Welcome To Bronson Township

The name Bronson was delivered from Isaac Bronson, one of the original and largest landowners. The first house erected in the township was a log cabin in the Peru area in the summer of 1815. The first wedding in the township was between Lott Hetrick and Lola Sutliff in 1818. The first recorded death was that of Benjamin Newcomb, an early settler whose horse had kicked him in the stomach resulting in his death. The township opened a school house in a barn owned by Martin Kellogg in the summer of 1818. During 1819, the first actual school house was built. At that time, male teachers earned fifteen dollars per month. It was also well known that several rattlesnakes lived in this area with a report of 120 rattlesnakes being killed on the bank of a creek. 

Today the township has a population of approximately 2,000 residents. The township provides fire protection to the residents and maintains three active cemeteries. The township is zoned and consists of approximately 35 miles of public roadway. The township provides road and drainage maintenance.

Township meetings are held on the last Wednesday of the month at 7:00 pm. All meetings are held at the township building at the corner of Dublin and Old State Roads.

Residence of M. M. Hester and Finlay B. Hester

Residence of John J. Smith, Wooster Road

Residence of Levi Sutton, Wooster Road

Residence of Thomas Gurley

History Facts of Bronson Township

The name was derived from Isaac Bronson, one of the original and largest landowners.

The first house erected in Boston Township was the log cabin of John Welch, a squatter, in the summer of 1815. He came from Pennsylvania. His family soon followed and settled briefly in the Peru area.

Rattlesnakes were very numerous in the early settlements. A nest of rattlesnakes was discovered by Ephraim Herrick on the bank of a creek and with the help of others, 120 rattlesnakes were killed.

The first wedding took place between Lott Herrick and Lola Sutliff on October 16, 1818. The first death was that of Benjamin Newcomb. The first birth was that of Samuel Sterling Newcomb.

Lola Sutliff was the first school teacher in Bronson. The school opened in a barn owned by Martin Kellogg in the summer of 1818. She was paid seventy-five cents per week, with her wages being paid by the parents in proportion to the number of children sent to school. The first actual schoolhouse was built in 1819. Martin Kellogg was the first male school teacher and received fifteen dollars per month.

Source: History of the Firelands Comprising Erie and Huron County W. W. Williams 1879. Available at the Norwalk Public Library

History of Bronson Township Trustees/Fiscal Officers