First Officers Appointed in Lawrence County, Ohio 1817 – 1851
Source: Historical Points in Lawrence County, Ohio
Ironton Register, Thursday, July 6, 1876
| Names | Office | Township | Dates |
| John Davidson | Associate Judge | Upper | January 25, 1817 |
| Wm. Miller | Associate Judge | Union | January 25, 1817 |
| Gabriel Kerr | Associate Judge | Fayette | January 25, 1817 |
| Wm. G. Robinson | Clerk of Court | Fayette | March 24, 1817 |
| Wm. G. Robinson | County Recorder | Fayette | March 25, 1817 |
| John Kelly | Sheriff | Upper | March 24, 1817 |
| Joseph Wheeler | Auditor | Upper | February 26, 1820 |
| Thomas Kerr | Treasurer | Fayette | Fall of 1817 |
| Wm. Carpenter | Surveyor | Upper | Fall of 1817 |
| Edward Simmons | Coroner | Perry | April 7, 1817 |
| Joel Bowen | Commissioner | Rome | April 7, 1817 |
| Joseph Davidson | Commissioner | Fayette | April 7, 1817 |
| David Spurlock | Commissioner | Union | April 7, 1817 |
| Luther Blodget | Prosecuting Attorney | October 14, 1834 | |
| Joseph F. Wheeler | Probate Judge | October 14, 1851 |
The other County Officials listed on this webpage were taken from T.A. Walton’s newspaper stories, with some additions added by Sharon M. Kouns. They are from the Lawrence County, Ohio organization, up to recent years, with the time of election and township from which they were elected. Please let them in the comment section at the end of this article for any corrections, comments, or suggestions.
In some cases where the same person has held office for two or more successive terms, I give only the date of the commencement of the first term. The names of deceased and still living will be apparent to all interested in this history, which is in chronological order, as the date elected unless otherwise noted.
Source: From Thomas A. Walton’s story, printed in Ironton Register newspaper February 19, 1903
Associate Judges
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #12, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 Feb. 1903
| John Davisson | Jan. 25, 1817 | Upper | Also spelled Davidson – he was also Legislature |
| William Miller | Jan. 25, 1817 | Union | |
| Gabriel Kerr | Jan. 25, 1817 | Fayette | |
| Elisha B. Green(e) | Nov. 1, 1820 | Union | |
| John Kelly | Sept. 6, 1821 | Upper | |
| Nathaniel Davisson | June 2, 1823 | Fayette | Also spelled Davidson |
| Elijah Frampton | Feb. 26, 1824 | Fayette | |
| William Miller | Feb. 26, 1824 | Union | |
| Nathaniel Pritchard | Feb. 1, 1827 | Rome | |
| Reuben Kelly | Feb. 10, 1829 | Upper | |
| Nathaniel Davisson | Feb. 11, 1834 | Upper | |
| Curtis Scovill | Oct. 20, 1834 | Union | |
| Charles McCoy | Feb. 28, 1835 | Perry | |
| Reuben Kelly | Feb. 10, 1836 | Upper | |
| Nathaniel Davisson | Jan. 2, 1840 | Upper | |
| Benjamin Johnston | Feb. 10, 1843 | Perry | |
| Salmon [sic] Solomon Reckard | Feb. 1847 | Union | Ironton Register, Thursday, March 10, 1853 |
| Andrew Dempsey | Feb. 1847 | Elizabeth | |
