RESEARCH
Townships are statutory local governments exercising only those powers specifically delegated to them by the Ohio General Assembly or reasonably inferred by the Ohio Revised Code. Townships have been granted specific kinds of authority: some are required, some are permitted and others are prohibited. Townships operate under the basic form of township government; but vary drastically in size, population, budget and services provided. One thing that is a constant is that three trustees and a fiscal officer, each elected, administer Ohio’s townships. Elected officials fill their roles on a part-time basis. Their intimate knowledge of their community, its needs and its citizens enables them to offer more personal service than any other unit of government.
The following was adapted from the Ohio Townships website.
This is the Milford Twp. maintenance building located at the intersection of St. Rts. 127 and 73, near Collinsville, Ohio.
Three elected Milford township trustees oversee the maintenance and/or provision of firefighting and EMS services, township roads, cemeteries, parks, and the township community center - which is located at 5113 Huston Road, in Collinsville, Ohio. See more at the Milford Township website.
ABOVE: The Milford Township Community Center
As evidenced by the letter displayed below, on December 19, 1949, Luther McVicker, "Chairman of the Planning Committee" contacted the Ohio Department of Public Utilities regarding the need for Darrtown to have "direct line" telephone service between Collinsville and Darrtown, so that Darrtown could be better served by the fire fighting equipment that was stationed in Collinsville.
EARLY HISTORY
Webmaster Notes: Luther's words (in the first paragraph of his letter above); "We have recently set up a plan for fire fighting equipment to be stationed in Collinsville" reinforce the fact that neither Collinsville or Darrtown had fire fighting capabilities in December 1949.
Luther's words (in the second paragraph of his letter above); "we need a direct line that can be made available at all times" may have been a reference to the "party lines" that were common to telephone service in Darrtown during the first half of the 20th century.
Milford Township - Darrtown fire department station under construction
1963 - October
Bill Weiss contributed this photo.
Milford Township firemen complete training
1969 - November
ABOVE: This photo appeared in the November 13, 1969 Oxford Press (page 4/section 3) with the following caption:
Shown above are members of Milford Township Fire Units One and Two, who recently completed 36 hours of special fire-fighting and life-saving training. The men took the course, two nights per week for 18 weeks. They include, left to right, seated, Faires Witt; William Taylor, Chief of the Milford Township units; Joe Postlewaite; John Smith, Gene Blakley; William Coombs; and Warren Hansel. Standing are Clyde Geisler; Al Menke; Richard Coombs, Tim Brunner; Larry Geisler; William Long; Clarence Crain, of Dayton, Instructor for the course; John Witt; Steve Menke; Emerson Fall; Dave Beltz; and Chris Haehnle. Carl Vogel was missing, when the photo was taken."
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Darrtown Station - circa 2010
Click the links below the images to see an enlarged view of each item.
Collinsville Station - circa 2010
[ Service 1 ] [ Service 2 ] [ Service 3 ] [ Service 4 ] [ Service 5 ]
Darrtown native Rick Martin deserves credit for finding and preserving Luther McVicker's records, when Luther's garage was being abandoned.
BELOW: This 1949 news item is this website's earliest record of local efforts to establish a firefighting service in Milford Township / Butler County / Ohio.
Fire Department News - 1971
Fire Department News - 1973
The letter (which Is a carbon copy of the original) was found among numerous records that Luther McVicker kept in his Darrtown service station.
Fire Department News - 1972
Milford carnival nets $2500 - The Milford Township volunteer fire department raised $2500 through its annual summer carnival at Darrtown, it was reported at the organization’s last meeting at Collinsville. “The fireman will be able to upgrade the fire equipment considerably,” with the carnival receipts, according to Gene Blakely, department news reporter. Al Menke, president of the fire association and carnival chairman, expressed appreciation to residents of Hanover, Milford, and surrounding areas who supported the carnival. Badges for new firemen and plans for a fall fire training school, were discussed at the meeting.