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PROCEEDINGS of the
FIRST COUNTY COURT of COMMON PLEAS for MEIGS COUNTY, STATE OF OHIO, ss:
Pg 83

April Term, in the Year 1819.

     Be it remembered, That at a term of Court of Common Pleas for the county of Meigs, begun and held at the temporary seat of justice: Present, Hon. Ezra Osborn, president, judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit of the Court of Common Pleas for the State of Ohio; and Horatio Strong, Fuller Elliot and James E. Phelps, Esqs., associate judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Meigs county, who produced their several commissions under the great seal of the State of Ohio, which were read in open court.
     Robert C. Barton was appointed clerk pro tem, of the said court in complying with the requisitions of the law.  Samuel F. Vinton was appointed prosecuting attorney for the present and succeeding terms.
     The court then adjourned until tomorrow at 9 o'clock.
                                                                                         EZRA OSBORN.

     Second Day - The court met pursuant to adjournment.  Present: The same judges as of yesterday.  The clerk, on motion, produced a bond as sureties for the faithful discharge of his duties.  The same was approved, and he was duly sworn into office, and the senior associate was directed to deliver the said bond to the county treasurer.
     On motion, it was ordered that license be renewed to James E. Phelps to keep a house of entertainment at his new dwelling house on his complying with the requisitions of the law.  A notice was duly served on James E. Phelps and Fuller Elliot, Esqs., associates of the court, by Horatio Strong, senior associate, to meet at the temporary seat of justice on the twelfth day of April, instant, for the purpose of appointing a recorder of the county, according to law.  Ordered by the court that the clerk within twenty days give notice to the trustees of each township that they make a selection of grand and petit jurors, and that they return to him thereof to him in twenty days thereafter.  And he is required to have them subpoenaed to attend in their respective capacities as jurors at this place on the first day of next term, by the sheriff.  On motion, ordered that licenses be granted to George Russell for a ferry across Leading creek where he now keeps it on his complying with the regulations of the law.
     On motion, ordered that license be granted to Elisha Rathburn, of Rutland, to solemnize the bonds of matrimony.  On the application of James H. Hayman and Alexander Miller for the appointment of county surveyor, the court was equally divided and the application laid over until the next term.
     Ordered by the court that the clerk pro tem, use his private seal for all processes issuing from court until a county seal shall be provided.  The court adjourned until half-past 1 o'clock P. M.  The court met pursuant to adjournment.  Present: Horatio Strong, Fuller Elliot, James E. Phelps, Esqs., associate judges.  On petition of Thomas Ridding, of Sutton, for a license to keep a house of entertainment at his dwelling house, ordered that the clerk give him a license on his complying with the requisitions of the law.  The minutes being read and approved by the court and adjourned without day.
                                                                                     HORATIO STRONG

April 12th, 1819.
     Pursuant to request, the associate judges assembled at the temporary seat of justice.  Present: Horatio Strong, Fuller Elliot, and James E. Phelps, Esqs., associate judges.
     Robert E. Barton was appointed recorder of Meigs county, and on producing his bond was duly sworn into office by the senior associate judge, the bond having been approved.  The oath of the office was administered as follows:  I, Robert C. Barton, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of recorder of Meigs county according to the best of my abilities and understanding.  Robert C. Barton.
     Subscribed April 12th, 1819.  The oath to support the Constitution of the United States and the State of Ohio being also administered, the associates adjourned.
                                                                                     HORATIO STRONG.

                                                                                                           State of Ohio, Meigs County, ss.
     Be it remembered, That on Monday, the nineteenth day of July, 1819, the Court of Common Pleas in said county, at the meeting house in the township of Salisbury - present, the Hon. Ezra Osborn, president Judge; Horatio Strong, Fuller Elliot and James E. Phelps, associate judge - the venire for grand jurors was returned and the following jurors empaneled, to wit:  Foreman, Daniel Rathburn; David Lindsey, Adam Harpold, Jesse Worthing, Joel Smith, Silas Knight, James Shields, Jr., George Roush, Jas. Bigson, Calvin Marvin, John H. Sayre, Alvin Ogden, Joseph Hoit; Major Reid, talisman.
     Then follows the licensing of different men for various purposes, the trial of persons for various offenses, consisting largely of "fist-i-cuffs," and probate business is omitted.

