History of Ohio; the rise and progress of an American state, Volume Four, Part 1

Author: Randall, E. O. (Emilius Oviatt), 1850-1919 cn; Ryan, Daniel Joseph, 1855-1923 joint author
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: New York, The Century History Company
Number of Pages: 744


USA > Ohio > History of Ohio; the rise and progress of an American state, Volume Four > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36



977.1 R15 1.4 326589


PUBLIC LIBRARY FORT WAYNE & ALLEN CO .. IND.


INDIANA' COLLECTION


GEN


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02324 120 8


HISTORY OF OHIO


of.


Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016


https://archive.org/details/historyofohioris04rand


WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON.


We A. Harulon


.


History of Ohio


ИОРІЯЯАН УЯИНН MAILIIW


asw 9mit tsdt mort bris , Ieri fi vais odt borstre ; sinig


ont tanisgs sonsosqqit to slttsd ont now ;2fishA nsibrI -moo bsd $18I to ISW odt ni ; 1181 , f Todmevon , ensibrI 9viaiosb odt Adywot bris ITIs ThistagwAtion ont to basm doamioST Hoidw ts . (8181 , 9doto) 29msdT edt to olttsd VOV 2 Atiw noitoninoo ni Hoidw bas belli! asw -Tofts asw ;a9xsoft to loftnoo lut zetsta botinU odtavsg Tidmalo Ot ReteiniMALbafneesignos to todmom bisW asw od ,oidO bred Ation is fromeritor ni grivil slidw both ; biz art 101 , 0881 ,agidW ent vd betshimon . I48I .A InqA beib ;0481


VOLUME FOUR


DANIEL J. RYAN


THE CENTURY HISTORY COMPANY NEW YORK 1912


WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON


Born in Berkeley, Charles City county, Virginia, Feb- ruary 9, 1773; educated at Hampton Sidney College, Vir- ginia; entered the army in 1791, and from that time was prominently connected with western events; Secretary of the Northwest Territory, 1798-99, resigning to become dele- gate in Congress; resigned as delegate on being appointed Governor of Indiana Territory and Superintendent of Indian Affairs; won the battle of Tippecanoe against the Indians, November 7, 1811; in the War of 1812 had com- mand of the northwestern army and fought the decisive battle of the Thames (October 5, 1813), at which Tecumseh was killed and which, in conjunction with Perry's victory, gave the United States full control of the Lakes; was after- ward member of Congress and Minister to Colombia; while living in retirement at North Bend, Ohio, he was nominated by the Whigs, 1839, for the presidency; elected, 1840; died April 4, 1841.


History of Ohio


The Rise and Progress of an American State


By


EMILIUS O. RANDALL and DANIEL J. RYAN


VOLUME FOUR By DANIEL J. RYAN


f


THE CENTURY HISTORY COMPANY NEW YORK 1912


Printed by John C. Rankin Company, New York for The Century History Company


COPYRIGHT 1912 BY THE CENTURY HISTORY COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


Publication Office 54 Dey Street, New York, N. Y. U. S. A.


320589


PREFACE


I HAVE endeavored in this volume to present an impartial and accurate history of the State of Ohio from 1837 to the present time. This period of seventy-five years, during which the State reached the maturity of its strength and progress, has been the most strenuous in the life of its people. It witnessed great political and moral upheavals, the results of powerful popular movements. During this period the State has participated in three wars and contributed in many ways more than its share to our National greatness.


All this while the material side of the State has developed with prodigious strides. In 1837 the total value of its taxable property, real and personal, was slightly over one hundred million dollars; in 1911 this had increased to over six billion, two hundred million dollars, or approximately sixty-two fold. In the mean- time the population has more than doubled.


Necessarily a people so potential in their progress as such facts indicate have met all questions pre- sented to them with courage and virility, and settled them with determination and credit. Hence the reader will find the succeeding pages filled with the history of important conflicts over political, social, and moral issues. And whether these questions have related to slavery, the Civil War, temperance, or taxation, Ohio has debated and decided them with earnestness and intelligence. In the treatment of the history of the various domestic issues, it has been my aim to present the historical view only, entirely aside from a personal standpoint.


DANIEL J. RYAN.


