Historic Timeline
This collection is not intended to be comprehensive but compiled to highlight epoch milestones and offer historical context.
Late 1700s
1776 - The Declaration of Independence is adopted July 4, 1776, marking the beginning of the separation from Great Britain by the American colonies.
1783 – The signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783 officially ends the American Revolutionary War after more than eight years of fighting.
1785 – Congress passes the Land Ordinance of 1785 under the Articles of Confederation on May 20, 1785. It lays groundwork for the process of surveying and developing land. Townships west of the Pennsylvania border are split into 36-square-mile divisions, each with 36 one-mile sections.
1787 – The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 establishes the Northwest Territory, its boundaries and its functions of governance, on July 13, 1787. The land includes present day Ohio. This is the first organized incorporated territory since the formation of the original 13 colonies.
1787 – The Founding Fathers sign the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787 establishing laws and forms of government in the United States.
1789 – The inauguration of George Washington as the first president of the United States is held April 30, 1789 in New York.
1790 - The first Census Day in the United States is August 2, 1790. A count of 3.9 million inhabitants is recorded.
1791 - Joseph McMaken (1753-1818), one of West Chester's first settlers, applies for land in Union Township on July 4, 1791. He won’t move to the area until December 1795 when he builds a cabin on property near the confluence of what is today Rialto Road, West Chester Road and Beckett Road, around what later becomes known as Port Union. Other notable settlers were: Joseph Cox (1767-1842), the Swearingen family (1700s), Samuel Seward (1754-1828), Abraham Montanye (1752-1828), Matthew Van Dine, Jr. (1752-1837), Isaac Paxton, and Michael and John Ayers.
1794 – President George Washington approves the land patent for the Symmes Purchase, also known as the Miami Purchase, in the Northwest Territory. John Cleves Symmes and company buy more than 300,000 acres of Ohio land at a price of about 67 cents per acre. The purchase includes the area that would become West Chester Township.
1795 – The Treaty of Greenville is signed August 3, 1795, largely ending conflict between the United States and Indigenous Nations after the latter is defeated in the Battle of Fallen Timbers one year prior near Toledo. The end of war means less resistance for pioneers who wish to settle "wild" parts of Ohio.
Early 1800s
1803 - Ohio becomes the 17th state to join the Union on March 1, 1803. The Ohio General Assembly sets the powers and limits of township government under the Ohio Constitution, and passes an Act for the division of Hamilton County, establishing Butler County, on March 24, 1803.
c.1803 – The Seven Chimneys House, also known as the Spread Eagle Tavern or the James D. Conrey House among other names, is built circa 1803 on what is today US Route 42 just south of Pisgah and about one mile north of the Sharonville border. James Conrey inherited the property from his father Jonathan in 1827. The structure, which still stands today, served as a hotel, tavern, restaurant and most recently a privately-owned residence. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 for having once functioned as a stop on the Underground Railroad. According to paperwork filed with the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, evidence suggests that the roughly 200-year old brick building "… is said to be the stagecoach stop mentioned in Chapter Nine of ‘Uncle Tom's Cabin’ written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and published in 1852."
1805 – At least 51 men and women live or own land in Union Township by 1805. Population increases and settlers arrive in larger numbers, although there were no roads. Transportation was limited to narrow, primitive trails made naturally by American bison. The trails are largely unsuitable for wagon travel. Pioneers tend to settle along three major thoroughfares that would later become Cincinnati-Dayton Road (through what is today Olde West Chester), US Route 42 (through what is today Pisgah), and State Route 747 (through what is today Port Union).
c.1806 – The first school in Union Township is built circa 1806. The log cabin school – which later becomes the site of School District No. 7 – is located on the north east side of Cincinnati-Dayton Road where it is joined by Allen Road, between West Chester Road and Gano Road today. Around 1825, school directors are elected and Union Township is divided into nine school districts of eight grades, each with their own district numbers and corresponding schoolhouses. They are named and numbered as follows: 1.) Pisgah; 2.) White Section; 3.) West Chester; 4.) Tylersville; 5.) Port Union; 6.) 18-Mile Stand; 7.) Wakefield; 8.) Maud; and 9.) Rialto.
1809 – Miami University in nearby Oxford, Ohio is chartered on February 2, 1809. It is the second oldest of all Ohio’s 13 public universities behind Ohio University in Athens, which is established in 1804.
c.1810 – Ezekial Gard opens the first log cabin tavern-inn circa 1810 in what is today Olde West Chester (then “Hogtown” or Mechanicsburgh”) at the northwest corner of West Chester Road and Cincinnati-Dayton Road. The structure is fortified with brick in 1835 and serves as a stagecoach stop. It is said that during the Civil War Union soldiers were quartered in the upper rooms one night. Gard manages the inn for 40 years until his death in 1850.
1812 – President James Madison and Congress enter the War of 1812, which is fought with Great Britain until the United States is victorious in 1815. It is said that American troops marched north on Cincinnati-Dayton Road, then known as the Great Miami Turnpike. The war victory further aided pioneers’ quest to settle "wild" parts of Ohio as conflict with Native Americans continues to further subside.
1817 – Hezekiah Smith, a Baptist minister, acquires 64 acres of land and plats the Town of Mechanicsburgh in the area known today as Olde West Chester. The village is officially recorded at the Butler County Courthouse on March 8, 1817. Smith named it for the mechanics who aided farmers in the settlement. Prior, the area was first known colloquially as “Hogtown” for its abundance of livestock farmers.
