CHAPTER XIV.

(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE)

COUNTY AFFAIRS

The County Buildings—The Wilson Children Home—Roster of County

Officials—Justices of the Peace of Adams County-Receipts and

Expenditures of the County for the Year 1824.

.

There never were any county buildings erected at Manchester, although it was the first seat of justice in Adams County, the first session of the Court of Quarter Session having convened there September 12, 1797.

Court House and Jail at Adamsville.

At this time there was great rivalry among the new towns for the location of the county seat, and the Adamsville people, led by John S. Wills, succeeded in having the seat of justice removed from Manchester to that place, where the court convened at the following December secession that place was near the site of the present village of Rome, and remained the seat of justice for Adams County just one year. There is no record of there having been a court house built there, but that one was provided from some source is shown by the fact that John Reed of

that vicinity had Noble Grimes indicted by the grand jury, June, 1799, for "wilfully and feloniously taking plank from the court house in Adamsville to the value of five dollars." The Court of Common Pleas had approved plans for a jail there, and the Board of County Commissioners on June 28, 1798, had made a levy on the county to raise funds to put up the structure, but the county seat soon thereafter being removed to Washington at the mouth of Ohio Brush Creek, the jail was erected there. This was a log structure and was erected in the spring 1799. On the night of December 27, of that year, this jail was burned by an incendiary. The Board of County Commissioners at their March session, 1800, offered a reward of $200 for the apprehension of the person who committed this crime, but he was never discovered.

Public Buildings at Washington.

From the records it appears that Noble Grimes furnished a house for the use of the Courts and the County Commissioners until the latter part of the year 1802, when a log court house was erected on grounds afterwards donated to the county by Thomas Grimes and his wife. We find
that "Noble Grimes was allowed $50 for house rent, wood, candles, etc., for use of the Courts up to December 12, 1799," a period of one year. And as late as December To, 1803, there is an entry on the Journal of the County Commissioners stating that "Noble Grimes is al-

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lowed $10 for the use of a house for the court and jurors to sit in, for firewood, candles, and a man to attend to supply the house with fire, water, candles, etc."

It is stated in the AdamS County atlas that there was a large hewed log court house, at Washington, with a jail in the lOWer story. This house could not have been built earlier than the autumn of 1802. There is an entry on the court records approving an account of Richard Grimes for one thousand feet of plank for the court house at Washington. And another on commissioners' journal allowing an item of five dollars to Noble Grimes for repairs on court house. It would appear from a search of the records that the jail at Washington was a separate building front the court houSe and that the statement in the Adams County atlas is erroneous. In 1806, after the removal of the county seat to West Union, Thomas Grimes and his wife Polly deeded to the County Commissioners "for the use and behoof of the county," inlots numbers 41, 42, 44, 45, 56, 57, 58, and 59, on which the public buildings in the town of Washington stood. And the said Commissioners "ordered that the aforesaid lots, the *court house and the iron of the jail be sold at public sale on the first Tuesday of August next, giving eighteen months' credit. The lots probably included what was known as the "jail bounds" on which the "stray pen" was Situated and where certain classes of prisoners had the privilege of exercising. At March session of the Court of Quarter Sessions, the prison bounds were altered as follows: "Beginning at the northeast corner of the public grounds ; thence with the said public grounds and course west thirty-six poles; thence south to the river Ohio at water's edge : thence up it to the bank of BruSh Creek at water's edge; then from the beginning east forty poles ; thence south to the bank of Brush Creek at water's edge and down it to' the river bank at water's edge." These hounds of the jail included several acres of land lying in the angle formed by the junction of Brush Creek with the Ohio River, and besides the uses above named afforded a field of labor for indigent prisoners.

County Buildings at West Union.

West Union became the county seat in 1804. The town was laid off the week beginning Monday, March 19th. There was then but one building, a log cabin, oft the town plat. It had been erected by Robert McClanahan but not occupied a short time before the platting of the

town. It stood on lot 46, afterwards known, as the Lee corner, on Main street.

The Board of County Commissioners met in this house June 11, 1804, and it is Said the *courts met here until the erection of the log court house in 1805.

The following entry on the commissioners' journal shows clearly that there was a court house on the Public Square in West Union prior

The journal of the County Commissioners contains the following entries with referent to the sale of the public property at Washington:

August 5, 1806. Commissioners met and sold property. Old court house with two lots on which it stood, and the other six lots in the public square. Also plank in the court house, four boxes of glass, the iron of the old jail etc., etc.

September 2. 1806. Robert Simpson (one of the commissioners,) was allowed for cash paid for whiskey for use of the sale of the public property at the mouth of Brush Creek, fifty cents. [This was the price of one gallon.—ED.]

COUNTY AFFAIRS - 135

to the one erected by Foster and known as the "old log court house." The order for Joseph Darlinton to sell court house could not have referred to the one at Washington for the credit fixed for that sale was eighteen months, and the "removal" of the building was for the purpose of clearing the square for the structure erected by Mr. Foster.:

"West Union, July 2, 1805.

"Ordered that Joseph Darlihton sell to the highest bidder on the thirteenth inst., the old court house, giving six months credit, on the purchaser giving bond and security. Ordered also that the purchaser of the said court house shall remove the same off the public grounds in thirty days from the purchase."