                                                                                                             State of Ohio, Meigs County, ss.
                                                                                                                November Term, A.D. 1819

     Be it remembered, That on Monday, the twenty-second day of November, in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and nineteen, the Court of Common Pleas met at the meeting house in Salisbury township.  Present: The Hon. Ezra Osborn, president judge, and James F. Phelps and Fuller Elliot, county, 1819.
     Review of proceedings by S. C. Larkin.

     The design of the following resumé is to elucidate facts that relate to the history of Meigs county, but are not generally understood.
     By a law of Congress, Section 29 in every township of six miles square in the Ohio Company's purchase should be reserved for ministerial purposes.  The land upon which this meeting house stood belonged to Salisbury township, and the Courts of Common Pleas were held in it for two years, when, unfortunately, it was burned down.  Mr. Levi Stedman, of Chester, invited the judges to hold court in his house.  When the second set of commissioners met, they went where the court was held, and decided to locate the county seat, as Mr. Levi Stedman offered to make a good deed of land, enough to lay out a town.  The offer was accepted.  The county seat was located there, the town laid out and named Chester.  The question was asked why the county seat was not located at Middleport?  Mr. Benjamin Smith and his wife Alma had agreed to donate a gift of land for a town and to secure it by a good title deed.  Smith had given a bond for $5000, with his brother, John Smith, and Samuel Everett as sureties, but it has been stated that upon reconsidering the matter, Mrs. Smith refused to acknowledge the deed, which she had a right to do, according to the law of Ohio.  The commissioner did not bring suit against the sureties, as John Smith lived on his father's farm, and Samuel Everett was a young man not owning any real estate.  The judges claimed that nothing could be realized more than the cost of suit, and they should not be blamed for not ordering or permitting the commissioner, Eli Sigler, from commencing suit.  S. C. L.

EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OF THE PROCEEDINGS
of the FIRST COMMISSIONERS
of MEIGS COUNTY, STATE OF OHIO,
APRIL 30th, 1819.
Pg. 87

     The commissioners of said county met this day, to-wit, Levi Stedman and William Alexander, who, after being duly sworn by Archibald Murray, a justice of the peace for the county aforesaid, and lodging a certificate thereof in the office of the Court of Common Pleas for the said county, proceeded to business.
     Benjamin Stout, duly elected sheriff of said county, presented a bond, of which the following is a copy, which was approved and delivered to the county treasurer:
     Know all men by these presents:  That I, Benjamin Stout, as principal, and Levi Stedman and Philip Jones, as sureties, all of the county of Meigs and State of Ohio, are held and firmly bound to Levi Stedman, Alexander  and Elijah Runner, commissioners of the county aforesaid, and to their successors in office in the full and just sum of four thousand dollars, current money of Ohio, for which sum well and truly to be paid, we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators firmly by these presents.  Signed and sealed this thirteenth day of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen.
     The condition of the above obligation is such, that, whereas the above bounden Benjamin Stout was duly elected sheriff of the county aforesaid, on the fifth day of April, inst., and was also duly proclaimed as such on the twelfth day of April, to serve until the annual election in October next.  Now, therefore, if the said Benjamin Stout shall well and truly perform all the duties of sheriff of the county aforesaid and account for and pay over all the moneys by him collected according to law, then this obligation will be null and void; otherwise remain in full force and virtue.

