Madison County, Ohio - Chapter 3: County Organization, 1915 (part 1 of 2)

Chapter 3: County Organization

After the erection of Franklin county, the territory embraced therein was subdivided into four townships, and from the records at Columbus the following information has been obtained: "Ordered, that all that tract or part of Franklin county contained within the following limits and boundaries. to wit: Beginning on the west bank of the Scioto river, one mile on a direct line above the mouth of Roaring run; from thence, on a direct line, to the junction of Treacles creek with Darby creek, which is frequently called the forks of Darby; thence south unto the line between the counties of Ross and Franklin; thence west with said line until it intersects the county line of Greene; thence with the last mentioned line north, and from the point of beginning, up the Scioto to the northern boundaries of Franklin county, do make and constitute the second township in said county. and be called Darby township." This erection was made by the associate judges of Franklin county on May 10, 1808.

The first election was held at the house of David Mitchell in said township, and Joshua Ewing was elected justice of the peace. This was the first election for « member of Congress ever held in the state. There were four candidates, Michael Baldwin, William McMillan, Elias Langham and Jeremiah Morrow. Darby township cast its full vote, twenty-two, for McMillan; and although Franklin county cast one hundred and thirty votes, Jeremiah Morrow, who was elected to represent Ohio in the halls of Congress, received but two votes from that county.

At a session of the associate judges of Franklin county, held on January 10, 1804, the following was recorded among the proceedings: "Ordered, that there be paid unto James Ewing out of the treasury of Franklin county, the sum of $8.75, it being the compensation due to him for seven days' services in taking the list of taxable property and the enumeration of white males in Darby township for the year 1803." Thus it will be seen that James and Joshua Ewing were the first officials of the territory, subsequently erected into Madison county. At that time a living stream of settlers was pouring into the country west of the Big Darby, and so rapidly were the lands taken up that Darby township soon contained sufficient population with which to found a new county. In accordance with a petition presented by the inhabitants thereof, the Legislature passed an act on February 16, 1810, through which a new county was created. and named in honor of the illustrious James Madison, fourth President of the United States, who was then at the head of the government.

The act establishing the same reads as follows: "That all that part of the county of Franklin, lying west of Franklinton, is hereby erected into a separate county and bounded as followeth, viz.: Beginning at the southeast corner of Delaware county; thence east with the south boundary of the said county line, to a point that a line running due south will be the distance of twelve and one-half miles west of the county seat of Franklin county; thence on a straight line, to the northwest corner of the county of Pickaway; thence with said line south, until it intersects the line of Ross county ; thence west with said line, to the line of Greene county; thence north with the line of Greene, to the Champaign county line; thence with the Champaign line, to the place of beginning.

"That the said county of Madison Shall, from and after the 1st day of March next, be, and the same is hereby declared to be a Separate and distinct county, and entitled to all the rights and privileges appertaining to th> same: Provided, that all actions and suits which are, or may be pending, or institi.ced in the county of Franklin, before the first Monday of March next, shall be prosecuted and carried into final judgment and execution, and all taxes which shall be now due, shall be collected as though the act had not passed.

"That on the first Monday in April next, the legal voters residing in said county of Madison, shall assemble in their respective townships, and elect their several county officers. who shall hold their offices until the next annual election.

"That there shall be appointed, by joint resolution of both houses of the present General Assembly, three commissioners to fix the seat of justice in said county of Madison, agreeable to the act establishing the seats of justice, who shall make report of their proceedings to the court of common pleas, of Franklin county, who shall be governed by the provision of the aforesaid act.

"That the commissioners aforesaid shall be paid for their services out of the treasury of the county of Madison, and that the temporary place of holding courts, until otherwise provided for according to law, shall be at house of Thomas Gwynne, in said county of Madison. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the 1st day of March next."

By an act passed January 16, 1818, the following territory was .added to Madison county: "That all that part of Champaign county, east of the eastern boundary of Clark county be. and the same is, hereby attached to Madison."

In the erection of Union county, January 10, 1820, a strip of territory two and one-half miles wide, parallel with the old line, was taken from the north part of Madison, in the formation of the new county, while at the same time the following territory was cut off from Franklin county and attached to Madison, viz.:, ''Beginning on the line between the counties of Franklin and Madison, at a point two and one-half miles south of the north boundary of said counties; thence east two miles; thence south four miles; thence west two miles; thence north to the place of beginning, be attached to. and hereafter considered a part of Madison county." It will, doubtless, be of interest to the general reader to know of the many acts passed establishing and changing the county lines. The, official records of the different surveys and changes since the erection of the county are therefore here given.

On the 29th of January, 1821, an act was passed declaring "That the line formerly run by Solomon McCulloch, as the eastern boundary line of Champaign county, be, and the same is, hereby, declared the eastern boundary of said county. That so much of said line as lies north of a point six miles north of the southeast corner of the county of Champaign be, and the same is, hereby, declared the eastern boundary of the county of Clark. That the line between the counties of Madison and Union shall be run parallel with the line formerly run as the dividing line between the counties of Madison and Franklin, and the county of Delaware." On February 4, 1825, William Wilson, of Clark county. was appointed to run a line between the counties of Madison and Union, viz.: "To commence at the southeast corner of the county of Union, and run from thence a due west course to the eastern boundary of Champaign county." He was instructed to leave a duplicate of said survey. also the plats and notes thereof, with the commissioners of each county, "which line so surveyed, platted and returned, shall be and remain the established line between the counties of Union and Madison."

On January 22, 1827, an act was passed to alter and establish the line between the counties of Clark and Madison: "Beginning at the northeast corner of Clark county, and to run from thence to a point so far east of the southeast corner of the said county of Clark as will leave as much land or territory, in the said county of Clark, as shall be taken by the county of Madison, or in cther words, the said line shall be so run as to include in and exclude from the said counties respectively an equal quantity of territory." By the second section of this act, the surveyor ot Madison county was authorized and required to run, and have said line plainly marked, agreeably to the provisions of the first section of the act; to have the same completed by March 20, 1827, and to make a return of said survey to the clerks of the court of common pleas of both counties, Madison county to defray the full expense of running and marking said line.

Under an act passed on January 29, 1827, a new line was ordered to be run between Union and Madison counties, to wit: 'That Jeremiah McLene, of the county of Franklin, be, and hereby is appointed to run, survey, mark and establish a line between the counties of Madison and Union, to commence at the southeast corner of the county of Union, and running from thence a direct line to a point in the line of the eastern boundary of the county of Champaign, two and a half miles south of the line formerly run between the counties of Delaware and Madison; which line so run, surveyed, platted and returned, shall be and remain the established line between the aforesaid counties of Madison and Union." Each county was to bear half the expense of said survey, which was to be.completed before April 1, 1827; and all laws or parts of laws passed previously to such act and inconsistent with the same were declared repealed. It was enacted on January 5, 1828: 'That the line run as the line between the counties of Madison and Union, by Levi Phelps, in the year 1820, be, and the same is hereby declared to be the established line between the aforesaid counties."

There has only been one change made in the lines of Madison county since the above date. By an act passed on the 4th of March, 1845, the line between Madison and Franklin counties was changed by making Big Darby creek the boundary from the southeast corner of survey No. 2677, in Jefferson township, to the southeast corner of survey No. 3313, in Canaan township, and thus the lines have since remained.

In conformity with the legislative enactment erecting Madison county, three commissioners were elected on the first Monday in April, 1810, viz.: Joshua Ewing, John Arbuckle and William Gibson, who subdivided the county into townships, to the history of which several townships the reader is referred for their official record and erection. On the 7th of May, 1810, the associate judges of Madison county, viz.: Isaac Miner, Samuel Baskerville and David Mitchell, who had, previously, been elected by the General Assembly, ordered the commissioners of said county to advertise the elections in the different townships throughout the county, for the purpose of electing township officers, said elections to be held at the following places: "In Darby township, at the house of Mrs. Robinson; Jefferson, at the house of Thomas Foster; in Deer Creek, at the house of Thomas Gwynne; in Pleasant, at the house of Forgus Graham; in Stokes, at the house of P. Cutright; in Union, at the house of Elias Langham, and agreed upon by suid commissioners that William Gibson does advertise said election at different places."

