Ravenna is a township of natural contrasts; from its hilly eastern portions characterized by bluffs overlooking pleasant river valleys, to the rolling lands of its western boundaries, Ravenna is an area of natural scenic beauty.  Both the Mississippi and Vermillion Rivers run within Ravenna's borders.  

The Vermillion traverses the township from the northwestern corner to the southeastern edge, while the Mississippi River forms the northeastern border of Ravenna with five miles of shoreline on the edge of the township.

The name of the township was chosen in 1860 by Mrs. Harriet P. Norton, the wife of a property owner named Albert T. Norton who had been instrumental in the township's formation.  Mrs. Norton had once taught school in the City of Ravenna, Ohio.  She reported that the place and the people were very pleasant and thus she chose that name for the new township.