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Did You Know?
That there are actually four Plain Townships in the state of Ohio. We cover Plain Township in Stark County. The other three are in Wood County (Bowling Green), Wayne County and Franklin County (New Albany). If you are looking for information on one of these Plain Township’s please refer to the Links option under the Resources menu.
History of Plain Township
When Stark County was organized in 1809, five townships were created within it. Originally Plain Township included what are now Lake, Lawrence, and Jackson Townships in Stark County and Green and Franklin Townships in Summit County. Only a few settlers had already located in this territory.
Two theories try to explain how PLAIN Township got its name. One idea says that part of the township was an open tract of land, or PLAIN. The other thought is that settlers from the East named the township the same as the old area they came from – PLAIN.
A majority of the early settlers were farmers who claimed most of the land by 1815. Early businesses included gristmills, saw mills, stores, distilleries, and a tannery. Middlebranch was settled as early as 1815 with a small store, mill, and post office operating there. However, the village was not platted until January 1881. New Berlin (now North Canton) was also settled in 1815 with lots surveyed and laid out in 1831. Businesses running there were several mercantiles, a blacksmith, pottery, tannery, and lumberyard.
Plain Township has owned and maintained the Plain Township Cemetery on Eby Drive NE since 1912. This cemetery reflects much of Plain Township’s History. Beginning as a sparsely settled agricultural society, Plain Township grew slowly to become a prosperous urban community. By 1940, Plain Township’s unincorporated area had a population of only 6,000. Today it is over 36,000.