Up. to this time the lines of the county had not been surveyed, the legislative act of creation alone establishing the boundaries thereof. On the 31st of July, 1810, the board of commissioners authorized William Gibson to notify the commissioners of greene, Champaign and Franklin counties to attend with their surveyors and have the lines established agreeable to law. The board of Madison county, with Patrick McLene the surveyor thereof, were to meet the respective boards and surveyors of the adjoining counties, at the following points, viz.: Those of Greene, at the house of Isaac Hudson, in Stokes township, on the 17th of September, 1810; those of Champaign, at the house of Christopher Lightfoot, near the southeast corner, on the 24th of September; and those of Franklin, at the court house in Franklinton, on the first Monday in October following. The commissioners delivered elaborate instructions to Patrick McLene as to the course he was to pursue. Each county was to defray onehalf the expense of making the survey. but, in case the surveyors of the other counties did not attend at the place and time appointed, the surveyor of Madison was instructed "to run and mark the lines in the same manner you would consent to do were they or either of them present." These instructions were delivered on September 13. 1810, to Patrick Mclene, who at the appointed time began to run and ascertain the boundary lines. It is evident, however, that the work was not completed until early in 1811, and to dispel all doubt on the matter, here is given a verbatim record of the survey as transcribed in Patrick McLene's own handwriting:

County Lines Defined

"April 10, 1811 - Notes of the lines of Madison county as far as I have run them. Beginning at a white elm, red elm and black walnut, northeast corner of Fayette county. in the Pickaway county line, running west by the needle, twenty miles. two hundred and eighteeen poles to an elm, post oak and two red oaks, one marked M. C., crossing Deer creek at sixty poles; at 134 poles, crossing Deer creek road from Chillicothe to Urbana; at two miles and 116 poles, Langham's road; four miles and 76 poles, a branch of North Paint; 5 miles and 62 poles, another branch of North Paint; ten miles and 290 poles, East fork of Paint; eleven miles and 160 poles, a road; fourteen miles and 40 poles. Main Paint; fifteen miles and 70 poles, Springfield road to Chillicothe; sixteen miles and 130 poles, Sugar creek; eighteen miles and 140 poles, Rattlesnake Fork ; twenty miles and 58 poles, the corner made by the surveyor of Fayette county; twenty miles and 182 poles. a branch of Massies creek; thence N. 3° W. nine miles and 87 poles, to a stake in Champaign county line, crossing a branch of Massies creek at 100 poles; another at 214 poles; seven miles and 278 poles, the Little Miami; eight miles and 208 poles, a branch of the Little Miami; thence N. 87° E., six miles to a stake, a burr oak, hickory and. black oak, bearing trees. Crossing a branch of the Little Miami at 220 poles; at two miles and 284 poles, the state road leading from Xenia to John Graham's; thence N. 3° W., twenty miles and 130 poles, to three white oaks (two from one root), two black oaks and two hickories, supposed to be the southwest corner of Delaware county. Crossing at two miles and 254 poles, the new state road; four miles 116 poles, Wolf run; four miles 160 poles. Urbana road; five miles 25 poles, a branch of Deer creek; six miles 76 poles, state road from Franklinton to Springfield ; seven miles 160 poles. Deer creek; nine miles 180 poles, a road by Graham's to Urbana; fourteen miles 254 poles, Little Darby: sixteen miles 180 poles, Little Lake; seventeen miles 260 poles, branch of Little Darby; thence east fourteen miles and 300 poles, to the northwest corner of Franklin county. a stake, burr oak and two ash trees. Crossing a branch of Little Darby at 170 poles; the line made by Champaign surveyor, at

Watson. In ascertaining the center of Madison county, Benjamin Strong and Henry Warner served as chain carriers. Patrick McLene was paid the sum of eighty-two dollars and fifty cents for his services in finding the center of the county and running the boundary lines as described above; while the chain carriers and markers each received one dollar per day. If there has ever been a survey of the line between Madison and Franklin counties, it is not on record in London, the book exhibiting a blank space where each survey was evidently intended to be transcribed.

An Early Boundary Dispute

Upon the erection of Union county, in 1820, the commissioners of Madison ordered the clerk to notify the board of Union county that they were willing to give them two miles and a half off the north end of this county, the line to be run parallel with Root's line. It seems, however, that the line between Madison and Union counties was not established in a satisfactory manner, for it is found that in May, 1823, Patrick McLene, auditor of Madison county, and the auditor of Union, agreed to order out the surveyors to establish the line in dispute between these counties. David Chapman was appointed on the part of Madison county, and the following survey was made May 24, and reported by him June 2, 1828:

"To the Auditor of Madison County- - - Pursuant to your order, to me directed, I attended with Alexander Robison, deputy surveyor of Union county. We proceeded on the 22d inst. to survey the line between the county of Madison and Franklin, from Delaware where the east line of Union county crosses said line; thence south two and a half miles, and made a corner for Union, set a post from which a beech twenty inches in diameter bears N. 20° E., twenty-two links distant; and an elm six inches in diameter, bears S. 32° W., twenty-five links distant; thence west fifteen miles and 298 poles. First mile tree, a white oak twenty-four inches in diameter; crossed Sager's run at one mile and 315 poles; second mile tree, a' small hickory; third mile tree, an elm; crossed Darby at three miles and 80 poles; fourth mile tree, a small white oak; crossed road from Sager's mill to London, at four miles and 50 poles; fifth mile tree. a white oak eighteen inches in diameter; sixth mile, a stake in a prairie; seventh mile tree, blazed a tree; then run and measured north two and a half miles, and found the old Delaware and Madison line at that distance, returned to said blazed tree and continued our line west; eighth mile tree, a large burr oak; ninth mile tree, a small jack oak; tenth mile, a hickory stake; road from Mitchell's to London, at ten miles and 70 poles; eleventh mile tree, a white oak; twelfth mile tree, a white oak; crossed Little Darby, at twelve miles and 136 poles running southeast; thirteenth mile tree, a burr oak twenty inches in diameter; crossed Little Darby at thirteen miles and 156 poles running northeast; fourteenth mile tree, a burr oak; fifteenth mile tree, a burr oak; crossed Treacles creek three times at about 160 poles; set a post in the line of Champaign county line, for the northwest corner of Madison county, from which a burr oak fifteen inches in diameter bears north twelve links, and another burr oak fourteen inches in diameter bears S. 85° FE., twenty-one links distant."

The line between Madison and Clark counties was still unsettled. On the records, bearing date of June 11, 1824, is found the following: 'Ordered by the commissioners of Madison. county, that the commissioners of Clark county be notified that they will order their surveyors to attend at the house of John Williams, on Monday, the 5th of July, at 8 o'clock a. m., to run and establish that part of the line between said counties, which is not yet established agreeable to an act of the Legislature passed January 29, 1821." The reader will bear in mind that upon the erection of Clark county in 1817, a portion of Madison was taken in the formation of said county. .The town of South Charleston was, previous to the creation of Clark, within the limits of Madison county, - as the following record of the plat will demonstrate: "Surveyed for Conrad Critz, the foregoing platted town in Madison county, Stokes township, described as follows: Columbus street runs north 61° east, crossing 'Chillicothe street at right angles. Chillicothe street runs south 29° east. Given under my hand this Ist day of November, 1815 - John T. Stewart." The names of many early settlers of that vicinity may be found in the judicial records of Madison county, as London was then their seat of justice.

The last survey of any boundary line of Madison county which we find on record is the following: "August 23, 1827, surveyed for Madison county, as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of Canaan township, in the line between the counties of Franklin and Madison, running with said line south one and.a half miles, marked a hackberry, sugar and a hickory, for a corner between said counties; thence east two miles, marked a mulberry and a small beech for a corner between said counties (a beech for a mile tree) ; thence north four miles, and marked a beech for the northeast corner of Madison county, on the north side of the Post road; a small ash for the first mile tree, a sugar tree for the second, a beech for the. third mile. David Chapman, surveyor." : :

At the first election held in Madison county on the first Monday in April, 1810, John Moore and John Arbuckle were judges of election in Deer Creek township, receiving three dollars each for their services, the latter being paid one dollar extra for taking' charge of the poll book. Luther Cary was paid two dollars for acting as judge of election in Darby township, while Abraham Denton and Bazil Hunt were allowed two dollars and one dollar, respectively, for a similar service in Stokes township. Elias - Langham and Patrick McLene were paid one dollar each as judge and clerk of the: election in Union township; and R. Soward was allowed two dollars for bringing three books and five quires of paper from Chillicothe for the use of Madison county.

on May 19, 1810. In Union, Walter Watson, David Groves and John Timmons were judges, and Patrick McLene and William Gibson, clerks, all of whom were paid one dollar each for their services. In Jefferson township, Frederick Loyd and Henry Smith served as judges, while the clerks were Lewis Foster and James Moore. The compensation was the same as in Union township. At the same election William Blaine was judge in Deer Creek township, and Amos Howard clerk in the same, each of whom: were paid one dollar, while William Ross was allowed seventy-five cents for making a': barger, Thomas Gwynne and William Blaine as judges in Deer Creek township, and John Pepper and Charles L. J. Atchison, clerks. In Darby township, Samuel Mitchell, Luther Cary and Samuel Robinson served as judges, with James Ewing and Thomas Robinson as clerks. The judges of Jefferson township were Thomas Foster, David township, the judges were John Melvin, Benjamin Kirkpatrick and Andrew Cypherd ;. while the clerks were Blias Langham and Patrick McLene. The Pleasant township | judges were Forgus Graham, Enoch Thomas and John Smith; the clerks, Samuel Dawson and David Long. In Stokes township, the only name on record is that of William Kelso, who acted as judge.

The record of these early events will preserve the names of many of the pioneer fathers, who spent their lives in Madison county, ever taking an active interest in its government, while laying the foundation for the wealth and intelligence which charac- terize its people today. Those judges and clerks were each allowed for their services the small sum of one dollar, while the judge who took charge of the poll book was paid one dollar, or sometimes one dollar and a half extra. At this same election, John Moore, sheriff of Madison county, was allowed four dollars for taking the abstracts of the votes to Franklin county, while Robert Hume, clerk and recorder of Madison county, was paid five dollars for his services in opening the election returns. Thus the reader may compare the official compensation of the pioneer days with that of today, and. gain thereby a fair knowledge of the wonderful progress in population, wealth and development of this garden spot of Ohio; for as intelligence and wealth expand, so, .also, do liberal ideas, resulting in a generous compensation for all classes of labor wherever just laws and honest government prevail.

