Knox County, Ohio - Chapter 28: A Chapter of Statistics, 1881

In 1850, the members of the Constitutional convention were Matthew H. Mitchell and John Sellers; in 1873, the member was Richard S. Tulloss.

1808, Elnathan Scofield, whose district embraced Knox, Lickng and Fairfield; 1809, Jacob Benton and Elnathan Scofield; 1810, William Trimble and Robert F. Slaughter.

In 1814, Knox, Licking, and Richland were made one district, and William Gass was elected; in 1815, William Gavit; 1816, Mordecai Bartley; 1818, John Spencer.

In 1820 Knox and Richland were made one district, and William Gass was elected; in 1821, John Shaw; 1823, William Gass; 1825, Daniel S. Norton; 1827, William Gass; 1829, Thomas Rigdon; 1831, William Gass.

In 1852, Knox and Morrow were made one district, and Lawrence Van Buskirk was elected; in 1854, John T. Ceigh; 1856, Robert C. Kirk; 1858, David Miles; 1860, William Bonar,

In 1866, Knox, Morrow, Holmes, and Wayne were made one district, and F. H. Hurd and L. R. Critchfield were elected; in 1868, George Rex and C. H. Scribner; 1870, Hinchman H. Prophet; 1872, Henry D. McDowell; 1874, Daniel Paul; 1876, John Ault; 1878, Lecky Harper and J. J. Sullivan.

From 1848 to 1851 Knox and Holmes were made one district, and elected, in 1848, J. Vorhes and L. Van Buskirk; in 1849, William Given, E. Boggs; 1850, E. Glasgo, S. F. Gilcrist.

William Wilson, of Newark; Alexander Harper, of Zanesville; Ezra Dean, of Wooster; Jacob Parker, of Mansfield; Levi Cox, of Wooster; and James Stewart, of Mansfield.

Clerks of the court of common pleas, prior to 1851, were Charles Loffland, James Smith, and Isaac Hadley, who were appointed by the judges. Since that date the following have been elected by the people:

1808, John Mills, William Farquhar, and William Gass; 1810, James Colville, vice Gass, resigned. In 1813, Jacob Young, véce Farquhar, resigned. In 1814, Samuel Kratzer, in place of Mills; 1815, John Trimble and Abraham Darling; 1818, John H. Mefford, in place of Darling; 1819, Stephen Chapman; 1820, Joseph Brown and James McGibney; 1827, Anthony Banning; 1834, Eli Miller, Abner Ayres and James Elliott; 1838, William Bevans; 1839, Richard C. Davis; 1841, William Bevans and Isaac N. Richardson; 1846, William McCreary; 1848, Jacob B. Brown and B. H. Taylor.

County auditors. - 1820, W. Y. Farquhar, the first officer of this description, was appointed to value the lands for taxation, and when the law creating a distsict bureau passed, having been clerk of the board of commissioners and conversant with its business, he was re-appointed annually until 1824, from which time the people have elected the auditors for a term of two years.

In 1851, the constitution created the office of probate judge, and at the election in October, Samuel G. Gilcrist was elected to serve three years, commencing in February. 1852. In 1854 Joseph S. Davis was chosen; served until 1860, when he was succeeded by Thomas V. Parke, who held the office until 1866, when Edmund V. Brent was elected. In 1869, C. E. Critchfield was elected, and served until 1875, when B. A. F. Greer was elected, who served until 1878, when the present incumbent, C. E. Critchfield, was chosen.

Until 1825 the office of treasurer was filled by appointment of the commissioners each year, and from that time the people elected the treasurers for a term of two years. The following have held the office in this county:

County collectors. - The commissioners appointed annually the collector of personal tax, and that upon lands of residents. In 1820, the duties of this officer were somewhat changed, and in 1827, the office was established by law, and its business transferred to the county treasurer. List of collectors: 1808, Silas Brown; Amount of bond, six hundred and fifty-eight dollars and eighty-seven cents; 1809, James Smith; 1812, John Greer; 1817, John Shaw; 1819, Eli Miller; 1830, William Bevans; 1821, Benjamin Jackson, jr.; 1822, A. D. Simons; 1823, Joseph

In 1822, a system of cutting under was commenced by competitors for this office, as the State tax was collected this year for two and three-fourths per cent., and county tax gratis; the next year Brown underbid one-fourth per cent; and Shaw, in 1824, capped the climax by proposing to collect State and county tax gratis.

