Pickerington City PWS Water Company

Pickerington City PWS Municipal Water Report Info
Before European settlement, Native Americans primarily of the Wyandot tribe inhabited what is now Violet Township, along with Shawnee and Mingo tribes. Following the 1795 Treaty of Greenville, indigenous peoples relocated to Sandusky after relinquishing their lands.

Fairfield County was established in 1800 as part of the Northwest Territory. Violet Township, formed in 1808, occupies the northwest corner of the county. The township was named for the abundant purple violets that flourished throughout the area.

In 1811, James Looker purchased land in Violet Township at a public auction, including the property where Pickerington now stands. While he never resided there, his children built log cabins along Sycamore Creek. His daughter Ann married Abraham Pickering, who established the settlement after acquiring additional land from his father-in-law.

Initially called "Jacksonville" after General Andrew Jackson's victory at New Orleans, the settlement was renamed Pickerington in 1827 to honor its founder. By 1865, the community had grown to 37 structures, and it was officially incorporated as a town in 1881.

The city has continued to develop from its agricultural roots to become an important community in northwest Fairfield County. Equidistant between Lancaster and Columbus, modern Pickerington serves as both a Columbus suburb and a transition zone to rural areas eastward.

In 1991, after reaching a population of 5,000, Pickerington was certified as a city by Ohio's Secretary of State. It's now the second largest city in Fairfield County, behind only Lancaster. The Ohio Legislature designated Pickerington as the "Violet Capital of Ohio" in 1996.

Today, with a population exceeding 13,500, Pickerington operates under a Mayor-Council-Manager government established by its Municipal Charter in 1980. Growth management remains a primary focus for local officials and residents alike.