CONTENTS


CHAPTER I. OHIO'S SHARE OF THE SURPLUS REVENUE OF 1837


The Policy of Distribution 3


Act to Regulate Deposits of Public Monies. 5


The Supreme Court and the Last Payment. 6


Investment of Ohio's Portion. 8


The Distribution to the Counties.


10


Return of Loans


14


Summaries 15


CHAPTER II.


THE LOG CABIN AND HARD CIDER CAMPAIGN OF 1840


Party Spirit and Political Conditions. 19


Nomination of Harrison by the Whigs 22


Opening of the Campaign in Ohio. 25


Famous Songs of the Campaign. 30


Oratory-The "Buckeye Blacksmith" 34


Celebration of the Siege of Fort Meigs 37


The Remarkable Dayton Meeting 39


Harrison's Death-Corwin's Election as Governor. 42


CHAPTER III.


OHIO IN THE MEXICAN WAR


Corwin as Governor 47


His Election to the Senate. 48


Party Sentiment Concerning the War 50


Ohio Regiments. 52


Independent Military Organizations


58


Fifteenth United States Infantry


60


Ohio Officers in the War


61


General Thomas L. Hamer 62


The Whigs and the War-Senator Corwin. 65


Corwin's Subsequent Career 68


His Death 70


CHAPTER IV.


A REVIEW OF THE FORTIES, STATISTICAL AND HISTORICAL


Remarkable Growth of Population in Ohio 75


Enterprise and Industry 78


Coal, Iron, Salt.


79


viii


THE RISE AND PROGRESS


Railroads.


82


Departure of the Wyandots. 83


Legislative Complications, 1848-49 91 The "Black Laws' 93


Election of Chase to the Senate. 94


Governors during the Decade. 96


The Question of a Constitutional Convention. 98


CHAPTER V.


THE SECOND CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION


Meeting of the Convention. 103


Necessity of Revising the Judicial System 105


Other Requirements 106 Prominent Members. 107


Work of the Convention I13


Adoption of the New Constitution II6


CHAPTER VI.


THE ANTI SLAVERY MOVEMENT IN OHIO THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD


ORGANIZATION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY


Ohio's Opposition to Slavery-Its Qualifications II9


Attitude of Cincinnati I22


Abolition Agitation and Its Noted Promoters 124


Origin of the Underground Railroad. 130


The Fugitive Slave Law. 132


The Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Case I34


Organization of the Republican Party 139


Election of Chase to the Governorship 14I


Election of Dennison. 144


CHAPTER VII.


OHIO IN THE CIVIL WAR THE CALL TO ARMS GOVERNOR DENNISON'S ADMINISTRATION


FORMATION OF THE UNION PARTY


The "Committee of Thirty-Three". 149


Kentucky and Tennessee Officials in Columbus 151


Resolutions for Conciliation by the Ohio Legislature. 153


The Peace Conference-Lincoln's Inauguration. I55


OF AN AMERICAN STATE


ix


The Firing on Fort Sumter I57


Ohio's Response. I59


The Treason Bill-Vallandigham 16I Troops Furnished by Ohio, 1861 165


Ohio's Dangerous Situation-West Virginia Campaign. 167


Military Expenditures .


169


Formation of the Union Party . 172


Nomination and Election of Tod


176


CHAPTER VIII.


OHIO IN THE CIVIL WAR-Continued


GOVERNOR TOD'S ADMINISTRATION SIEGE OF CINCINNATI THE ANDREWS RAIDERS


Governor Tod's Inaugural Address


18I


Ohio in the Battle of Shiloh 182


Military Arrests. 185 Kirby Smith's Invasion of Kentucky-Cincinnati's Peril 187


The "Squirrel Hunters" 189


The Georgia Railroad Expedition. 191


Andrews and His Companions 193


Failure of the Attempt. 200


The Commemorative Monument


202


Political Situation in Ohio, 1862 204


CHAPTER IX.