Early License Rates And Licenses

The board of commissioners 'met at the house of Thomas Gwynne, the temporary seat of justice, on the 11th of June, 1810, and established the following license rates for taverns in the several townships of Madison county: Union township, $4; Deer Creek, $7; Jefferson, $4; Stokes, $5; Pleasant, $4; and Darby, $4. In 1811, the tavern license was: Darby township, $4; Jefferson, $4; Deer Creek, $6; Union, $6; Stokes, $4; and Pleasant, $4. In 1812, each of the above townships paid $4, excepting Union, in which the rate was $5; and in 1818 Union township paid $6, Deer Creek $5, and the balance $4.

On the 30th of July, 1810, the court of common pleas granted a license to Thomas Gwynne for one year to keep a tavern at his house in Deer Creek township. On the following day, the court granted a license to Elias Langham, to keep a tavern at his house in Union township. In March, 1811, Thomas Gwynne was issued a license "to vend merchandise where he now lives in Deer Creek township, for one year." Thus it will be seen that Mr. Gwynne was the first licensed tavern-keeper. as well as the first merchant of Madison county after its erection.

At the same session, Nathaniel Hunter was granted a six-months license "to vend merchandise as a peddler,"' which was reissued in 1812. In October. 1813. Hunter, who was an alien, applied "for the benefit of the naturalization laws to be extended to him," which the court granted, and, taking the oath as provided under the constitution, he was admitted as a citizen of the United States. This is the first naturalization case upon record in Madison county, and as such is deemed worthy of mention in its history.

In November, 1811, Peter Cutright was granted a license to keep a tavern for one year in Stokes township, and John Turner, also of Stokes township, was issued a similar permit, "to keep a public house for the accommodation of travelers where he lives in said township." In July, 1812, the court of common pleas issued licenses to Joseph 'Russell and Philip Lewis to keep taverns in London, the' newly-laid-out county seat. In March, 1813, Robert Hume was granted a license to keep a tavern at his dwelling in London, and in June, John Gwynne obtained a license for the same purpose. At the October term in 18138, William Wilson and Joseph McKelfish secured a license "to vend merchandise in the town of London for .one year." In February, 1815, William and Eli Gwynne were granted similar favors;:in 1816, Thomas Needham and Robert Hume, under the firm name of Needham & Hume, and John Brodrick & Co.; in 1817, John Moore and Elias N. De Lashmutt; in 1819, Thomas Gwynne & Co., E. W. Gwynne and William Nelson being members of this firm. In June, 1815, William McCormick was issued a license to keep a tavern in London for one year; and, in May, 1816, James Ewing, of Darby township, was granted a license to vend merchandise for one year at his house in said township. In January, 1817, the court issued him a license to keep a tavern at the: same place. Most of these licenses were renewed again and again, and many whose names appear here kept stores or public houses of entertainment "for man and beast" during the greater part of the early history of Madison county.

As a matter of historical interest to the descendants of the pioneer fathers and mothers of Madison county, the foliowing items are transcribed from the records of the court of common pleas. At the November term, 1811, "On application of the Rev. Forgus Graham, minister in the Church of Christ, license is granted him to solemnize marriage agreeable to law." At the October term, 1814, Stephen English, "a regular ordained minister of the Baptist church," was granted a license to solemnize marriages throughout Ohio. In February, 1815, Richard E. Pearson, 'an elder of the Christian church, regularly ordained." was granted a license to celebrate the bond of marriage all over the state. In 1816, John M. Foster, an elder of the Christian church, and Jeremiah Converse, a minister of the Methodist church, were issued licenses to perform marriages any place in Ohio. Many others got similar authority, but these are the earliest names found upon the records, and demonstrate that ministers had to obtain the consent of the state ere they could lawfully perform the marriage ceremony therein.

Pioneer Listers

On the commissioners' docket is found a record of the first appraisement of property in Madison county, from which the following items are culled: "June 11, 1810, ordered that there be allowed to John Simpkins the sum of $6.25 for five days attendance while listing and appraising houses, making out duplicates and returning the same for Union township by order of the board." Joseph Kendle was paid the same sum for a like work in Stokes township; David Foster, $5 for four days, listing, etc., in Deer Creek: James Ewing, $5 for four days, in Darby; Thomas Foster, $3.12%4 for a similar labor in Jefferson, and Samuel Scott, $5 for four days, appraising and listing, in Pleasant township. At the same time Patrick McLene was appointed lister for resident lands in Madison county, and subsequently was paid $27 for eighteen days of service in performing said work.

Wolf Scalps

In the early settlement of the Scioto valley, one of the greatest nuisances to the settlers was the large number of wolves infesting the country. These pests, although not specially dangerous, were continually killing the smaller and younger stock of the pioneers, so that it became a necessity to enact laws whereby to rid the settlement of them. At a meeting of the commissioners held on July 31, 1810, it was ordered "that there shall be allowed for all wolf scalps killed after the 1st day of March, 1810, within the boundaries of Madison county, that is over six months old, the sum of $2, and for all wolves killed within said boundaries that are under six months old, the sum of $1 for each scalp, by order of the board." The first person to take advantage of this law was Thomas Gwynne, who was paid $2 for an old wolf scalp in July, 1810. In September, Daniel Kent received $2 for an old wolf scalp, while William Atchison was paid $9 for the scalps of nine young wolves. These prices were paid for the purpose of exterminating the scourge, until September, 1817, at which time the law was abolished, yet the people kept up the war by regular hunts -until none were es to spread havoc among the peaceful flocks and herds of Madison county.

Taxation And Expenditures

It will, doubtless, be of interest to the general reader to give a brief summary of the receipts and expenditures of Madison county during the first years of its existence, and as history, at best, is but a dry compilation of facts, here is given a verbatim report of the early taxation of the county as copied from the commissioners' journal of June 11, 1810: "Ordered, that the rate of taxation be on all horses, mares, mules and asses of three years old. and upward, each 30 cents per head; on all stud horses the same rate per season; on all neat cattle of three years old and upward, each 10 cents per head, and on all houses, one-half per centum on the appraised value, by order of the board." This rate of taxation was also adopted for the years 1811, 1812 and 1813.

"August 20, 1810, delivered the duplicates of the state tax to John Moore for collection, and the amount of said tax appears, as per the duplicates delivered to me by the different listers, $359.47 cents, 3% mills.' Under the same date is the following notation: "Delivered the duplicates of the county tax to John Moore for collection, and the amounts of said duplicates appear to be $321.20." The state tax of Madison county for 1811 was $402.59 and 4 mills, and the county tax $357.65. In 1812, the state tax was $353.49, and the county tax $535.57. The first settlement was made with the county treasurer, Thomas Gwynne, June 11, 1811, the journal of that date reading as follows: "This day came to a settlement with the county treasurer, and received orders to the amount of $534.70, being the amount of the orders redeemed by the treasurer for the taxes, tavern and store license, fines, etc., for the year 1810." The full expenses for 1810 was $626.66 and 5 mills, and for 1811, $1,179.74 and 4 mills, making the total expenses for the first two years of the county's existence $1,806.40 and 9 mills. The reader thus may discern that the business of Madison county was run on a very economical basis during its early career. The population was small and money was scarce, and, to use the phrase of an old pioneer, "a dollar looked as big as a cartwheel." There was no extravagance, because such a thing was impossible, and where there was no money, money could not be spent. This, then, was the reason why economy prevailed, and not that men were more upright or honest than they are today. All honor to those fathers who guided the affairs of Madison county in her infancy, and equal honor to their sons who have so worthily taken their places and preserved their fair fame in their own lives.

In 1810, the court of common pleas of Franklin county appointed Philip Lewis, director, to lay out the county seat of Madison county, the site of which previously had been selected by John Pollock and George Jackson, who were paid fourteen dollars each by the commissioners of this couhty for their services in making said selection. There is nothing on record to indicate the location of this prospective capital of Madison county, but the plat made by Mr. Lewis is recorded and bears date of having been certified to before Thomas Gwynne, a justice of the peace of Deer Creek township, November 13, 1810. Mr. Lewis was allowed by the commissioners of this county the sum of twenty dollars for his services in laying off the town; while two days were spent by John Arbuckle in selling lots in the new county seat, and money was appropriated and bids advertised for, toward the erection of a jail. All this is a matter of record, but while the index to the recorded plats of towns reads "Madison, Deer Creek Township, Philip Lewis, Director," some ofthe old settlers claim that London is built upon the site of the town laid out by Mr. Lewis, which bore the sume name as the county, and that the item recorded is a mistake. The historian has no opinion to venture upon the subject, as there is nothing upon record to determine its exact location, and as the main points connected with its history are here given, the reader is at liberty to draw his own conclusions, bearing in mind, however, that the townships of Union and Deer Creek were erected on the same day, and that the territory comprising either was never a part of the other.