Assessors were appointed by the commissioners until 1827, when the people by law were required to elect such officers. After 1841 the office was abolished, and the old system of township assessors re-established.

R. D. Simons for 1824 and 1825; Marvin Tracy, 1826, and Hill Runyan in 1827, the last of whom served from March until the October election, when he was elected for two years. In 1829 John Greer was elected, and having resigned in October, 1830, McDaniel Farland was elected, and continued until 1834, when Henry B. Curtis was chosen, and served two terms. In 1838 Uzziel Ball was elected; in 1840, Wait Whitney.

County Commissioners - October 11, 1808, Joseph Walker, John Harrod, John Lewis, Henry Markley, Mathew Merrit and William Douglas were elected; and, by lot, it was declared that Markley continue three years, Merrit two, and Douglas one. 1809, William Douglas; 1801, Robert McMillen; 181x, John Harrod; 1812, Daniel Cooper; 1813, William Mitchell, appointed by court May 9, 1814, vice Harrod, deceased; 1814, William Mitchell; 1815, Jonathan Miller; 1816, Moses Merrit; 1817, William Mitchell, John Warden, vice Miller; 1818, Allen

It is worthy of mention in connection with this office, that all persons elected sheriff from 1808 (Silas Brown) to the re-election of Hugh Neal, in 1832, twenty-four years, are dead; but from the election of Isaac Hadley in 1834, to the year 1880 (John F. Gay, incumbent), forty-six years, - only two are deceased - Thomas Wade and George W. Steele.

The first prosecuting attorney in Knox county was Samuel Kratzer, esq., who officiated in behalf of the State when no better qualified person was present. He was not an attorney, but appears to have been allowed fees for his services. The first fees for services as prosecuting attorney was by order of the court of common pleas, at its first session held May 2, 1808, the order reading as follows: 'On motion, a certificate was issued by the commissioners in favor of Samuel Kratzer, esq., for his services, for six dollars, in acting on the part of the State against William Hedrick, who was found guilty of felony' - a modest fee when compared with charges for similar services in these days. Edward Herrick was the main reliance in this branch in the early courts, until 1812, when Samuel Mott was appointed March 14th. In January, 1814, Charles R. Sherman was appointed, and at different times S. W. Culbertson, and Willis Silliman, both of the Zanesville bar; Hosmer Curtis, pointed by the court, as business required, until in the year 1833, the legislature provided for the prosecuting attorney's election biennially by the voters of the county, who made the following selections:

Until 1831, the court of common pleas appointed the surveyor of the county, and the office was filled by the following persons: In 1808, Samuel H. Smith, appointed May.2d. In 1810, John Dunlap, in June, in place of Smith, resigned; 1815, William Y. Farquhar, April 15th; resigned 1827; 1827, Edson Harkness. The act of the legislature of March 3, 1831, having provided for the election of this officer for a term of three years, those elected by the people since that time areas follows: 1831, Edson Harkness; 1834, Thomas G. Plummer; 1837, T. C. Hickman; 1840, T. G. Plummer; 1843, T. C. Hickman; 1846- 1852, David Gorouch; 1852, T, C. Hickman; 1855-1864, David

County Recorders. - The judges of the court of common pleas appointed this officer until 1829, and at the October election of that year, the people elected a recorder. Under the former system, the term of service was seven years; under the present, three years. Those appointed were: 1808, Gilman Bryant, May 2d, until 1815; 1815, Alexander Elliott, May 2d, until 1822; 1822, Henry B. Curtis, until 1829.

The legislature of 1828-9, having provided for the appointment of recorders by county commissioners, where the office became vacant prior to October, the commissioners appointed John A. Colerick, May 29, in 1829, in place of H. B. Curtis, whose term of office had expired. In 1829, Hill Runyan was elected; 1838, David Montgomery; 1847, Elijah Harrod; 1856, Carlton C. Baugh; 1856-1865, Elijah Harrod; 1865-1871, Thomas K. Hess; 1871-1877, John Myers; 1877-1880, Samuel Kunkel.

The following table of votes cast in Knox county for governor, at the several elections held in the county since its organization in 1808, are compiled from official returns: four thousand three hundred and twenty-two acres of land, valued at ten million one hundred and eighty-three thousand two hundred and eightysix dollars. The value of real estate in cities, towns, and villages, chattel property, (including valuation of dogs), is six million three hundred and thirty thousand seven hundred and three dollars, making an aggregate amount of sixteen million five hundred and forty-threet housand nine hundred and eighty-nine dollars.