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Area: 20 square miles in Geauga County
Population: 6000
Location: 33 miles southeast of Cleveland
Education:
West Geauga Local Schools
Community Link:
Russell
General Characteristics: Russell
Township is a rural area. The Chagrin River runs
through Russell Township coming from Chardon on it’s
way to the falls of Chagrin Falls. There are many
parks within the township for your outdoor
activities. Several businesses make Russell Township
Home, including the world headquarters of ASM
International. You’ll find this township a great
place to raise a family. To the southwest is Chagrin
Falls, to the West is Hunting Valley, East is
Newbury.
Information: Board of Trustees, P.O. Box 522,
Novelty, OH 44072 440-338-8912
Russell History: In 1818 Gideon
Russell, his wife and five children moved into a log
cabin along the crude Chillicothe Road in what was
known as the West Woods. Russell, the last of
Geauga's sixteen townships was born. No other family
arrived for more than two years. Blame was placed on
speculators, who had purchased land from the
Connecticut Land Company, and withheld it from the
market for higher prices.
In 1820 the second family finally arrived and in
1827 the township was named Russell. Until 1841
Chagrin Falls Village lay half in Geauga County and
half in Cuyahoga County. In that year Dr. Vincent, a
resident of Chagrin and member of the Ohio
legislature, sponsored a bill transferring 900 acres
of Russell to Cuyahoga County. To compensate for the
loss, an equal amount of Orange Township was annexed
to Russell's western boundary.
After a late start, and due to its proximity to
Cleveland, Russell's population grew rapidly, to
1,053 in 1850. Growth then slowed and declined. In
1920, population was only 762. After World War II,
Russell began rapid growth within strict zoning
regulations. Its school consolidated with Chester
and became West Geauga Schools.
Russell is home to the American Society for Metals
and its famous geodesic dome, created by Buckminster
Fuller. The Geauga Parks System developed the large
area around the Society's property into West Woods
Park. The Fairmount Arts Center serves thousands of
people in a wide area. Russell, by choice, is home
to only a few small businesses and now has only a
handful of specialized farms.
Written by Peg Hetrick, Secretary, Russell Township
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