1818 – The West Chester Methodist Church is the first church in Union Township, located in what is today known as Olde West Chester. Prior, those who wished to worship met in homes. The 1818 building is torn down in 1848 and rebuilt on the same site. This structure remains standing today as the home of the West Chester Church of Christ, 8800 Cincinnati-Dayton Road. Dozens upon dozens of places of worship have come and gone since the early days. Among the oldest still in existence today are the Port Union Church (a.k.a. The King’s Church), built in 1856 at 4760 Port Union Road; West Chester Presbyterian Church, built in 1880 at 8930 Cincinnati-Dayton Road; and the Holtsinger Memorial Presbyterian Church (a.k.a. The First Presbyterian Church of Gano), dedicated in 1908 at 10104 Auburn Avenue. The many faith communities, made up from numerous denominations and spread out across our neighborhoods, have helped contribute to the rich cultural fabric of the township over the course of its 200-year history.
1823 - On June 2, 1823 the County Commissioners met and petitioned for the division of Liberty Township, and that this new township be called Union Township. Thus, West Chester Township is born.
1824 – A Post Office is established near Mechanicsburgh on April 1, 1824 and located just east of the village. For unknown reasons, the postal department names the branch Chester (legend has it the Postal Official in Washington, D.C. in charge of such things was from Westchester, New York). Although it was the first Post Office and always served as the community’s central branch, a total of six satellite branches would operate at one time or another in Pisgah, Port Union, Tylersville, Gano, Maud and Rialto. The southeast portion of the community was also served by the Post Office branch in Sharonville.
1825 – On July 21, 1825 work began on the Miami and Erie Canal at Middletown. The 274-mile canal running from Cincinnati to Toledo is not finished for almost two decades, although the portion between Cincinnati and Middletown is ready by late 1827. Section No. 4 goes through the southwestern half of Union Township in the area of State Route 747 today. The fledgling community of Port Union is bolstered when it becomes a canal port basin – from whence it takes its name – where boats could be unloaded/loaded and turned around. Approximately one mile southeast of Port Union, Lock No. 38 is built and because of it the village of Rialto came into being. The canal is a boon to state commerce and travel through the mid-to-late 19th century when railroads become more popular.
1826 – Mechanicsburgh is officially renamed West Chester on October 2, 1826. Theories speculate that the decision was made to change the name of the village to that of the Post Office, Chester, and that “West” was added because the village was west of the Post Office branch, which would also adopt the West Chester name. Today the area is known as Olde West Chester, and it is considered the community’s first and oldest village.
1842 – The village of Tyersville is platted in 1842 by Daniel Pocock, although it was not officially registered as a village at the Butler County Courthouse. John Sullivan named Tylersville after President John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States who assumed the office in 1841 following the death of William Henry Harrison.
Late 1800s
1851 – The Ohio Constitution of 1851 goes into effect September 1, 1851. It replaces the Constitution of 1803 and remains the fundamental law of Ohio today.
1851 – The Cincinnati-Dayton-Hamilton Railroad is constructed. It was the first of the major railroads and curves through the southwest corner of Union Township.
1853 – The public school system is established with the passage of the Ohio School Law, which collects and distributes property tax money to school districts based upon student enrollment numbers. Today’s current system is based upon this law.
1859 – Port Union, first known as “McMaken’s Bridge” in a nod to the early pioneers, becomes an official village when is first platted by William W. Elliott (1808-1887) in 1859. Butler County Courthouse records are filed March 5, 1859, but the town had existed for many years prior and was one of the first portions of Union Township to be settled. The civic leader was instrumental in the development and improvement of roads and infrastructure throughout the township. In addition to serving as a township trustee, Elliott helped build the Cincinnati-Dayton Turnpike and was superintendent for 50 years.
1861 – The American Civil War is fought between the Union and the Confederacy from April 12, 1861 to May 9, 1865. “Though no battles were fought in Cincinnati or surrounding areas, at one time there was fear that Cincinnati would be attacked. In August of 1862, word had been received that an army of Confederate soldiers led by General Kirby Smith was advancing upon Cincinnati, and requests for volunteers to help defend the city were sent out. There was a group of 27 men from Union Township who answered the call and actually left for Cincinnati. Fortunately, General Smith and his troops were turned back, and no fighting took place in the Queen City of the West.” (Excerpt taken from Virginia Shewalter's A History of Union Township, Butler County, Ohio; page 48)
c.1865 – Elias Simpson Township Hall, located at 8872 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, is designated as the original township hall in what is today Olde West Chester circa 1865. The building was likely built before 1865 and named for Elias Simpson (1802-1873) who lived in West Chester with his wife Margaret. Trustees purchased the building in 1883. It was used as a meeting location and polling place until 1931 when a new township hall was built. The structure was demolished in 2024.
