CHAPTER VI.
ORGANIC HISTORY
pg. 275-288

Transactions of Commissioners of Mercer County in re Allen County (see Amanda Township - Transactions of the Commissioners' Board, 1831 -1858 - Reorganization of 1848 - County Buildings, Past and Present - Tower Clock - Contract for Building Pioneer Jail - County Infirmary.

     ON the organization of Ohio Territory, Washington County was established with its western limits resting on the Scioto River, and its northern on Lake Erie.  In 1790 Hamilton County was organized.  In 1796 Wayne County was set off, and within the two following years five more counties were established.  In 1800 Fairfield and Trumbull were established.  In 1803 the counties of Gallia, Scotia, Franklin, Columbiana, Butler, Warren, Greene and Montgomery were added.  IN 1805 Athens was formed from Washington County.  In 1804 Muskingum was established; in 1805 Highland and Champaign; in 1807 Ashtabula, Portage, Cuyahoga and Miami; in 1808 Stark, Preble, Knox, Licking, Delaware, Tuscarawas; in 1809 Darke, Huron; in 1810 Pickaway, Madison, Clinton, Fayette, Guernsey; in 1811 Coshocton; in 1812 Medina; in 1813 Monroe and Richland; in 1814 Hocking and Harrison; in 1815 Pike; in 1816 Jackson, Lawrence; in 1817 Clark, Logan, Perry, Brown; in 1818 Morgan; in 1819 Shelby and Meigs; in 1820 Allen, Crawford, Marion, Mercer, Hardin, Hancock, Henry, Williams, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Union, Van Wert and Wood.  The last named counties, including Allen, were set off from Indian Territory, and were not organized for years after their establishment, and in the case of Allen County, not for fourteen years after the treaty of the Maumee Rapids.
     The organic act of 1820 provided that the lands ceded by the Indians in the treaty of Maumee should be divided into fourteen counties, viz: Townships 1, 2, and 3 south, in 1, 2, 3 and 4 Ranges to form Van Wert; all of Ranges 1, 2, 3 and 4 south of Townships 1, 2 and 3 south, to form Mercer; all of Townships 1 and 2 south, and 1 and 2 north in Ranges 5, 6, 7 and 8, to form Putnam; and lastly all of the second townships to the northern limits of the organized counties to form Allen County.  This act further provided that Allen County be attached to Shelby County for judicial purposes.  Subsequently Allen was attached to Mercer until the organization of 1831.  In 1829 Christopher Wood, of Allen, was nominated by the Legislature, with Justin Hamilton, of Mercer, and Adam Barber, of Putnam, a Board of Commissioners to locate the seat of justice for each of the counties which they represented.  This was accomplished, and the organization of the county followed in 1831.  The progress made toward advancing the interests of Allen County, so far as the Commissioners were concerned, is pointed out in the following resume of their transactions.  (In the history of Amanda Township the part taken by the Commissioners of Mercer County is related.
     The County Commissioners, James Daniels, John G. Woods and Samuel Stewart, with William G. Wood, Secretary, met June 6, 1831.  A petition for the organization of Jackson Township was considered and granted.  Authority was also granted to organize the township of Sciota.  The Assessor was allowed $11 for his services.  A road from Section 12, Township 3 south, Range 8 east to the county seat, was authorized, and Francis Stephenson, John Cochran and Samuel Jacobs appointed to lay out such road, with Justin Hamilton, surveyor.  Joseph Crawford was appointed to keep the standard measure for Allen County.  A levy of 8 mills on the dollar was ordered.
     The meeting of August 27 merely contracted with Josiah Crawford to build the first court house for $175.  Oct. 1, 1831, the Commissioners appointed Henry Lippincott to prepare plans for "fixing some place of confinement for Uri Martin, under arrest as an insane person."
     Morgan Lippincott's name appears upon the roll of Commissioners in December, 1831, when a meeting was held at the house of Absalom Brown at Lima.  The construction of the State Road and other matters were considered.  Authority was also granted to organize the Township of German.  Christopher Wood, Director of the town of Lima, was ordered to sell out lots as surveyed by James W. Riley.
     The order to organize Auglaize Township was issued Mar. 5, 1832.  On the same day the records made by Nathan Daniels, late Recorder, were ordered to be transcribed by John Ward, then Recorder, on account of Daniels' ink not being good.
