About Putnam County

Welcome to OSU Extension in Putnam County!

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Putnam County is located in northwest Ohio. It was created in 1820 from Shelby County and was attached to Wood County for judicial purposes.  When Williams County was organized on February 2, 1824, Putnam was detached from Wood and attached to Williams County. Putnam County was organized by the Ohio Legislature Act of January 3, 1834.

Some Indians still remained in the area after the white settlers, which included Germans and Swiss, moved into Ottawa, the county seat.  Ottawa is the site of an ancient Indian village, Tawa Town, from which it takes its name.

The estimated county population in 2009 was 34,377 and is expected to decrease over the next several years. The county seat, Ottawa, has a current population of 3,584. Agriculture, manufacturing, and retail sales constitute the majority of business and industry. Approximately 290 thousand of the 310 thousand acres within Putnam County (93.5%) is available for agricultural purpose (primarily grain farming).

Ohio State University Extension in Putnam County gratefully acknowledges the continued help and support of our local county commissioners – John Love, Travis Jerwers, and Vince Schroeder. Their input, participation and support of our office and our programming are greatly appreciated.

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About OSU Extension

Since 1914, Extension has been helping all Ohioans build better lives, better businesses and better communities.

Ohio State University Extension brings the knowledge of the university directly to you. We fulfill the land-grant mission of The Ohio State University by interpreting knowledge and research developed by Extension and other faculty and staff at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State main campus, and other land-grant universities – so Ohioans can use the scientifically-based information to better their lives, businesses and communities.

The Extension system is the world’s largest non-formal educational system. Extension programs address the needs of the local community while also addressing state, national, and global issues. Our practical educational programs combine the needs of local citizens and communities with new research and technical information.

No matter which county you visit, you can find people who are helped by the four major OSU Extension program areas: family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development, community development, and agriculture and natural resources. These program areas – and many other special topics – are continuously evaluated and updated to meet the changing needs and issues facing each community. Extension provides practical advice, sensible solutions, and realistic down-to-earth answers for ALL Ohioans.

OSU Extension…

Our vision: Ohioans have the knowledge and resources they need to actively engage in creating conditions in which they thrive.

Our mission: We create opportunities for people to explore how science-based knowledge can improve social, economic, and environmental conditions.