THE FIRST COURT HOUSE was erected in 1805. The contract was let to William Foster at his bid of $709, with Benjamin Sutton, Needham Perry, and John Thomas as sureties on his bond. The structure was erected on lot 63 in the Public Square, with the side facing Main Street five poles from it, and the east end adjoining Market Street. It was thirty feet long, twenty-four feet wide and two stories high. It was specified that it should be built of oak, poplar, walnut, or blue ash logs, eight inches thick and none less than twelve inches on face. There was an outside stone chimney with fireplace four and one-half feet wide below and above, on the north side, and seven feet from the inside of northwest corner. The lower story was twelve feet in the 'clear and the upper eight feet, with a banistered stairway on the north side leading up to it. A door three and one-half feet wide was in the east end fronting Market Street, and the bench for the Court was on an elevated platform on the south side of the lower room. In this room were four windows, two on the south side, one of which was in the center between the bar and bench, and two in the west end equal distance from each other. There were four windows above, two in south side, one in the north side near northeast corner, and one in the west end near northwest corner suiting the two rooms in the upper story. The lower windows each had twenty lights of glass in the upper ones twelve each. The windows in court room had double shutters fastened with iron bolts and bars. The contract specified that the lower story should be finished by the twenty-fourth day of August, and the upper one by the fourth of October, 1805. Some of the logs of this building are now in a dwelling occupied by John Knox just south of the Presbyterian Church in West Union on the Beasley Fork pike.

THE FIRST JAIL, at West Union stood on lot 67, now the site of the brick dwelling of Miss Sarah Boyle. It stood three rods north from Main Street with the end fronting Cherry Street and the old Bradford Hotel. It was a most remarkable structure, of hewed logs, eighteen by

twenty-four feet, and two stories in height. It was constructed of two walls, one within the other, and the space between was filled in with upright hewed logs each one foot square. Both the upper and the lower floors were laid with hewed logs one foot thick, and the partitions between the rooms of which there were four, two above and two below, were of logs of that dimension. The door in the east end was made from two-inch oak plank with upright and cross-bars of heavy iron laid over it. The windows, of which there were four, were each two feet

square and heavily screened with iron cross-bars. It was erected in

136 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY

1805 by James Brownfield, and cost $590. It was afterwards removed to the northeast corner of the Public Square, by MorriS McFadden, at cost of $378, where it stood till 1858.

In 1806 a jailor's house, eighteen feet square, of hewed logs, was erected south of the jail fronting Main Street on corner of lot 67, and adjoining the jail.

THE SECOND COURT HOUSE—In 1811 the Commissioners of, Adams County let the contract for a new court houSe at West Union to Thomas Metcalf, a stone mason, who afterwards became Governor of the State of Kentucky. This was a stone structure forty feet wide and forty-eight feet long and two stories high. It stood to the west and south of the old log court house with the south side fronting Main Street. Jesse Eastburn and Hamilton Dunbar were the contractors for the carpenter work, for which they received $1,156.70. The total cost of the building was $2,830. This building stood until the year 1876, when the present brick structure was completed.

THE SECOND JAIL was built in 1858 by Henry Rape and George Moore at a cost of $2,400. It was a two-story structure of brick and stone, the residence part being of brick,, and stood on the Public Square with the side and front on Cross Street facing the site of the present Florentine Hotel. It was removed after the erection of the present commodious jail in 1895.

THE THIRD COURT HOUSE, the present brick building in the center of the Public Square, was completed in 1876. Joseph W. Shinn, of West Union, was the contractor, in the sum of

$17,300. There had been a renewal of the contest over the county seat question between the citizens of Manchester and the people of West Union, beginning in 1870. A newspaper called "The Adams County Democrat" was started at Manchester to advocate the removal of the county seat to that place. In 1871 the Legislature passed an act authorizing the voters of the county to decide the question of removal by ballot. By a majority of 1064 votes it was decided to retain the county seat at West Union. On the twentieth of May, 1873, the commissioners let the contract for the new building. The Manchester people filed an injunction which was made perpetual on the grounds that the commissioners had no authority of law to make contracts exceeding in amount $10,000. Then the citizens of West Union raised by a corporation tax $3,000 and by private subscription $4,400, which with $10,000 authorized by the County Commissioners, was used to erect the present building. It contains a commodious court room and offices for the county officials.

THE THIRD JAIL—This is a magnificent building of stone and brick costing $25,000, erected in 1895, on the southeast corner of Mulberry and Cross Streets, fronting Mulberry Street and the Public Square.

THE FIRST INFIRMARY—On March 5, 1839, the Council Commissioners bought 211 acres of land from George L. Caampton on Poplar Ridge, in Tiffin Township, to be used as the "County Poor Farm." There were some log buildings with a frame addition which were used to quarter the county poor until 1859, when the farm was sold to William Morrison and fifty-two and

COUNTY AFFAIRS- 137

one-half acres were purchased for a new site from James McClanahan in Liberty Township. This ideation not being satisfactory, the land was exchanged with George S. Kirker for sixty-six and two-thirds acres now ocupied by the infirmary buildings near West Union.