During the legislative session of 1810-11, Peter Light, Allen Trimble and Lewis Newsom were appointed by that body to select a location for the county seat of Madison county. Upon hearing of this action, the county commissioners agreed to postpone the sale of the jail previously advertised, until such time as a permanent selection should be made by the commissioners appointed by the Legislature. After examining different localities, their final choice fell upon the land of John Murfin, in Union township. They came to this decision on April 9, 1811, and on August 19, following, their report was presented to the court of common pleas of Madison county, which appointed © Patrick McLene director to lay off a town upon this lani and name it London. This was accordingly done, two in-lots, Nos. 9 and 10, ''on the corner of Main and Main Cross streets," being reserved for the court house and jail. The name of the latter street has since been changed to High. The plat was recorded on September 13, 1811, and the lots were sold by Patrick McLene, or under his direction. After this, not another word appears on record about the town of Madison, outside of bills presented to the commissioners and paid by them, for selecting and laying off said town, as well as for viewing and marking roads leading thereto. For further particulars of this event the reader is referred to the history of London; where will be found a complete record of the transactions connected with the selection and platting of the county seat.

Court House And Jail

Soon after the county seat was laid out, the erection of county buildings became a necessity. The records reveal that Curtis Ballard was paid the sum of two dollars "for crying the sale of the court house and jail in the town of London." Uriah Humble obtained the contract for erecting the court house and Elias Langham, the jail. The court house was a two-story hewed-log building, the first story being used for a court room, while the second was divided into two apartments for jury rooms. It stood on lot No. 40, the present site of the Farmers Hotel, immediately west of the present court house, cost one hundred and seventy dollars and -was received by the commissioners on March 5, 1818, who "considered it finished according to contract.' There can be no doubt that the building was occupied prior to this time, as on the journal under date of December 2, 1811, it is recorded that 'William Sutton was paid $9.25 for making benches and table for the court,' and 'Jonathan Minshall was allowed $1 for hauling the benches and table to the court house." The following item on record in the clerk's office makes it probable that this building was used as early as November of that year: "The November term of the Court of Common Pleas, held in London, the newly laid out county seat, was opened November 18, 1811." It is not known that the county officials had any regular offices outside of their own homes, and A. A. Hume has remarked that "most of them had their offices in their hats," so it is evident that little business was done, and the early official had not much use for an office.

The jail was built of logs hewed on four sides, and was two stories high. The lower story had a double wall of logs, and was without door or windows. The upper story was reached by an outside stairway, and was used as a debtors' prison; while access to the lower story was obtained through an iron trap door in the floor of the debtors' room, connected by a movable ladder with the ground floor. This lower room was occupied by those who had committed criminal offenses or the more serious breaches of the law. It stood across the alley from the court house, on the west side of the present building, and cost $270, the last payment of $10 being made to Mr. Langham on June 7, 1814.

In 1814 and 1815, considerable repairing was done to the court house and fail. It is recorded that in July, 1814, Joseph Russell was paid $40 for repairing the court house, and in March, 1815, William Turner was allowed $50 for building a chimney to the same. Throughout the latter year $284.6214 was expended in repairs on these buildings, besides the above amounts. One item of $17 was paid Joseph Warner "for chinking and daubing the court house." Truly this house of justice was a modest one, and in keeping with pioneer times, yet the law was, doubtless, expounded as logically, and even-handed justice meted out with as much dignity as it is today, in the beautiful temples of law which adorn nearly every county seat from the Ohio to the lake.

Second Court House And Jail

As the population and wealth of the county increased, it soon became evident that the old county buildings were not in harmony with the general progress of the county, and that new and more modern ones were necessary. So, in 1816, the commissioners entered into a contract with Nathan and Benjamin Bond toward erecting a new court house. The work was pushed as rapidly as circumstances would allow, and soon a two-story brick building stood on the site of the present court house. It was, in shape, nearly square, and faced both streets. Philip Lewis was appointed by the county as superintendent of construction, and the cost of the building was $7,370, while the interest on the balance due, the painting, fencing and other extras, ran the cost up to - $7,782.09, the last payment being made in 1826.

In 1829 a brick jail was erected on the southwest corner of the court house lot facing High street, and cornering upon the alley. It was a two-story building, containing four rooms, two in each story, and cost $832. The contractors were J. Warner and James Rankin. The jailer lived in the two front rooms, the two others being used as cells. The jail was not fully completed until 18380, when it was ready for the reception of prisoners.

The offices of the treasurer and recorder were in a one-story brick, between the court house and jail, on High street, while those of the auditor and clerk were in a similar building north of the court house, on Main street. The sheriff's office was in a small frame structure, which stood between the court house and the offices of the clerk and auditor. These buildings were erected by Amos G. Thompson, at a cost of $294.50, Nathan Bond being paid $34 for extra work on the same. They were all 'small, cheap structures, but answered admirably the purposes and times for which they were built.

In November, 1830, Robert Hume bought a bell for the court house, at a cost of $105.60. The ironing and hanging cost $31.75, and was done by Robert Hume, William Jones and Nathan Bond. This is the same bell now in use in the belfry of the present court. house, having performed its mission for more than eighty-five years.

The Third Building

On the 9th of June, 1853, the commissioners, Henry Alder, John Garrard and John T. Maxey, opened the bids received by them towards erecting a new court house, the old one having previously been condemned by the grand jury. Bids were received from Messrs. Gould, Biddle, Hills, Turnbull, Carey, Scott & Reese, Strain and Simpson. On the 10th of the same month, after a due examination of the several bids, the contract was awarded to A. HE. Turnbull. On the 2d of August, the contract was completed and closed, in which the contractor agreed "to build said court house, as per contract and specifications on file, for the sum of $26,975, and to have the same completed in good style by the first day of July, 1855." It was ordered to be erected with the front facing Main street, and placed in the middle of the lots originally set. aside for court house and jail, with the steps commencing at a distance of six feet from the southwest line of Main street, and the northeast line 'of the lots.

The old buildings were ordered to be sold on June 24, 1853, and on that date BE. W. Turner, auctioneer, sold the court house to William Gould, John Warner and J. F. Freeman, for $77. The county offices and jail not bringing prices sufficiently large were withdrawn from the sale. On November 2, they were again put up for sale, Wil- iam Turner being the auctioneer. The treasurer's and recorder's: offices were sold to Joseph Chrisman, for $37; the auditor's and clerk's offices, to David Haskell, for $34; the jail, to James M. Thompson, for $50; the inside pavement, to Nathan Bond, for $6.50; the old hook and ladder shed, which stood in the rear of the jail, to Joseph Warner, for $2, and the fence around the lot, to J. C. Kemp, for $3; while the sherift's office, which was not sold until December 4, brought, including the stove, $35, and was purchased by William Jones.

The county officials were compelled to find offices elsewhere, and on November 2. John Rouse, the auditor, was authorized by the commissioners to rent of George Phifer the two southwest rooms on the second floor of his new brick building, for the use of the auditor and treasurer, which was accordingly done, at a rent of forty-five dollars per annum. This is the same building in which Wolf's clothing store is now located. The clerk made his office in his house; the recorder, in a small log building which had been weatherboarded and which yet stands on the south side of High street, between Main and Union, while the sheriff did without an Office until the new building was completed.

Overcame Opposition To A Fence

On the 8th of March, 1854, a petition was presented to the commissioners praying that the court house be so changed as to have two main fronts, one on. each street, which prayer was granted; and at a meeting held March 23, they decided to change all former plans as to position, front, etc., and to alter the same so far as to make the size sixty-eight by sixty-eight, with two fronts, one on each street, in harmony with said petition. The building was to contain six fireproof rooms attached to the various offices, in which the records were to be preserved. In January, 1856, the building was ready for occupancy and on the first day of that month the auditor and recorder moved into their new offices, the balance of the officials soon following their example. The fence around the lot, together with the outbuildings, were the next necessary improvements, but much opposition had been developed toward the expenditures already undergone, and some of the commissioners had resigned in consequence. Prominent in this class was Harvey Fellows, one of the board of commissioners, at the time, while the other two, Edward Fitzgerald and David Haskell were in favor of an iron fence. The recorder, William Love, was something of a wag, and getting up the following fictitious bid sent it through the postoffice addressed to the board of commissioners: "March 1, 1856.

"I propose to build the fence around the Court House at the following rates, furnish good white-oak rails at $3 a hundred, and put them up ten rails high 'with stakes and riders, two pair of bars at $1, and paint them for fifty cents extra. .

It is needless to say that this amusing proposition demoralized the opposition and the contract was awarded to John F. Dodds & Co., of Dayton, Ohio, to build an iron fence around the court house and erect necessary outbuildings, at a cost of $4,903, which was carried into effect and the entire work was done in a satisfactory manner. The court house, fence and outbuildings were completed at a total cost of $381,878. In March, 1857, the shade trees on each front were planted under the supervision of A. A. Hume, and added much to the appearance of the site.

The building, as it stood until about 1890, presented a very creditable outward appearance, which the interior did not justify. It was three stories in height and was surmounted by a cupola, the second story being reached by a flight of stone steps from both Main and High streets. The auditor's office was in the first story facing Main and

High; the treasurer's office was in the northeast corner of the building on the first story, and faced Main; the recorder's office was in the southwest corner of the building, also on the first story, and faced High; the clerk's office was immediately above the recorder's, in the second story; the probate judge's office was in the same story, directly over the treasurer's, while the sheriff had an office cut off from the large center hall, but it was only temporary, to give him more room in his living apartments a portion of which originally formed his office. At the summit of the steps, leading to the second story, were two large stone pillars gracing each flight, and supporting the roof above the alcove formed at the head of each. In the third story was the court room and jury rooms, while on the first story, in the northwest corner of the building, was the jail and jailor's residence. None of the offices in this building were what they should have been in that progressive age. They were small, unhealthy and wholly inadequate to the amount of business transacted in them.