OHIO IN THE CIVIL WAR-Continued


THE VALLANDIGHAM CAMPAIGN OF 1863


ELECTION OF JOHN BROUGH, GOVERNOR


Depression of Sentiment-Vallandigham's Antagonism. 209


Governor Tod Arrested. 213 Arrest of Vallandigham 216 His Conviction and Punishment 219


The Albany Committee and Lincoln's Reply. 22I


Resistance to the Draft. 227


Vallandigham's Nomination-Address to the President 229


The Union Party Nominates Brough 232


Election of Brough 238


x


THE RISE AND PROGRESS


CHAPTER X.


OHIO IN THE CIVIL WAR-Concluded


MORGAN'S RAID, CAPTURE, AND ESCAPE GOVERNOR BROUGH'S ADMINISTRATION CONSPIRACIES OF THE "SONS OF LIBERTY" OHIO'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE WAR


Morgan's Raid into Ohio 241


Pursuit and Capture. 246


Sensational Escape from the Penitentiary 249


End of Tod's Administration 252


Brough's Administration. 254


The Ohio Troops in the War. 255


Social and Economic Effects of the Struggle 257


The "Sons of Liberty" 263


Plot to Release Confederate Prisoners. 264


The Lake Erie Scheme 27I


Its Frustration. 277


Ohio's Patriotic Record. 279


Ohio Generals in the War. 28I


Participation in Its Administrative Conduct. 284


CHAPTER XI.


POST BELLUM POLITICS


Ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment 289


State Campaign of 1865. 291


General Cox and the Oberlin Letter 295


Election of Cox as Governo 297


Death of Brough-Governor Charles Anderson 298


The Fourteenth Amendment 299


Campaign of 1867 301


First Election of Hayes as Governor 304


The Rescinding Resolution 306


Fifteenth Amendment Ratified-Hayes Reelected . 308


Vallandigham's "New Departure," 1871 310


Nomination and Election of Noyes. 312


CHAPTER XII.


THE THIRD CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION POLITICAL HISTORY FOR TEN YEARS


Reasons for Again Revising the Constitution 317


The Convention. 319


Discussion of Its Work 323


OF AN AMERICAN STATE


X1


Defeat of the Proposed Constitution 326


The Liberal Republican Movement. 327


Governor William Allen. . 329


The Women's Temperance Crusade 330


Greenbackism. 332


Third Election of Hayes, 1875. 334


He is Chosen President 336


Governor Young. 338


The Railroad Strikes, 1877 339


Bishop's Election. 34I


Defeat of General Ewing by Foster 343


President Garfield. 345


Foster Reelected . 346


Governor Hoadly .. 347


CHAPTER XIII.


THE FLOOD OF 1884 THE CINCINNATI RIOTS


THE HOCKING VALLEY STRIKE


DEVELOPMENT OF GAS AND OIL


Ohio River Floods-1883-1884. 353


Riots in Cincinnati.


357


The Sheriff's Request for Troops 361


Suppression of the Disturbances 363


The Hocking Valley Troubles. 364


Discovery of Natural Gas in Findlay 366


The Great Development-The Waste. 368


Gas and Petroleum Statistics 370


CHAPTER XIV.


THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF GOVERNORS FORAKER, CAMPBELL, McKINLEY AND BUSHNELL


The Liquor Issue-Campaign of 1885. 373


Foraker's First Election. 377


Cincinnati Frauds and Legislative Mix-Up. 378


The Foraker Administration 382


His Reelection, 1887 384


The "White Caps" 387


Campaign of 1889 389


The "Ballot Box Forgery" 391


Governor Campbell.


394


The Standard Oil Case 398


Mckinley-Campbell Campaign of 1891 400


xii


THE RISE AND PROGRESS


The Piqua Tin Plate Episode. 402


Governor McKinley's Two Terms 405


First Election of Bushnell. 409


William Mckinley, President 410


The Urbana Lynching 4II


CHAPTER XV.


OHIO IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR


The Causes of the War 415


Ohio's Preparedness 418


The Participating Organizations. 421


Ohio Generals-Henry W. Lawton. 426


Administrative Direction by Ohioans 428


Senator Foraker 429


CHAPTER XVI.