The infirmary building is of brick and in its day was substantial and commodious. The building was completed in 1859 by A. W. Ram, say, the contractor, at a cost of $7,833. William McNeilan was the first superintendent here and William Shuster is the present incumbent. George L. Campton was the superintendent from the establishment of be the Infirmary on Poplar Ridge till its location at the present site.

A story used to be related of McNeilan who was a Scotch-Irishman with a deep brogue, that, at one of his settlements with the Board of Directors, some of his charges were objected to, one item of $5, in his account not being clearly specified. After some reflection the superintendent explained that the item in question was for "foive days seekin' hogs and foindin' none."

The Wilson Children's Home.

The Wilson Children's Home is located about one-half mile east of the court house, on the corporation line of the town of West Union, on the south side of the Cedar Mills turnpike, at its junction with the West Union and Locust Grove turnpike. The site is a most pleasing one, affording a fine view of the town of West Union, and of the surrounding country. The sanitary conditions are unexcelled, the drainage being perfect, and abundance of pure water easily accessible. The building constructed of brick and native limestone is of modern architecture and is supplied with every convenience as to heat, light and ventilation. The grounds, consisting of twenty-five acres of fine farm land, were donated by the citizens of the town of West Union. The outbuildings in connection with the house are a laundry, workshop, barn, ice house, and other domestic buildings pleasantly surrounded by fine fruit orchards and vegetable gardens. The Home was erected in the years 1883 and 1884 through the beneficence of Hon. John T.

Wilson, a wealthy citizen of the county, whose biography appears elsewhere in this volume. The present value of the premises and appurtenances, $75,000. Number of inmates, 80.

History of the Howe.

Tranquility, Ohio, March 6, 1882.

To the Commissioners of Adams County, Ohio:

Gentlemen :—It is sometimes better for a man to do in his lifetime that which he may contemplate having done after his death. Hence, for the purpose of establishing, or aiding the establishment and maintenance of a Childrens' Home, on a permanent basis, under the laws of Ohio, I propose to give to the county of Adams, fifty thousand dollars, less the sum I have already unjustly paid into the county treasury, under protest, with interest thereon, together with any further sum I may yet have to pay at the final termination of a suit now pending in the Supreme Court of Ohio, for taxes claimed on account of Indiana assets, together with costs of attorneys’ fees and incidental expenses ; thirty thousand dollars, to be paid on the acceptance of this proposal, or as in soon thereafter as it may be needed.

138 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY

The remaining twenty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be left to be paid, when I get through resisting the unjust, and, as I believe, illegal demands of former county officers. It is not my purpose that any expense shall accrue to the county until the donation herein named shall first be fully expended.

Very respectfully,

J. T. Wilson.

On the tenth of March, W. S. Bottleman and J. R. Zile, members of the Board of County Commissioners,' together with Ex-Sheriff Capt. John Taylor and J. W. Shinn, County Auditor, by agreement, went to the little hamlet of Tranquillity for the purpose of consulting Mr. Wilson as to his proposed benefit for the orphan children of Adams County. After fully discussing the matter, it was finally determined to accept and use said proposed gift for the erection and support of an Orphan Asylum and Children's Home.

In March of the year following, the Commissioners took up the proposition to select a site for the Home. The chief competing points were Winchester, West Union, and Manchester. Mr. W. S. Bottleman, who resided near the village of Winchester, voted at each ballot for the site to be near that village. Mr. J. R. Zile, whose residence was near Locust Grove, in the northern portion of the county, voted as a mattes of courtesy, at first ballot, for Manchester, and Mr. William McGovney, whose home was in Sprigg Township, about half way between West Union and Manchester, voted at each ballot for. West Union ; so that upon taking the second ballot, Zile and McGovney voted for West Union, and thus fixed the location of the Home at that point.

At this meeting W. A. Blair, business associate of Mr. Wilson, was appointed a Trustee of the Home for one year, from the first Monday in March, 1883; John A. Laughridge for the term of two years, and Samuel E. Pearson for three years from that date. The Commissioners then adjourned to meet the Board of Trustees at the Auditor's office, March 15th. On this day W. A. Blair and S. E. Pearson appeared and accepted their said trusteeships. John A. Laughridge failing to appear in person or by letter, Hon. John P. Leedom was then selected as one of the Board of Trustees.

On the eighth of May, 1883 ,the County Commissioners and Board of Trustees of the Home adopted the plans submitted by J. W. Yost for the construction of the Home, and Mr. Yost was employed as architect, to receive $50o for the plans and draughts in detail, and twenty dollars for each trip necessary from his office in Portsmouth, Ohio, to West Union, during the building of the Home. About this time Captain John Taylor and Auditor J. W. Shinn were appointed to collect the subscriptions of the citizens of West Union for the purchase of the site of the Home.