     On June 4, 1832, Adam White was appointed County Treasurer vice Josiah Crawford who was elected, but failed to give bonds.  In December, 1832, John P. Mitchell took his place on the Board at a meeting held at James Edward's house December 3, with Lippincott and Daniels.  The town of Scotia was disestablished, and that district attached to Auglaize Township for judicial purposes.
     The first meeting of the Commissioners in the new court house was held Mar. 4, 1833.  A petition presented by Griffith John praying for the enlargement of German Township was granted.  Authority was given to organize the township of Deuchoquette, election to be held at J. Ayres' house in Wapakonetta.  In June, 1833, authority was granted to organize Wayne Township, as prayed for in a petition presented by Bazzle Day.  July 1, 1833, the contract for building the jail was let to David Tracey for $179.  Up to this date the amount realized fro the sale of town lots in Lima was $3,317.19½.
     In December, 1833, Griffith John, John P. Mitchell and James Daniels presided as Commissioners.  In March, 1834, a petition presented by Benjamin F. Cochran, asking for the establishment of a new township off the north end of Amanda, was granted, and Marion Township was ordered to be organized.  At this session Town 5 south, Range 7 east, was set off as a township to be named Union.  The establishment of Perry Township, or Township 4 south, Range 7 east, was authorized and an election ordered to e held at Joseph Crossley's in April, 1834.  In April, 1834, James A. Anderson was appointed Appraiser to revalue the real estate of the county in accordance with the Legislative Act of Feb. 24, 1834.  Silas Faurot was Assessor.  In June, 1834, Isaac Bowyer appeared before the Commissioners and made oath that the sum of $96 was all he had out bearing interest instead of $206, for which he was assessed.  The Board placed the value on Tompkin's mill at $300 and a like value on Lippincott's mill.  The Capital of E. C. Case was reduced from $2,000 to $1,500 for assessment, and the value of Barnett & Co's mill at Wapakonetta raised from $250 to $300.
     On November, 1834, James H. Coleman, Griffith John and James A. Anderson, County Commissioners, appointed Samuel Black, Auditor.  On December 1, a petition presented by E. Hover asking that Township 4, Range 6, be set off into a separate township, was granted, and the name Shawnee adopted.  An election was ordered to be held at Ezekiel Hover's house, Dec. 13, 1834.  It was decreed that so much of original Township 4 south, Range 5 east, as previously belonged to German Township, should be attached to Amanda.  Town 6 south, Range 6 east, was set off as Pusheta Township, and an election ordered to be held at Joseph Moyer's house on December 20.  Town 6 south, Range 5 east was set off under the name Washington, and an election ordered to be held December 20, at the house of George Epperson.  Owing to the change in Jackson Township, so much of Township 3 south, Range 7 east, as belonged to Jackson previous to alteration was attached to Bath Township.
     The petition to have original Town 3, Range 8 east, set off as a separate township and to retain the original name, Jackson, was granted.  A petition to have original Township 6 south, Range 7 east, to be made the limits of township, and to be designated Clay, was granted.  An election was ordered to be held at James H. Coleman's house, Dec. 20, 1834.  A petition was presented Dec. 7, 1835, from the people of Township 5 south, Range 5 east, by Joseph Haskell, praying to be set off as a separate township under the name Moulton.  This petition was granted, and an election ordered to be held at Joseph Haskell's house, Jan. 30, 1836.  In April, 1836, three Trustees and a Treasurer were elected to take charge of School Section 16, in Union Township.
     Henry B. Thorn, Griffith John and John Brand, Commissioners, Samuel Black, Auditor, and D. H. Stuckey, Assessor, formed the Equalization Board in 1836-37.  In December, 1836, the township of Goshen was formed out of Wayne, and an election ordered to be held at Eli B. Corson's house, Dec. 17, 1836.
     Michael Leatherman, Henry B. Thorn and John Brand opened the Commissioners' Court in January, 1837.  In May, 1837, D. D. Tompkins, William Cunningham and Lorin Kennedy were appointed Fund Commissioners, under the Legislative Act of Mar. 28, 1837, to take charge of the surplus revenue of the county.  Throughout the years 1835, 1836, and 1837 the principal business of the Board consisted in granting petitions for county and state roads and auditing accounts.
