Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-01-22
"a CHA - g @
Thro'g gh Eighty-six Years of
Jhio's History.
Sketches of All the Governors and
Descripi ions of State Buildings.

Sketches of All the Governors an
Description of State Buildings
From the ohio slate Journal 18th inst.
A quarter Of a century ago Williar
Allen, an active man in the politics
the State and Nation for nearly twent
years previous, retired from the Unlte
States Senate; and ever since ne mas re
manned in retirement, while new OF
! der of politicians and statesmen SUI
ceeded him and his cotemporarles. Iii
re-appearance in public life as the Gov
ernor of Ohio, tie duties of which oilic
ne assumed yesterday, quite naturall.
leads to a rehearsal of events In tn
history of the State, occurring at tn
time OF his political prime. Sketche
of the Governors was the form w
adopted, and then the work seemed in
complete without going back, to tn
commencement. Accordingly we have
searched the books, blown the dus
FROM musty archives, and industrious
ly cross-eXamined the oldest 1nhabl
tants; and now present, as an approprl
ate introduction to the unusual inau
grral demonstration of yesterday, brle
sketches of all the Governors OF Ohio
that have occupied the Executive chail
since the promulgatior of the first ter
ritQrial government in the forests O
Washington county, together with
some account of the peregrinations o.
of the Capital, with interesting points
ia local history:
ARTHUR ST. CLAIR.
Under the act of Congress of July
IA, 1887, Arthur st. Clair was appoint
ed Governor of the Northwestern Ter
ri,ory. He arrived at Marietta on the
morning of the 9th of July, 1888, and
on the 18th of the same month publish
ed the ordinance of Congress for the
government of the Territory, his COM
mission, and those of the Secretary and
Judges. On the 26th, the Governor,
by proclamation, created the county o.
Washington, having within its limits
about one-half of the present State OF
Ohio; aud on the ID of January, 1870,
at Fort Washington (now Cincinnati),
he created the county of Hamilton,
the western half of the
State. Under the act of Congress of
1871, Gov. st. Clair was military as well
as civil Governor. Wilhelm command
of the troops, at the headwaters of the
Wabash river, on the Sd of Now, 1f91, {,
he met with great disaster. In the
spring Of 1878, st. Clair resigned his
command (still remaining Go
verBor), and Gen. Anthony Wayne was
Gmmander-in-Ch In
obedience to preclamation OF Gov. st.
Clair, the people assembled on the Sd
Monday of Decemhar 10 elect repre-
to General Assembly which
was to meet on the I'D of January,
1893. Ten representatives were elect
ed, from whom the President selected
five, who were appointed member5 OF
the Legislative Council, or Upper
House of the Assembly. The first Ter
ritorial Legislature met on the 10th
day of Sept, 1899, and the event was
one which produced much pleasure
among the peoiae. Daring all the pre-
eeding period qf the existence. OF the
Territory the people had
been Govern d by laws made by the
Governor. and Judges, or by the Pro-
ofthe Governor. The Gov
ernment WAS arbitrary, and even after
the Organization oil the Territorial Leg
islature, the GoyerHor claimed much
legislative authority Ra4er the act OF
Congress. In. 1890 the people applied
for admission into the Uni0sa ~ a State.
The law to admit was passed on the
Both of April, 1902. A Constitutional
assembled at Chlllicoths ssD
he 1st Of Nov. following, and in ~
lays framed Constitution which was
On the 18th of Feb, 1903, Congress
passed can act to provide for the due
execution ol the laws of the U. States,
within the State of Ohio" By this
lct Ohio became a sovereign State of
he Union, the Governorship of Arthur
It, Clair ended, and he retired from
,ublc life. He removed TO Pennsyl-
'ania, where he diedin poEssty and of
legleet.
The. first Governor of the Ste e was
edward Tiffin. He was elected by the
eople, and sworn in on the Sd OF
Iarch, 1903, about two weeks after
,hio became, in fact, q State. The 1irst
ieneral Assembly under the State Con-
assembled at eGhlllicothe on !
he Ist of March, 1903. Ti4in had been |
peaker Of the Territorial Legislature |
nd President OF the Constitutional |
He was Governor until |
30S, when he resigned TO go the Uni |
ed States Senate, where he served two |
ears. 5.diiThe principal event in the his
Dry of Ohio, during the administration |
{ Tiffin, was the expedition of Colonel |
,urr and his associates in 1906.
THOMAS KIRKER,
resident of the Senate, became acting
Governor for part of the year 1908, af-
Or the resignation of Tiffin. Kirker
ad been a member of the Convention
,hich formed the State Constitution,
nd subsequently was member of the
eneral assembly of the State, and is
scorded i'm history as among those
tho, at the session in 1824-5, voted for
ne first efficient act for making our ca
ais. He WAS Representative from
dams county. l
SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
,as the next elected Governor, and
srved two years, going out of Office in
$40. Either before or after his term as
Governor, Huntington was Judge of
ne Supreme Court of the State. He
'as also a member of the first Consti-
ltional Convention. 1t was during his
1ministration as Governor, or shortly
fter his retirement, that the Legisla-
Ire removed the seat of Government
om Chillicothe to GAINESVILLE. i'm 1910.
lie was citizen of Trumbull county.
RETURN JONATHAN MEIGS
Huntington as Governor and
rived till 1914. Living in Washing
m county, where Arthur st. Clair
rst began operations, he was promi-
ent in the early history of Ohio, espe-
ally so in the Territorial and State
rganizations. In June, 1892, Meigs
ad an adventure with two Indians on
le bank of the Muskingum river,
-hirh Is preserved i'm Drint Moioc |