June 20, 1883, the bids for the entire structure,except the plumbing and heating, were opened and found to be as follows :

E. A. Hanna & Alex. Hanna, Dover, Ky $38,000

W. J. Hayslip, West Union, Ohio 37,777

Gallegher & McCafferty, Fayetteville, Ohio 38,500

Thomas F. Jones, Columbus, Ohio 39,101

W. T. Wetmore, Hillsboro, Ohio 29,910

COUNTY AFFAIRS - 139

W T. Wetmore being the lowest responsible bidder was awarded the contract. It was stipulated in the contract that the foundation of the main walls of the structure should be bedded upon solid rock found at a depth of from five to twelve feet below the surface at the site of the

On July 28, 1883, Mr. I. G. Brown was appointed by the Joint Boards of Commissioners and Trustees, superintendent of the work of building the Home, at a salary of three dollars per diem for actual time.

December 14, 1883, the contract for gas fittings and steam heating, plumping, etc., was let to Wetmore and Gallegher at $5,600, to be completed by November 1, 1884.

The building complete was given in charge of the Trustees of the Home by the County Commissioners, December 5, 1884, and on the fifteenth of February, 1885, Col. W. L. Shaw and his wife, Mrs. R. J. Shaw, were appointed Superintendent and Matron, respectively, of the Home, and on the ninth of March following, the first installment of children was received from the County Infirmary.

Charles T. Downing and wife were elected Superintendent and Matron succeeding Col. Shaw, January 16, 1886, and took possession March 9, of that year. They were re-elected January 5, 1887, for a term of one year.

W. W. Baird and wife were employed as Superintendent and Matron, February 1, 1888, for the year beginning March 9, 1888. They tendered their resignations October 1, i888, to take effect from that date, and W. H. Jordan was appointed until further action thereon by the

Board of Trustees.

December 5, 1888, J. T. Little and wife were employed as Superintendent and Matron, respectively, to fill the unexpired term made vacant by the resignation of W. W. Baird and wife.

On March 6, 1889, Thomas W. Ellison and wife, of West Union, were elected Superintendent and Matron for a term of one year, from March 9, and they have been retained by the Board of Trustees to the present time.

Besides the Superintendent and Matron, there are employed at the Home one physician, one teacher, two governesses, one seamstress, two cooks, one dining-room girl, one engineer, and one teamster.

Since the opening of the Home there have been 382 children admitted and cared for by the institution, and fifty-eight placed in private homes, making a total of 440 children cared for by the institution.

MEMBERS OR THE BOARD OR TRUSTEES.

W. A. Blair, Tranquillity, appointed March, 1883.

John P. Leedom (vacancy), West Union, appointed March, 1883.

S. E. Pearson, West Union, appointed March, 1883.

Henry Scott (vacancy, Pearson deceased), West Union, appointed March, 1884.

J. K. Pollard, West Union, appointed March, 1884.

John P. Leedom, West Union, appointed March 1885.

Dr. J. W. Bunn (Scott resigned), West Union, appointed May 11, 1885.

140 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY

G. W. Pettit (Leedom resigned), West Union, appointed July 7, 1885.

Dr. R. A. Stephenson, Manchester, appointed March, 1886.

M. A. Scott (Pollard reSigned), West Union, appointed March, 1886.

S. N. Bradford (Scott resigned), West Union, appointed September 9, 1886.

S. B. Wamsley (Pettit resigned), West Union, appointed March 1, 1887.

Samuel McClanahan, West Union, appointed March 1, 1887.

A. Leach (Stephenson resigned), West Union, appointed June 8; 1887.

Capt. D. W. Thomas, West Union, appointed March, 1888.

Judge I. N. Tolle, West Union, appointed March, 1889.

J. W. McClung (McClanahan resigned), West Union, appointed March, 1889.

Henry McGovney, West Union, appointed March, 1890.

Capt. D. W. Thomas, West Union, appointed March, 1891.

Judge I. N. Tolle, West Union, appointed March, 1892.

A. McCullough (Thomas resigned), Tranquility, appointed March, 1892.

Henry McGovney, West Union, appointed March, 1893.

C. W. Sutterfield, West Union, appointed March, 1893.

W. S. Kincaid, West Union, appointed March, 1894.

Judge I. N. Tolle, West Union, appointed March, 1895.

Grimes J. Nicholson, Manchester, appointed March, 1896.

S. A. McCullough (Sutterfield vacancy), Tranquility, appointed April 7, 1896.

G. N. Crawford (Tolle vacancy), West Union, appointed April 7, 1896.

S. A. McCullough, Tranquility, appointed March, 1897.

W. S. Kincaid, West Union, appointed March, 1898.

John F. Plummer, West Union, appointed March, 1899.

C. E. Frame (McCullough resigned), West Union, appointed March, 1899.

ROSTER OF COUNTY OFFICALS.

* Commissioners.

James Scott, Henry Massie, Joseph Darlinton, all appointed by Court of Quarter Sessions, March, 1798. First Clerk of Board, Joseph Darlinton. First meeting held at AdamSville, June' 13, 1798.

George Gordon, appointed by court March 29, 1799. James Edison, second Clerk of Board.

George Gordon, fourth and fifth Clerk of Board. James Edison, appointed March 14, 1800.

Joseph Kerr, third Clerk of Board ; resigned November 7, 1801.

Joseph Lucas, appointed March 7, 1801.

*The dates given herein are the dates of the first meeting at which the Commissioners-elect served. In two or three places the Commissioners-elect are not given every year for the reason that the Journals give no entry of their taking their office by reason of their having been re-elected and still serving continuously on the Board.