1865 – Union Township Cemetery (a.k.a. West Chester Cemetery or Brookside Cemetery) is formally organized by 23 lot owners forming the West Chester Cemetery Association, according to the minutes of an April 25, 1865 meeting. Samuel C. Miller, James Van Hise and Perry Wright are elected officers on May 27, with Joseph Allen as secretary. All this was recorded in the Butler County Courthouse on April 3, 1866. The cemetery began years prior as a family graveyard by then property owner James Cummins. The oldest burials in the cemetery (based upon readable markers) are Solomon Brecount, who died September 8, 1799 at age 36, and Nancy (Legg) McMaken, daughter-in-law of pioneer Joseph McMaken, who died October 9, 1820 at age 27. Among the buried is John Beckett (1752-1843), the only American Revolutionary War veteran, who is laid to rest here with his family. In total more than 800 U.S. veterans, including 100 Civil War veterans, are interred. The white chapel was built in the late 1870s or 1880s, in the times before funeral homes. A memorial to those who served in World War I and II with flagpole is situated near the entrance and was donated in 1949 thanks to a fundraising project by members of the Maud Dooryard Garden Club. Today the cemetery is nearly 25 acres with more than 4,500 burials.
1868 - Memorial Day, then known as Decoration Day, is first commemorated May 30, 1868. Local Civil War veteran Walter W. Wharton (1833-1907) is considered the originator of the community’s patriotic ceremonies, hosting celebrations more than 150 years ago at his home in the area of the village of Tylersville. When he could no longer host the events at his home circa 1904, the ceremonies were moved to Brookside Cemetery where Wharton is laid to rest. Memorial Day ceremonies continue at the cemetery today.
1872 – The Cincinnati-Dayton-Springfield Railroad is constructed in 1872. Better known as the Dayton Short Line, it runs through eastern portions of Union Township with railroad station stops at Gano, West Chester (today Olde West Chester), and Maud. The tracks, initially laid further west and closer to where Cincinnati Dayton Road is today, were moved east to their current location and the railroad bridge over Gano Road came into being in 1911. This was done to give a gradual steady rise or upgrade from Sharonville to Maud. The railroad did much to spur business and travel in and through the township.
1873 – The village of Maud is platted on April 29, 1873 by Richard Maud. The railway community is located mainly east of the Dayton Short Line railroad and south of Tylersville Road. It started as farmland near Gregory’s Creek, a tributary of the Great Miami River. The town, which had existed for many years before it was officially platted, was first known as Shoemaker, a name it shared with the local Post Office branch there until 1874.
1873 – The village of Gano is platted on May 12, 1873 by Charles L. Gano and his wife Jane. The Ganos came to Union Township circa 1861 and lived in a home they inherited on farmland, initially owned by the pioneering Montanye family, in the southeastern portion of the Township. When the Dayton Short Line railroad was laid, the Ganos bought an additional 100 acres of land October 25, 1872 for the purpose of developing a railway town similar to what had been established in the nearby village of Glendale, where Jane’s family was from and where Charles once made his home.
1875 – Station Road School, School District No. 3, is built in 1875 at what is today 6670 Station Road, just east of Cincinnati Dayton Road. When the original one-room brick schoolhouse burns down, a new two-room school house is built in its same location in 1900. This building still stands today and is being preserved by West Chester ~ Union Township Historical Society as the home of a History Center. The non-profit organization acquired the property from Trustees for $1.00 in 2019.
1878 – The Wakefield School, School District No. 7, is built in 1878. The one-room brick school is located on Cincinnati-Dayton Road not far from where the first log cabin school was built circa 1806. The privately-owned structure still stands today.
1885 – Edward Wyllis (E.W.) Scripps, founder of a nationwide chain of newspapers, marries Nackie Holtsinger of Union Township on October 7, 1885. They bought a large farmhouse on thirty acres of land at the northeast corner of West Chester Road and Cincinnati Dayton Road, living there until the early 1890s. The structure remains there today on property owned by St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.
1886 – The Pennsylvania Railroad is constructed in 1886. It follows the same curve of the Miami and Erie Canal, only slightly east and north of it, crossing over what is today State Route 747.
Early 1900s
1900 – Union Township population is 1,743.
1903 - Casper Bedacht (1881-1980) becomes the community’s first mail carrier on July 1, 1903. Previously mail was not delivered in Union Township so everyone had to go to the Post Office to collect their mail. Bedacht is laid to rest at Brookside Cemetery with his wife Emma (1877-1960).
1905 - The Ohio Department of Highways, today known as the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), begins operations in 1905. The four-man office had a $10,000 annual budget and was created to study the state’s roads and the science of road construction.
1910 – Union Township population is 1,524.
1917 – The United States of America enters World War I on April 6, 1917. Most of Union Township is still farmland at this time.
1917 – Union Township School (a.k.a. the West Chester Centralized School or West Chester School) is built in 1916 on Cincinnati Dayton Road in what is today Olde West Chester, and the building is ready for classes – grades 1-12 – on September 4, 1917. The Board of Education provides student transportation to the new school in the form of horse-drawn buses. The new school includes four years of high school, which previously were unavailable to students living in Union Township unless they traveled to Hamilton or Lockland. All of the nine special district schools were to close and send their students to the Centralized School; however, schools in Port Union (until 1942) and Pisgah (until 1945) chose to keep their schools open and maintained them as eight-grade schools for another few decades. The Union Township School is reduced from 12 to 8 grades and becomes known as Union Elementary School circa 1957. The building was demolished in 2016 to make way for the brand new Boys & Girls Club of West Chester / Liberty, which opened January 4, 2018 at 8749 Cincinnati-Dayton Road on the same original site.
