USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 34
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Description and contracts .- The size of the building is one hundred and sixty-five feet on Court street and forty-four feet on Ohfo street; three stories high, with basement in front thirty-five by forty-one feet, and a cellar under the whole building, which is so arranged as to be converted into rooms if any necessity of this character should arise.
The brickwork was let to W. W. Robertson for $9,259.82. The cellar wall to Jacob Hopler for $954.26. Cut stonework to Thomas Jones for $9,650. Additional work to Thomas Jones for $473. Woodwork to Mr.
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
McCoy for $11,500. Painting and glazing to F. Gierman for $2,963. Gal- vanized iron, tin, and slating to W. M. Service & Co. for $1,915. Plastering to Fullers & Pecks for 6,508. Iron columns to Manning & Son for $2,887.29. Gas fitting to P. Smith & Bro. for $225. Frescoing and scene painting to E. F. Harvey for $1,200. Steam heater to Brooks, Leight & Co. for $3,397. Stage carpenter work to F. Fowler for $430. Cost of stone for cellar and area walls for $1,479.85.
A 1,400-pound bell was furnished by the corporation of Sidney.
Laying the corner-stone .- The following order of exercises was observed on Thursday, June 24, 1875, being the occasion of the laying of the corner- stone of Monumental Building. Prayer, by Rev. T. C. Reade, after which the square, level, and plumb were masonically applied to the corner-stone, and the corn, wine, and oil sprinkled upon it; whereupon the grand master struck the corner with his gavel, and the whole ceremonies were masonically explained. A box was then deposited in the corner-stone containing the fol- lowing-named articles : Programme of the day ; list of discharged soldiers of Shelby county; list of officers and members of Company M, First Ohio Light Artillery of Shelby county ; copy of Shelby County Democrat of June 24, 1875; copies of Sidney Journal of April 21, 1865, and June 18, 1875; list of Summit Lodge, No. Fifty. K. of P .; a $500 monumental bond of the village of Sidney, of issue of June 14, 1875; Wide-awake badge of J. C. Jacobs, lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-fourth New York Cavalry; list of Silver Star Cornet Band; copy of Cincinnati Gazette, Commercial, and Enquirer of June 24, 1875; charter of Orange Lodge, No. One Hundred and Fifty-two, and names of charter members; name of the former owner of the building site, George Ackerly; names of survivors of the Mexican war, A. J. Robertson, George Ackerly, Amos Woaley, and W. H. Howell; names of building con- mittee, A. J. Robertson, N. R. Wyman, and L. C. Barkdull; name of archi- tect, Samuel Lane, associate member of American Institute of Architects.
It may here be observed that after this part of the ceremony, Sergt. W. M. Van Fossen, who in the procession was color-bearer of the Ninety-ninth regiment, veiled the corner-stone with the flag, saying, "Done in memory of the fallen heroes of Shelby county, in the state of Ohio and town of Sidney, June 24th, in the year of our Lord 1875."
A Masonic address was then delivered by J. F. McKinney, Esq., of Piqua, to a large and enthusiastic assemblage in the public square.
John G. Stephenson was appointed a member of the board February 9, 1877, vice L. C. Barkdull, resigned.
On April 14, 1877, the trustees were authorized to issue bonds for the completion of the building, and H. Thompson and J. G. Stephenson were appointed to procure printed bonds. Messrs. Haines and Stephenson were instructed to collect $670 from Sidney and $100 from Clinton township, to be applied to the payment for heating apparatus.
On the 4th of May the trustees submitted a report to the court of com- mon pleas. Moneys received consisted of real estate, notes, etc., amounting to $59.538.32. Disbursements, $58,289.08. Balance on hand, $1,249.24.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
On February 1, 1890, the trustees met to consider a proposition to receive the books and other property from the Library Association trustees, and on February Ioth the proposition was accepted on the following conditions : That the library be free to the clergy, their wives and minor children; to soldiers and sailors of the Civil war and their wives and minor children; to the widows and mothers of such soldiers or sailors who may have died in the service ; to all others upon such terms as the trustees may prescribe; the whole institution to be governed by such rules and regulations as the board may adopt. The Monumental Association, by the board of trustees, bound the cor- poration to accept the proposition and comply with its provisions as soon as the funds of said association would justify full acceptance.