RISE OF MARCUS A. HANNA


THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF GOVERNORS NASH, HERRICK, PATTISON, HARRIS AND HARMON


The Cleveland Strike-Mr. Hanna 433


Hanna's Election to the Senate, 1898. 435


Campaign of 1899-John R. McLean. 438


"Golden Rule" Jones. 440


Governor Nash. 442


Death of John Sherman. 444


Death of Mckinley-Taxation Reform 446


Nash's Second Term. 449


The Chillicothe Centennial Celebrations 451


Governor Herrick 454


Governor Pattison 457


Governor Harris 458


President Taft. 460


Governor Harmon.


461


The Fourth Constitutional Convention. 465


CHAPTER XVII. OHIO'S PART IN NATIONAL EXPOSITIONS


President Mckinley on Expositions 47I


The Centennial at Philadelphia. 472


Notable Address by Edward D. Mansfield. 474


The World's Fair at Chicago 477


Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo. 483


Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis. 484


Jamestown Ter-Centennial 487


OF AN AMERICAN STATE


xiii


CHAPTER XVIII.


STATE BANKS AND BANKING


The Miami Exporting Company, of Cincinnati. 489


Other Early Banks. 491


Opposition to the Bank of the United States. 493 Early Banking Conditions 494


The State Banking Law of 1845. . 499


Savings Banks-The National Bank Act. 50I


Present Banking Situation 502


CHAPTER XIX.


HISTORY OF LIQUOR LEGISLATION IN OHIO


General Review 507


Early License Provisions. 508


End of License System, Constitution of 1851 518


License Rejected also in 1874 and 1883. 520 Miscellaneous Early Regulations. 52 I


Sales Prohibited to Indians and Troops 523


The General Revision of Liquor Laws.


524


A Distinctive Legislative Policy Adopted


525


Laws Prohibiting Sales to Certain Persons


526


Right of Action Given to Injured Parties


527


Broadened by Amendment. 528


The Effect of the Adair Law 529


Certain Authority Conferred upon City Councils. 530


Inauguration of the Taxation of the Liquor Traffic. 53I


The Pond Law Held to be Unconstitutional 532


The Dow Law Sustained.


533


The First Local Option Law.


534


Sustained by the Supreme Court


535


The Brannock Law Passed. 5.36


Subsequent Local Option Laws. 537


The County Made Unit for Local Option 538


The First Sunday Law, Passed in 1815 539


Its Amendments and Extensions. 540


The "Search and Seizure Act" 541


ILLUSTRATIONS


William Henry Harrison


. Frontispiece . Facing page 26


Thomas L. Hamer


«


70


John Johnston


84


Seabury Ford.


66


106


Salmon P. Chase.


¥


120


Levi P. Coffin


130


Joshua R. Giddings


140


William Dennison.


150


Benjamin F. Wade


¥


172


David Tod.


66


182


Edwin M. Stanton


194


Ulysses S. Grant


210


William T. Sherman.


222


John Brough


¥


244


James B. McPherson


256


William S. Rosecrans


268


James A. Garfield.


282


Jacob D. Cox.


292


Allen G. Thurman.


302


Edward F. Noyes.


310


Morrison R. Waite


322


William Allen .


330


Rutherford B. Hayes


¥


338


Charles Foster


346


George Hoadly


358


Bellamy Storer


368


Joseph B. Foraker


380


James E. Campbell


392


William McKinley


404


Asa S. Bushnell .


418


George K. Nash


434


Myron T. Herrick.


¥


452


Judson Harmon


¥


462


William H. Taft.


66


472


Stanley Matthews


484


John Sherman.


496


George H. Pendleton


¥ 508


Calvin S. Brice


520


John M. Pattison


¥


¥


536


Thomas Corwin.


48


Samuel Shellabarger


96


William Medill.


¥


162


Clement L. Vallandigham


¥


234


Philip H. Sheridan


¥


¥


CHAPTER I. OHIO'S SHARE OF THE SURPLUS REVENUE OF 1837


I N 1836, for the first time in its history, the United States was out of debt and had a large surplus in its Treasury. This was the Golden Age dreamed of, anticipated, and often talked about by the early statesmen of our country. Thomas Jefferson was the first of the presidents to see that the continued increase of tariff receipts would produce more than enough to run the Government. Accordingly, in his second inaugural address he advocated that such a surplus should be divided among the states, to "be applied in time of peace to rivers, canals, roads, arts, manufac- tures, education and other great objects within each State. "


It was not, however, until the administration of Andrew Jackson that the surplus revenue became a really serious question. The tariff imposts, augmented by the proceeds of the sale of the public lands, had piled up a huge fund that became a great temptation to "log-rolling" appropriations and extravagant ex- penditures. President Jackson in his first annual message recommended a distribution of the surplus "among the several states according to their ratio of representation"; he was also in favor of an amend- ment to the Constitution if that was necessary to legalize such legislation. He afterwards repented of this position, and although he finally signed the bill which carried out the ideas of his first message, he did so with great reluctance.