1919 – Students in the first class of Union Township High School graduate in spring 1919. The three graduating members are Hazel Eiler, Mildred Jones and Rolla Carter. A total of 40 graduating classes with about 775 students earn diplomas from 1919-1959.
1920 – Union Township population is 1,583.
1924 – The village of Pisgah is platted in 1924 along Cincinnati-Columbus Road (Route 42). For many years prior, the road was used as a buffalo trail, a military route and a turnpike. Two of the areas earliest settlers were John Van Hise (1809-1882) and Isaac Paxton (1770-1861). Pisgah was named by hotel owner William Belch (1770-1831). The area was known for having the highest altitude between Cincinnati and Columbus, and the view reminded Belch of a biblical reference to Mt. Pisgah in Moab – a mountain offering a commanding view of the desert and West Palastine, and the place where Moses was told to go to visit the Promised Land. Today it is estimated nearly 19,000 vehicles per day travel the Cincinnati-Columbus Road business corridor through Pisgah.
1926 – The United States Numbered Highway System is formed November 11, 1926. This network of roadways is built and maintained by state or local governments. Through West Chester, the system includes: US Route 42, also known as Cincinnati-Columbus Road; and Cincinnati-Dayton Road which was formerly known as US Route 25 until it was decommissioned in 1973.
1926 – Union Township becomes eligible to receive inheritance tax money from the estate of E.W. Scripps, who died aboard his yacht off the coast of Liberia, West Africa, on March 12, 1926 at the age of 71. Scripps had not lived in the township since 1895 but retained ownership of his home, near the northeast corner of what is today Cincinnati-Dayton Road and West Chester Road, as a voting base. About $80,000 is used to build Union Township Hall, located just 75 feet south of Union Township School, and $30,000 is used to improve the cemetery. To accommodate the growing school community, Union Township Hall is designed to be rented to the school district at a nominal fee and so having this plan in mind, the facility is built with features including classrooms, an auditorium that could be used as gymnasium, and a cafeteria. Just one room in the building was reserved for use by Union Township Trustees. By 1953, the school community had outgrown the two-building setup. Trustees sold the property to the Board of Education for $1.00 and construction began to connect and expand the space. The remodel was complete by 1954.
1929 – The Miami and Erie Canal is officially closed at a November 2, 1929 ceremony in Middletown. Two shovelfuls of dirt were returned to where a groundbreaking ceremony had taken place 104 years prior. Verity Parkway in Middletown, Central Parkway in Cincinnati, and Route 4 through Butler County replaced the canal and followed its path closely.
1930 – Union Township population is 1,988.
1933 – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is founded in 1933 by the organization known today as the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
c.1937 – State Route 747, maintained by the Ohio Department of Transportation, is designated circa 1937. It is not part of the National Highway System.
1938 – Bookmobile service begins in Union Township thanks to Ohio Governor Martin L. Davey’s program to spread library service to rural areas. The Middletown Public Library spearheads the cross-community program. The bookmobile, which cost $1,460, is filled with 1,000 books and visits the area once a week.
1940 – Union Township population is 2,109.
c.1941 – Construction of the Mill Creek Expressway begins by the Works Progress Administration circa 1941 during World War II. It generally follows the route of the defunct Miami and Erie Canal.
1943 – The United States government acquires one square mile, about 625 acres, of farmland in the very northeast corner of Union Township from five landowners. Bethany Station breaks ground in summer 1943 for the purpose of transmitting programs of the Voice of America, an international radio broadcast that came into being the year prior during World War II. The location is chosen for its high, flat terrain which is suitable for long distance radio transmission. It’s said that Union Township was also considered safe from coastal attacks and centrally located between the Cincinnati and Dayton power grids. President Franklin Roosevelt chose Powell Crosely, Jr. and his team of engineers with the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation to build and program the first high-power, short-wave radio transmitters in July 1944. Bethany Station was dedicated and directed its first broadcast into Nazi-occupied Germany on September 23, 1944. The Voice of America Bethany Station delivered news to the people of South America, Africa, Europe and parts of Asia for more than 50 years until it was decommissioned in 1994. Thanks to the Federal Lands to Parks Program, the building was conveyed to West Chester Township in 1995 and portions of the land divided for various uses. Bethany Station was named to the National Register of Historic Place in 2003. The original building at 8070 Tylersville Road was restored beginning in 2012 and serves as the current home of the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting. The museum adjoins property now part of the 435-acre Voice of America MetroPark, a public park maintained by MetroParks of Butler County.
Late 1900s
1950 – Union Township population is 2,545.
1956 – Union Township adopts the Butler County Zoning Resolution in November 1956.
c.1957 – The Ohio Department of Transportation officially begins construction of the 1,500 miles of the interstate system designated for the state in the Federal Aid Highway Act circa 1957. This includes 211 miles of Interstate 75, of which approximately 8 miles of highway runs north and south directly through the heart of West Chester Township. Today, traffic through this stretch is estimated between approximately 110,000 to 150,000 vehicles per day.
1957 – On July 5, 1957, a consolidation of the Liberty-Union Local School District took place. Voters in Union Township and Liberty Township passed a bond issue to build a new high school that would accommodate students of both townships. A “Name the School” contest was held and fifth grader Mary Mitzel of Liberty Township submitted the winning name of “Lakota,” a Native American word meaning “allies” or “joining of friends.” This began a tradition of using Native American names for future schools.