     In December, 1837, John Schooler, Henry B. Thorn and John Brand formed the Commissioners' Board.  The establishment of county roads and alteration of roads already established may be said to have occupied the attention of the Board during the year 1838.  James Spray replaced Henry B. Thorn on the Board in December, 1838.  The establishment of roads, alteration of roads, both State and county, formed the main business of the Board.  In December, 1839, John M. Wilson replaced Commissioner Spray.  Mar. 17, 1840, the Commissioners adopted plans for a new court house and jail, made by Chatfield, of Urbana, and let the contract for building to Orlando Broughton, of Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, he binding himself to furnish material and to build and complete the house for $13,325.  Of the sum required the Fund Commissioners were to furnish $10,000.  The contractors were to complete the work by Jan. 1, 1843.
     In December, 1840, Henry B. Thorn took John Schooler's place on the Board.  In July, 1841, the pioneer court house and jail and Lots 88 and 130 were sold at public auction.  In December, 1841, Shadrach Montgomery and Charles H. Williams were sworn in as Commissioners and took their places on the Board with John Brand.  In December, 1842, Charles C. Marshall took John Brand's place on the Board and on the 7th of that month the Commissioners took possession of the new court house.  John M. Anderson was appointed Recorder vice John Alexander, Jr., resigned.
     Matthew Dobbins took his seat as Commissioner, Dec. 4, 1843, vice C. H. Williams, whose term of office expired.  During the ensuing year the Board transacted very important business outside establishment of roads.  A settlement with Collectors whose accounts were in bad shape, one with bondsmen of Merchant Veil, who is stated to have made a false inventory with a view of defeating the objects of County Assessor and Collector, a refund for the amount of counterfeit money paid out by one of the Trustees of the Surplus Fund, and other measures of a like character were acted upon, such as the correction of the deed given by the State for the town of Lima.  In October, 1844, Nicholas Zanlein replaced Montgomery on the Commissioners' Board.  Jacob B. Haller replaced C. C. Marshall on the Board in December, 1845.  During this session $250 were allowed to the editor of the Argus for printing the delinquent lists of 1845.  George W. Andrews was also ordered to remove his printing office from the grand jury room, for which a sum of $25 per annum rental was ordered to be retained out of the $250 due to him.  During the winter of 1845-46, the debtors room in the court house was used occasionally as a ball-room.  In March, 1846, the Commissioners had the subject brought before them and orders were directed to the Sheriff to put a stop to such gaiety in that room.  In March, 1846, the county was divided into assessors' districts.  District No. 1 comprised Jackson, Bath, Perry, Auglaize Townships; District No. 2, German, Marion, Amanda and Shawnee; District No. 3, Deuchoquette, Moulton, Washington and Pusheta; and District No. 4, Clay, Union, Wayne and Goshen.  The Assessors appointed were John M. Wilson, 1st District; Griffith John, 2d District; John Elliott, 3d District; Hugh F. Rinehart, District No. 4.  The amount of tax to be levied was estimated at $7,8978.  In December, 1846, Samuel Walker replaced Matthew Dobbins on the Board.  In February, 1848, Thomas K. Jacobs was appointed County Treasurer, vice Alex Beatty deceased.

REORGANIZATION OF 1848.

COUNTY BUILDINGS.

THE NEW COURT HOUSE.

THE TOWER CLOCK.

THE COUNTY JAIL.

[ PORTRAIT OF HENRY MORRIS ]

THE COUNTY INFIRMARY.

     The buildings known as the County Infirmary were erected in 1857-58.  The county poor farm occupies the southwest quarter of Section 22, the northwest one-half of the northwest one-quarter of Section 27, and the northeast one-half of the northeast quarter of Section 28, Bath Township, about three and one half miles distant from the court house.  The first Board of Directors elected in 1858 comprised John B. Reeder, David Bryte and James Chenoweth.  Previous to this election, however, Curtis Baxter, Shelby Taylor and David Bryte were appointed Directors.  The Directors since 1858 are named in the political chapter.

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