Lorain County, Ohio - Chapter 11: Civil List, 1879

Chapter 11: Civil List

'On the 24th day of May following the organization of the county, the following record was made in the Court Journal on page one of volume one:

"Be it remembered, that, on the 24th day of May, A.D. 1824, at Elyria, in the county of Lorain, in pursuance of a statute law of the State of Ohio, passed on the 10th day of February in the year aforesaid, entitled an 'Act regulating the time of holding Judicial Court,' the first Court of Common Pleas, in and for said county of Lorain, was opened in due form by the Sheriff thereof, Josiah Harris: holding said Court, George Tod, President of the Court of Common Pleas for the third circuit in said State, in which circuit is the said county of Lorain, and his associates, Moses Eldred, Henry Brown and Frederick Hamlin, before which Court the following proceedings were had, to wit:. Woolsey Welles, an Attorney of Record in the Court, was appointed the attorney to prosecute the pleas of the State for this county during the pleasure of the.

The first official act of this court was the appointment of administrators upon the estate of Almond Holcomb, deceased. Lucinda Holcomb, widow of the deceased, and Edward Durand, were appointed.

Before the court proceeded to the general business of the session Woolsey Welles was appointed clerk, during the pleasure of the court. The first suit was for the recovery of fourteen hundred and twentyseven dollars and twenty-seven cents. Simon Nichols, plaintiff, and Thomas G. Bronson, defendant. Judgment was rendered for the plaintiff. The second day of the session Ebenezer Whiton was appointed clerk of the court of common pleas, and: Woolsey Welles was discharged from further attendance as clerk.

Grand Jury

September term, 1826, Ebenezer Whiton was appointed clerk of the court of common pleas for the period of seven years, 'if so long he shall behave well." judge, with the same associates as before given. Heman Ely became associate judge the fall of 1830. April, 1831, Josiah Harris and EB. W. Hubbard, associate judges. Fall of 1833, Hon. Matthew Burcherd was presiding judge. Spring of 1834, Hon. Ezra Dean was presiding judge; Heman Ely, Josiah Harris and Franklin Wells associate judges. Spring of 1835, Ozias Long was associate judge. Daniel J. Johns was associate judge in 1837, and from this time until the spring of 1839 the record is missing. In 1840, Hon. John W. Willey became presiding judge. Judge Willey died in office July 9, 1841, and the Hon. Reuben Hitchcock was appointed to fill the vacancy until the next spring term, when we find, January 22, 1842, Hon. Benjamin Bissell presiding judge, with Franklin Wells, Daniel J. Johns and Joseph L. Whiton associates. In the May term, 1845, Elijah De Witt and Daniel T. Baldwin became associate judges. In the April term, 1848, Benjamin C. Perkins was an associate judge. In the May term, 1849, Hon. Philemon Bliss was presiding judge, and William Day, associate.

In 1852, upon the adoption of the new Constitution, the office of associate judge was abolished, and that of Judge made elective. The following is a complete list of the gentlemen who have presided as judge, from the above year until the present, with dates of their election:

1852, Hon. Samuel Humphreyville; 1857, Hon. James B. Carperter; 1858, Hon. Thomas Bolton; 1859, Hon. William H. Canfield; 1862, Hons. John §S. Green and Stevenson Burke. The last named resigned in 1869, and Hon. Washington W. Boynton was appointed to fill vacancy, whoserved, it appears by the journal, until 1877, when John C. Hale,

Probate Judges

This office was created by the new constitution, and agreeably to its provisions an election was held in October, 1851, at which time Philemon Bliss was chosen to fill it for Lorain County. He was commissioned by Governor Reuben Wood January 17, 1852, and entered upon the duties of the office March 3, 1852. His first official act bears date March 5, 1852,and was the granting of a license to the Reverend William O'Conner, a priest of the Catholic faith, authorizing him to solemnize marriage contracts. Judge Bliss was succeeded by William F. Lockwood, whose commission was signed by Governor William Medill, and bears date November 11, 1854. Judge Lockwood resigned, and Lionel A. Sheldon was appointed. His commission, which was signed by Governor Salmon P. Chase, bears date November 20, 1856. Judge Sheldon was succeeded by Charles H. Doolittle, who was commissioned October 26, 1857. His commission was also signed by Governor Chase. Judge Doolittle was followed by John W. Steele, who was commissioned December 12, 1867, his commission being signed by Jacob D. Cox, as governor. Judge Steele resigned, and the present incumbent, Laertes B. Smith, succeeded him. Judge Smith was commissioned by Governor Rutherford B. Hayes, May 26, 1871, and assumed the duties of the office June first of that year.

County Clerks

As previously mentioned, Ebenezer L. Whiton was really the first gentleman who filled the position of clerk of the court of common pleas for Lorain county. He served until 1836, when E. H. Leonard succeeded him, and continued to occupy the office until 1844, when George H. Benham was elected to the position. Mr. Benham was succeeded in 1847 by Myron R. Keith, who, in 1852, was followed by Landon Rood. In 1858 Roswell G. Horr assumed the duties of the office, and continuing until 1864, when William A. Briggs was elected and the fact of his having held the office continuously until the fall of 1878 is conclusive evidence of his fitness for the place. To him and alsoto his worthy companion who has ably assisted in the duties of the office, we wish to express our thanks for material aid in the preparation of the official roster. Henry J. Lewis is the clerk elect and will sueceed Dr. Briggs.