1959 – Lakota High School is constructed from new and opens September 8, 1959 on Tylersville Road in the building that today serves as the Lakota West High School Freshman Campus.
1959 – Pisgah Youth Organization (P.Y.O.) is chartered under Ohio Articles of Incorporation on June 23, 1959.
1960 – Union Township population is 6,236 in 1960. Over the course of the next 50 years, population will increase nearly tenfold.
1960 – Interstate 75 opens in Union Township July 31, 1960.
c.1962 – Construction of Interstate 275, the beltway that intersects Interstate 75 just south of the West Chester border with Springdale and Sharonville, begins circa 1962.
1963 – The Union Township Volunteer Fire Department is founded in 1963. Previously, fire service was provided by the City of Mason, Fairfield Township and Liberty Township. Trustees ordered the first 50 badges and purchased a Sutphen fire truck for $8,000 in June 1963. On July 28, 1963, ground was broken on the community's first fire station near the southwest corner of what is today Cincinnati-Dayton Road and West Chester Road. Trustees enlisted the first 35 volunteer firefighters on October 6, 1963. The first, two-bay fire station was built at a cost of $6,000 and dedicated on December 15, 1963. Operating today as Fire Headquarters, Station 71, the building was razed in 2007 and rebuilt on the same site in 2009 at 9119 Cincinnati Dayton Road. Today there are five continually-operating fire stations, built and rebuilt over the years: Fire Headquarters, Station 71 (1963, 2009); Fire Station 72, John Road (1965, 1982, 2002); Fire Station 73, Duff Drive (1970, 1992, 2021); Fire Station 74, Beckett Road (1999); Fire Station 75, Tylers Place Boulevard (1999).
1967 – Trustees take action on April 17, 1967 to organize the Union Township Police Department. Dedicated police service was inaugurated on July 9, 1967 with six officers on a part-time basis. Prior, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office provided law enforcement services for the community.
1967 – The first public library opens at Hopewell Elementary on October 23, 1967. It is open three nights a week and Saturday mornings with 3,500 books lined up on two banquet tables in the back of a classroom. Circulation is 1,907. Library space at Hopewell expands in 1971.
1968 - The Tri-County/Queen City Speedway opens at what is today the northwest corner of Cincinnati-Dayton Road and Union Centre Boulevard following about four years of construction. In 1972, the half-mile dirt oval track is converted to asphalt. The race track hosted many famous drivers through the 1987 season before operations ceased. The land was later acquired and in 2008, GE Aviation, in conjunction with Duke Realty, began construction on a four-building Class A office complex totaling more than 800,000 square feet. The development, known as North Pointe at Union Centre, is now home to approximately 1,400 GE Aviation and CFM Aerospace employees.
1969 – The Union Township Fire Department Emergency Medical Service is formed in 1969. Volunteers are trained in basic first aid and respond in one Oldsmobile ambulance.
1970 – Union Township population more than doubles in 10 years to 12,795 by 1970.
1970 – The Liberty-Union School District is officially renamed the Lakota School District in 1970, aligning with the name of the district’s high school built in 1959.
1973 – Union Township marks its centennial anniversary 100 years after it was split from Liberty Township.
1974 – Thanks to a generous donation by the owners of the then new Scott and Bornemann Building, a structure still standing today at 9319 Cincinnati Columbus Road, the library moves 14,000 items to the building on Route 42 in Pisgah. There is now 2,000 square feet of space and it is open 35 hours a week. Circulation is 43,793.
1974 – Storms from the "Super Outbreak" of tornadoes April 3-4, 1974 cause significant damage to portions of Union Township in the area of Pisgah.
1975 – Patricia Williams becomes the first woman elected to public office in Union Township. She was first elected to the position of clerk/fiscal officer in 1975 and serves nine terms, or 36 years, in office. Williams retired from her post in 2012 at the age of 89, having worked alongside 14 different trustees.
1976 - Trustees make a motion February 10, 1976 to approve the procurement of 123 acres of land on Barret Road to establish Keehner Park. One hundred acres of the property was purchased from John S. Keehner and Hilda B. Keehner at a price of $235,000 thanks to a special parks tax issue approved by voters and with funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund that is administered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The remaining 23 acres were donated by the Keehner family, one of West Chester’s founding farming families and for whom the park is named. Thanks to a fundraiser by the children of Lakota Local Schools and local businesses, The Cabin in the Clearing was relocated from Preble County, Ohio and rebuilt at Keehner Park circa 1991. The cabin is dedicated to the community on November 7, 1993. The Keehner Park Amphitheater celebrates its grand opening on Labor Day 1997 with a community event and debut concert by the West Chester Symphony Orchestra. The amphitheater is built thanks in part to a NatureWorks grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resource and hosts outdoor music and theater productions.
1976 - The Union Township Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), later known as the Southeastern Butler County Chamber of Commerce (SEBC) and today known as the West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance, is founded with 12 members from the Pisgah Businessmen's Assocation in 1976.
1977 – The Union Township Police Department moves into the building at 8720 Cincinnati Dayton Road, formerly home to the West Chester Post Office from 1961 until the fall of 1977.