COUNTY AFFAIRS - 141

John Beasley, appointed December 10, 1801.

John Beasley, appointed June 1, 1802.

Needham Perry, appointed March 25, 1803.

First Board elected and qualified June 11, 1804: Moses Baird, long term, Robert Simpson, two years; Nathaniel Beasley, short term. Joseph ton appointed sixth clerk.

Nathaniel Beasley, appointed November 5, 1804.

Job Denning, appointed November 17, 1806; resigned March, 1814.

James Baird, appointed December 4, 1809.

James Parker, appointed December 4, 1810.

James Baird, appointed October 30, 1812.

Joseph Neilson, appointed by Court March 29, 1814, to fill vacancy

of Job Denning.

Joseph Moore, appointed December 5, 814.

James Baird, appointed October 30, 1814.

James Parker, November 9, 1816, was struck off into BROWN COUNTY, created by Legislature, 1818. Gabe D. Darlinton appointed sevenh Clerk of Board.

Joseph Moore, October 3o, 1817.

James Finley, appointed to fill vacancy of James Parker, June 1, 1818, eighth Clerk of Board.

Joseph Curry, October, 1818.

John Matthews, October 25, 1819.

G. D. Darlinton appointed Clerk of Board.

John Fisher, October 26, 1819.

Aaron Moore, October 30, 1820.

John Means, November 1, 1821. James R. Baldridge, Auditor, became Clerk of Board in 1821 by virtue of office.

Andrew McIntire, December 3, 1821.

John Sparks, December 2, 1822.

John Lodwick, December 1, 1823.

John McClanahan, December 6, 1824.

Samuel R. Wood, William Kirker, both October 15, 1825.

Thomas Kincaid, October, 1827.

John Prather, October, 1828.

Henry Rape, October, 1829.James Cole, October, 1830.

William Smith, December, 1831.

Seth Van Metre, December, 1832.

William Kirker, October, 1823.

Jacob Treber, October, 1833

Richard Noleman, December, 1835

Elijah Leedom, December 5, 1836.

Asa Williamson, November 10, 1838.

William McVey, December 2, 1839.

R. H. Anderson,. December 7, 1840.

William Smalley, December, 1842.

Daniel Burley, December 2, 1844. Died in office.

William T. Smith, December 1, 1845

James McNeil, December 7, 1846.

142 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY

William Robe, appointed by Court to fill vacancy of D. Burley. Jesse Warnsley, December 6, 1847. Resigned.

William T. Smith, December 4, 1848.

James McNeil, December 5, 1849.

David C. Vance, appointed February 9, 1850, to fill vacancy of

Jessee Wamsley, resigned.

Christian Bottleman, December 2, 1850,

John Oliver, December, 1851.

John McGovney, December 6, 1852.

Christian Bottleman, December, 1853.

William E. Grimes, December, 1854.

R. S. Daily, December 7, 1857.

Andrew Mahaffey, December 6, 1858.

Joseph Spurgeon, February 20, 1860.

J. C. Milligan, December 1, 186o.

Samuel S. Mason, December 2, 1861.

J. R. Stevenson, December 1, 1862.

John Pennywitt, December 7, 1863.

Silas Marlatt, December 5, 1864.

John McClanahan, December 4, 1865.

Stephen Reynolds, December 2, 1867.

William B. Gregg, December 7, 1868.

Thomas R. Leedom, December 6, 1869.

Jesse Wamsley, December 5, 1870.

John Williamson, December 4, 1871.

John B. Allison, December 2, 1872.

Noah Tracy, December 1, 1873.

William Treber, December 7, 1874.

Samuel P. Clark, December 6, 1875.

Jacob F .Weaver, December 4, 1876.

Richard Moore, December 3, 1877.

Dugald Thompson, December 2, 1878.

Alexander Stewart, December I, 1879.

W. S. Bottleman, December 6, 1880.

J. R. Zile, December 5, 1881.

William McGovney, December 4, 5882.

John Martin, December 3, 1883.

J. R. Zile, December, 1884.

Thomas J. Shelton, December 7, 1885.

J. H. Crissman, January 3, 1887.

Mahlon Urton, January 2, 1888.

B. Truitt, January 7, 1889.

Robert Collins, January 6, 1899.

P. M. Hughes, January 5, 1891.

Thomas J. Shelton, January 4, 1892.

Robert Collins, January 2, 1893.

M. H. Newman, January 2, 1894.

F. M. Grimes, appointed January 6, 1896, to fill vacancy of Thomas J. Shelton to September, 1896, by change in law.

W. D. Early, September, 1895.

COUNTY AFFAIRS - 143

R. H. ursler, appointed January 6, 1896, to fill vacancy of Robert Collins to September, 1896, by change in law.

J. F. Cornelius, September, 1896.

Darius Dryden, appointed January, 1897, to fill vacancy of M. H. Newman to September, 1897, by change of law.

R. H. Oursler, appointed June, 1898, to fill vacancy to November election 1898. By contest of election of M. H. Newman, Pleas Common Court declared neither elected.

F. B. oush, September, 1898.

Sanford McCullough, elected for Short Term by reason of contest of Newman and Oursler, and became a member of the Board November, 1898.

