OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Recollections of Early Governors -- Article 4 *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 October 30, 2002. ================================== Historical Collections of Ohio Series of Articles by S.L. Kelly And Then They Went West Recollections of Early Governors reprinted by Darlene E. Kelley Article 4. ================================== 1810 through 1814, brought about great changes in the coming of leaders in Ohio. Lands beyond the Cuyahoga were offered for sale, and Major Lorenzo Carter and his son, Alonzo, purchase a tract on the west side of the river near the mouth. Elijah Gun operated a ferry and it became the only means of public transportation across the river. In Feb of 1810, Zanesville became the seat of Governmemnt of Ohio, but by the 1811-12 session of the Legislature, however, discision was made to make Columbus, the permanent State Capital, however buildings were not as yet complete to house such, so in the meantime the central government convened at Chillicothe. On May 1, the judical existance of Cuyahoga County began, when the Court of Common Pleas was organized and the first county officers were inaugurated, with Benjamin Ruggles, presiding judge; Nathan Perry, Sr., Augustus Gilbert, and Timothy Doan, associate judges. Huron County was attached to Cuyahoga for administrative purposes. The officials were elected by the Legislature, and under the constitution, the court held common law and chancery jurisdiction. While it was essential that the presiding judge should be learned in the law, his associates were usually respected men of prominence in the community. The first session of the Court of Common Pleas was held on June 5th in the new store of Elias and Harvy Murray on the south side of Superior Street. The first officers of Cuyahoga County were Peter Hitchcock of Geauga, prosecuting attorney, succeeded by Alfred Kelley in November; John Walworth, clerk and recorder; Smith S. Baldwin, sherriff; Jabez Wright and Nathaniel Doan, county commissioners; Asa Dille, treasurer, and Samuel S. Baldwin, surveyor. The Murray Store deserves more than a passing interest. For three years it housed county officals. According to my friend and historian, Charles Whittlesey, the population of Cleveland at this year was fifty-seven. In 1811 Ohio was divided into five medical districts by the Legislature, each district entitled to three censers, who acted as examiners or licensers of applicants who desired to practice medicine. A public well on Bank Street near Superior, eight feet across, with a wheel and two buckets, afforded the first water supply for fire fighting. In 1812, religious power begun to manifest itself on the reserve, and about twenty church organizations had been formed. Thomas D. Webb, was editor of the first newspaper in the Western Reserve, with the pompus title, " The Trump of Fame. " The first issue appeared on June 9th in Warren. The pioneer edition consisted of four small pages printed from minute type. There was little controversial copy, no local news, and only scanty editorials. News of the outbreak of war with Great Britain on June 18th reached Cleveland by courier on June 28th. As the settlement was near the western battle grounds, there was fear of British and Indian attack. Women and children were hastily moved inland for security, leaving about thirty men on guard wth flintlock guns. Shipbuilding on the lakes received its first impetus from the war of 1812. While Commodore Perry's fleet was largely built in Erie, three of his ships were constructed on the Cuyahoga River, near Akron. William Coggswell, son of a veteran English ship owner, helped bring the ships down to Cleveland, where they were equippd with sails. On the death of his father, John Walworth, Ashbel W. Walworth, became postmaster and collector of the port on Oct 25th. He was the first letter carrier, delivering the mail -- three or four letters-- from his hat, at his convenience. In 1813, Capt Stanton Sholes, United States Army, arrived reaching Carter's Tavern on May 10th with his company to establish a military post to protect the village. He was a man of action, and soon the building of Fort Huntington, a stockade, was underway on the high lakefront ground near the foot of Seneca Street. A small army hospital was erected about June 1st to care for the sick and wounded, the first in Cleveland. This hospital was abandoned at the close of war. Meetings this year of the Township officials had been held in private homes until the first courthouse was completed in the late summer. The first floor of the two story, log building, housed jail cells for delinquent debtors and provided a living room for the Sheriff. The courtroom upstairs, was also the scene of social gatherings and town meetings. Tallow dips, provided the light, and a large wood burning stove the heat. The little structure was reported to have cost $ 500.00 and $700.00 to build. Major Lorenzo Carter died in Feb 1814, aged forty seven, and buried in the Erie Street Cemetery, and his wife, Rebecca, is buried beside him. A charter of incorporation as a village was granted to Cleveland by the Ohio Legislature on December 23, 1814, largely through Alfred Kelleys efforts. At this time there are thirty four dwellings and business places. Existing streets were Superior, Water, and Bank, the latter two merely wagon roads. Stores and most of homes faced on Superior. S.L. (notes) ================================== Governor 4-- RETURN J. MEIGS, JR. 1810 -- 1814. The fourth governor of Ohio was Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. He was of English ancestry, being a descendant of Vincent Meigs, who emigrated from Weymouth, England, to Weymouth, Massachusetts, about 1634. His father, Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs, won distinction during the Revolution at the battle of Sag Harbor. The latter was appointed a surveyor for the Ohio Company of Associates and arrived at Marieta in 1788 with the earliest immigrants. R.J. Meigs, Jr. , was born at Middletown, Connecticut on Novemeber 17, 1764. Like his predecessor, Governor Huntington, he graduated from Yale in 1785, studied law, and was admitted to the Connecticut bar. In 1788 he married Sophia Wright and in the same year followed his father to Marietta. There he practiced law, kept a store, engaged in farming, and served in numerous public offices. When the first court was organized at Marietta in 1788, he was appointed clerk. In 1794 he was made the first postmaster at Marietta, and in 1798 he was apponted a judge of the territorial court. The following year he was elected to the territorial legislature, and in 1803 he was appointed chief Justice of the newly organized State Supreme Court. He resigned from the Court in October of the same year he was appointed in order to accept appointment as Commandant of the United States troops and militia in the St Charles district of Louisiana Territory. The next year he was appointed a Judge in Louisiana, but in 1807 he requested an received an appointment as judge in Michigan Territory. He resigned, however, before assuming the post to become a canadate for governor of Ohio. He received a slight majority of the popular vote, but the general assembly declared him ineligible because his residence outside the state during the four years preceding his election. The same legislature, however, appointed him to fill the vacancy in the United States Senate created by the resignation of John Smith. He was reelected to the Senate for the next term but served only until May 1,1810, when he resigned to run again for governor. The issue of the Campaign, as in 1808, was the power of the courts to declare legislative acts unconstitutional. Meigs, a conservative Republican, had the support of the Federalists and Quids and was elected. He was reelected for a second term in 1812 over Thomas Scott. The result indicated an anti-Tammany trend in state politics. It was during Meig's first term that the general assembly located the permanent capital on the high bank of the Scioto, opposite of Franklinton and created a commission to plan for the construction of a statehouse and penitentiary. Meigs has the distinction of beng the first governor to recommend the construction of a State prison. Although the power of the early governors of Ohio was strictly limited. Governor Meig gave good leadership in the war of 1812, by recruiting 1,200 militia for the State in time for Hull's rendezvous at Dayton. At the time of Hull's surrender, Meigs came under severe criticism, but this was proved unjust and reacted in his favor in the 1812 campaign. In recognition of his war services, President Madison approved and appointed him postmaster general in 1814 and he resigned the governorship. He served as postmaster general until he was forced to retire in 1823 because of ill health. After resigning as postmaster general. Meigs returned to Marietta, where he died March 29, 1825. He was buried in Mound Cemetery, where his grave is marked by a monument bearing the discription of his public services and his families devotion. He was survived by his wife and daughter Mary. Fort Meigs and Meigs County, Ohio were named in his honor. ==================================================================== to be continued in article 5.