1976 – The Beckett Ridge community is formed circa 1976 as a planned unit development (PUD), the first of its kind in the area. Developers envisioned a resort-like residential community similar to neighborhoods that had become popular in California and other parts of the country. The project began in the early 1970s with condominiums and single-family homes built on small lots. Later, upscale homes and amenities such as a golf club would be added until the project was completed in 1992. Beckett Ridge is built just west of Interstate 75 on farmland purchased circa 1810 and owned by John and Mary Beckett, a family of early Union Township pioneers, from whence it gets its name. The success of Beckett Ridge spurs similar developments including Wetherington Golf and Country Club, built north of Tylersville Road at the border with Liberty Township as an upscale lifestyle community in 1992.
1979 - Trustees enter an agreement with Time Warner Cable on May 16, 1979 for cable television service within the community. As part of terms of a 1994 contract renewal, the Union Township Community Television Board is created for operation of a public access television station. Later to be known as West Chester Community Television (WCTV), programming is funded by cable franchise fees paid by the company known today as Spectrum. WCTV becomes a township department January 1, 2001 and studios relocate from spaces previously rented to the Township Administration building circa 2009. In 2013, WCTV to merges with the previously separate Public Information Office to form the Integrated Multimedia & Marketing Department, today known as Public Information and Engagement (PIE). Trustees approve the restructuring to unify community relations, communications and marketing efforts.
1980 – Union Township population increases by more than 10,000 people over the decade up to 23,553 by 1980.
1980 – Cincinnati HOMEARAMA® is held at Beckett Ridge, a first for Union Township. HOMEARAMA® has located in the community five times since 1980: Beckett Ridge (1980, 1988); Wetherington Golf and Country Club (1992); Foxborough (2011); and the Oaks of West Chester (2016).
1983 – A new 8,500 square foot library is built at 7900 Cox Road after voters pass a 1981 levy for $750,000. The building is expanded by 5,000 square feet in 1987 and an 800 square foot Children’s Department is tacked on in 1997. Finally in April 2005, a new 604 square foot employee work room is added bringing the library’s footprint close to 16,000 square feet. Circulation is more than 1 million.
1985 – On July 7, 1985, a time capsule of historical information is buried at Keehner Park and dedicated to the future citizens of Union Township. A marker in the monument garden planted at the foot of the flagpole on the east side of the park indicates the time capsule is not to be opened for 100 years until 2085.
1985 - Township Administration Building/Township Hall is constructed circa 1985 east of Brookside Cemetery at what is today the southwest corner of Cincinnati Dayton Road and West Chester Road. Previously, portions of Fire Station 72 on John Road in Pisgah had been used for Township administration offices. The building at 9113 Cincinnati-Dayton Road becomes home to administrative offices, the Police Department and Area III courts. Today, the space hosts public government meetings and includes offices for about 20 employees.
1988 - Trustees agree to take control of planning and zoning by voting in favor of a resolution establishing township zoning under provisions of the Ohio Revised Code on May 17, 1988. Previously residents defaulted to the Butler County Zoning Resolution.
1988 – Incorporation to make West Chester a city is rejected by voters at the ballot box by a margin of 4,097 to 3,955.
1989 – Incorporation to make West Chester a city is again rejected by voters at the ballot box by a margin of 5,316 to 4,972.
1990 – Union Township population reaches 39,703 by 1990.
1992 – Union Township actively plans the community’s future with the 2012 Vision Plan, the first of its kind, adopted in 1992.
1992 – Reach Out Lakota, a private non-profit service agency considered the community’s first organized food and clothing pantry, is formed November 18, 1992 by Sharon McGuire to support Lakota Local Schools families struggling to provide basic needs.
1993 – The Union Township Police Department K9 Unit is founded in 1993.
1993 - The Butler County Transportation Improvement District (TID) is established in 1993 by the Butler County Board of County Commissioners, paving the way for developments such as the Union Centre Boulevard interchange in 1997 and the eastern portion of Ohio State Route 129 in 1999. The TID initially included the Townships of Liberty, West Chester and Fairfield, as well as the cities of Hamilton and Fairfield.
1993 – Incorporation to make West Chester a city is rejected by voters at the ballot box for a third time by a margin of 5,064 to 4,679.
1994 – Voice of America Bethany Station is decommissioned November 14, 1994 after more than 50 years.
1996 – The RASKALS (Random Acts of Simple Kindness Affecting Local Seniors) volunteer service program is started on December 14, 1996 in West Chester, Ohio by a Lakota Local Schools student, Emily Weber.
1997 – As enrollment grows to about 3,500 students, Lakota Local Schools splits its high school in two, forming Lakota West High School in Union Township and Lakota East High School in Liberty Township. The Lakota Thunderbird mascot is halved, developing into Firebirds (LWHS) and Thunderhawks (LEHS). Approximately 2,500 students are evenly divided along a roughly north-south split across township borders, and interspersed between the two identical 247,000 square foot high schools. Each building costs about $26 million to build. Opening ceremonies are held Sunday, Sept. 14, 1997 before the first day of class that Monday. The old high school building becomes a separate, dedicated Freshman School for more than 1,000 Lakota ninth-graders. The Freshman School is divided 2008 when a new Lakota East Freshman School building opens in Liberty Township.