The Present Court House And Jail

The first steps taken toward the realization of the present beautiful structures were taken when, on April 9, 1889, a delegation composed of John F. Locke, J. C. Bridgman, Mayor Hamilton, R. H. McCloud, Bruce P. Jones, Judge Clark and others, went to Columbus to present the Hon. Daniel Boyd, the local representative in the General Assembly, with a petition asking that the Legislature grant the commissioners of Madison county the authority to issue twenty-year bonds to the amount of one hundred and fifty thousands dollars, for the purpose of erecting a new court house, a new jail and a sheriff's residence. Such a bill was introduced and was enacted into law within the next week. The first step taken by the commissioners was on April 13, when they passed a resolution to build a new court house and a new jail. On July 2, following, they hired G. W. Maetzel, of Columbus, as architect. At their meeting of June 8, they decided to erect the new building on the site occupied by the old court house, with the addition of lots Nos. 11 and 12, adjoining which were purchased of Phoebe Phifer for the sum of eight thousand, two hundred and fifty dollars. A building committee was organized, composed of the commissioners, the clerk of the court, the sheriff, the probate judge and one other appointed by the court of common pleas. Its personnel consisted of W. E. Beals, A. C. Willett and J. P. Bowers, commissioners; M. F. Dunn, clerk of the court; J. T. Vent, sheriff; O. P. Crabb, probate judge, and Charles Butler, appointee of the court of common pleas. W. E. Beals was chosen to act as the committee's chairman, with M. F. Dunn as secretary.

On July 15, 1889, Architect Maetzel submitted plans and specifications for the court house to the building committee and they were accepted with a few minor changes on September 9. The following description of the edifice is taken from the specifications:

"The basement contains a hall for public meetings, which has a height of about ten feet. The balance of the basement will not be utilized at present, but at any time in the future, if more store room for documents is required, the greater portion of the basement can be fitted up for the purpose without great difficulty or expenditure of money.

"The first story is fifteen feet in height and contains the offices of the treasurer, auditor, probate judge, recorder, commissioners and surveyor; the spacious halls, corridors and stairs leading to the second story are thoroughly lighted by means of a skylight extending over the entire main corridor.

"The second story is fifteen feet high and contains the clerk's and sheriff's offices, the rooms for witnesses, the grand jury and petit juries, a room for the prosecuting attorney and court stenographer, also a room for the board of education; the court room and the private office of the judge of the court of Common Pleas are also on this floor.

"The buildings will be fire-proof, the foundation to be built of sandstone, the superstructure of stone and brick, all joists and roof support construction to be of iron and steel, the cornice of stone, the roof covered with slate and copper, all stairways of iron, floor construction to be of terra-cotta tiles between the joists; wood will be only used for windows, doors and baseboards.

"Ventilation will be through a series of conductors connecting all rooms, halls, etc., with the main ventilating shaft, which will be built in connection with the boiler house in the rear of the court house. From this boiler house the heating by steam, of the court house and the new jail will be accomplished."

Plans Receive A Check

The auditor was ordered to advertise for bids on the constructicn of the proposed building on September 16, 1889. The bids were received and opened on October 17, and the contract was awarded to the firm of Wittemeir Bros., of Columbus, Ohio, at the sum of $127,666. When the time came for the approval of the contract with the above mentioned firm, Prosecuting Attorney Corwin Locke refused to sign the contract, claimnig that the building was going to cost more than was allowed by the enabling act of the state Legislature. On January 20, 1890, the commissioners revoked their award of the contract to Wittemeir Bros., dismissed the building committee and it then appeared that all hopes for a new court house were killed indefinitely.

Representative Martin of this district introduced, on February 25, 1890, a bill in the General Assembly, asking for authority to issue an additional fifty thousand dollars in bonds for the construction of the proposed new court house at London. This bill revoked the prosecuting attorney's authority over the contract. It was passed in the House but was defeated in the Senate, by a vote of sixteen to nine. Senator Wilson, of this district, who opposed Representative Martin's bill, introduced another bill, the provisions of which were intended to take the control of the construction of the edifice out of the hands of the commissioners and place it with four citizens of the county, to be appointed ~ by the governor of the state, who, as trustees, should be invested with like powers as the county commissioners in the premises. The bill went to committee, where it "died a-bornin'."

It becoming apparent that Senator Wilson's bill would never pass the House, a compromise was proposed by amending the Martin bill with the additional appropriation left in and the Wittemeir contract knocked out. This bill passed the Senate and went to the House, where the amendments were concurred in. All thought that the matter had been brought to a definite head, until Senator Wallace, of Franklin county, moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill had passed the Senate, and the motion was declared carried. This opened up the whole affair once more. This was on Friday, but on the following Monday Senator Wilson let himself loose. There was no quorum in the Senate, and the introduction of a few bills was followed by an immediate adjournment. However, immediately after the reading of the journal the senator from Madison arose to speak on a question of privilege. He supported the motion by stating that Senator Wallace was one of the five senators who voted against the bill on its passage, and therefore, under the rules, could not make a motion to reconsider. He charged that Wallace had exceeded the bounds of his duty in trying to legislate for Madison county, and thought there was something queer in the position the senator from Franklin assumed on the question. Senator Wallace angrily retorted that he did not have to plead his honesty; his actions spoke for him, and that he had a perfect right to come to the defense of the persons opposed to the bill when the senator from Madison represented the other side. He made the point of order that the question as to his right to move the reconsideration should have been brought up and determined at the time the motion was made, and that if the journal correctly reported the day's proceeding it could not be corrected. The chair ruled against the point of order, and Mr. Wilson's motion carried, and the matter was stricken from the journal. This disposed of the question and the court house bill became law.

New bids were advertised for and were promptly received, being opened on May 15, 1890. The contract was let to the lowest bidder - Doerzbeck & Decker, of Sandusky, Ohio, for $127,000. These people had built the court houses and jails at Circleville and St. Clairsville and the sheriff's residences and jails at Ashland and Norwalk, and a few of the buildings at Oberlin College. The contract was approved on May 1, 1890. County Engineer Clint Morse was appointed to represent the county as superintendent of construction. The contractors sublet the brickwork to James Self, of London, who had received from the commissioners the contract for taking down and removing parts of the old court house.

On April 9, following, the commissioners had purchased the west half of lot No. 40, of Mrs. Sarah J. Dresback, for fifteen hundred dollars, and on April 19, the northeast portion of lot No. 40 from William Gamlin and Mrs. Catharine Hardman, for five thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars. Work on the construction of the new building began on' June 5, and progressed nicely, although the contractors had a little trouble with striking stone-cutters and stone-masons in early July.

Laying Of The Corner Stone

The corner stone was laid on Saturday, October 4, 1890, with the full Masonic ceremony for the laying of corner stones of public buildings, Chandler Lodge No. 138, Free and Accepted Masons, of London, having complete charge of arrangements. About onethirty o'clock on the afternoon of the above mentioned date the procession formed, marching in the following order: Barracks band, Mt. Vernon commandery, Columbus; Palestine commandery, Springfield; Leonore lodge, Sedalia; Urania lodge, Plain City; Mt. Sterling lodge, Mt. Sterling; Madison lodge, West Jefferson; Chandler lodge, London; Grand Tyler M. W. Dungan, with drawn sword; Grand Stewards J. T. Vent and W. A. Jones, with white rods; a past master, P. Speasmaker, with a golden vessel containing corn; the' principal architect, J. H. Decker, with square, level and plumb; two past masters, J. C. Peck and William Chandler, with silver vessels, containing wine and oil; Grand Secretary S. J. Paullin and Grand Treasurer J. C. Bridgman; one large light, borne by Past Master George H. Rowland; the Holy Bible, square and compass, borne by Preston Adair; two large lights borne by two past masters, T. J. Stutson and William A. Athey; the grand chaplain, Rev. J. W. Dillon; grand wardens, senior, James B. Sprague, junior, Jeriah Swetland; Deputy Grand Master Levi C. Goodale; grand deacons, with black rods, H. G. Jones and O. P. Converse, and Grand Master Leander Burdick. .

During the parade large crowds of people assembled at the court house and took advantage of every available point where it was possible to witness the ceremonies. A platform had been erected for the grand lodge near the northeast corner, and the stone to be laid was held suspended by block and tackle supplied with a steel cable. Above and surrounding the platform, a temporary flooring had been laid and seats provided for the band, members of the order, ex-county officials, ladies and other citizens.

At three o'clock the procession halted at the court house and the grand officers and others took their assigned places. After music by the band, Grand Marshal Crabbe by order of the grand master, commanded silence and announced that the eremaites would now begin. He asked undivided attention to the invocation of Right Worthy

Grand Chaplain J. W. Dillon. The reverend gentleman proceeded to read in an impressive manner the beautiful prayer prescribed by the rubic, at the close the brethren responding, "Amen and amen."

After the band had rendered another Stirring air, J. D. Maddux presented the trowel to Grand Master Burdick, who received it with appropriate remarks. John P. Bowers, on behalf of the commissioners of Madison county, then delivered the following address:

"The board of commissioners of Madison county having official charge of the structure now in the process of erection upon these premises, recognizing the importance and dignity of your ancient order, and being impressed with the propriety of your ceremony of laying corner stones of public edifices, have unanimously resolved to invoke your services in laying the corner stone of our magnificent court house. -

"It is a matter of pride to us that we are honored by your distinguished presence today, and we trust that you will regard the occasion as being worthy of the sacrifice of time and effort which you have made in answer to our invitation.