Prosecuting Attorney

We have seen that Woolsey Welles was appointed to this position in 1824. He served two years and resigned. Frederick Whittlesey succeeded him. In 1832, J. W. Willey was appointed. In 1833, Frederick Whittlesey, came in; served two years; was followed in in 1835 by E. S. Hamlin; and he, in 1836, by Elijah Parker, for one year. He was succeeded by Joel Tiffany; and his successors are as follows: 1840, E. H. Leonard; 1841, Joel Tiffany; 1842, E. S. Hamlin; 1844, Horace A. Tenny; 1845, Joel Tiffany; 1846, William F. Lockwood; 1850, John M. Vincent; 184, Joseph H. Dickson; 1856, John M. Vincent; 1858, George Olms ced, who resigned; and W. W. Boynton was appointed to fill vacancy. Mr. Boynton was elected the fall of 1859. He was succeeded by John C. Hale, in 1853. Charles W. Johnston was elected in 1869; and his successor, who was elected in 1873, is George C. Metcalf, the present incumbent, a man every way capable and worthy.

Contemporaneous with the birth of the county of Lorain, Sherman Minott assumed the duties and responsibilities of auditor. He retained the position until Henry C. Minott was appointed, and afterward elected. He was succeeded in 1835 by Edward Durand. In 1836, Luther D. Griswold was elected; and in 1838, Edward Durand again became the incumbent, and served until 1842, when we find John Sherman occupying the office. The following were his successors: In 1844, Landon Rood; in 1851, George Clifton; in 1855, William H. Root; in 1861, Richard Day; in 1463, Mozart Gallup; in +1869, E. G. Johanson; and in 1877, Orville Root, who still retains the office. 5

Upon the permanent organization of the county, E. West was appointed its treasurer, and held the office one year. Following are the names of the gentlemen who have occupied this position, with date of election or appointment: 1825, Heman Ely; 1827, F. W. Whittlesey; 1830, Elihu Cooley; 1835, Charles Chaney; 1840, Elijah DeWitt; 1844, Henry M. Warner; 1845, Henry B. Kelsey; 1849, S. D. Hinman; 1853, C. S. Goodwin (deceased in the spring of 1856 and N. B. Gates was appointed to fill vacancy until the fall election, when John H. Boynton was elected); 1°60, William E. Kellogg; 1864, M. F. Hamlin; 1868, John H. Boynton; 1872, Isaac M. Johnson, and, in 1876, the present incumbent, William A. Braman.

Ebenezer Whiton was first recorder of Lorain county, and his first official act was to record a deed from Benjamin Pritchard to Anna Merrills, conveying a parcel of land containing thirty and threefourths acres, situated in township number six, range eighteen, in the county of Huron, and being part of lot number thirty-one. This instrument was acknowledged on May 10, 1823, before Isaac Mills, J. P.; was witnessed by I. Mills and Mary Mills, and endorsed " Received April 13, 1821, and recorded May 11, 1824, on page one, book 'A,' Lorain county record of deeds."" Mr. Whiton deceased in 1834, and Eliphalet H. Leonard was appointed to fill vacancy; 1837, E. O. Foot; 1840, H. B. Kelsey; 1841, Elah Park; 1843, Cyrus E. Bassett; 1849, John B. Northrop; 1852, Henry S. Rockwood; 1861, Henry B. West; 1864, William H. Tucker, and, in 1873, the present incumbent, John Blanchard, was elected. Mr. Blanchard was one of the noble army who went out to do battle for the flag, and lost his right forearm in its support on the bloody field of Stone river, December 26, 1862.

The first record we are able to procire is in the year 1827, James J. Sexton then filled the office. The following is a complete list: 1830, Edwin Byington; 1832, William N. Race; 1834, Justin Williams; 1836, Orson J. Humphrey; 1838, Otis Briggs; 1843, Ransom Gibbs; 1844, Philip L. Goss; 1846, Hezekiah Brooks; 1849, John S. Stranahan; 1852, William S. Hopkins; 1853, Herrick Parker; 1857, Clark Eldred; 1862, Nahum B. Gates; 1865, Otis Briggs; 1870, John H. Faxon; 1872, Hiram Patterson, who is the present incumbent:

The name of Josiah Harris, who was first sheriff, occurs the last time October 10, 1833. William N. Race, coroner, acted as sheriff until November, 1834, when the name of E. Griffith appears as sheriff. Mr. Griffith was succeeded by Edwin Byington in 1836, Nakum B. Gates was sheriff in 1838; E. Byington in 1842; John H. Faxon in 1844; William Patterson in 1848; John H. Boynton in 1850; Ashbel Culver in 1854; S. W. Lincoln in 1856; H. E. Burr in 1859; Milo Harris in 1863; resigned, and W. W. Dyer, coroner, filled the vacancy until 1865, when Mark Hitchcock was elected. He was succeeded by X. Peck, in 1869; and he by R. E. Braman, in 1870; and he again by Charles Stone, in 1877, who is the present incumbent. H. E. Corning, sheriff elect, succeeds Mr. Stone January 1, 1879.

