Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-01-04
Report Of the Secretary Of Stat e

Anake.
Report Of the Secretary Of state.
The annual report Of the Secretary of
State for the year 1876, has been filed
wit the Governor.
During the year there have been
granted charters to 326 corporations,
with an aggregate capital stock of
$50, ,734 800. Thirteen companies have
increased d their capital stock during the
year $64, Ola, 800.
The report contains Brief History
of the Territory West ot the River
Ohiu, by Isaac Smucker, of which the
following is brief synopsis.
Virginia acquired tile to the Great
Northwest by its. several charters,
granted by James /, hearing date re-
,spectively April 10, 1906, May %, 1909.
and March II, 1911. The colony of
Virginia first attempted to exercise au-
thority over the Territory in 1863.
Civil government, however, between
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers was
more in name than in reality until in
1878, after the conquest of the country
by General G orge Roger Clark, when
the Virginia Legislature organized the
county of Illinois, embracing within
its limits all the territory owned by
Virginia west of the Ohio river. Col.
John Todd served under appointment
r ceived from the Governor of Vir-
ginia as Civil Com mandant and Lieu
tenant of the county until his death at
the battle of Blue Lick, in 1882, less
than two years before Virginia ceded
the county to the United States. Tim
othy d. Montburn was his successor.
In 1883 the General Assembly of
Virginia passed an act authorizing the
Virginia Delegates in Congress to con-
vey to the United States all the right
of That common wealth to the territory
north westward of the river Ohio. On
the 1st day of March, 1884, the cession
was made. The territory was organ
lied in 1857, under what is known to
the world as "The ordinance of 49,"
Up to the time of the passage of the
above ordinance by Congress there had
been no permanent settlements by
white men established upon territory
embra" ed within the boundaries given
to the Northwest Territory, except the
few French villages in the western
northwestern portions of it. If any
such existed within the present limits
of Ohio, they must have been situated
along the Maumee river and were of
very small extent.
While Congress had under considera-
tion the measure for the organization
of territorial government northwest
of the Ohio river, the preliminary steps
were taken in Massachusetts toward
the formation of the Ohio Land com
for hn f.fr lyfr n
chase of large tract of land in the ter
ritOry.
Early in the following winter the pi-
opeers left their New England homes,
and oa tie 7th 9f April, l78s, at the
mouth of the MuskiDgum made the
first permanent settlement.
The first survey of public lands
northwest of the Ohio river was the
"Seven Ranges of Congress lands," and
was done in pursuance of an act of Con-
gress of May 20. 1885.
Congress in 1887 appointed General
Arthur st. Clair Governor, Winthrop
Sargent Secretary, and James NJ. Var
mum, Samuel II. Parsons and John
Armstrong Judges. The latter de-
clined, and John Cleves Symmes was
appointed in his stead.
The first law of the Territory was
proclaimed July 25, 17SS, and was en-
titled San act for regulating and es-
tablishing the militia" Marietta was
then the seat of Government. Wash
ingtOn was the first county organized
in Ohio.
Marietta was laid cut in 1888, Colum-
bia in 1888, Cincinnati in 1889, CALI
polls in 1871, Manchester in 1871, Ham
ilton in 1874. Dayton in 1875, franklin
in 1895, Chillicothe in 1886, Cleveland
in 1886, Franklinton in 1897, Steuben-
vile in 1898, Williamsburg in 1893,
Zanesville in 1893. New Lancaster in
1900, Warren in 1901, st. Clairsville in
1901, Springfield in 1901, and Newark
in 1902.
Cincinnati, at the close of the Terri
torial government, was the largest
town in the territory, containing about
1000 inhabitants. 1t was incorporated
in 1902, with the following as its first
officers:
President, David Zeigler; Recorder,
Jacob Burnet; Trustees, William RAM
sey, David E. Wade, Charles avery,
William Stanley, John Riley, Samuel
Dick and William Ruffner; Assessor,
Joseph Prince; Collector, Abram Cary;
Town Marshal, James Smith.
The Territorial Government was
ended by the organization of the State
Government, March 8, 1903, pursuant
to the provisions of a Constitution
formed at Chillicothe, November 30,
1902.
The report also contains the vote OF
Ohio by counties for Secretary OF State
and for Presi lent, besides the proceed
ings of the Convention that framed the
Constitution of 1902. The statistical
portion of the work Is not yet CON-
pleted.