OHIO STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
REVIEWS, NOTES AND COMMENTS
BY THE EDITOR
THOMAS BARTLEY,
ACTING GOVERNOR AND JUDGE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF
OHIO.
Singular though it may seem, the
biographies of
Judge Bartley that have appeared from
time to time in
Ohio publications are without exception
incomplete.
Beyond the record of the fact that he
served a short
time as governor to fill out the
unexpired term of Wil-
son Shannon who had been appointed
minister to
Mexico, and had served two terms on the
Supreme
Bench of Ohio, these sketches contain
practically no
information in regard to the life of
this eminent jurist.
An extended search recently for the
date of the death of
Judge Bartley led to the discovery that
a biography of
him satisfactory in every particular
except one has been
found in the New England Historical
and Genealogical
Register, Vol. 40, pages 119-120. Through some over-
sight unexplained, this sketch fails to
mention Judge
Bartley's service as a member of the
Supreme Court of
Ohio.
He was elected to this position in 1851 and
served continuously until 1859,
rendering on the bench
his most distinguished service to the
state of Ohio. The
sketch in the Register is as
follows:
Judge Thomas Wells Bartley, of
Washington, D. C.,
* * * was
born in Jefferson County, Ohio, Feb. 11, 1812, and
died in Washington, D. C., June 20, 1885, aged 73.
(213)
214 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications
"His father was Hon. Mordecai
Bartley, of Mansfield, Ohio,
who was born in Fayette County, Pa.,
Sept. 8, 1787, and his
mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Wells, of
Browns-
ville, Fayette County, Pa. She was born
in 1789. They were
united in marriage in 1806. His grandfather Elijah was
born in
Virginia in 1753, and married Rachel
Pearshall. After mar-
riage they removed from Loudoun County,
Va., to Fayette
County, Pa., where all their children
were born. The earlier
ancestors of this Bartley family
(spelled also Barklay and Bar-
clay) lived in Virginia from the early
colonial days.
"Mordecai Bartley was a prominent
man in Ohio. He was
a military officer in the war of 1812,
was member of Congress
eight years, from 1823 to 1831, and was
governor of the state
two years, 1844-46.
"The subject of this sketch, after
his boyhood days were
passed, was fitted for college, and was
graduated at Jefferson
College, Pa., in 1829, and received the
degree of A. M. in 1833.
After studying law one year with Hon.
Jacob Parker, of Mans-
field, and one year with Elijah Hayward,
Esq., of Washington,
D. C., he was admitted to practice in
all the judicial courts of
Ohio in 1833. He soon became a public
man, serving in the
Ohio General Assembly and in the Senate.
As speaker of the
Senate, he became, in 1844, ex-officio
governor of the state, and
in December of that year was succeeded
by his own father, who
had just been elected governor.
"He was united in marriage, October
5, 1837, with Julia
Maria, daughter of William Larwill, of
Wooster, Ohio. She was
born March 30, 1818, and died March 1,
1847. He married
again, November 7, 1848, Susan Sherman,
daughter of Hon.
Charles R. Sherman, Judge of the Supreme
Court of Ohio. She
was a sister of Senator John and General
William T. Sherman.
By his first marriage he had four
children, and by his second
two.
"Judge Bartley was a man eminent
for his legal learning and
his great power of thought. Some of his
decisions occupy a
high place in the estimate of his
brethren of the legal profession.
He was a member of the Jackson
Democratic Association in
Washington, and the resolutions passed
by that body, after his
death, are very strong in their
testimony to his ability and worth
of character. The last words of Judge
Bartley, as reported to
us by one of his friends, were these: 'I
have done my duty to
my country, to my countrymen, to my
children, to all. The
world, the material world, I am going
out of it. But there is a
spiritual world we cannot see with our
material senses.' He
had lifted himself upon his elbow to
utter these words, when he
dropped back upon his pillow and died.
Reviews, Notes and Comments 215
OTHNIEL LOOKER
For many years the biographies that
have appeared
from time to time of Governor Othniel
Looker have
been far from satisfactory. The
text of the sketch
which has appeared in many publications
is reproduced
in the note below.* As will be seen, it
is incorrect in
almost every particular. The editor recently learned
that Governor Looker died in the
village of Palestine,
Illinois. A very obliging correspondent
was found in
the person of Mrs. Manford E. Cox of
Robinson, Illi-
nois.
Through her assistance data has been gathered
for a satisfactory biographical
sketch. An interesting
and helpful letter has also been
received from Mrs.
Angeline Alexander, a
great-granddaughter of Gov-
ernor Looker who lives in Palestine,
Illinois. Among
the papers and letters furnished is a
copy of the Pales-
tine Weekly Register of February
13, 1919, containing
a sketch compiled by A. D. Gogin. This
sketch in the
main has been found correct. A mistake
was made in
regard to the service of Governor
Looker in the New
York Assembly. This has been corrected
by informt-
tion furnished through the Legislative
Reference Sec-
tion of the New York State Library. Following
are
*"Othniel Looker was born in the
State of New York, of humble
parentage, in 1757. He enlisted as a
private in the Revolutionary Army;
serving through the war. In 1784, having
received a grant of land in the
wilderness of the Northwest, he crossed
the Alleghenies, and locating his
grant, built his cabin, and commenced
ris life labor as a hard working
farmer. He devoted himself strictly to
the business of a farmer, and
on the organization of the state was
elected a member of the Legislature.