[Seal] Benjamin Stout
[Seal] Levi Stedman   
[Seal] Philip Jones      

     Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of Robert C. Barton.
     Philip Jones, of Salisbury, was appointed county treasurer to serve until the annual meeting in June next, and having produced bond for the faithful discharge of his duties the same was approved.  Robert C. Barton was appointed clerk (pro tem).
     Resolved, That the tavern of James E. Phelps, of Salisbury and that of Thomas Redding, of Sutton, pay six dollars each for a license for one year ensuing.  And that George Russell pay two dollars for a renewal of license to keep a ferry over Leading creek where he now keeps it.
     June 7th, 1819.  Commissioners met this day.
     Present:  Levi Stedman, William Alexander and Elijah Runner.  The last named was duly qualified by William Alexander, a justice of the peace, and a certificate thereof lodged with the clerk of Common Pleas Court.  Benjamin Stout, of Orange township, was appointed collector of the county for the year 1819, and Philip Jones was appointed county treasurer for one year from this date, and having produced a bond for the faithful performance of his duties in office, the same was approved.
     Resolved, That the three sections lately belonging to Cheshire township and numbered 24, 30 and 36, being with in the county of Meigs, be and the same are hereby attached to the township of Rutland.  And that the three sections lately belonging to the township of Cheshire and numbered 6, 12, and 18, being in the county of Meigs, be and the same are hereby attached to Salisbury township.
     Resolved, That the original surveyed Township No. 9, in Range 13, be and the same is hereby attached to the township of Orange.
     Rates of ferriage across the Ohio river that persons licensed to ferry are entitled to demand, viz.:  Each foot man, 10 cents; for one man and horse, 20 cents; for a loaded wagon and team, 100 cents; for any other four-wheeled carriage, 75 cents; for a loaded cart and team, 50 cents; for an empty wagon and team 37½ cents; for an empty cart or sled or sleigh and team, 18¾ cents; for every horse, mare, mule or ass or head of neat cattle, 5 cents; for every sheep or hog, 3 cents.
     Rates of ferriage across Leading creek; For each foot man, 6¼ cents; for a man and horse, 12½ cents; for a loaded wagon and team, 50 cents; for any other four-wheeled carriage, 37½ cents; for loaded cart, 25 cents; for an empty cart and team, sled or sleigh and team, 18¾ cents; for every horse, mare, mule, ass or head of meat cattle, 5 cents; for every hog or sheep, 3 cents.
     Resolved, That ten dollars be allowed to the clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for services not otherwise provided for, and one dollar for opening the poll books from April 5th to June 7th, 1819.  And that one dollar and sixty-seven cents be allowed to Benjamin Stout, Esq., sheriff of said county, for similar services.
     Resolved, That there be allowed to the clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for the ensuing year the sum of fifty dollars in full for all services wherein the State may fail in prosecution, the same to be paid quarterly.
     Resolved, That there be allowed to the sheriff of the Court of Common Pleas for the ensuing year the sum of forty-dollars in full for services wherein the State may fail in prosecutions which may be commenced, and that the sum of three dollars be allowed for opening and certifying poll books, the same to be paid quarterly.
     Resolved, That all persons required by law to bring returns to the office of the county commissioners or clerk of the Court of Common Pleas be allowed 5 cents per mile for travel - the same for commissioners - and $2.25 cents per day for services.
     Proceedings approved by the Court of Common Pleas, July 24th, 1819.
     The board adjourned until the twenty-first of July, 1819.
     An application was made this day to divide the township of Orange.
     Resolved, that said township of Orange be divided as follows:   Beginning on the Ohio river at the southeast corner of Section 29, Township 3, Range 11, west to the northwest corner of Section No. 5, Township 3, Range 12; thence north to the county line; thence east with said line to the Ohio river; thence with the meanderings of said river to the place of beginning; and that the name of the township be Olive.
     Then follows a detailed account of expenses, much of which had to be paid in county orders.
     Dec. 6th, 1819.  At a meeting of commissioners, present were Samuel Downing and Philip Jones, this being the first meeting of the commissioners since the October election of 1819.
     They proceeded to draw lots agreeable to law, Robert C. Barton, being authorized to draw for William Alexander in case he was not present.  In drawing of lots, it appeared that William Alexander was to serve one year, Philip Jones two years and Samuel Downing three years.