The building, which was completed in 1877, has a splendid basement devoted to various uses ; the first floor on Ohio street, as originally conceived, had two store-rooms, one one hundred and twelve by nineteen feet, and the other seventy-five by nineteen feet. These have entrances on Ohio street, as have also the library and hall, while the store-rooms have entrances on Court street, also. Adjoining the Court street entrance to the hall and second story is a room eighteen by forty-three feet, once used for the postoffice, and west of this the fire department.
On the second floor is Library Hall, forty-two by seventy-five feet, with a librarian's office and museum, thirty-five by eighteen feet. In Library Hall are preserved the marble tablets upon which are inscribed the names of the illustrious patriots who died in the War of the Rebellion. Its splendid atcoves, arches and decorations make it a fit place to enshrine the names of the county's dead.
The third floor was the Opera Hall, forty-two by one hundred and twenty- six feet, which was complete in ornament, scenery and furniture and capable of seating seven hundred and fifty people. This room was abandoned as an opera house in 1895 and has since been the home of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
The whole is surmounted by a mansard roof, with a niche on the Ohio street front in which is a bronze statue of a private soldier resting on his gun.
The building has always been a source of pride to the community and stands a crowning credit to its originators, and all who in any way contributed to its construction.
The present board of monumental trustees consists of Judge Harrison Wilson, president; W. A. Graham, W. B. McCabe, W. T. McLean, L. M. Studevant and Perry Frazier.
TABLET ROSTER
The soldiers' tablets in Monumental Hall contain the roster as given below. The inscriptions at the head of the three tablets are also reproduced.
AT REST
D. M. Crumbaugh, Fifty-fifth Illinois.
D. Elliott, Lincoln Guards.
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
J. W. Michael, Company D, Twenty-fifth Ill.
J. Quatman, Thirty-second Ind. Cav.
G. Turner, Company K, One Hundred and Ninety-second O. V. I.
J. McKercher, Company C, Second O. Art.
Lieut. R. B. Neal, Fifth U. S. Col. Hy. Art.
J. Bogar, One Hundred and Twenty-sixth O. V. I.
P. S. Hodge, Forty-fifth O. V. I.
I. Gallimore, Thirty-first O. V. I. Isaac Rollins, Fortieth O. V. I., Company E.
Frank Kemper, Fortieth O. V. I., Company E.
Henry Segner, Fortieth O. V. I., Company E.
Samuel Chambers, Fortieth O. V. V. I. I., Company I.
John P. Born, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
John B. Dunham, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
John W. Denman, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
George Line. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
Cyrus W. Jackson, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
James R. McClure, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
Jerry Ray. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
Wm. Stone. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
Wm. K. Wilkinson, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
Thomas Wise, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
Emerson Williams, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth O. N. G.
J. Rollin. Fifty-eighth O. V. I. Levi J. Bird, Twelfth O. Cav. Ransom Gregg, Twelfth O. Cav. John Green, Twelfth O. Cav. John D. Struble, Twelfth O. Cav. WVm. R. Wright, Twelfth O. Cav. Samuel G. Brown, Ninth O. Cav.
George Baldwin, Ninth O. Cav. Neh. Baldwin, Ninth O. Cav.
George Hardesty, Ninth O. Cav.
Francis R. Honnell, Ninth O. Cav. Virgil C. Hardesty, Ninth O. Cav. John P. Powell, Ninth O. Cav. Thomas Powell, Ninth O. Cav. Austin E. Wright, Ninth O. Cav. Amos Winks, Ninth O. Cav.
Charles Beers, Seventy-eighth O.
Anth. J. Wilford, Seventy-eighth O. V. I.
E. Brust, Sixty-sixth Ill.
W. C. Elliott, Forty-fourth O.
H. H. Quillen, First O. Inf., Com- pany E.
P. O. Jacobs, Forty-fifth O. Inf., Company E.
J. B. Graham, First O. Inf., Com- pany G.
E. Eisenstein, Schultz's Battery. Henry Faust, Schultz's Battery .. Ch. Katzabua, Schultz's Battery. August Nessler, Schultz's Battery. George Remfer, Schultz's Battery. N. Theabold, Schultz's Battery.
Chris. Wolforn, Schultz's Bat- tery.
Samuel 'Ashby, First O. Cav. Wm. Boyer, First O. Cav.
Thos. O'Neil, First O. Cav. John Slagle, First O. Cav. Jas. A. Steale, First .O. Cav.
Isaac R. Haney, One Hundred and Tenth O. V. I., Company E.