The history of the legislation relating to the surplus is a part of the stormy administration of Andrew Jackson, and cannot be detailed here. It is sufficient to say that only after prolonged and able debates


.


4


THE RISE AND PROGRESS


was any conclusion arrived at. On January 27, 1836, Senator Thomas Ewing of Ohio reported from the Committee on Public Lands in favor of distrib- uting the proceeds of the land sales among the states for a definite period, to be used for education and in- ternal improvements. Henry Clay proposed a distri- bution plan of his own. Calhoun believed distribution unconstitutional, and proposed a joint resolution to amend the Constitution so as to legalize any legislation distributing the surplus. He also presented a bill regulating the deposit of the public money. Through Webster's labors this latter bill was amended by providing for the division of the surplus among the states. When it came over to the House, Webster's distribution feature was stricken out and a clause was inserted in its place making the states the deposit- aries of the surplus, subject to recall by the Secretary of the Treasury. In this shape it passed. It was to be a loan and not a gift.


Senator Benton, in his "Thirty Years' View" (Vol. I, p. 652), thus describes this legislation: "It is in name a deposit; in form a loan; in essence and design a distri- bution. It is known to be so; and all this verbiage about a deposit is nothing but the device and con- trivance of those who have been for years endeavoring to distribute the revenue, sometimes by the land bills, sometimes by direct legislation, sometimes by proposed amendments to the Constitution. It has no feature, no attribute, no characteristic, no quality of a deposit." Nevertheless, the bill passed Congress by large ma- jorities-38 to 6 in the Senate, 155 to 38 in the House. Benton, in his work referred to (Vol. II, p. 657), says


5


OF AN AMERICAN STATE


that Jackson signed the bill "with a repugnance of feeling, and a recoil of judgment, which it required great efforts of friends to overcome; and with a regret of it afterwards which he often and publicly expressed."


The law was entitled "An Act to Regulate the Deposits of the Public Monies," and it was approved by the President June 23, 1836. Section 13 of the act, the same inserted by the House, as a remarkable instance of financial legislation, is given in full: "That the money which shall be in the Treasury of the United States on the first day of January, 1837, reserving the sum of five million dollars, shall be deposited with the several states, in proportion to their respective representation in the Senate and House of Represent- atives of the Congress of the United States; and the Secretary of the Treasury shall deliver the same to such persons as the several states may authorize to receive it, on receiving certificates of deposit signed by the competent authorities of each State, each for such amount and in such form as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe, which shall set forth and express the obligation of the State to pay the amount thereof to the United States, or their assigns; and which said certificates it shall be competent for the Secretary of the Treasury, in the name and in behalf of the United States, to sell and assign, whenever it shall be necessary, for want of other money in the Treasury, to meet appropriations made by Congress, all sales and assignments, however, to be ratable, and in just and equal proportions, among all the states, according to the amounts received by them respectively; and all such certificates of deposit shall be subject to


6


THE RISE AND PROGRESS


and bear an interest of five per cent. per annum, payable half-yearly, from the time of such sale and assignment, and shall be redeemable at the pleasure of the states issuing the same."


According to the report of the Secretary of the Treasury for 1838 the amount deposited with the states was $28,101,644.97. The law provided that payments of the surplus should be made on the first days of January, April, July and October, 1837. Three installments, being the amount referred to, were delivered to the states, but the October deposit was never made. A severe financial panic followed, due largely to this legislation, and Congress, at the sugges- tion of President Van Buren, postponed indefinitely the payment of the fourth installment.