Here he availed himself of the
advantages such a school afforded, and
so rose in public esteem as to be sent
to the Senate. He became Speaker
of that body, and when Governor Meigs
resigned the Governorship in
1814, he became the fourth Governor of
Ohio. He served but eight
months, returning to his farm, respected
by all as a man of clear mind,
much intelligence and peaceful
disposition. Strange to say, no records
are available to make a more
satisfactory sketch. He died unmarried."
216
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
the facts in regard to the life history
of Governor
Looker:
Othniel Looker was born at Hanover,
Morris
County, New Jersey, October 4, 1757. He died at
Palestine, Illinois, August 29, 1846.*
In 1777 at the age of twenty years he
volunteered in
the New Jersey militia, Obadiah
Kitchel's company,
Colonel Martin's regiment, and served
through the
Revolutionary War. His services as a soldier, it is
asserted by those associated with him,
developed the
high qualities that later gained him
the confidence of
his fellowmen. In his long and useful
life he was
"guilty of no act which tarnished
the high reputation
thus early acquired."
After the close of the war, he, in
1782, moved to
New York where he became a member of
the Assembly
of that state in 1803 and 1804, serving
in the twenty-
sitxh and twenty-seventh sessions of
that body as repre-
sentative from Saratoga County.
In 1804 he moved to Hamilton County,
Ohio, which
he served in the House of
Representatives from 1807-
1809.
He was a member of the state Senate from
1810 to 1811 and again from 1813 to
1816. He was
speaker of the Senate when Governor
Meigs resigned in
1814 and thereupon became acting
governor, a position
which he filled from March 24, 1814, to
December 8 of
that year. At the conclusion of his
service he returned
to his farm in Harrison Township,
Hamilton County.
He was afterwards Associate Judge for
seven years.
*This is the date on his tombstone at
Palestine, Illinois. Strange
to say, however, the Cincinnati Gazette
of July 31, 1845, contains an
obituary notice with the statement that
Governor Looker died July 23,
1845. This difference of dates is yet to
be reconciled.
Reviews, Notes and Comments 217
In 1844 he went to Palestine, Illinois,
to spend his
remaining days with his daughter, Mrs.
Rachel L.
Kitchel. Here he was highly honored by the citizens
of the village. On July 4, 1845, he delivered his last
public address. "Appearing in his
continental uniform,
bowed with the infirmities of age, his
emotions almost
overcame him as he contrasted the
feeble beginnings of
the Republic with the splendid
destinies assured in the
future." In an obituary notice it is recorded that his
last words were, "My life has been
spared; I have tried
to be useful; God calls and I obey the
summons." Gov-
ernor Looker married Pamela Clark.
Their children
were B. F., James Harvey, Pamela and
Rachel L.
Rachel L. Looker married Joseph Kitchel
who was the
first receiver of the land office at
Palestine, Illinois.
Governor Looker had a large number of
grand-
children and many of his descendants
are still living.
A grandson, Thomas H. Looker, entered
the navy as
midshipman November 6, 1846. He served
through
the Mexican War and through the Civil
War. He was
promoted to the position of pay
director in the navy
March 3, 1871, and in 1890 was living
in Washington,
D. C.
CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF ULYSSES S.
GRANT.
We are under special obligations to
Honorable Hugh
L. Nichols, former Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court
of Ohio and at present Chairman of the
U. S. Grant
Memorial Centenary Association, for a
general program
of the exercises attending the one
hundredth anniver-
sary of the birth of Ohio's most
illustrious son. The
celebration will extend from the 27th
to the 29th of
218 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications
April, 1922. The detailed announcement
received from
Judge Nichols follows:
"The centenary of the birth of
General Ulysses S. Grant
will be commemorated in the county of
his birth (Clermont)
and in the county where he spent his
childhood and youth
(Brown) in a very striking manner.
"The services on the day of his
birth, April 27, 1922, will be
had at the place of birth, Point
Pleasant, Clermont County, Ohio.
Point Pleasant is now, as it was at the
time of the birth of this
distinguished Ohioan, but a small hamlet
lying upon the banks of
the Ohio River, about twenty-five miles
east of Cincinnati. The
hills bordering the river come at this
point almost precipitately
down to the river bank and the name
given to the spot, as it
would suggest, grew out of the beauty of
its situation.
"The parents of General Grant,
Jesse R. and Hannah Simp-
son Grant, were married at Bethel, Ohio,
in the Spring of 1821,
and immediately took up housekeeping in
the little home at Point
Pleasant, where Jesse R. had some
connection with the tannery
business. The family remained, however,
at Point Pleasant but
a short time after the birth of their
first-born, moving, when he
was but eighteen months of age, to
Georgetown, Brown County,
Brown County being then a newly made
county and Georgetown
having just been laid out as a town.