Clark Morrow, One Hundred and Tenth O. V. I., Company E.
John Prooter, One Hundred and Tenth O. V. I., Company E.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
James U. Corwin, Forty-second O. V. I.
Isaac DeBoy, Forty-second O. V.
I. Wm. Gray, corporal, Forty-sec- ond O. V. I.
Jas. McConnaughey, Forty-sec- ond O. V. I.
John Baldwin, Benton Cadets. Clark J. Baker, Benton Cadets.
Wm. W. Darnell, Benton Cadets.
John Forsyth, Benton Cadets. Wm. Ginn, Benton Cadets. W. T. Windle, Benton Cadets. Wm. B. Crowell, Eleventh O. V.
I., Company F. Sam Lippencott, Eleventh O. V. I., Company F.
E. A. Morrow, Eleventh O. V. I .. Company F. James Wolf, Eleventh O V. I., Company F.
SHELBY COUNTY'S FALLEN HEROES
Fifty-seventh Regiment, O. V. I.
P. Doolan, Co. A.
J. Lotteridge, Co. A.
J. W. Toland, Co. C.
J. G. Meranda, Co. K.
David Smith, Co. K.
F. M. McCormick, Co. K.
S. Woodruff, Co. K.
J. Merchling, Co. K.
J. W. Weatherhead, Co. K.
Fiftieth Regiment, O. V. I.
Co. B.
J. T. Lucas, Lieut.
David Bowlsby.
Moses M. Grey. Wm. T. Peer
John Humphrey.
J. F. Polhanus.
Robert Jeffries.
Thomas Day.
Jesse Lenox.
John Jones.
Co. B.
Elias Baldwin.
WV. H. Borum.
John Johnston.
Martin L. Thrush.
Abr. I. Mapes.
J. W. Wilkinson. William Waters.
Wm. Munch. Sylvester Wright.
J. B. McAlexander. John K. Wilson. Harvey Watts.
Gabriel Crawford. Daniel Eicher.
T. J. Goble-L. Gump. Harlin P. Hall. Amos Hoffman.
Twentieth Regiment, O. V. I.
Francis M. Hall.
Henry Schench.
J. Harshbarger.
Henry Staley.
George Baldwin. David Baldwin. Perry Bailey. W. R. Campbell. Jas. H. Coleman.
Henry D. Minnick.
Ben. J. F. Ogle. George Pence. John Rinehart.
J. C. Williamson. Co. F.
G. W. Rush.
George W. Ragen. .Joseph S. Schench.
W. Magginnis.
Robert Ginn.
J. W. McDonald. .
Chris. Botkin. Henry L. Baker. Wm. Conway. A. C. F. Feinck.
J. McCormick, Co. K.
J. M. Rhodehamel, Co. K.
Jas. J. Smith, Co. K.
Wm. Flint.
J. Lippencott.
J. E. Blakely .. William H. Coy. P. Crotenbiler.
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
William F. Clancy.
Co. I.
Cor. Davenport.
Theophilus G. Ailes.
Mathias Elliott.
Demmitt Barker.
Lemuel Ellsworth.
Benjamin Dodds.
William Edwards.
Adam Englehart.
E. S. Gallimore.
Robert Elliott.
Pierce Johns.
F. Hawkins.
Levi Hughes. Philip Hall. John Hinkle.
B. L. Shackelford.
H. Hardesty. Christian Jelly. James A. Knox.
William Heffelman.
Co. K.
Wm. D. Neal, Capt.
Martin Line.
Martin Hale.
Abraham Lenox.
Thomas Jackson.
Oliver P. Bogart.
Jasper Miller.
Thomas Minnear.
David C. Baker.
George W. Quillen.
S. E. McManama.
Samuel Bryan. Thomas Baldwin.
Moses Sturgeon.
Nathan Russell.
Jesse Babcock.
William H. Sturm.
John S. Shaw.
Elisha Bogue.
John Umphrey.
Thomas Smith.
Isaac O. Cole.
John Wagner.
Daniel Vanate.
Thomas Duncan.
Andrew J. Watson.
John W. Vandever.
James Dalton.
Andrew Willis.
One Hundred and Eighty-fifth Regiment, O. V. I.
Co. E. Jacob Bland. Jacob Cook. John Shane.
IN PEACE
Seventy-first Regiment, O. V. I., Company C ..
Peter L. Haney. Jacob W. Miller. Wharton S. Woolery.