S. F. Cornelius, September, 1899.

S. A. McCullough re-elected in 1899 for three years.

Clerks of the Courts.

The Clerks of the Courts under tile Constitution of 1802, were appointed by the Courts for a term of seven years, but before his appointment, except pro tempore, the applicant was required to produce a certificate from a majority of the Judges of the Supreme Court that he was well qualified to execute the duties of the office. If a vacancy occurred at any time, the appointment was made pro tempore until the proper certificate could be procured and filed. The journals show that Gen. Darlinton was appointed pro tempore several times. This was because when his term had expired, he had not secured the necessary certificate to be filed before his reappointment, and he could not receive the appointment for the full term until the certificate was filed. As to the clerkship of the Supreme Court of Adams County, Gen Joseph Darlinton was the only one who ever held the office. He was appointed at the first term of the. Court in Adams County in 1803, and held it by successive appointments until his death on August 2, 1851. As the Court expired September 1, 185r, no one was appointed .for the twentytnine days elapsing between his death and the time when the Constitution of 1851 took effect. As to the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, he was appointed its first clerk, August 5. 1803. At December term, 1810, he was appointed pro tempore till the next term, but before the term closed, his certificate came to hand, and he was appointed for seven years. At the
ber term, 1817, he was appointed pro tempore until March 1, following. At the March term, 1818, it is recited on the journal that he had produced his certificate from all the Judges of the Supreme Court, and he was appointed for seven years. At April term, 1825, April 18, he was reappointed for seven years. At March term, 1838, he did not have his certificate ready and was appointed pro tempore. On August 7, 1832, was appointed for seven years. August 6, 1839, he was appointed for years. On August 7, 1846, his time having expired, John M. Smith
appointed pro tempore till the next term. At September term, 1846, Joseph R. Cockerill was appointed pro tempore till the next term. On February 3, 1847, Joseph R. Cockerill was appointed for the full term of seven years and served until September 23, 1851, when he resigned. James N. Hook was appointed in his place and served until February 9, 1852, when he took the office by election. The roster is :

144 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY

1803-1846 Joseph Darlinton.

1846 John M. Smith.

1846-1851 Joseph R. Cockerill.

1851-1854 James N. Hook.

1854-1857 George H. Puntenney.

1857-1859 A. C. Robe (died in office).

1859-1862 William E. Hopkins.

1862-1865 L. K Cox.

1865-1868 Charles N. Hall.

1868-1874 Joseph W. Shinn.

1874-1880 John P. Leedom.

1880-1886 George W. Pettit.

1886-1892 William R. Mehaffey.

1892-1898 Oscar C. Reynolds.

1898-1901 Oscar C. ReynoldS.

Alexander Robe died November 14, 1858. His successor, Wm. E. Hopkins, was appointed November 16, 1858, and served until December. 5, 1859. He was elected in October, 1859, for a full term.

Territorial Clerks: George Gordon, 1797; John S. Wills; Joseph Darlinton.

Prosecuting Attorneys.

Arthur St. Clair, Jr., son of the Governor, who received his appointment from his father, was the first Territorial Prosecutor. Someone, as Jacob Burnett, William McMillan, Francis Taylor, or John S Wills, usually prosecuted the many petty offenses, for St. Clair, as the records show. William Creighton, M. Baldwin, William Sprigg, Thomas Scott, Levin Belt and others acted as prosecutors by appointment from the years 1800 to 1803, receiving for their services $15 per term.

The Prosecuting Attorneys were afterwards appointed by the Court of Common Pleas. The appointments were made during the pleasure of the Court. The law of April 13, 1803, gave the appointing power to the Supreme Court. The act of February 21, 1805, restored it to the Common Pleas. The law of December 29, 1825, gave the power of appointing the Prosecuting Attorney to the Common Pleas Court. The act of January 29, 1833, made the office elective for a term of two years, and that law continued in full force until 1881, when under the act of April 20, Vol. 78, Ohio Laws, page 260, the term was changed to three years. The incumbents, prior to 1833, can only be gathered from the court journals, and these are in some places obscure. The first elected Prosecuting Attorney was Samuel Brush, who was elected in October; 1833. As long as the office was appointive by the Court, the allowance for services was made each term by the Court. Prior to 1808, the duties of Prosecuting Attorney were in all probability discharged by some attorney nonresident of the county who traveled the circuit follow, ing the courts. At November term, 1808, John W. Campbell was allowed $30 for services as Prosecuting Attorney. He continued to act until December term, 1810, when Jessup M. Couch was allowed $25 for services for prosecuting. With this exception John W. Campbell continued to discharge the duties of the office until the June to March, 1817,

COUNTY AFFAIRS - 145

when Samuel Treat was appointed. Campbell was usually allowed $25. per term for his services, sometimes it was more, but never over $45 at this same term, June, 1817, John W. Thompson was allowed prosecuting in the Supreme Courts. Samuel Treat was allowed $45 per term, for his services, there being three terms each year as now. Treat served until August term, 182o, when Geo. R. Fitzgerald was appointed. He resigned August term, 1820, and in. 1821 Richard Collins was appointed in his place. August term, 1822, Richard Collins resigned and Daniel P. Wilkins was appointed. He served until June term, 1826, when George Collings was appointed, and the salary $100 per annum. So far as the record shows he continued to act 833, When Samuel Brush was elected. The roster is:

1808-1817 John W. Campbell.

