The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-02-06
Judge w. s. Hanna in the Holmes
County Farmer)

ing from the favorable end of the war |
of 1872, brought about rapid occu-
pancy of the lands along the Killbuck |
and its tributaries. The inconvenience |
of these settlements in transacting
business in their far away county seats
at Wooster and Coshocton, the agita-
ton of the erection, ,Jf a court house at
Coshocton, and the hope of the con-
struction of the proposed canal along
the Killbuck, we're some of the things
that originated the idea of erecting
a new county and helped to mould pub
lie sentiment in its favor. Petitions
were prepared, circulated and signed
by a number Of the settlers in 1922
and 1923 to transform this idea into
reality. The contest that followed was
long and bitter and gave us Holmes
county instead of Louden county. The
journals of the General Assembly dis
close the proceedings in the follow
ing manner:
On Friday, December IL, 1923, petit
tions of sundry persons praying for the
erection of new county to be named
Holmes county from parts of Tuscara-
was, Wayne, Coshocton and Knox
counties were presented to the Senate
of Ohio by Zacheus A. Beatty, Senator
from Guernsey county, and who repre-
sented the senatorial district composed
of the counties of Guernsey Tuscara-
was and Coshocton. These petitions
were on the same day referred to a
committee of three consisting of Sena-
tors Beatty, Ebenezer Buckingham, Jr.,
of Muskingum county, and Jacob
Catherlin, of Licking county with the
privilege to report a bill for the erec-
ton of the new county or to report
against it. Thereupon the Senate by
special message notified the House of
Representatives of its action in the
matter.
The proposed erection of this new
county met with serious objections
from large number Of interested par
ties; and in order to counteract the
movement in the Senate, petitions were
presented to the House of Representa-
tives on Saturday, January 3, 1924, for
the erection of a new county from
parts of Coshocton, Richland, Knox
and Wayne to be named Louden and
were read and referred to committee
consisting of Representatives Royal
d. Simmons, of Knox, Robert McClar-
ren, of Wayne, Joseph w. Pigman, of
Coshocton, John Patterson, of Harri-
son, Cyrus Bosworth, of Trumbull,
Sampson Mason, of Clark and John
Shelby, of Logan.
The petition for the erection OF
Louden county having been referred to
the committee of the House, the Sen.
ate committee to which was referred
the petitions for the erection of
Holmes county at once reported bill
for the erection of Holmes county
from parts OF Tuscarawas, Coshocton
and Wayne.
On Tuesday, January 6, 1924, the
Senate took up the report for consider
alton and after much discussion the
bill was ordered engrossed by divi-
sion of the Senate, the vote being %
yeas to / nays On the following day
the bill for the erection of Holmes
county was placed ON its third reading
and passed by Senate by division
of the vote there being 81 yeas to 10
nays. On the same day the Senate
, sent the bin to the House and notified
the House by message of its passage,
and thereupon the House received the
message and caused the bill to be read
the first time. On Thursday, January
s, 1924 the House placed the bill on its
| second reading and on motion the bill
was referred to the same committee
to which the petitions for the erection
of Louden county had referred on
January 3,
AS OppboltiOu W lhO CAONbAOh va hhS
county Of Holmes had grown 10 con-
siderable proportions, was persistent,
and now centered in the House OF Rep
resentatives. On Monday, January
IL, 1924, Hon. Robert McClarren. rep.
resentative from Wayne county pre-
sented to the House remonstrances
from the citizens of Wayne county
against the erection of the county OF
Holmes which we're read and referred
to the committee having under consid-
GRAFTON the petitions for the erection
OF the county Of Louden and the Sem
ate bill for the erection of the coun-
ty of Holmes. This committee, through
its chairman, Mr., simmons, on Janu-
airy a. 1924, made report to the
/ house;
The House at once took action on
The report and on motion to disagree
to so much OF the report and resolu-