     Section 2.  That all lands subject to taxation shall be rated or classed as first, second and third rate, agreeably to the following rules, to-wit:  In all cases where the largest proportion of a tract of land is of the best quality, it shall be denominated first rate and shall be taxed annually as such.
     Section 3.  Be it further enacted, That there shall be levied and paid yearly and every year on each hundred acres of land of the first rate on dollar and fifty cents.
     On each hundred acres of second rate land, one dollar; and on each hundred acres of third rate land fifty cents, and in the same proportion for any greater or less number of acres.
     Section 48.  Be it enacted, That 25 per cent of the net amount of taxes collected shall be paid into treasury of such county for county purposes. 
     On February 24th, 1824, a law was passed altering the amount of tax on the different rates of land, as follows:
     First rate land, $1.25.  Second rate land, 87½ cents.  Third rate was 56 cents.
     Section 2.  Twenty per cent. of the net tax collected to be paid into the county treasury.
     February 23, 1824, another act of the Legislature fixes the rates of stud horses not to exceed the rate for which he stands for the season, but on all other horses, mares, mules and asses three years old and upwards a sum not to exceed 30 cents per year.   On all neat cattle three yeas old and upwards, 10 cents per head.  On other property made taxable by this act, not to exceed one-half of 1 per cent, of the appraised value.
     The reason why the substance of the tax laws has been quoted here is in order to show that in the early years of Meigs county and in former years the Legislature of Ohio always limited the amount of tax to be raised, giving the commissioners of a county no authority to go beyond such limits.  Great care was taken not to allow corporations to run the people into debt, as they now do, entailing upon future generations a heavy debt, a grievous burden to be borne.
     The amount of revenue for Meigs county was not sufficient to pay expenses, and order on the county treasury became so depreciated as to bring only 50 cents on the dollar and became an article of trade.  Merchants would pay in goods, 50 cents for a dollar, and sell the same in money to taxpayers, who would pay tax with it to the amount of its face.  What little money was paid into the treasury was used for expenses that orders would not pay.
     The method of grading land into first, second and third grades and for fixing the amount of tax for each 100 acres, according to the respective rates for state purposes, was enacted Feb. 18th, 1804, and was continued with slight alterations up to the first years of Meigs county as heretofore mentioned, but no part of it was allowed for county purposes. 
     The law of levies for county purposes by assessing a tax on stock, etc., was continued at about the same rate until after Meigs county was organized, which law was enacted Feb. 19th, 1805.

     At the pioneer meeting in 1885 Mrs. Dolly Knight had a most interesting paper concerning early days about Chester, from which some extracts are taken of facts not included in the former papers.  "In 1798, Peter Grow and Levi Stedman built their first cabins in what afterwards became the town of Chester, but they did not remove their families until a year later.  Mrs. Grow died before the cabins were ready for occupancy, but the father, with six motherless children, came to the place of their future home.  Mrs. Stedman shared with her husband all the privation of those primitive times.  She, too, had a 'bear story,' for one time when Mr. Stedman was away from home she heard something disturbing the pigs in the pen and discovered a bear.   She resorted to firebrands, throwing them vigorously.  The bear retreated, not getting fresh pork for supper.  Many families who came from Vermont and Massachusetts and located on Shade river, in and about Chester, in the first years of 1800 ought to be included in pioneer history.  Thomas L. Halsey, 1792, bought land of the Ohio Company's purchase; Jacob and Joel Cowdery in 1807 and 1808, and the Branch, the Rice and Walker families and others.  Those families from the New England states brought their ideas of education with them, and until they could have a common school they would work hard by day and in the evening teach their children.  They succeeded in bringing up some intelligent sons and daughters.  Their books were few, but well chosen and carefully read.  After Meigs county was made and organized, with the county seat located at Chester, the principal lawyers to attend the sessions of Common Pleas Court were Samuel F. Vinton and Thomas Ewing."

     In various communications that have been submitted to us there has been much of the same character related by Mrs. Knight, so we have taken the liberty of making extracts from her excellent paper instead of using the entire history. - S. C. L.
     It is a serious fact that among the first early settlers in what is now Meigs county and who bought land, that no subsequent account of their lives or families has been obtained, an omission which at this late day it is almost impossible to supply after the lapse of nearly a century.  We find in the records of deeds of Washington county and of Gallia county names of men who bought land and made homes in what is now Meigs county.  Ezra and Joshua Chapman and Levi Chapman purchased land dating to 1787.  Ezra and Joshua Chapman lived and died in Letart township.  Henry Roush bought thirty-six acres of land in 1808 in Letart.  Adam Harpold, in 1812, a farm in Letart township.  Thomas Alexander, first, in 1803.  After 1810, there seems to have been a steady influx of families from Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York, as well as the earlier emigrants from New England.  The names of Sayre, Hall and Price are presented by a large number of people living in Meigs county.

