,058
 * 1990—4,079

Geography
Located in the northwestern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:
 * Israel Township, Preble County - north
 * Somers Township, Preble County - northeast corner
 * Milford Township - east
 * Hanover Township - southeast corner
 * Reily Township - south
 * Springfield Township, Franklin County, Indiana - southwest corner
 * Bath Township, Franklin County, Indiana - west
 * Union Township, Union County, Indiana - northwest

Name
It is one of six Oxford Townships statewide.

Government
The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1. Two are elected in the year after the presidential election and one is elected in the year before it. There is also an elected township fiscal officer, who serves a four-year term beginning on April 1 of the year after the election, which is held in November of the year before the presidential election. Vacancies in the fiscal officership or on the board of trustees are filled by the remaining trustees.

Public services
Major highways in Oxford Township are U.S. Route 27 and State Routes 73 and 732. A part of Hueston Woods State Park is in the township and the highest point in Butler County, altitude 1,051 feet, is in Oxford Township. The township is in the Talawanda City and College Corner Local School Districts and the Oxford telephone exchange.