The community of Olmsted commemorated its bicentennial in 2014 after a history that began in 1795, when the Connecticut Land Company auctioned Township 6, Range 15 and Aaron Olmsted purchased almost half of its northern side, though he died before seeing the land. In 1814, James Geer cleared a plot in the southeastern corner of the township to grow corn, then built a log house and moved his family there in 1815. Originally called Kingston, the township was renamed Lenox in 1823, and in 1829 the settlement became Olmsted after Aaron Olmsted’s son Charles donated 500 books for the creation of a community library. Agriculture dominated early township life, and in the 20th century the township became part of what was described as the largest greenhouse area in the country, growing mainly tomatoes and then flowers, before later residential development replaced much farmland. Road names such as Bronson, Cook, Fitch, Jennings, John, Lewis, Schady, Sprague, Stearns, and Usher preserve the names of early residents. By the 21st century, Olmsted remained one of only two townships in Cuyahoga County, although parts had been incorporated into Olmsted Falls, North Olmsted, Berea, and Brook Park, and the community still retained many houses dating to the 19th century, some as early as 1820.