1817-1820 Samuel Treat.

1820-1821 George R. Fitzgerald.

1821-1822 Richard Collins.

1822-1826 Daniel P. Wilkins.

1826-1833 George Collings.

1833-1835 Samuel Brush.

1835-1837 James Keenan.

October term, 1837, Nelson Barrere was appointed special Prosecuting Attorney.

1837-1838 Nelson Barrere.

1838-1839 Joseph McCormick.

1839-1843 Shepherd F. Norris.

1843, March term, Joseph McCormick was appointed in place of Norris who had removed to Clermont County. He served until 1845, when Thamas McClausen was elected.

1843-1845 Joseph McCormick.

1845-1851 Thomas McCauslen.

1851-1853 John K. Billings.

1853-1857 John W. McFerran.

1857-1861 Thomas J. Mullen.

1861-1863 John K. Billings.

1863-1865 Reason T. Naylor.

1865-1867 Thomas Downey.

1867-1869 David Thomas.

1869-1873 Frank D. Bayless.

1873-1877 John K. Billings.

1877-1879 Henry. Collings.

1879-1884 Wm. Anderson.

1884-1890 Philip Handrehan.

1890-1896 Cyrus F. Wikoff.

1896-1899 C. F. McCoy.

1899-1902 C. F. McCoy.

146 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY

Coroners.

Laws were passed under the Territorial Government, December 21, 1788, and July 16, 1795, creating the office of Coroner and defining, his duties. Andrew Ellison was the first Coroner of Adams County.

CORONERS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION

This office was created by section 1, Article VI, of the constitution of 1802, and the office was elective for two years. Hence a Coroner was elected every two years from 1803 to 1852. The list of Coroners in Adams County since 1851 is as follows : as

1852-1856 William Killen.

1856-1858 John D. Hines.

1858-1859 William Leach.

1859-1863 John W. Nelson.

1863-1867 E. Kilpatrick.

1867-1875 John W. Nelson.

1875-1876 William Blake.

1876-1878 William Rybolt.

1878-1880 William Wade.

1880-1886 John W. Nelson.

1886-1888 Dr. George W. Osborne.

1888-1891 Moses. L. Wade.

1891-1893 R. W. Purdy, M. D.

1893-1895 O W. Robe.

1895-1897 C. W. Edgington.

1897-1899 John M. Brooke.

Sheriffs.

1797-1798 David Edie.

1798-1800 John Barritt.

1800-1803 Nathan Ellis.

1803-1806 John Lodwick.

1806-1810 John Ellison.

1810-1812 John Lodwick.

1812- Samuel Bradford.

1813-1815 Mills Stephenson.

1815-1819 Thomas Mason.

1819-1821 John Lodwick.

1821-1823 Thomas Kincaid.

1823-1827 John McDaid.

1827-1829 Robert McDaid.

1829-1833 John McDaid.

1833-1837 James Cole.

1837-1841 Samuel Poster.

1841-1845 Fields Marlatt.

1845-1847 William Smith.

1847-1851 Jacob S. Rose.

1851-1855 J. V. Willman.

1855-1857 William Cochran.

COUNTY AFFAIRS - 147

1857-1861 David S. Eyler.

1861-1863 Hazlett Sproull.

1863-1867 John Taylor

1867-1871 James Thoroman.

1871-1873 Lyman P. Stivers.

1873-1875 John Taylor.

1875-1879 John K. Pollard.

1879-1883 Henry F. McGovney.

1883-1887 J. Matt Long.

1887-1889 W. Pierce Newman.

1889-1893 Green N. McMannis.

1893-1897 Marion Dunlap.

1897-1899 James W. McKee.

1899-1901 James G. Metz.

Treasurers.

Israel Donalson, 1797 to 1800.

David Bradford, appointed for a year each time from July 6, 1800, to June 6, 1832. June 4, 1828, he took the office by election for the term of two years.

James Hood, from June 6, 1832, to June 3, 1844.

Wilson Prather, from June 3, 1844, to September, 1858.

Andrew Smalley, from September, 1850, to September, 1854.

George Moore, from September, 1854, to September, 1856.

Robert Buck, from September, 1856, to September, 1858.

Thomas Ellison, from September, 1858, to September, 1862.

George Moore, from September, 1862 to September, 1864.

W. R. Duffey, from September, 1864, to September, 1866.

John Duffey, from September, 1866, to September, 1868.

Elijah Leedom, from September, 1868, to September, 1872.

Henry Scott, from September, 1872, to September, 1876.

J. H. Connor, from September, 1876, to September, 1880.

W. B. Brown, from September, 188o, to September, 1884.

C. W. Sutterfield, from September, 1884, to September, 1888.

W. B. Brown, from September, 1888, to September, 1890.

P. H. Wickerham, from September, 1890, to September, 1894.

John R. Fristoe, from September, 1894, to September, 1898.

H. B. Gaffin, Jr., from September, 1898, to September, 1902.

The office of Auditor was created in 1820.