| John Newton | Mar. 14, 1850 | Upper | |
| George N. Kemp | Oct. 1850 | Upper |
Auditors
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #12, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 Feb. 1903
| Thomas Kerr | 1817-1820 | Walton left him off-smk |
| Joseph Wheeler | Feb. 26, 1820-1821 | Fayette |
| W. G. Robinson | 1821 – 1822 | Fayette unexpired term |
| Thomas Kerr | 1822-1824 | Fayette |
| Solomon Beckley | Oct. 14, 1824-1825 | Fayette |
| Abraham Smith | Oct. 12, 1825 | Union |
| Cyrus Spooner | Oct. 15, 1825- 1835 | Fayette |
| John Bryan | Oct. 11, 1835-1846 | Fayette |
| James C. Terry | Oct. 12, 1846-1854 | Rome |
| George W. Willard | Oct. 1854-1863 | Upper |
| Seth Sutherland | Oct. 14, 1862 | Upper |
| Thomas R. Brown | Not Known-mm | Walton left him out-mm |
| John N. Thomas | Oct. 12, 1868 | Mason |
| M. S. Bartram | Oct. 1878 | Upper |
| Davis | 1887 (in office) | |
| Corn | 1893 (in office) |
Circuit Court Judges
In 1885 the Circuit Court was formed in Ohio – Unknown Source
| Judge Thomas Cherrington | 1885 – 1911 |
| Judge Milton L. Clark |
Commissioners
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #13, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 12 March 1903
| Joel Bowen | April 7, 1817 | Rome |
| Joseph Davidson | April 7, 1817 | Fayette |
| David Spurlock | April 7, 1817 | Union |
| Edward Billups | Oct. 14, 1817 | Union |
| Nathaniel Davisson | Oct. 14, 1817 | Upper |
| E. B. Greene | Oct. 12, 1819 | Union |
| Thomas Kerr | Oct. 12, 1819 | Fayette |
| Thomas Templeton | Dec. 10, 1820 | Union |
| Nathaniel Davisson | Oct. 10, 1820 | Upper |
| John McKee | Oct. 9, 1821 | Fayette |
| Charles McCoy | Oct. 9, 1821 | Perry |
| Peter Lionbarger | Oct. 8, 1822 | Upper |
| Simon Drouillard | Oct. 8, 1822 | Rome |
| Abraham Smith | Oct. __, 1823 | Union (check year – smk) |
| John Bryan | Oct. 12, 1824 | Fayette |
| John McCrea | Oct. 12, 1824 | Union |
| Reuben Kelly | Oct. 11, 1825 | Upper |
| J. C. Shute | Oct. 11, 1826 | Fayette |
| Timothy Wakefield | Oct. 9, 1827 | Union |
| Daniel Brubaker | Oct. 14, 1828 | Fayette |
| Martin Frampton | Oct. 11, 1831 | Union |
| John Kelly | Oct. 11, 1831 | Upper |
| William Pritchard | Oct. 11, 1831 | Rome |
| Jacob Powell | Nov. 30, 1832 | Mason |
| Salmon Reckard | Oct. 8, 1833 | Union |
| John H. Chaffin | Oct. 8, 1833 | Elizabeth |
| Curtis Scovil | Oct. 11, 1836 | Union |
| Richard Jones | Oct. 10, 1837 | Elizabeth |
| Salmon Reckard | Oct. 9, 1838 | Union |
| C. W. Simmons | Oct. 8, 1839 | Aid |
| Thomas Lambert | Oct. 13, 1840 | Upper |
| William Lambert | Oct. 13, 1840 | Upper |
| William Campbell | Oct. 12, 1841 | Fayette |
| Jacob Proctor | Oct. 11, 1842 | Union |
| John C. Stewart | Oct. 11, 1843 | Symmes |
| William Lambert | Oct. 8, 1844 | Upper |
| James G. Argo | Oct. 14, 1845 | Decatur |
| E. W. Wakefield | Oct. 12, 1847 | Windsor |
| Nathaniel Davisson | Oct. 10, 1848 | Upper |
| Nic. Vermillion | Oct. 9, 1849 | Mason |