One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment, O. V. I.
Co. C.
H. Tholmier. E. Thompson.
Robert Julian. John H. Kessler.
Joseph Backman.
George Baker.
Co. I.
C. Mellinger. Aaron Morgan.
James H. Clawson.
C. Coulson.
John M. Stang.
Thomas Clawson.
William Consoliver. R. J. Thompson.
Andrew Irwin.
Frederick Dudy. B. F. Walker.
Joseph Kistner.
Robert L. Gouge.
J. Westfall.
John E. Kessler. Ozias Lambert.
William Henman.
John Hinskey.
William Airgood.
William Baker.
Elias Manning.
George W. Jordon.
Columbus Beeson
James Moore.
George Olden.
Silas Kemp.
Eli Hardesty.
Albert Hines.
J. G. McClelland.
Perry Deweese. George Deal. Jasper N. Davis Jesse Day. William Dodds.
Jacob Bogar. J. W. Hogan.
George Ridenbo.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
Ninety-ninth Regiment, O. V. I.
Co. C.
Joel Maddox.
S. Dunsbarger.
Stewart McElroy.
Lewis Haney. Jonathan Haven.
Christian Botkin.
Charles H. McMullen.
Joseph Hume.
G. R. Beeson.
A. Ringelspaugh.
G. W. Kizer.
Perry O. Babcock.
G. W. Sharp.
Michael Beeman.
Jerry Sullivan.
WV. H. Cover.
J. T. Voorhees.
W. H. Ogan.
David Clayton.
W. R. Wilkinson.
Wm. C. Penrod.
Martin Denman.
G. W. Windle.
Cyrus H. Russell.
Joel Darnell.
Charles Streets.
Joseph Delap.
Co. H.
John Swanders.
Dudenick Dearbolt.
J. L. Goble, Lieut.
Alfred Swanders.
Charles O. Frazier.
Robert Blakely.
B. F. Stone.
Henry Flesher.
Edwin Barker.
George P. Wilkinson.
William Franklin.
John Collins. John Chambers.
Edwin Wooley.
John Hartzell.
N. F. Cannon.
John Kizer.
Espy C. Dill.
Co. B.
Andrew King.
James R. Dodson.
James N. Luckey.
George U. Dormire.
William McClure.
Lafayette Daviss.
John W. Berry. David Kizer.
COMPANY L, SPANISH-AMERICAN' WAR
Company L, Third Infantry, Ohio National Guard, answered first call for troops for the Spanish-American war, April 26, 1898, mobilized at Camp Bushnell. Columbus, O., and was mustered into United States service, May 10, 1898.
The Third regiment was assigned to the Fifth Army Corps and sent at once to Tampa, Fla. The corps was ordered to prepare to embark on trans- ports for Cuba, had excess baggage stored and some of the horses loaded, when word came that, owing to there not being sufficient transports, the Third Ohio would not be taken, greatly to the disappointment of the ambi- tions recruits and the relief of the mothers and sweethearts at home. The six months' service of the regiment was spent in camp at De Sota park near Tampa at Fernandino, Fla., and Huntsville, Ala.
The company on the first call was made up of seventy-two officers and men. Upon the second call for troops the company was filled with recruits to the number of one hundred and nine, whose names are here recorded : Officers : Capt., William T. Amos; first lieut., Henry M. Theurer; second lieut., Emer- son V. Moore ; sergeants, first, Jesse C. Wilson ; q'. m., Cliffe Wilson, Benjamin Mccullough. Jesse L. Frazier, Frank M. Hussey and Arthur W. Kah.
Frank Irwin.
John August.
John Schrarer.
John Fix.
William Barker.
G. W. Shearer.
George Weimer.
WV. T. Graham.
Aaron Swanders.
John Mapes. James W. Murphy.
David L. Brown.
John B. Morehead.
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Corporals, Elmer Kendall, Louis P. Kraft, Melvin T. Williams, James Orbison, Robert Van De Grift, Omer Dill, Dan Wikoff, Eayre Haines, Robert Ginn, Ferd Amann, Jesse Laughlin, Weber Hussey and James Luckey. Musi- cians, Harland E. Kah, Charles Rostron; artificer, Asby G. Talbot; wagoner, William Sarver.