1997 – Ground is broken in February and the Union Centre Boulevard interchange on Interstate 75 celebrates opening ceremonies on November 25, 1997. The new interchange, about 20 miles north of Cincinnati and 30 miles south of Dayton, opens to traffic later that December. The interchange is considered the “doorway” to the community as the southernmost of three I-75 exits through West Chester, with the other exits being located at Cincinnati-Dayton Road and Tylersville Road. It is the first project of its kind in nearly two decades and makes approximately 1,000 acres of in-demand property easily accessible to developers. In 2020, the interchange is converted to a diverging diamond traffic pattern. Today, more than 50,000 cars travel the UCB interchange per day. Since it opened, West Chester has reaped more than $3.85 billion in new investment, more than 42.5 million square feet in new construction, and more than 44,600 new jobs.
1997 – Union Township creates its website, www.WestChesterOH.org, in September 1997. The West Chester Township YouTube page is launched in December 2009. Facebook pages for the Township and the West Chester Economic Development Council are launched in September 2010. A Township Twitter page (@westchestertwp) is launched in March 2011. A Township Instagram page (@WestChesterTownship) is launched in June 2015. In July 2017, the Township joined the West Chester Police Department on Nextdoor.
1998 – The first varsity football game between Lakota East High School and Lakota West High School is played on September 18, 1998 in the programs’ second respective seasons. The location is moved to Galbreath Field in neighboring Warren County to accommodate the large crowd of more than 10,000 spectators. Lakota East defeats Lakota West 15-8.
1998 - Land for Beckett Park is acquired on October 15, 1998 as part of an exchange agreement with the National Parks Service for the land constituting McGinnis Park, a 42-acre parcel located in the northeast area of the township on Cox Road near where the Voice of America MetroPark is today. The exchange was scheduled to occur March 1, 1999 but did not happen for another year following litigation. Development of Beckett Park begins circa 2000 and the 150-acre property, split east and west by Beckett Road, is completed in three phases funded in part with Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds over the course of about a decade.
1998 – The Olde West Chester gazebo is donated by the Meade family and built circa 1998 as part of beautification efforts led by the local business community and civic organizations.
1998 – Union Township designs and launches a unified “West Chester” logo in spring 1998. The logo is part of efforts to “West Chesterize” in lead up to the “Claim the Name” campaign that eventually results in the official switch to West Chester Township, a decision supported by a majority of voters first through petition and finally at the ballot box in spring 2000. Free bumper stickers are mailed through the “West Chester News,” an e-newsletter sent to all residents. Signage is installed throughout the community starting as early as 1999. The logo and wordmark is updated in 2019.
1998 – West Chester is honored as a Red Carnation Community and wins the “Best in Class Award” in 1998 from the Ohio Development Association. The recognition celebrates achievements in economic and community development, education, health, recreation and overall quality-of-life.
1999 – The Northern Cincinnati Foundation, formerly known as the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty and the Key Foundation of Southeast Butler County, is established in 1999. The philanthropic organization manages charitable funds and donor gifts to support a wide variety of community endeavors. It traces its lineage back to a 1994 fundraising dinner hosted by Patti Alderson and Debbie Boehner to benefit the Butler County Division of the American Cancer Society.
1999 – Trustees vote in favor of adopting a Limited Home Rule form of township government in December 1999. The change goes into effect January 20, 2000.
Early 2000s
2000 – At the beginning of the new millennium, population in West Chester Township is 54,895.
2000 – West Chester Township Administration Offices are relocated to 9100 Centre Pointe Drive (a new office building). The Township became tenants of the building while the West Chester Police Department and Area III Court, IT and 911 Communications occupied the building at 9113 Cincinnati-Dayton Road. The Board of Trustees met in a large meeting room on the first floor of the office building during this time.
2000 – On June 28, 2000, Union Township formally changes names to West Chester Township. Voters decided in March 2000 to "claim the name" and the switch became official that summer. Residents petitioned to embrace the name West Chester to reduce confusion with other communities named Union across the state and to better reflect the identity of the area. The name West Chester is derived from the community’s 1800s roots.
2000 – The West Chester Department of Roads, Maintenance and Cemetery is re-organized as the Community Services Department in summer 2000 to fulfill all duties commonly referred to as “public works” and better meet the needs of the community.
2000 – The Economic Development Department is formed in December 2000. The full-time staff becomes responsible for duties that previously fell to the West Chester Development Council, a non-profit advisory group formerly known as the Community Improvement Corporation. In 2007, Trustees elect to merge the Economic Development Department with the Township’s Planning and Zoning Department, creating a new unified Community Development Department.
2001 – West Chester Township worked with various trade groups to restore the trim and windows in the West Chester School on Station Road. A small residential cottage that also sat on the property was torn down.
2002 – West Chester Township acquires the Safety Services Center at 9577 Beckett Road. The former warehouse cost about $4 million in 2002 ($8 million less than when it was originally built) and is today home to the Community Development Department, Community Services Department, Police Department and Area III Court.
2004 – West Chester Administration building, 9113 Cincinnati Dayton Road is again remodeled as Administrative offices prepare to return and West Chester Police are moved to the Safety Services Center at 9577 Beckett Road.