| John Newton | Oct. 14, 1851 | Upper |
| Edmund Brammer | Oct. 14, 1851 | Windsor |
| Nathaniel Davisson | Oct. 12, 1852 | Upper |
| Samuel Burke | Oct. 11, 1853 | Symmes |
| James H. Drury | Oct. 10, 1854 | Fayette |
| William Lambert | Oct. 9, 1855 | Upper |
| Wilbur W. Wiseman | Oct. 14, 1856 | Symmes |
| James C. Terry | Oct. 13, 1857 | Rome |
| Reuben Davidson | Oct. 12, 1858 | Upper |
| Samuel C. Johnson Jr. | Oct. 9, 1860 | Union |
| Reuben Davidson | Oct. 8, 1861 | Aid |
| Ambrose J. Trumbo | Oct. 14, 1862 | Hamilton |
| Samuel Crawford | Oct. 1863 | Fayette |
| Reuben Davidson | Oct. 1864 | Aid |
| S. B. Hempstead | Oct. 1865 | Hamilton – Resigned in 1867 |
| Charles Wilgus | Oct. 1866 | Union |
| Squire Massie | Oct. 1867 | Mason |
| F. Monig | 1867 | Served for one year |
| L. A. Griffith | 1868-1871 | Aid |
| C. T. Templeton | Oct. 1869 | Union |
| George N. Gray | Oct. 1870 | Elizabeth |
| L. D. Morrison | Oct. 1872 | Rome |
| C. L. Nevius | Oct. 1873 | Decatur |
| C. W. McCoy | Oct. 1874 | Perry |
| W. E. Rowe | Oct. 1875-78 | Lawrence |
| C. L. Nevius | 1875 | Elected President of Commissioners |
| Wilbur W. Wiseman | Oct. 1876-79 | Mason |
| C. H. Forgey | 1877-80 | Windsor |
| M. T. Ridenour | Oct. 1881 | Elizabeth |
| The Following is not on Walton’s list: | ||
| W. W. Wiseman | 1882 | |
| Clinton Forgey | 1882 | |
| M. T. Ridenour | 1882 | |
| Edwards | 1887 | |
| Fuggitt | 1887 | |
| Geo. N. Gray | 1892 | |
| Chas. Brammer | 1892 | |
| Lunsford | 1895 |
Common Pleas Judges
First Court of Common Pleas was organized March 4, 1817 – they held 3 sessions of about 3 weeks each, at which time there was no Probate Court. When Common Pleas Court became a separate institution, about 1912, the late Judge E. E. Corn became the county’s first judge.
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #12, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 Feb. 1903 and Sharon M. Kouns personal research, marked (smk).
| Judge E. B. Green | |
| Judge Simeon Nash | 1850’s |
| Judge W.V. Peck | 22 July 1854 (Ironton Register, Thursday, June 22, 1854) |
| Judge John P. Plyley | 1860-1862 |
| Judge William W. Johnson | 1863-1865 |
| Judge Martin McRain | 1867 – 1869 (Ironton Register, March 15, 1888 – Circuit Court) |
| Judge Henry A. Towne | 1869-1870 |
| Judge William K. Hastings | 1872 – |
| Judge Porter D. Hadway | 1873 – 1876 |
| Judge John J. Harper | 1876 – 1882 |
| Judge Albert C. Thompson | 1881 – 1884 |
| Judge Ezra Van Mess Dean | 1884 – 1886 |
| Judge Noah J. Dever | 1886 – 1894 |
| Judge William D. James | 1899 |
| Judge Collings | 1899 |
| Judge A. J. Layne | 1919 – 1925 |
| Judge Daniel C. Jones | 1926 – 1937 |
| Judge Edward E. Corn | 1907 – 1919 |
| Judge George E. Martin | 1904 – 1907 |
| Judge Fred G. Roberts | 1925-1926 |
| Judge James Collier | 1937 – 1953 |
| Judge Warren S. Earhart | 1953 – 1973 |
| Judge W. Richard Walton | 1981 – |
| Judge Kenneth Ater | 1973 – 1996 |
| Judge Frank McCown | 1997 – |