Privates, George Ackerly, William Apgar, De Witt S. Bush, Daniel Bur- ton, Rolla Barber, Joseph Brandt, Martin Bennett, Henry W. Beck, Samuel Bower, Marion Bulle, Jason Carey, Edwin Cowan, William Dunnavant, Wil- liamı Deveney, Fred S. Edgar, William F. Eberle, Ervin Elliott, George Ehr- hardt, Fayre Flinn, Chris Frey, Oliver Foust, Benjamin Funk, William Gilfillan, Frederick T. Given, Henry Griffen, Albert Huffman, George Haines, Ralph Heiges, Clem Hussey, Fred Havescher, Charles Harbaugh, Harry Humphreys, Oliver Horner, William Hoff, Clinton Kiplinger, William Kress, William Kummer, George Lewis, Reuben Luckey, John Longenecker, Harry Lewis, John Ludwig, William Leymaster, George Morton, Roy Motsinger, Harry Miller, Bayly Montross, John McHenry, Frank McVay, John McKer- cher, Harry Neal, Edward Nicholson, Frank Ockenfels, Daniel O'Neil, Omer Odell, Walter Parcher, Marenas Price, Louis Pfaadt, George Ruff, Harry Rhodefer, William Rostron, Joseph Reiger, Alvin Rhinehart, John Stang, Emory Sarver, Julius Struckman, Stephen Shannon, Philemon Snider, Jacob Staley, George Swob, Joseph Schaub, John Toller, Elmer Vogler, Todd Weaver, Adolphus Williams, Albert Wagner, Freeman Wright, Franklin Willoughby, Ben. Wiley, John Young, Adam M. Young, and Karl F. Young.
These officers and men were at the time of service all residents of Shelby county. There was much sickness due to the unsanitary condition of the camp at Tampa. Many of Company L were in serious condition and many were sent home on sick furlough, but a remarkable feature was that there was not a death in the company during the six months' service. The company was mustered out at Columbus in October with their flag, a beautiful silk one pre- sented by the young ladies of Sidney, unspotted with blood and unsullied with the marks of the battlefield. At the reception given in the armory a few evenings after their return Melvin Williams on behalf of the boys presented Lieut .- Col. W. T. Amos with a beautiful sword.
CHAPTER XVIII THE BENCH AND BAR
Organisation of the Courts-Interesting Cases-Old Time Judges and Lawyers-The Shelby County Bar of Today.
Following the admission of Ohio into the Union February 19, 1803, the first legislature passed an act organizing the judicial system. Montgomery county, which is as old as the state, was established by an act of the same legislature the same year and embraced what are now the counties of Preble, Darke, Mercer, Allen, Van Wert, Paulding, Williams, Fulton, Henry, Defi- ance, Putnam, Auglaize, Shelby and Miami.
In 1807 Miami was separated from Montgomery and formed into a county with Staunton as the county seat.
In 1819 Shelby county was detached from Miami and erected into a separate organization with jurisdiction extending northward over the present counties of Auglaize and Allen, which formed the original Auglaize and Amanda townships of Shelby county. It is recalled that at this time the whole county was undeveloped but settlements had been pushed forward with rapid strides from 1812 to 1819 which indicated complete and permanent development. So it was that on the 17th of May, 1819, we find a court of common pleas in session at Hardin ready to "administer even-handed jus- tice to the rich and poor alike."
This court was conducted by the Hon. Joseph H. Crane, president judge, and Robert Houston, Samuel Marshall and William W. Cecil, associate judges. On the first day of the session Harvey B. Foote was appointed clerk of the court and Henry Bacon prosecuting attorney.
A few licenses were granted and the court adjourned sine die on its initial day. The next session convened September 13, 1819, with a full staff of judicial, executive and clerical officers and at this time the sheriff, Daniel V. Dingman, returned the following venire to serve as the first grand jury in the Shelby county courts: John Frances, foreman; John Manning, James Lenox, Joseph Mellinger, Conrad Ponches, Lebediah Richardson, Joseph Steinberger, Henry Hushan, John Stevens, Archibald Defrees, Cephas Carey, Peter Musselman, John Bryant and Richard Lenox. One juror not appear- ing. Abraham Davenport filled out the panel from the bystanders.
The first case on the criminal docket was that of the State of Ohio vs. Hugh Scott, indicted for assault and battery. He plead guilty and was fined ten dollars and costs.
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
The next term of court convened at Sidney, April 24, 1820, Hardin hav- ing lost the distinction of being a seat of justice.