"Here the boy Grant remained with
his parents until he was
nominated as a cadet to West Point by
General Thomas L.
Hamer in 1839. Before Grant returned
from West Point the
family had again moved, this time going
to Bethel, Clermont
County, the former home of the General's
mother.
"The orator of the day at Point
Pleasant will be President
Warren G. Harding, who will there
deliver the commemorative
address. The chairman of the day will be
Governor Harry L.
Davis, and the addresses by these two
officials will be the extent
of the speaking on that occasion.
"It is planned for the
distinguished guests to leave Cin-
cinnati on the morning of April 27 on
the steamer Island Queen
going up the Ohio River to Point
Pleasant, it being estimated
that two hours will be required for this
journey.
"Many of the descendants of General
Grant will be on this
boat, including Major U. S. Grant III.
"On the following day, April 28,
commemorative services
will be held at Bethel. On this
occasion, U. S. Senator Frank
B. Willis will deliver the commemorative
address and some
especial services in memory of U. S.
Senator Thomas Morris,
Reviews, Notes and Comments 219
who lies buried at Bethel, will be held
in connection with the
Grant Memorial Services.
"On the following day, April 29,
the services will be held at
Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio, where
Senator Atlee Pom-
erene will be the principal speaker.
"A detachment of the United States
Army will be present
on all three occasions, accompanied by
the Camp Knox, Ken-
tucky, military band.
"A great many distinguished men
and women will be present
on all three occasions, including the
wife of the President; the
widow of Lieutenant-General Henry C.
Corbin and the widow of
Major-General Frederick D. Grant will
also be among the num-
ber of ladies who will grace the
occasion.
"Souvenir coins commemorating the
event have been
authorized by the Congress of the
United States-10,000 gold
dollars and 250,000 silver halves.
These coins, on the obverse
side will bear the bust of General
Grant, garbed in the military
attire of the Civil War period, and on
the opposite side a minia-
ture representation of the little cabin
in which he was born."
MARION COUNTY CENTENNIAL
Marion, Ohio, will celebrate its one
hundredth anni-
versary the first week in July. The
officers of the com-
mittee arranging for the celebration
are, J. W. Jacoby,
attorney, and John Brigel of Marion.
Marion was founded by Eber Baker and
Alexander
Holmes early in 1822. Its location was
on the Har-
rison Military Road of the War of 1812.
Baker and
Holmes, both of Newark, Ohio, had
entered the lands
a few years before. It was platted soon after a com-
mittee was appointed by the legislature
to locate the
seat of justice for Marion County. A spirited contest
arose over the location of the county
seat, Marion
finally winning by a divided vote of
the committee.
It is the intention of the committee to
make this
celebration one of the big events of
Central Ohio for
the coming summer. The program will
begin on Sun-
220
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
day, July 2nd. Every church will hold
appropriate
services on that date. On Monday the opening exer-
cises will be held and prominent
out-of-town speakers
will participate. In the afternoon of
that day the dif-
ferent industries of the vity will show
all visitors
through the industrial plants. In the
evening the various
lodges and other organizations of the
city will entertain
with open house. On Tuesday, the 4th,
it is expected
that Commander MacNider of the American
Legion will
be present and the day will be given
over to a pageant
showing the growth of the city and
county for the past
100 years. There will also be games and sports of
various sorts. Wednesday will be
Home-coming Day.
On that day Marion's most distinguished
citizen, Presi-
dent Harding, and other state and
national guests will
be present. The day will be given over
to speech-mak-
ing and renewal of home ties.
OHIO STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
REVIEWS, NOTES AND COMMENTS
BY THE EDITOR
THOMAS BARTLEY,
ACTING GOVERNOR AND JUDGE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF
OHIO.
Singular though it may seem, the
biographies of
Judge Bartley that have appeared from
time to time in
Ohio publications are without exception
incomplete.
Beyond the record of the fact that he
served a short
time as governor to fill out the
unexpired term of Wil-
son Shannon who had been appointed
minister to
Mexico, and had served two terms on the
Supreme
Bench of Ohio, these sketches contain
practically no
information in regard to the life of
this eminent jurist.
An extended search recently for the
date of the death of
Judge Bartley led to the discovery that
a biography of
him satisfactory in every particular
except one has been
found in the New England Historical
and Genealogical
Register, Vol. 40, pages 119-120. Through some over-
sight unexplained, this sketch fails to
mention Judge
Bartley's service as a member of the
Supreme Court of
Ohio.
He was elected to this position in 1851 and
served continuously until 1859,
rendering on the bench
his most distinguished service to the
state of Ohio. The
sketch in the Register is as
follows:
Judge Thomas Wells Bartley, of
Washington, D. C.,
* * * was
born in Jefferson County, Ohio, Feb. 11, 1812, and
died in Washington, D. C., June 20, 1885, aged 73.
(213)