"We are about to erect a temple to Justice - to Justice, the greatest of the four cardinal virtues to which the Masonic order is devoted; to Justice, the foundation of our security as citizens; to Justice, the very genius of good government.

"All preparation being now complete it is my privilege to formally communicate to you our desire, and to respectfully ask that you do now perform the ceremony of laying this corner stone." F

The grand master complimented the members of Chandler lodge on the thorough manner in which the occasion had been provided for. He said that he had hoped to have the governor present, but he had been unavoidably prevented from coming by sickness. He then directed the senior grand warden, J. B. Sprague, to proclaim to the junior grand warden, J. Swetland, and he to the craft and others present that the corner stone of the structure would now be laid in due and ancient Masonic form, which proclamation was duly made. After music the grand master made inquiry of the grand treasurer if the deposit had been prepared and was in readiness. Grand Treasurer Bridgman replied that all was in readiness, and by order of the grand master read the list of the contents of the casket as follows: Acts of the Legislature empowering the commissioners to build the new court house; proceedings of the building committee, specifications for the erection of the new court house, copy of bills of materials, notice to contractors, schedule of bids, advertisement of sale of bids, bids for bands, lithographic cut of the old court house, notice to tax payers of the year 1855, issued by W. A. Athey, county treasurer; copy of the Ohio statutes for the year 1899, Daniel J. Ryan, secretary of state; articles written by Samuel P. Davidson, Esq., giving names ages and nativity of Madison county pioneers who, at the time the article was written, June 1, 1888, had attained the age of seventy years, also an article by the same author giving observations on the weather from June 6, 1818, to June 18, 1888; short sketches of the history of the various church organizations and benevolent institutions of London up to that date, furnished by the pastors of the churches and secretaries of lodges; census figures of 1890 pertaining to Madison county, through the kindness of Hon. S. H: Prettyman, central supervisor of the fifth district of Ohio; copy of the London Times of October 3, 1890, copy of the Madison County Democrat of October 1, 1890, copy of the London Enterprise of October 3, 1890, copy of the London Vigilant of September 30, 1890, the Daily Nickel Plate of October 3, 1890; history of Chandler Lodge No. 138, Free and Accepted Masons; portrait of Leander Burdick, grand master; copy of the Masonic directory of London, Ohio; copy of the printed ceremonies of the laying of the corner stone of the court house of Madison county; copy of the Masonic Monitor and a photograph of the interior of the new Masonic hall at London.

The grand master then instructed the grand treasurer to deposit the casket with its contents in the cavity prepared for its reception, and added:

"May the Grand Architect of the Universe in His infinite wisdom, grant that ages upon ages shall pass away ere it again be seen by human eyes," and the brethren responded, "'So mote it be."

Proving The Work

While the band was playing the patriotic air, "America," the stone was slowly lowered within a few inches of its destined place and then held in suspension while the choir sang "Faith, Hope and Charity,' after which followed the ceremony of proving the work. E

The grand marshal presented to the grand master a plumb, a level and a square, which he distributed to his fellow craftsmen, each of whom applied his instrument to the corner stone and announced in his time that the work was plumb, level and square.

The grand master then proclaimed that the stone had been tested by the proper implements of masonry and he declared it to be well formed, true and trusty, and correctly laid according to the rules of the craft. He then spread the mortar and while the band played a solemn air, the stone was lowered to its final resting place.

The deputy grand master then advanced with a vessel filled with corn, which the grand master poured on the stone as an emblem of plenty. The senior grand warden presented a vessel filled with wine, which the grand master emptied on the stone as an emblem of joy and gladness. The junior grand warden then came forward with a vessel of oil, which the grand master took, saying, "I pour oil as an emblem of peace."

"May the all-bounteous Author of Nature bless the inhabitants of this place with an abundance of the necessaries, conveniences and comforts of life; assist in the erection and completion of this building, protect the workmen against every accident, long preserve the structure from decay, and grant to us all a supply of the corn of nourishmént, the wine of refreshment and the oil of joy. Amen."

The grand marshal then presented J. H. Decker, as the architect of the building, to whom was returned the square, level and plumb and plans of the building. Then followed music, after which the grand master proclaimed in the name of the grand lodge of Ohio the cornerstone to be laid according to the ancient customs.

After a few remarks by the grand master and by Deputy Grand Master Levi C. Goodale, the benediction was pronounced by Rev. J. W. Dillon, of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the vast crowd dispersed.

Completion Of The Structure

On September 2, the commissioners had bought lot No. 41 and the southwest halves of lots Nos. 42 and 43, owned by G. W. Lohr, for ten thousand dollars. This made the court house grounds include the entire square - two hundred and eighty and onehalf feet by two hundred and eighty and one-half feet.

Owing to the death of Architect Maetzel, the commissioners appointed Joseph Dauber as the architect of the building, June 22, 1891. On October 16, 1890, bids were received to furnish two boilers and accessory materials for heating the court house, jail and sheriff's residence and the contract was awarded to Borger Brothers & Company, of Columbus, Ohio, for twelve hundred and ninety-four dollars. The contracts for the furnishing of the wood furniture for the court house was given to A. H. Andrews & Company, of Chicago, and for the metallic furniture to the Fenton Metallic Manufacturing Company, of Jamestown, New York, on December 23, 1891. C. F. Thornwald, of Cincinnati, was given the contract of furnishing the grates and mantels for the court house, jail and sheriff's residence, on February 4, 1892. February 6, following, McHenry & Company received the contract for the combination gas and electric-lighting fixtures. On February 10, the Seth Thomas Clock Company, of New York, received the contract for the tower clock, dials and bell, agreeing to furnish an eight-day, striking, twenryeight-hundred-pound tower clock with gravity escapement and fourteen-foot pendulum, with a three thousand-pound bell, for two thousand, one hundred and twenty-two dollars.

The commissioners having been notified that the court house, jail and sheriff's residence were finished, inspected the same on July 16, 1892, accepted them from the contractors and ordered that "they be settled with in full."

The contract for lightning rods was given to Edward Pickering; for grading the sidewalks, walks and grounds around the court house, to Edward Neville; for furnishing the materials and constructing the walks, pavements and curbing, to G. W. Doerzback; for furnishing two hundred and forty chairs for the assembly room in the baseiment, to Edward Armstrong.

The Jail

The commissioners received authority to build a new county jail under the same legislative enactments that gave such authority in regard to the construction of a new court house. Architect Maetzel. of the court house then under way of construction, presented plans to the building committee for a new county jail on September 22, 1890, and for a sheriff's residence in connection with the jail, at an estimated cost of about forty thousand dollars including steam heat. After a few minor changes from the original idea these plans were accepted by that committee on October 14. The plans called for a neat two-story brick of modern style. The jail proper contained sixteen cells - eight on each of the two stories. The front of the building was to be used as the sheriff's residence, having six living rooms and three cells for females.

Bids for the construction of the jail were received and opened on December 18, 1890, and, although James Self, of London, was the lowest bidder, at thirty-five thousand dollars, the contract was awarded to G. W. Doerzback, of Sandusky, for thirty-five thousand eight hundred and eighty dollars. The matter was brought into court and in February the specifications were ordered changed and the contract set aside. Bids were again received and opened on July 9, 1891, but were so_ suggestively close together that the commissioners made no awards and ordered the auditor again to advertise for bids. The third set of bids was opened on August 10, 1891, and the contract was let to D. W. McGrath, a prominent young contractor of Columbus, Ohio, for twenty-seven thousand eight hundred and eighty-five dollars. The plumbing was done by the Sanitary Plumbing Company of Columbus. The plans and specifications were made by Joseph Dauben, of Columbus, for which he received one hundred and fifty dollars. The building was accepted at the same time as was the court house, as stated above. .

Bond Issues

The first issue of bonds to pay for the construction of the new court house, jail and sheriff's residence was ordered by the commissioners, July 15, 1890. The issue was to be for fifty one-thousand-dollar bonds, to bear interest at six per cent, payable semi-annually, the bonds to be paid off in bunches of ten bonds. Twelve bids were received on this issue and they were sold to the First National Bank of Chillicothe, Ohio, on August 7, 1890, for fifty-three thousand nine hundred and one dollars. On March 30, 1891, the commissioners ordered another issue of seventy-six one-thousand-dollar bonds to bear date of April 23, 1891. They were issued in thirteen series, and bore six per cent. interest, payable semi-annually. They were sold on that date to Farson Leach & Company, of Chicago, at a premium of: three thousand six hundred and ten dollars. The third issue of court house and jail bonds was voted on November 16, 1891, and was to consist of seventy-four one-thousand-dollar bonds in twelve series, to bear the date of December 17, 1891. These were sold to Seasongood & Mayer, of Cincinnati, on that date, for eighty thousand, three hundred and sixty-nine dollars and fifty cents. ;

On July 16, 1892, the commissioners ordered that a bill be prepared and_ sent to Hon. James Martin, representative of Madison county in the General Assembly, to be submitted to that body, authorizing the issue of bonds not to exceed twenty thousand dollars at six per cent. interest for the purpose of furnishing the court house. This bill was enacted into law on Apri! 12, 1892, and twenty-one thousanddollar bonds were issued bearing the date of November 12, 1892. These bonds, "for the purchase of furniture and fixtures for the court house and improving the court house grounds,' were sold to Spitzer & Company, of Toledo, Ohio, for twenty-two thousand and forty-three dollars.