It might be interesting to note in this time of "high cost of living" that Samuel Marshall was allowed $17 and William Cecil $17.38 for services as associate judges from the 4th of June, 1821, to the 4th of June, 1822; the prosecuting attorney, Henry Bacon, was paid $50; the grand jurors, $93; petit jurors, $4 : constables, $7.80.
Court at Hardin convened in an old block house and when Sidney was made the county seat the sessions were held in the humble homes of different citizens until the spring of 1822 when the first court house was built. The first meeting of court at Sidney was in the log cabin of Abraham Cannon on the south side of a corn field which occupied the center of the town. About the court stretched the forest rich in the varied garb of nature and abounding in wild game. The bridgeless Miami flowed unvexed toward the gulf and the craft that cut its waters were the flat boats of the first traders.
The launching of the first county court must have been an event of supreme importance to the people. It assured them that a new era had opened and that the new county had taken its place among internal commonwealths.
In course of time the number of attorneys increased. There were tedious journeys over poor roads to the county seat and these were performed in all sorts of weather. Locomotion, therefore, was slow and the early lawyers had ample time to think over their cases.
In early times court terms were limited to two weeks and consequently the docket was always crowded. The system of pleading was under the old common law, the complications of which often tried the patience of the early bar. Divorce cases were few and not many criminal cases .were docketed.
Those were the days of meagre fees; in fact, litigants as a rule were poor in this world's goods and therefore avoided litigation as much as possible.
The first pleaders before the bench of Shelby county were men of worth and ability and of much erudition. They knew literature as well as law; they were as familiar with Shakespeare as with Blackstone. The old bar of the county has disappeared.
The last of the old practitioners passed with Judge Thompson and the temple of justice which echoed long ago to its wit and eloquence has given place to a new structure but the record left behind by the first lawyers has not been lost. It would be invidious to discriminate but we give a brief summary of the lives of some of the early practitioners.
The first lawyer of Shelby county of whom we have any record is Judge Samuel Marshall, who was born in Ireland a year before our Declaration of Independence and came to Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1784, with his father. In 1808 he started westward and settled in Washington township where the Marshalls became one of the oldest and most influential families in the county. He served as one of the first associate judges of the courts for many years, was county commissioner from 1828 to, 1834, and in all official capacities as in the private walks of life was held in high esteem. He was one of the first contractors of the old Piqua and Fort Defiance mail route 20
324
HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
from Piqua to Bellefontaine. His sons Hugh and C. C. Marshall, carried the mail over these routes at a very early day. Judge Marshall died February 12, 1838.
The Hon. Patrick Gaines Goode, named after the illustrious Patrick Henry, an intimate friend of his father, belonged to the sixteenth generation of the illustrious family of Goode. They were Huguenots and many emi- grated to Virginia at an early day, figured prominently as loyalists in its pro- vincial history, but took a decided stand as patriots in the war of the Revo- lution. Many of the family were lawyers, physicians and legislators in the state and in congress.
Judge Goode was born in Prince Edward county, Virginia, May 10, 1798, and came to Ohio near Xenia with his father in 1805. Here he worked on a farm until sixteen when he entered a classical school for three years and later followed the same instructor to Philadelphia where he studied for two years. He then came back to Ohio and commenced the study of law at Lebanon, Warren county, which boasted of some of the great legal lights of the day. He was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-three, practiced a little while at Madison and Liberty, Indiana, and in 1831 came to Sidney. As the county was yet new he devoted a part of his time to teaching and was a zealous worker for the State Sabbath School Society, organizing schools in Shelby and the counties north of it. In 1833 he was elected to the Ohio house, reelected, and in 1835 received a certificate of election to the Ohio senate which he refused to claim because some of his opponents' votes were thrown out on technicalities.
The following year he was sent to congress from a district of fourteen counties extending from Dayton to Toledo, twice reelected and refused a fourth term. In congress he was an indefatigable worker and labored inces- santly for the improvements in the Maumee valley. When the sixteentli judicial district was created in 1844, composed of Shelby and Williams with the intervening counties, ten in number, he was elected president judge of the district by the general assembly for a term of seven years. After his term was out he resumed the practice of law in Sidney but shortly abandoned it to enter the ministry. In 1857 he was granted a regular appointment in the M. E. conference and so zealous was he that he overtaxed his endurance at a meeting of the conference in 1862 at Greenville where he was burdened with responsibilities owing to his knowledge of parliamentary law that he died two weeks later, October 7, 1862.
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