James R. Baldridge, from March, 1820, to March 1, 1824.

Joseph Riggs, from March I, 1824, to October 3, 1831; then resigned.

Leonard Cole, October 3, 1831, to March 6, 1832.

Leonard Cole, from March 6, 1832, to March 4, 1844.

A. Woodrow, from March 4, 1844, to March 2, 1846.

Francis Shinn, from March 2, 1846, to March 4, 1850.

Robert Buck, from March 4, 185o, to March 6, 1854.

Wm. E. Hopkins, from March 6, 1854, to March 1, 1858.

Henry Oursler, from March I, 1858, to March 5, 1860.

James L. Coryell, from, March 5, 1860, to Mardi, 1864.

J. N. Hook, from March, 1864, to March 2, 1868.

John L. Swearingen, from March 2, 1868, to November, 1874.

John F. Ellis, from November, 1874, to December 2, 1878.

R. H. Ellison, from December 2, 1878, to November 14, 1887.

J. W. Shinn, from November 14, 1881, to November 14, 1887.

J. W. Jones, from November, 14, 1887, to September, 1888.

J. Thomas, from September, 1888, to September, 1894.

Dr. J. M. Wittenmeyer, from September, 1894, to October, 1900.

R. A. Stephenson, from 1900 to—

John M. Smith, from March 8, 1852, to February, 1855.

James McColm. from February, 1855, to February, 1858.

John M. Smith, February, 1858, to February, 1864.

Henry Oursler, from February, 1864, toOctober, 1865, and resigned

Joshua Gore, from October, 1865, to November 14, 1866.

George Collings, November 14, 1866, to February 11, 1867.

George Collings, from February 11, 1867, to February 10, 1870.

James L. Coryell, February 10, 1870, to February 14, 1879.

R. W. McNeal, February ion, 1879, to February 13, 1882.

N. Tolle, February 13, 1882, to February 9, 1894.

W. R. Mahaffey, February 9, 1894, to February 9, 1897.

J. W. Mason, February 9, 1897, to March 14, 1898.

J. O. McManis, March 14, 1898, to November 26, 1898.

J. W. Mason, November 26, 1898, to February 9, 1900.

J. W. Mason, from February 9, 1900, to February, 1903.

John Belli, from September, 1797, to October, 1803.

Joseph Darlinton, from October, 1803, to October, 1810.

Samuel Bradford, from October, 1810, to September, 1813.

Joseph Darlinton, from September, 1813, to January, 1831.

Joseph Darlinton, from 1831 to 1834.

James Smith, from July, 1836, to October, 1838.

Wilson Prather, from October, 1838, to October, 1841.

John M. Smith, from October, 1841, to August, 1846. Resigned August 8, 1846.

Robert Buck, from August 8, 1846, to October, 1849.

Henry Oursler, from October, 1849, to 1856.

John T. Treber, from January, 1856, to January, 1859.

W. W. Baird, from January, 1859, to January, 1862.

James T. Thoroman, from January, 1862, to January, 1865.

John C. Dragoo, from January, 1865, to January, 1868.

W. R. Thoroman, from i868, to January, 1874.

J. M. Ellison, from January, 1874, to January, 1877.

James R. Stevenson, from January, 1877, to January, 1883.

C. T. Downing, from January, 1883, to January, 1886.

Leonard Young, from January, 1886, to January, 1889.

William Cooper, Jr., from January, 1889, to January, 1892.

Leonard Young, from January, 1892, to January, 1895.

C. W. Murphy, from January, 1895, to September, 1895.

Leonard Young, from September, 1895, to September, 1898.

J. E. McCreight, from September, 1898, to September, 1901.

This office was created by act of April 15, 1803, Chase, Vol. 1, Page 368 authorizing the Court of Common Pleas to appoint Surveyors. This continued the law until March 7, 1831, when the office became elective, triennially. (Chase Statutes, Vol. III, Page 863.) The list is as follows:

180I-1805 James Stevenson.

1805-1807 Nathaniel Beasley.

1807-1810 Richard Cross.

1810-1816 Andrew Woodrow.

1816-1818 James Pilson.

1818-1819 Joseph Wright.

1819-1820 Richard Cross.

1820-1822 Andrew Woodrow.

1822 James Criswell.

1823 John Russell.
1824-1826 Andrew Ellison.
1826-1829 Samuel McClanahan.

1829-1833 Richard Cross.

1834-1836 William Robe.

1836-1837 Richard Cross.

1837-1840 Jeremiah Bryan.

1840-1843 Joseph R. Cockerill.

1843-1846 Jeremiah Bryan

1846-1851 James N. Hook.

1851-1854 Jesse Ellis.

1854-1857 Jeremiah Bryan.

1857-1863 Jesse Ellis.

1863- 1869 R Hamilton.

1869-1874 Jesse Ellis.

1874-1877 Jeremiah Ellis.

1877-1880 A. V. Hutson.

1880-1883 Jeremiah Ellis.

1883-1886 Creyton Reynolds.

1886-1887 Capt. Patterson.

1887-1893 A. V. Hutson.

1893-1899 A. S. Doak.

1899-1902 J. H. Butler.