Hancock County, Ohio - Chapter 2: First Organization of the County, 1881

OX the 12th clay of February, 1820, the General Assembly of Ohio, Avith Allen Trimble as President of the Senate, and Joseph Richardson as Speaker of the House, passed au *'Act for the erection of certain counties named therein." In that Act we find the following reference to Hancock county, "* * * ^ * fifth, to include townships, one and two, south, and one and two, north, in the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth ranges, and to be known by the name of Hancock County."

Section 2 of the same x\ct provides, "That the counties of Hancock, Henry, Putnam, Paulding and Williams shall be attached to the county of Wood."

The following order was made by the Commissioners of Wood County on the 4th of March,*^1822 : "Ordered by the Board that the township of Waynesfield, within the jurisdiction of the county of Wood, be co-extensive with the boundaries of Wood and Hancock, and to include the same."

The territory thus included in one township, is nowdivided into two counties, which counties are sub-divided into thirty-six townships, any one of which perhaps to-day has a greater population than had the two counties of Hancock and Wood at the date of that order.

"Ordered further, that so much of the township ol Wayuesfield as is included in tlie unorganized county ot Hancock, be set off and organized, and the same is herehy organized into a township by the name of Findley, and tliat the election for township otticers be held on the lii-st day of July, A. D., 1823, at the house of Wilson Vance, in the said township."

The first record of the townshi}) we have is that of the election of April 5th, 1824, at which election Job Chamberlain, William Moreland and Jacob Poe were Judges, and Matthew Reighly and Wilson Vance clerks, who certify that there were eighteen votes cast, and that Job Chandjerlain, Wilson Vance and Jacob Poe were elected Trustees, Matthew Reighly, Clerk; Wilson Vance, Lister (Assessor); Philip McKinnis, Constable; John Hunter and John Gardner, Fence Viewers; Rol)ert McKinnis and William Moreland, Overseers of the Poor; and Job Chandjerlain, senior, Treasurer.

A search of the records of Wood County for a duplicate of the taxable property of Hancock County fails to disclose any prior to the year 1826."' lu the year 1826 there were twenty-six tax-payers in the county, and the value of taxable personal property was about two thousand dollars. The total tax was fifty-six dollars and twelve cents. In 1827 there were fourteen taxpayers, the largest of whom was Elnathan Cory, and the total tax was fifty dollars and twenty-nine cents.

The people of the county, at that day were not rich, certainly in this world's goods. Their capital was their strong arms and willing hands, and their wealth was their honesty, contentment and indomitable pluck.

During these years of dependence on the protection of Wood County, and the inconveniences of transacting public business, so remote from home, if it was counted an inconvenience by the pioneers, which we very much doubt, emigration was flowing into the county in a steady, if not a rushing stream. Settlements were being formed all. over the county, and farms were being opened in every direction- Neighbors were getting closer than a day's journey of each other. Ministers of the Gospel had already visited the locality, and had formed religious societies. So much had the population increased that the county had outgrown its township clothes, and now asked to be advanced to a separate county organization, and to be entitled to all the privileges and conveniences incident thereto. Wood County had also increased in population, and so much territory was cumbersome to it, and the people of that county were willing to release their guardianship of Hancock, and allow her to try the experiment of taking care of herself The General Assembly of Ohio said "Let it be done,"

During this transition state, as it were, from 1820 to 1828, the authorities had very little trouble in preserving the peace, and protecting the lives and property of the people, as all the early settlers were intent on building themselves homes, and felt in all its force the necessity of each one living an orderly and peaceal)le life. This quietude was occasionally disturbed by some inroad of the red-man. Init against these foes, the instinct of self-preservation did not ask the intervention of law and law officers to repel them. Each man considered himself in duty bound to aid in the general defense, without the formality of an election, as one of the public guardians.