Prison Bonds

When the colonies proclaimed their independence and shook off the grasp of tyranny, a relic of English barbarism, known as imprisonment for debt was engrafted into the laws of the young republic. This law was an outrage upon honest poverty and was the cause of untold misery. The prisoner. confined for debt, upon giving good security to his creditors, was allowed a certain defined limit outside of the jail in which to exercise his manhood, and this limit was known as the "prison bounds," but by crossing this line he forfeited his security, and, therefore, his liberty. In 1799, a law was passed in the Northwest Territory, making two hundred yards, in any direction from the jail, the prison bounds. In 1800 this was increased to four hundred and forty yards, and reduced to four hundred in 1805. In 1821, the corporation line became the boundary, and in 1832, it was extended so as to embrace the whole county. Thus it remained until the adoption of the new Constitution, when this relic of a feudal nation was erased from the statutes of Ohio.

From the proceedings of the court of common pleas, held by the associate judges, February, 1815, the following item is culled: 'Ordered that the prison bounds of the county of Madison shall be and that they are hereby established by and with the outlines of the town plat of London, in the county aforesaid, including the out-lots, unless the said plan of said town should be too large for prison bounds as are directed by law; in that case, the said prison bounds shall be laid off to the limits of the law, making the jail of said county the center thereof, and ordered that Patrick McLene, Esq., county surveyor, of said county of Madison, be, by the clerk, notified to run, lay off and mark sufficiently said prison bounds by blazing, putting up posts, etc., so as to make the said bounds plain and easy to be found and discovered, and that the said surveyor make a return thereof to the next term of this court." In compliance with this order the prison bounds were established by Patrick McLene, June 19, 1815, and ran as follows: "Beginning at the south corner of out-lot No. 11, which is the graveyard, running thence west until the line strikes Glade run, above William Pinkard's tanyard; thence down said run, with the meanders thereof, until it intersects with Oak run; thence down Oak run, with the meanders thereof, to the south corner of lot No. 18; thence S. 570 degrees E., 58 poles, to the north corner of out-lot No. 1; thence N. 56 degrees E., 46 poles, to Main street, including George Thompson's pottery shop; thence N. 36 degrees E., 50 poles; to the west corner of out-lot No. 6; thence N. 45 degrees W., with the range of out-lots Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 10, 92 poles to the beginning." These bounds were enlarged in 1821, to the corporation limits, and in 1833 to the boundaries of Madison county, which was in harmony with the laws enacted in those years. With the progress of civilization, all such laws as imprison- ment for debt became obnoxious to the spirit of enlightenment and humanity, which civilization engenders, and are therefore annulled as they ought to be.

County Infirmary

Throughout the pioneer days- of Madison county, each township supported its own poor, but finally the duty devolved upon the county, and private individuals were engaged to support indigent persons, or pay for doing so. In September, 1857, the county commissioners appropriated fifteen thousand dollars toward purchasing land and erecting suitable buildings for a county infirmary, provided, however, that the county vote in favor of said appropriation at the following October election. Whether or not the commissioners' action was ratified, is not a matter of record, but nothing was done toward establishing the infirmary for more than six years subsequent to that event. On the 9th of June, 1864, the commissioners purchased one hundred and ten acres of land from Jesse Watson and James Q. Minshall, paying for the same ninetyfive dollars per acre. This tract was situated immediately south of London, and a portion of it is now inside the corporate limits. Fruit trees were planted, fences built and the property somewhat improved, but no buildings were erected, nor was it ever occupied for infirmary purposes, and was finally sold. .

The present county farm was purchased on June 6, 1866, from James Rankin, Jr., and originally contained sixty-eight and one-quarter acres of land, for which the county paid seventy-five dollars an acre. Additions have since been made and the county now has a farm of one hundred and ninety-five acres. The commissioners met on July 2, 1866, and appointed three infirmary directors, J. W. Carr, William Cryder and Richard Baskerville, and they in turn, subsequently, appointed G. W. Darety as superintendent of the infirmary. On July 17, 1866, he took possession of the frame house standing on the farm when purchased, and on July 31, following. the first inmates were admitted. On the 3rd of August, 1866, bids were advertised for the erection of a "lunatic building," and on September 3, following, the contract was awarded to Ginn & Henry, of Cedarville, to be completed by November 5, at a cost of $4,999. On the 6th of November, the contract for erecting a new infirmary building was given to the same firm, at a cost of $18,000. After the erection of this building, it was found very imperfect; even prior to its completion it had been discovered that the contractors were not doing the work according to contract. The building was found absolutely unsafe, and on August 31, 1868, was condemned by Anderson & Hannaford, architects of Cincinnati, whom the commissioners called upon to examine the structure. The board then took the matter in hand, remodeled and strengthened the building wherever necessary, and carried the whole to completion. Mr. Darety continued as superintendent and moved into the new building on January 11, 1872. In August, 1873, Isaac Curl succeeded Mr. Darety and served until April 1, 1875, at which time William M. Jackson become superintendent, and he, in turn, was succeeded by J. Smith Davidson, April 1, 1877.

Description Of The Institution

In 1872 Samuel P. Davidson, one of the infirmary directors, was employed by the commissioners to lay off the grounds surrounding the new buildings, and make such improvements as were necessary to the comfort and convenience of the = en to the attractiveness of the institution. He drafted a plan of the grounds, ge the commissioners approved. In the front of the building the landscape mae laid off twenty yards square, with a heart-shape driveway from the gate to the main entrance of the building. Cutting this figure in two, is a gravel walk from the gate to the front door of the infirmary. Within the driveway, flowers, shrubbery and ornamental trees decorate the grounds, while surrounding it are planted fruit trees and various kinds of evergreens, giving to the whole a handsome appearance, and reflecting much credit upon its worthy projector, as well as upon the county whose general munificence has created this asylum for poor, suffering humanity.

The building is of brick with stone foundation forty-five by one hundred and eight feet in size, four stories high, with a rear wing thirty-two by forty-five feet and of the same height as the main structure. The basement, or first story, contains nineteen rooms and there are located the kitchen, bakery, laundry, children's dining-room, milk house and storage rooms, also the engine and boilers which heat the building throughout. Each of the other stories contain twenty rooms. On ascending a flight of stone steps from the driveway, the first floor above the basement is reached. This floor contains the superintendent's office and reception room, two dining-rooms, and sixteen bedrooms for the inmates. The central and western portion of the next floor is occupied by the family of the superintendent, the rest of it being used for inmates' bedrooms, bathrooms, and a wardrobe wherein the wearing apparel of the inmates is kept, neatly folded away for their use. The top floor is divided into bedrooms for the inmates and the help engaged at the infirmary. There is also located on this floor a school room, where the children stopping at the institution receive regular instruction, by a competent teacher employed for the purpose. The building contains three _ cells, in which insane inmates are confined when such a course is necessary. Close to the rear of the main structure stands a brick washhouse, a brick smokehouse, a. frame icehouse, and all other outbuildings common to such institution.

The county farm lies about three and one-half miles southwest of London, in Union township, and is situated between the Jefferson, South Charleston, and Xenia turnpike and the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, & St. Louis railroad. It is the highest elevation between London and Cincinnati, and possesses an excellent soil. The water is unequalled in the county, and contains splendid tonic qualities; while the premises at and around the infirmary have wells and pipes from which constantly flows a never-failing supply of water for all purposes. The farm is well improved, contains an ice pond, has an orchard of several acres of the finest varieties of fruit trees, is kept in the best condition possible, and for a healthful, pleasant location cannot . be surpassed anywhere in Madison county. The present superintendent of the infrmary is R. W. Thomas. ,

Prior to the year 1889 the indigent children of Madison county were kept in the children's homes of other counties. In May of that year a carefully prepared contract was entered into by the commissioners with Mrs. Auburn Smith, of London. to care for the children for a period of three years. The county at that time had twentysix wards in the Franklin county children's home, who were to be transferred on July 1. By the agreement with Mrs. Smith she was to clothe, feed and care for the children and receive a compensation of thirty-six cents a day per capita. She remodeled her home in the northern part of town and the children were taken there. These contracts with Mrs. Smith were renewed from time to time until September 1, 1896, when she refused to renew the contract on account of ill health and the need of rest.

In the spring of that year a bill was prepared, as pushed through the state Legislature, authorizing the county to issue thirty-five thousand-dollar bonds for the purpose of building a county children's home. This bill was passed on April 21, 1896. The court of common pleas appointed William H. H. Morgan, M. L. Rea and John T. Vent to act in connection with commissioners for approval of plans, drawings, representations, bills of materials, specifications, work, etc. The commissioners voted to issue twenty-five one-thousand-dollar bonds on June 8, 1896. Seventy-five acres of ground was purchased oun the same date, of A. T. O'Neill, for a farm. This farm is located one and one-l:u.t miles north of the court house on the east side of the Marysville pike. It is the north end of the old "Billy" Wingett farm and a part of old John Phifer farm in Deer Creek township and has a frontage on the pike of eighty yards and the cost of the same was seventy-five dollars an acre. The bonds were sold to Farson, Leach & Company, of Chicago, at a premium of eight hundred and five dollars, but they refused to take them and the contract was cancelled. They were again advertised for sale and sold on August 20, 1896, to the Fourth National Bank of Columbus at a premium of two hundred and sixty dollars. These bonds bear date of September 10, 1896.

