POLITICAL INFLUENCE
OF OHIO PIONEERS.
GEORGE M. GADSBY.
In present day politics we find the
principle of "like father,
like son" a very potent one. Or, as
a ward chairman of this city
recently remarked when speaking of the
politics of a candidate,
"an apple never falls very far from
the tree." If now this system
of "paternal" or
"traditional" politics is noticeable in recent
generations it is fair to presume that a
trace may be found run-
ning back to the time of the founding of
the territory or county
and there may possibly be a relation
between the politics of a
section today and the politics of its
original settlers.
In the case of the state of Ohio there
is enough variation in
the nature and origin of the first
settlers to lend considerable in-
terest to a study of the
"wherefor" of the present county "political
complexion."
Students of history will remember that
while the first legal
settlement was made by New Englanders,
the proximity of the
virgin territory to the boundaries of
Virginia and Kentucky had
induced many squatters to cross the line
before the Ohio Com-
pany was even formed. Later when the
land was opened for
settlement men came in great numbers
from the Southern states
as well as from Pennsylvania, New York,
and New England. In
the case of settlement by Southerners we
expect to find democracy
and when the Northerners first occupied
the land the principles
of Republicanism prevailed.
In taking up the study of the counties
as they are now found
it must be born in mind that many have
been formed from
adjacent counties and again that large
sections have been settled
by men from other older counties. In
these cases it is more
difficult to trace the political trend
as the accounts of the origin
of the first settlers is not definite.
In determining the politics
of the various counties the returns from
ten elections were taken,
the first election being that of 1836,
and the last that of 1904. In
Vol. XVII. 13. (193)
194 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
some few cases the number of Democratic
victories and those of
the Republicans is about equal and the
politics of these counties
has been indicated as indefinite.
As some order must be observed in taking
up the counties
and that of date of settlement is not
necessary, we have chosen
an arbitrary geographical method, and
will commence at the
eastern edge of the state and follow the
example of the early
settlers themselves by "going
West."
Commencing then with Ashtabula it is
found to have been
formed from Trumbull and Geauga counties
and to have been
settled by New Englanders; with a single
exception all of the
ten elections resulted in Republican
victories. Trumbull and
Mahoning, the latter formed for the most
part from territory
originally in the former, were both
settled by New Englanders,
mostly from Connecticut, and again we
find the Republicans in
the majority. Columbiana was formed from
Jefferson and Wash-
ington counties and so the original
settlers were from Pennsyl-
vania and New England, and in result is
a Republican county.
Jefferson, as has just been stated, was
settled by Pennsylvanians
and is a Republican county. Belmont was
settled by men from
the North-west territory, which in turn
was settled by men from
New England and in consequence is a
Republican county.
Monroe was settled by both Northerners
and Virginians, the
Virginia element prevailed and Monroe
county is unquestionably
Democratic. Washington, Noble, Morgan,
Muskingum, Athens
and Meigs counties were settled by New
Englanders and again
the effect is Republican prevalence in
almost all elections. Gallia
was settled by French immigrants and
altho Republican it can
hardly be said to have acquired its
political instincts from its
settlers. Lawrence was settled by
Pennsylvanians and Virginians
but is a Republican county. Lake was
formed from Geauga and
Cuyahoga, settled by men from
Connecticut and is a Republican
county. The territory of Geauga,
Cuyahoga, Portage, Summit,
Medina, Lorain, Huron and Erie
comprising a strip of land north
of the 41st degree parallel of latitude
and between the 81st and
83rd degrees of longitude were settled
by New Englanders in
most part from Connecticut and all the
counties are still Re-
publican. Stark was settled by
Pennsylvania Germans and varies
Political Influence of Ohio
Pioneers. 195
in its elections. Wayne was settled
largely by Virginia and Mary-
land people with some few from New
Jersey, Pennsylvania and
New England but it is a Democratic
county as is to be expected
from the excess of Southerners among the
first settlers. Ashland
was formed from Wayne and shares its
original settlers and
Democratic policies. Carroll, Tuscarawas
and Holmes counties
were settled by Pennsylvanians and
Virginians in about equal
numbers, in politics we find Carroll
Republican, Tuscarawas un-
decided and Holmes Democratic. Harrison
was settled by a
mixture of Scotch-Irish, Germans,
Quakers from Pennsylvania
and Virginians. Out of this
conglomeration the Northerns pre-
vailed and the county is Republican.
Guernsey was settled by
emigrants from Guernsey, some Northerns
and a few Virginians,
the county is Republican. Coshocton was
settled by Virginians
and Pennsylvanians and is Democratic.
Richland and Crawford
were settled by Pennsylvanians and
Virginians and are both
Democratic. Knox was settled by a
mixture from Virginia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
New England and
shows it in its politics. No record was
found of the settlement of
Morrow, but it is a Republican county.
Licking, Perry and
Fairfield were settled by men from
Virginia, Maryland and
Pennsylvania and is Democratic. Hocking and Vinton were
settled by Ohioans from the older
counties and are both Demo-
cratic. Jackson was settled by Welsh and
Pennsylvania farmers
and is Republican. The origin of the
settlers of Scioto county
was not found but it is a Republican
county. Wyandot and
Marion are Democratic, but no record of
the source of the first
settlers was found. Delaware, Union,
Logan and Madison, altho
settled largely by Kentuckians, are
Republican, being, perhaps,
the "exceptions to prove the
rule." Franklin's early settlers came
from Connecticut and Kentucky and they
have shared political
honors very evenly. Pickaway settlers
came from Pennsylvania
and Virginia, and the county is
Democratic. Ross, altho settled
by the same classes, is Republican. Pike
and Adams were settled
by Virginians and are Democratic. Ottawa, Sandusky and
Seneca were founded by men from the
center of the state who
came mostly from Pennsylvania and
Virginia and are Demo-
cratic. Lucas and Wood were settled by
New Englanders and
196
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
have remained strong Republican
counties. Hancock is uncertain
and Hardin is Republican, altho
partially settled by Virginians.
Champaign, Clark, Greene and Clinton
were settled by Pennsyl-
vanians and New Englanders and are
Republican. Fayette is
another exception, being Republican,
altho founded by men from
Virginia and Kentucky. Highland is like
Fayette, being a
Southern settled Republican county.
Brown, Adams and Cler-
mont are Democratic and were settled by
emigrants from Mary-
land and Virginia. Fulton is Republican,
Henry uncertain and
Putnam Democratic, all having been
settled and influenced by
adjoining counties. Allen, Auglaize and
Shelby are of uncertain
origin and are Democratic. Miami,
Montgomery and Warren
were settled by men from Hamilton
county, which was settled
by men from New Jersey and all are
Republican counties. Wil-
liams and Defiance were settled by men
from adjoining counties
and are Democratic. Paulding is
uncertain as is also Van Wert,
both being settled by other Ohioans.
Mercer and Darke were
settled by Virginians and are
Democratic. Preble was formed
from Montgomery and Butler, and is
Republican while Butler was
formed from Hamilton and is Democratic.
From this brief review it will be seen
that with comparatively
few exceptions the politics of a county
date back to the men who
first occupied the land and thus left a
permanent imprint of their
political minds. The same traits in
religion, language to a certain
extent, and the very mode of living
would be noticed if a similar
study were made along these lines. It
will furthermore be noticed
that the counties along the Ohio River
and in the eastern portion
are much clearer both in regard to early
settlers and political
trend than the north-western counties
which were settled by older
Ohioans who had become mixed with and
influenced by the con-
victions of settlers from both North and
South.
Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio.