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Portrait and Biographical Record of
Guernsey County, Ohio
Chicago: C.O. Owen & Co., 1895
Scanned, transcribed, proofed, formatted, and indexed by Scott R. C. Anderson
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Historical.
| GUERNSEY COUNTY was formed by act of the Legislature, Session of 1809-10, from portions of Belmont and Muskingum Counties. The act was consummated March 10, 1810. The name came from the Island of Guernsey, many of whose natives were residents within the limits of the proposed county. April 23, 1810, a meeting was held at the home of George Beymer, at Cambridge, at which the first County Commissioners were sworn in. The first board was composed of James Dillon, William Dement and Abraham Martin. Elijah Beall was appointed Clerk, and John Beatty Treasurer. Elijah Dyson was appointed to make out a list of all residents of the county liable to taxation. The first Sheriff was Thomas Knowls, first Surveyor George Metcalf, and first Coroner Joseph Smith.
It was ordered that the county be divided into five distinct townships, said townships to be called, respectively, Oxford, Seneca, Wills, Cambridge and Westland, and that a county plat be made by the Surveyor. By order of the Board of Commissioners tavern licenses were graded from $4 to $5. At the meeting held the following June 10, it was ordered that a township to be called Buffalo be organized. A contract was lot to build a county gaol, at this meeting, Andrew Marshall receiving the award. Richland Township was organized July 28,1810, and Madison the same day. Meetings for organization |
were held at the house of Samuel Leath, in Richland, and at Absalom Martin's, in Madison.
September 15, 1810, Wheeling Township was organized. The meeting was held at the house of William Gibson. On Christmas Day, 1810, Robert Johnson became Clerk. The Steubenville Road was completed from Cadiz to Cambridge in 1811. In June, 1811, Lloyd Talbot was appointed superintendent of the erection of a court-house building, and Z. A. Beatty and Jacob Gomber were chosen contractors to construct the same. The gaol was finished September 3, 1811. Valley Township was organized at the house of William Thompson, March 25, 1815. Jefferson, Londonderry, Beaver and Ohio Townships were organized January 3, 1816. Monroe Township was organized at the house of Lawrence Tetrick in April, 1818. Knox Township was formed in March, 1819; Spencer in 1819, Liberty in 1820, Centre in 1822, Washington in 1823, Jackson in 1824 and Adams in 1827. In 1851 Buffalo, Beaver, Ohio and Seneca Townships were detached from Guernsey County and became a part of Noble. Rivalry existed for many years between Washington and Cambridge for the honors of the county seat. Messrs. Beatty and Gomber, public-spirited men, gave the ground and proposed the erection of suitable buildings, said buildings to be ready |
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