     GEORGE C. COOPER was a son of Abraham Cooper and Margaret Cooper, nee Wetzel, daughter of Lewis Wetzel, of frontier notoriety.  Mr. Cooper lived in Charter several years as a salesman in Colonel David Barber's store.  Moving to Middleport, he was an active member of the Meigs County Pioneer Society, being the first corresponding secretary of the same.  Mr. Cooper was one of the most upright, reliable of men and universally respected.  He died in Middleport, Ohio, in 1878.

     PERSIS O. COOPER, nee Blackstone, wife of George W. Cooper, was born in Athens, Ohio, May 22nd, 1822.  She was a grand-daughter of Major John White.  She died at New Carlisle, Ohio, July 23rd, 1894.

     MAJOR JOHN WHITE was born in 1758 in Pomfret, Conn., and was a soldier in the Revolutionary army.  He was said to be one of the bodyguards at the execution of Major Andre, and was familiar with all the circumstances connected with the attempted betrayal of the army by Benedict Arnold.  He was one of a company that landed at Marietta in 1789 and lived in the blockhouse, serving at times as an Indian scout.  While here he married Priscilla Duval.  After his marriage he moved to Waterford, subsequently to Athens county, until the death of his wife in 1838, when he came to his son-in-law's and daughter's, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Fair, of Chester, Meigs county, with whom he remained until his decease, in his eighty-seventh year.  He is buried in the Chester cemetery.

     SAMUEL ERVIN built a cabin near the site of what is known as the "Horton boatyard" in 1807, being the first settlers of the town of Pomeroy.  Amos Partlow came in 1809 and built his cabin about where the Excelsior Salt Works are situated, and that was the second house.  The third cabin was erected by Frank Hughes on the ground where the court house stands, and John Mason put a cabin on Sugar run, being the fourth dwelling house in Pomeroy.  Mr. Ervin vacated his house in favor of John Bailey and built another cabin at the mouth of Kerr's run; lived there in 1815, when he sold to Nathan Clark, who was therefore about the fifth settler of the town of Pomeroy.  Some of the above mentioned improvements were sold to other parties.  Clark sold his improvement to Robert Bailey or Randall Stivers, who afterwards sold to Major Dill.  Nial Ney bought a lot of Dill and built the first store house, where he kept the first post office in Pomeroy in 1827.  Mr. John Knight bought the improvement made by Mr. Erwin of a Mr. Miles, and Samuel Grant bought the Partlow improvement.
     Robert Bailey, Elihu Higley, John Bailey, David Bailey, Hedgeman Hysell, Leonard Hysell and Elam Higley met at the house of Samuel Ervin and from there started to Gallipolis and volunteered under General Tupper to serve in the War of 1812.
     Thomas Ervin, Robert Bailey, David Bailey and John Bailey were pioneer keelboat men, who boated salt from Kanawha to Pittsburg, the boat being owned by P. Green and Jack Allen.
     The first public road cut through the woods from Gallipolis to Chester was opened by Samuel Ervin, Asahel Cooley and Hamilton Kerr. [Note. - The date of this road is not given, but there were settlements on Leading creek and at Athens as early as at Chester, and may have been opened as early by way of these settlements form Gallipolis to Athens.]  It should be borne in mind that many roads were barely marked out for horse or foot men that were never opened for teams.  Mr. Thomas Matthews settled in Chester in 1798 or 1799, and he told me (Larkin) while we were in company passing over the hill on the Rutland road in Middleport that there was where he and Hamilton Kerr and some other men whose names are forgotten located a road to Shade river, crossing Leading creek where the K. & M. Railroad crosses that stream, running immediately up the point of that hill and following the ridge all the way west of Middleport and Pomeroy, but that road was never opened for teams.  S. C. L.
     Mr. Ervin stated that in 1814 the Ohio river was very high, so that his father, Samuel Ervin and family, were compelled to leave the cabin and take shelter in a cave, where they lived seven days and nights, in much discomfort, as it was in the month of February.