At different times some of the states, when they became money hungry, would demand this last pay- ment, only to be refused by the Secretary of the Treas- ury. The right of the states to this last installment was finally determined in 1884. The Supreme Court of the United States, in Ex parte Virginia (III U. S. Reports, pages 43-48), refused to grant a writ of mandamus applied for by the State of Virginia to compel the Secretary of the Treasury to pay from the surplus revenue of the Treasury the fourth installment. Justice Harlan, speaking for the Court in deciding the case, said: "No case is made for a mandamus. If it was the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury, in execution of the act of 1836, to make the fourth installment of deposit on the day fixed in that act, whatever may have been, on that day, the wants of the public treasury, his failure to do so was legalized by


7


OF AN AMERICAN STATE


the act of October 2, 1837, postponing that deposit until January 1, 1839. Of the latter act the State could not complain, because that of January 23, 1836, created no debt or legal obligation upon the part of the Government, but only made the states the deposi- taries, temporarily, of a portion of the public revenue not needed, as was then supposed, for the purposes of the United States." Concluding, the Court said: "We are of the opinion that the Secretary of the Treasury has no authority under existing legislation, and without further direction from Congress, to use the surplus revenues in the Treasury, from whatever source derived, or whenever, since January 1, 1839, it may have accrued, for the purpose of making the fourth installment of deposit required by the act of 1836."


The State of Ohio, through its Governor and Legis- lature, at the earliest time took steps relative to its share of the deposit. Governor Lucas, in his last annual message to the General Assembly, December 6, 1836, said: "This sum being providentially placed under our control, through the operation of our revenue laws, after the entire extinguishment of the National debt, is truly a cause of gratulation, and if judiciously applied within the State to purposes of a paramount character, cannot fail to extend its benefits to the latest posterity. This money is emphatically the property of the people, in which the poor and the rich have an equal right, and in its application special regard should be had to an equal distribution of the benefits to be derived therefrom." The Governor then proceeded to recommend "in the most solemn


8


THE RISE AND PROGRESS


manner" the propriety of constituting Ohio's share of the surplus a common school fund, to be irrevocable, and the State to become the trustee with authority to invest the principal either in the extinguishment of the canal debt or in such stocks within the State as might be deemed safe and valuable. It will be seen that these suggestions of the Governor were substan- tially carried out by subsequent legislation.


The act providing for the distribution and invest- ment of Ohio's proportion of the surplus revenue was passed March 28, 1837 (Ohio Laws 35, pages 97-103), and it is a model of legislation concerning the subject of which it treats. It ordered that the money received from the United States should be deposited with the several organized counties of the State and, following the lines of Governor Lucas's message, that the net income should be applied to the support and encouragement of common schools within the State. This fund in each county was to be under the charge and control of the county commissioners, who were constituted a board of "county fund commissioners" for that purpose, and were to take a special oath and give a special bond to the State equal to one-half of the amount assigned to their county, that they would faithfully take charge of such fund.


The law made it the duty of the Auditor of State, when he received satisfactory evidence that a county had complied with the provisions of the act, to issue a warrant on the State Treasurer for the amount of the funds apportioned to the county in proportion to the number of white male inhabitants above the


9


OF AN AMERICAN STATE


age of twenty-one years at the last enumeration. Thecounty fund commissioners were given power to loan this fund to any company then incorporated, or after- wards incorporated, for the construction of a canal, railroad, turnpike road or other works of internal improvement in the county or in connection therewith, provided that security in double the amount loaned should be given for the repayment of the loan. They were also authorized to make loans to the State or to any bank in the county or State, or they might loan the county a sum not exceeding ten thousand dollars for the erection of county buildings. If a loan was made to the State, the county was to receive six per cent. per annum. In case the fund was not invested in this way, it could be loaned to individuals at a rate of interest not exceeding seven or less than six per cent. per annum. But in making these individual loans the county fund commissioners were required to take from the borrower a bond secured by a mortgage on unencumbered real estate situated in the county double in value to the sum loaned, or other adequate security. All obligations and securities were to be taken in the name of the State of Ohio.


The act further provided that each county receiving any part of this fund should be held bound to the State for the amount received and not repaid.


The State canal debt at this time was the greatest burden the people were carrying, and it gave them much concern. We find, therefore, that with this in view it was provided that all the loans made were to fall due on or before January 1, 1850. At this time the fund,




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.