Claridon History 

This Claridon Township History Page will evolve. It's important to know our history. We gleen from history and it satisfies our curiosity. If you have information on aspects of Claridon's history in the form of pictures, documents, letters or by any other means, please contact Trustee Jonathan Tiber. If you know someone from the past we can include in our future 'People of Claridon' section, let us know!

Our History

Township 8 – Range 9
    Asa Cowles, the Father of Claridon, purchased Lots 12, 14, 16, 17, and 20 in the Holmes Tract, about 1000 acres varying in price from $2.75 to $3.00 per acre. This was a large increase from just under $1.00 an acre in 1795. The Cowles family arrived in August 1811 and stayed in an unoccupied school house in Burton Township until a double log cabin was erected on Aquilla Road, a short distance south of Rt. 322. Other families arrived--Horace Taylor, Nathaniel Spencer, Allyn Humphrey, and Benjamin Andrews. All of these families were from Connecticut. The inhabitants during the winter of 1811 numbered 39. 

    Religion and education were foremost, and the double log cabin was the scene of Sunday services. By November 1811, a Sunday School was established. The First Congregational Church of Claridon was established in 1827. The building was dedicated in 1832 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. 

    Most townships were settled from east to west; Claridon (then called Canton) was the exception. In 1817, the township was incorporated as Burlington and included Munson. After 1817, families that included Mastick, Hathaway, Armstrong, Ames, Ford, Ensign, and Chace began moving into what is now known as East Claridon.

    In the winter of 1819-1820, the name of the township was changed to Claridon (the origin of the name is not known) because there was another Burlington in the state of Ohio.

"This township (Claridon) was formerly incorporated with Burton, but has gained the local name of Canton, In 1817 it was incorporated as Burlington township, and included No.8, eighth range, now known as Munson. On the first Monday of April, the same year, the election for township officers was held at the house of Deacon A. Kellogg, and resulted in the election of Ralph Cowles, as township clerk; Asa Cowles, Allen Humphrey, and Reuben Hall, trustees: Horace Taylor an Timothy Wells, overseers of the poor; Benjamin Andrews and Aranda Kellogg, fence viewers; Truman Pitkin, lister and appraiser; Isaac Hoff, John Ransom, Martin Bushnell, Ozi Blakeslee, Ebenezer Wells, Simon Root, and Samuel Hopson, supervisors; Ozi Blakeslee, justice of the peace.

In the sprint of 1819 a post-office was established in this township under the name of Claridon, to avoid the difficulty of miscarriage of mail matter, as there was another Burlington post-office in the State. In the winter of 1819-20 the name of the township was change to Claridon." History of Geauga County, Ohio

Claridon History

Our History

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