Rutland, Ohio, March 29th, 1878.

To the Teacher and Scholars of the School in Pleasant Valley:
     We propose to write a few items in relation to the early history and settlement of the little spot of earth that appears to be of so much importance and which in reality is so very interesting to the inhabitants of what is now called Pleasant Valley, the lawn where now stands the seat of learning and capitol for this community, together with its surroundings up and down the vale -

When wild turkeys and deer,
And old black bears that prowled,
Were sought by hunters here,
Through wolves as sentries howled.

     This place in those olden days was called in White Oak Flats.  Now it has been three score and ten years since the first settlement was made within its borders.  I will relate a few incidents.  Soon after the Hon. Brewster Higley settled with his family near the mouth of the middle fork of Leading creek in the spring of 1799, and not far from the mouth of Great run, which drains the water of this little valley into the channel of that little creek.  Mr. Levi Stedman had established himself on Shade river at a point where Chester now stands and had built a mill for the grinding of wheat for the settlers.  It became necessary that a road should be opened between the two places.  Accordingly, it was agreed that Mr. Levi Stedman was a party from Shade river and a company from Leading creek, under the direction of Mr. Brewster Higley, should meet near the place where little George Russell lived at the forks of Thomas Creek.  The parties having met, proceeded to mark out the road to their respective homes.  The Leading creek party marked the way very near where it is now established.  When they passed through a very thick wood on what is now the Stow farm and on through the low gap to a place by the west line of the McGuire land, it being in June and night had overtaken them, the darkness was intense, not a gleam of light to direct them, when one of their number thought of an expedient, which was to get into the channel of that little stream, exceedingly crooked as it was, and to follow its meanderings to the mouth, which was open grand, so they all got safely home.  This occurred in 1804 or 1805.
     The first settler in this valley was Abel Larkin, who moved into his cabin April 1st, 1808, on the northeast a corner of Section No. 7, in Rutland township.  The second settler was Joseph Richardson, a little west, in 1809, who sold to Samuel Danforth in 1811..  Mr. Danforth resided there until his death in 1845.  The place had been occupied by different families until now, 1878, it is owned by John F. Stevens.  Richard Cook and James McGuire came with their families from Marietta in 1813 and settled on Section No. 1.  Earl P. Archer came about that time and bought land in 1814, and Elihu Higley married Nancy Cook and settled on Section No. 2 in 1816.  Bereman Bailey located a farm a little north in 1827.  Hazael Lathrop, who framed more buildings in this neighborhood than any other man in his time, came from New York in 1817.  He married Catharine, a daughter of Billy Wright, and lived in a cabin on the eastern border of Section No. 8.  He moved father west in 1825, but after seventy years that strip of land is known as the "Lathrop Place."
     Mr. Richard Cook died July 17th, 1840, aged seventy-three years.  His wife, Irene Cook, nee Hodge, died Oct. 7th, 1839, aged seventy-three years.
     About 1812 James McGuire bought a farm in Pleasant Valley.  He was born in Ireland Aug. 14th, 1877.  He emigrated to Marietta and there married the Widow Murray, who had four children - William, John, Eliza and Matilda.  Mrs. McGuire's maiden name of Mary Garnet.  She was a sister of the mother of John Brough the famous war Governor of Ohio.  A little story was current about Esquire Brough, father of the Governor, of his queer decisions when an acting magistrate.  He made the witness pay the cost of prosecution in a case of larceny.  A mechanic living in Harmar and working in Marietta had a canoe to go over to his work an back for his meals.  Persons troubled him by taking away his canoe when he wanted it.  He therefore gave notice that he would prosecute the first one that did it.  So the next day a man came along and asked where such a man had gone.  He saw him take the canoe and go out of the mouth of the Muskingum.  "Did you see him do that?"  "Yes."  Dropping his tools, he went to Esquire Brough for a warrant, and the man and the witness were soon before the court.  There is witness said he did not see the man take the canoe, that he said so "for a joke."  The judge figured a little and said, "I find the prisoner not guilty.  So much cost for the witness to pay." Then, addressing the witness, ordered him to pay it over quick or he would send him to jail for contempt of court, so the witness forked it over.
 

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