2005 - West Chester Township is named to the MONEY Magazine list of “Best Places to Live” in America for the first time in 2005. The community has been included on versions of the list seven times: 2005, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
2006 – The modern roundabout at the intersection of Centre Pointe Drive and West Chester Towne Center Road is built in 2006 to accommodate new development in the Union Centre area. The first of its kind in Butler County, this roundabout signals the beginning of a trend that will culminate in the construction of more than two dozen (and counting) single-lane roundabouts installed by the Butler County Engineer’s Office (BCEO).
2007 – West Chester Township breaks ground on The Square @ Union Centre on August 22, 2007 and the park is ready for use the following summer. The Square is designed to serve as the community’s “living room” – a space for events and concerts, gathering with friends, rest and celebration, a place of welcome – with features including fountains, a large pond, restrooms and a clock tower. The 70-foot tall clock tower was designed and built by The Verdin Company of Cincinnati and is the main focal point for the Union Centre business district. The $2.2 million project is paid for with Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds.
2008 – Rotary Club of West Chester/Liberty builds an updated playground at Keehner Park near the athletic fields. The Township buys the equipment while Rotarians volunteer to build.
2008 – Trustees agree to deed about 260 acres of the Voice of America Park to MetroParks of Butler County on February 12, 2008. The agreement makes MetroParks of Butler County responsible for administering, managing, and financing the construction of the recreation facilities and features at VOA Park, 7850 VOA Park Drive.
2008 – Muhlhauser Barn celebrates its grand opening March 30, 2008. The original barn was built in 1881 by Cincinnati beer baron Gottlieb Muhlhauser and used to store grain for the Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewing Company (a.k.a. Lion Brewery). The land and property was acquired by the Ohio Casualty Group circa 1998 and the barn was donated to West Chester Township circa 2002. With the cooperation and backing of the Muhlhauser family, the facility was dismantled, moved, restored and rebuilt at its current location in Beckett Park by renowned barn restorer David Gaker. The Christian Moerlein Gazebo is donated by the family of Lawrence Schumacher and relocated from the Moerlein property near the border with Fairfield Township for use by guests of the park and barn rental facility.
2009 – The Miami University Voice of America Learning Center holds its first day of classes on January 12, 2009. The regional campus is built on land that was part of the conveyance of Bethany Station and located nearby on the east side of Tylersville Road between Cox Road and Butler Warren Road.
2009 – UC Health West Chester Hospital opens May 11, 2009. The growth of the healthcare industry in West Chester, and throughout the region, begins as early as 2002 when UC Physicians group invests $100 million to construct a 66-acre medical campus near the northwest corner of Tylersville Road and Cox Road. When it opens in 2009, West Chester Hospital is the area's first new hospital in 25 years and serves the population of some of the fastest growing communities in the Tri-State.
2009 – The West Chester Library builds a new $12 million, 48,000 square foot facility at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive, home of its current location. The project is paid for by TIF Funds. Grand opening ceremonies are celebrated Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 with the library open to patrons that Monday. A pedestrian bridge connects the library to The Square @ Union Centre, opened next door a year prior.
2010 – West Chester Township population exceeds 60,000 people by 2010.
2010 – West Chester Township is awarded the Aaa bond rating by Moody’s for the first time in 2010.
2010 – Communications and Information Technology staff moves into the new 911 Emergency Communications Center facility for dispatch, training and emergency operations. The facility is built between 2007 and 2009 as part of an expansion of the West Chester Administration campus that includes the development of a new Fire Headquarters, Station 71. The project costs about $13 million and is paid for with Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds.
2012 - USA Triathlon partners with the Butler County Visitors Bureau (BCVB) to host the 2012 USA Triathlon Junior and Youth National Championship at Voice of America MetroPark. The event returns to West Chester every summer to present day.
2013 – West Chester receives the Ohio Auditor of State Award with Distinction for the first time in 2013.
2015 – West Chester Township is one of 10 Cincinnati area neighborhoods and municipalities designated “All-Star Neighborhoods” in celebration of the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Great American Ball Park.
2017 – West Chester Township launches the online transparency platform today known as DIG (Data Informed Government), powered by OpenGov, in 2017 to make government operations data and financial reports more easily accessible to residents and stakeholders.
2019 – On January 24, 2019, the West Chester Township Board of Trustees transferred ownership of the Station Road Schoolhouse to the West Chester ~ Union Township Historical Society for $1.00. The century-old property at 6670 Station Road serves as the home of a local History Center.
2020 – The Cincinnati-Dayton Road Improvement Project is completed circa 2020, giving the Olde West Chester district better mobility and a new look aligned with its historic character. Features include sidewalks on both sides of the street, new pedestrian crossings, wider lanes of travel, and new decorative street lighting. The 1823 Plaza is added in 2021 at the southeast corner of Station Road and ready for use by 2022. The project is mostly funded with federal grant money secured by the Butler County Engineer’s Office, which included the renovations in its 2007 long range Thoroughfare Plan.
2020 – West Chester Township population reaches 64,830 by 2020.
2021 – About 15% of commercial land remains available for commercial development and about 4% of residential land remains available for residential development in West Chester Township by 2021.
2023 – West Chester Township celebrates 200 years as a community on June 2, 2023.
Contact Us
Have a correction or suggestion? Use the Contact Us form to send a message to West Chester Township.
Created from “A History of Union Township, Butler County, Ohio” (1979) by Virginia Shewalter; West Chester community publication archives and records; “Ohio History Central,” the Ohio History Connection’s online encyclopedia, and other broadly available resources for state historical information.