The commissioners hired George F. Hammond, of Cleveland, Ohio, as architect and approved his plans and specifications on December 16, 1896. These plans called for a plain, unelaborate structure of common brick. The whole structure presents a frontage of one hundred and seventy-three and one-half feet, consisting of a twofaced administration building, thirty-nine and one-half feet front, with twenty-five feet corridors on each side connecting with one-story sleeping cottages, each forty-two by sixty-two and one-half feet. The main building has a depth of seventy and onethird feet back, inside measure, not counting front or back steps. The cottages and corridors also are of brick, with stone trimmings, all roofed with slate. The front steps lead to a large piazza from which entrance is gained to a vestibule fronting the hall, forty-two by thirty-six feet, divided by a fourteen-foot sitting-room and a - ten-foot family dining-room back, and also an open stairway. Back of the hall is a fifteen by twenty-eight foot dining-hall, supplied with a forty-foot kitchen and large pantry. The side corridors connect with the cottages by arch doors, making it possible to see from one side wall to the other. The cottages have each three front dayrooms, all connected together, leading back to linen-rooms, cribrooms, sleepingrooms, attendants' rooms and twenty-two by thirty-four-foot dormitories. The second floors contain chambers, closets, a large schoolroom and bedroom. The basement contains boiler-room, coal houses, laundry, ete. Clint Morse was chosen to superintend the construction of the building. The contract for its construction was let to James Self, of London, for the sum of $16,456.18. The building was inspected and accepted by the commissioners on February 22, 1898. About May 1, the children, about eighty in number, were transferred from the Logan county children's home at Bellefontaine, to which place they had been taken at the expiration of the contract with Mrs. Auburn Smith.

A board of trustees to have supervision of the home was created on February 25, 1898, composed. of C. M. Butt, Lester Bidwell, M. L. Rea and Xerxes Farrar. Mr. Butt died on January 12, 1904, and Howard Black was appointed to fill his unexpired term and was reappointed. He served until he left the county in 1911, when S. W. Beale was appointed to fill his unexpired term and was then reappointed. The other men have served continuously since the home was erected. Daniel Kulp was appointed the first superintendent, with his wife as matron, by the trustees. He served until B. F. Linson, the present superintendent, was appointed. The present visiting committee consists of J. B. VanWagner, Henry Lenhart, J. R. Atchison, Lucy Beach, Mrs. G. T. Clark and Mrs. A. J. Strain. The present matron is Mrs. B. F. Linson, the wife of the superintendent. The report of the trustees for the year ending August 31, 1915, showed that there were thirty-one children in the home - seven having been admitted during the year. There have been one hundred and fifty-eight children admitted since the foundation of the home - seventy-eight being the greatest number at

State Representatives

Under the Constitution of 1802, the legislative representative apportionment was established by the same law as the senatorial apportionment, but the members of the lower house were chosen annually, while under the later constitutions, their official term is fixed at two years, and the apportionment is designated by dividing the whole population of the state by - - - - - - , and the quotient thereof is the ratio of representation in the House. The law provides for this apportionment every ten years. After the admission of Ohio, and prior to the formation of Madison county, this district was represented in the first General Assembly (1803), by the representative of Ross county, and in the second (1803-04), third (1804-05), and fourth (1805-06), by those of Ross and Franklin; in the fifth (1806-07) and sixth (1807-08), by Ross, Franklin and Highland; in the seventh (1808-09) and eighth (1809-10), by Franklin and Delaware.

This brings the date up to the time of the formation of Madison county, which first appears in the formation of a legislative district in the ninth General Assembly (1810-11), Franklin, Madison, Delaware and Pickaway counties composing the same. In the next session (1811-12), only a portion of Pickaway. was in this district, while in the eleventh (1812-13), Madison and Delaware were together, and the district so existed until the fifteenth General Assembly (1816-17), when Madison county stood alone. It remained a separate district until the nineteenth legislative session (1820-21), at which time Madison and the newly created county of Union were united. For eight years they voted together, but in the twenty-seventh General Assembly (1828-29), Madison, Union, Logan and Hardin are found forming a district. Hardin county was cut off from this district ere the twenty-ninth Assembly met (1830-31). No other changes were made until the thirty-fifth session (1886-37), when Madison and Fayette were placed together. This formation remained for four years, and in the thirty-ninth General Assembly (1840-41), Clark county replaced Fayette. The next apportionment came in the forty-third Assembly (1844-45), which placed Madison and Franklin together. Before the meeting of the forty-seventh session (1848-49), this was changed, Madison, Clark and Champaign counties forming a district. This combination existed until the adoption of the new Constitution in 1852, since which time Madison county has been entitled to one representative.

County Commissioners

The first acts of the state of Ohio that made provisions for county commissioners were adopted from the statutes of Pennsylvania. By an act published June 19, 1795, three commissioners were ordered to be appointed in each county for one year, and each succeeding year one was to be appointed to take the place of the commissioner first named. These appointments were made by the justices of the court of general quarter sessions of the peace on the first day of their January term. In 1799, the length of the official term was designated as follows: The first commissioner named on the list, one year; the second, two years, and the third, three years; one being appointed every year, as before, to supply the place of the retiring member. Their powers and duties were fully defined, and they were to meet annually on the first Monday in July to attend to all the county business coming under their jurisdiction. This law of appointment lasted until February 138, 1804, when a law was enacted requiring three commissioners to be elected in each county, said election to be held on the first Monday in April, 1804. The commissioners-elect were determined by lot the length of time each should remain in office, as follows: One to serve until the following October; one until the October election in 1805; and the third until the same election in 1806. Thus the office became rotary and has remained so every since. Vacancies were filled by the associate judges, said appointee to remain in office until the succeeding October election. The board was to meet annually in June to perform such duties as the law required. On February 22, 1805, an act was passed by which, upon the erection of a new county, the commissioners elected at the first election only held office until the next annual election; and on January 15, 1810, all former acts were amended or repealed, but no changes were made in the manner or time of holding office or elections, the duties of the commissioners simply being enlarged and more fully described. A great many acts have since been passed defining and regulating the powers and duties of the county commissioners but these laws have not affected the office to a great extent. COUNTY AUDITORS.

The office of county auditor was not created until 1820, when an act was passed, February 8, of that year, by which said officials were appointed by a joint resolution of the General Assembly, to hold office one year, but, in case of a vacancy occurring, the court of common pleas was authorized to fill the same. The duties of the office were defined by the same act, and, on February 2, 1821, a law was enacted, providing for the election of auditors in the following October, to hold office for one year from March 1, 1822. The power to fill vacancies had previously, by the act of 1821, been transferred to the county commissioners. Another law was passed, February 28, 1824, making the official term two years; it remained thus until in 1878, when an act was passed by the General Assembly fixing the tenure of office at three years. Prior to the creation of this office, the duties which have since been taken over by the auditor were performed by the county commissioners and their clerk. The following is a list of those who have served in this office up to the present time: 1830-44, Patrick McLene; 1845-50, John Melvin; 1851-54, John Rouse, who resigned in the fall of the latter year; November, 1854, to March, 1857, P. R. Chrisman; March, 1857, to March, 1868, Oliver P. Crabb; March, 1863, to March, 1865, J. Peetery; March, 1865, to March, 1875, Noah Thomas; March, 1875, to November, 1880, M. M. Thomas; November, 1880, to November, 1883, Samuel M. Prugh, 1883, until November, 1886, and on November 8, 1886, was appointed to fill an interim of ten months due to the change in length of term of this office, and served until. 1889; W. C. Ward, 1887-93; W. D. Wilson, 1893-99; B. A. Taylor, 1899-1905; J. J. Shaffer, 1905-11; H. M. Chaney, 1911-1915; A. M. Blacker, since October 18, 1915.

County Treasurers

The office of county treasurer was created in the Northwest Territory on August 1, 1792, but in 1799 the law was amended. On April 16, 1808, the Legislature of Ohio passed. an act conferring the power of appointing the county treasurer on the associate judges. The following year, February 13, 1804, this power was transferred to the county commissioners. It remained an appointive position until March 12, 1831, when the office was made biennially elective. The following citizens have held this office in Madison county: 1810-11, Thomas Gwynn; 1811-15, Levi H. Post, who resigned in December of the latter year; 1815-16, John Simpkins: 1817-25, Amos G. Thompson ; 1826-38, Robert Hume; 1838-50, Henry Warner; 1850-56, William A. Athey; 1856-60, William T. Davidson; 1860-64, William H. Chandler; 1864-66, Abraham Simpson; 1866-68, Alva L. Messmore; 1868-69, Horace Putnam, who began his duties in September and died in May, of the latter year, Biggs D. Thomas being appointed to fill out the unexpired term ; 1870-74, Benjamin T. Custer; 1874-78, Henry T. Strawbridge; 1878-82, E. R. Florence; 1882-86, Abraham Tanner; 1886-90, W. M. Jones; 1890-94, J. T. Vent; 1894-98, Benjamin Emery ; 1898-1902, J. Scott Chenoweth; 1902-06, R. L. Farrar; 1906-10, E. S. Gordin; 1910-14, Charles A. Wilson; since September 6, 1915, M. EH. Hummel.