Elmore

History

Elmore is located in what used to be known as the Black Swamp, a sprawling area of marsh that covered the majority of northwest Ohio, and was primarily inhabited by Native Americans until the 19th century. It is believed that the Portage River, which runs alongside the village, most likely derives its name from early explorers who were forced to portage or carry their canoes and boats around the river's intermittent shallows and rapids. German settlers during the first half of the 1800s began the long process of draining the land and clear cutting the dense forest exposing the nutrient rich soil, which, along with a once thriving railroad, provided the foundation for the village’s early growth and development. Elmore was surveyed and platted on October 2, 1851. The land surrounding Elmore is tabletop flat. Several sawmills in the vicinity provided the badly needed "planks" (boards) for the muddy "plank road", designated as U.S. Route 20, between Fremont, Ohio and Perrysburg, Ohio. The Ohio Turnpike replaced US 20 as the main avenue across northern Ohio, but US 20 is still widely used. The building of the Turnpike in the 1950s affected every town along US 20, illustrated by abandoned motels and restaurants along its course. Elmore was the site of the original manufacture of the Elmore automobile, one of the first companies bought up by W.C. Durant to form General Motors, until the factory was relocated to Clyde. The nearby beryllium plant is a key player in nuclear power, nuclear weaponry, and space program technology. Present-day Elmore is a small community with a business district that has struggled to achieve success in recent years. The New York Central railroad has been gone for many decades, and the village has faced challenges related to a decreased…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  23,403
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  20,784
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  19,192
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  16,548
• Bald Eagle

  Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  15,899
• Tree Swallow

  Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808) · Aves
  15,265
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  14,832
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  14,283

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2026-05-04
  8 km N of Maybee, Michigan
• M 3 — 2026-04-26
  7 km SSE of Amherstburg, Canada
• M 2.5 — 2024-03-18
  4 km WSW of Millbury, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2023-05-20
  3 km SSE of Walbridge, Ohio
• M 3.2 — 2020-08-21
  2 km SSE of Detroit Beach, Michigan
• M 3.4 — 2018-04-20
  Michigan