The first meeting of the commissioners of Lorain county was held at Elyria, on the 24th day of May, 1824. Present: John S. Reid, Ashabel Osborne, and Benjamin Bacon. Their first official act was the appointment of Edmund West as county treasurer, who gave bond in the sum of three thousand dollars, for the faithful discharge of his duties. At the following June session, we find the record of the establishment of a road, as follows: "Beginning in the highway, a little easterly of the dwelling house of Walter Crocker, in Black River township, thence running in the most convenient route near the dwellings of Frederick and Daniel Onstine, thence across Beaver creek, near the house of Mr. Rice, thence to intersect the North Ridge road, so called, a little eastwardly of the dwelling house of Mr. Ormsby." 1827, Judson Wadsworth succeeded Osborne, as commissioner. The entire succession of incumbents to this office is given in the following list: 1830, Bacon, Wadsworth, and Milton Garfield; 1831, Wadsworth , Garfield. and Samuel Crocker; 1832, Wadsworth, Crocker, and George Bacon, Jr.; 1834, Crecker, Bacon, and John Laborie; 1835, Bacon, Laborie and Jonathan Rawson; 1836, Leborie, Rawson and Conrad Reid; 1887, Rawson, Reid and Leonard

H. Loveland; 1838, Reid, Loveland, and Ashley S. Root; 1839, Loveland, George Sibley, and William Day; 1840, Sibley, Day, and Rehisa Close; 1841, Day, Close, and Simon Nichols; 1842, Close, Nichols, and James M. Clark; 1844, Clark, C. Ormsby, and Uriah Thompson; 1845, Clark, Thompson, and Eliphalet Redington; 1846, Thompson, Redington, and John Conant; 1847, Redington, Conant, and Harry Terrell; 1848, Conant, Terrell, and George Bacon; 1849, Terrell, Bacon, and Samuel Knapp; 1850, Bacon, Knapp and O. J. Humphrey; 1851, Knapp, Humphrey, and John B. Robertson; 1852, Humphrey, M. B. Belden, and Asa Hamilton; 1853, Belden Hamilton and Otis Briggs; 1854, Hamilton, Briggs, and J. H. Dudley; 1855, Briggs, Dudley and C. G. Cole; 1856, Briggs, Cole, and J. H. Dudley; 1857, Briggs, Cole,and Darwin Dyer; 1858, Briggs, Dyer, and A. Lumm; 1859, Dyer, Lumm, Wi liam Patterson; 1860, Dyer, Patterson, and Charles S. Aiken; 1861, Dyer, Patterson, and Tabor Wood; 1862, Dyer, Wood, and Thomas Churchward; 1863, Wood, Churchward, and Darwin Dyer; 1864, Wood, Dyer, and George Clifton; 1865, Wood, Clifton, and Reuben Eddy; 1866, same; 1867, Clifton, Eddy, and B.S. Corning; 1868, Eddy, Corning, and William A. Braman; 1869, Corning, Laurel Beebe, and L. W. Bates; 1870, same; 1871, Corning, Bates, and Lucius Herrick; 1872, same; 1873, Corning, Herrick, and James Lees; 1874, Corning, Herrick, and William H. Root; 1875, Corning, Herrick, and Charles S. Mills; 1876, Herrick, Mills, and S. B. Dudley; 1877, Mills, Dudley and A. D. Perkins.

County Infirmary

On March 17, 1866, Tabor Wood, George Clifton and Reuben Eddy, county commissioners, purchased of Joseph Swift, Jr., one hundred and sixty-one acres of land in Carlisle township, for an infirmary farm, paying therefor ten thousand five hundred dollars. On January 8, 1867, the contract for the erection of a suitable building for the use of the poor of Lorain county, was awarded to John Childs, of Elyria, and Samuel C. Brooks, of Cleveland, for the sum of thirtyseven thousand five hundred dollars, and on September 10, 1868, the building was completed and accepted by the commissioners. The contractors, however, having done extra work, were paid thirty eight thousand five hundred dollars. The main building is one hundred and twenty-three by forty-six feet, three stories in height. In the center and rear of the main building is a wing thirty-two by seventy-five feet and two stories high, - the whole containing one hundred and twenty rooms.

Infirmary Directors

The commissioners appointed in 1868, Isaac S. Metcalf, Samuel Plumb, and Lucius Herrick, directors; 1869, Metcalf. Herrick, and Joseph Swift, Jr., were elected; 1870, Metcalf, Swift, and J. H. Hurlbert 1871, same; 1872, same; 1873, Swift resigned and John Chamberlain was elected to fill the vacancy - the others were Metcalf and Joseph B. Clark; 1874, same; 1875, Clark, S. D. Bacon and Isaac S. Straw. These gentlemen still occupy the position.

Superintendent Of Infirmary

September 11, 1868, Tabor Vincent was elected, and he contined as such until March, 1876, when he died, and was succeeded by the presen superintendent, Hiram Patterson.