Coroners
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #14, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 March 1903
| Edward Simmons | Apr. 7, 1817 | Perry |
| Joel Bowen | Oct. 10, 1820 | Rome |
| Henry Jeffords | Oct. 8, 1822 | Fayette |
| Cornelius Hanley | Oct. 12, 1824 | Union |
| Edward Ward | Oct. 10, 1826 | Union |
| Jacob Miller | Oct. 13, 1829 | Rome |
| Luther Doolittle | Oct. 12, 1830 | Rome |
| David Beebee | Oct. 9, 1832 | Rome |
| Russell Smith | Oct. 9, 1833 | Fayette |
| Timothy B. Stanley | Oct. 13, 1836 | Rome |
| Elisha B. Green | Oct. 10, 1837 | Perry |
| Hugh Crawford | Oct. 12, 1841 | Fayette |
| T. R. Stanley | Oct. 11, 1842 | Rome |
| James Davidson | Oct. 8, 1844 | Fayette |
| John Newton | Oct. 10, 1848 | Upper |
| Joseph Davidson | Oct. 8, 1850 | Fayette |
| C. W. Simmons | Oct. 12, 1852 | Windsor |
| Thomas A. Dempsey | 1859-1861 | Upper |
| Jonas S. Roadarmer | Oct. 14, 1856 | Upper |
| M. W. Davis | Oct. 1860 | Upper |
| E. Arnold | Oct. 1868 | Resigned |
| J. H. Henry | Oct. 1869 | |
| W. T. McQuigg | Oct. 1871 | |
| J. W. Allison | Oct. 1873 | |
| F. W. Mathias | Was elected and resigned in 1877. | |
| C. Matthews | 1878 | Appointed to fill the vacancy |
| Owen Ellison | Oct. 1880 | (still coroner in 1882 – smk) |
| Dr. Henry | 1888, 1892 | Not on Walton’s list |
Ironton, Ohio City Solicitors
Probate Judges
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #14, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 March 1903
| James [sic] Joseph F. Wheeler Jr. | Oct. 14, 1851 | Fayette | Died before being commissioned. |
| Joseph Wheeler, Sr. | Feb. 12, 1852 | ||
| Fletcher Golden | Oct. 10, 1854 | Upper | Ironton Register, Thursday, March 5, 1857 |
| McConn, [sic] Sylvester McCown | Oct. 13, 1857 | Rome | |
| C. B. Egerton | Oct. 8, 1861 | Upper | Served 3 terms |
| Peras R. Polley | Oct. 1869 | Upper | |
| George W. Thompson | Oct. 1875 | Fayette | |
| Milton L. Clark | 1884 | ||
| Thomas Cherrington | 1885 | ||
| Lot Davis | 1888 | ||
| J. C. Russell | 1894 | ||
| Fred G, Roberts | 1912-1920 | ||
| Charles E. Payne | ? – 1928 | ||
| Helen Clarke | 1928 |
Prosecuting Attorney‘s
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #13, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 12 March 1903
| Luther |
Oct. 14, 1834 | Symmes Tp. (should be Blodgett not Boggs – smk) |
| Solomon Beckley | Oct. 11, 1836 | Fayette Tp. |
| John H. Wells | Oct. 11, 1837 | Fayette Tp. |
| Solom Beckley | Oct. 8, 1839 | Fayette Tp. |
| Oct. 12, 1841 | (should be J. L. Browning – smk) | |
| John S. George | Oct. 14, 1845 | |
| Samuel M. Browning | Oct. 12, 1847 | Fayette Tp. |
| Ralph Leete | Oct. 9, 1847 | Fayette Tp. |
| Henry S. Neal | Oct. 21, 1853 | Upper Tp. |
| Fletcher Golden | Oct. 13, 1857 | Upper Tp. |
| C. G. Hawly | Oct. 11, 1859 | |
| A. W. McCarstlin | Oct. 8, 1861 | |
| S. P. Calvin | Oct. 1863 (check year – smk) | |
| E. V. Dean | Oct. 1867 | Ironton |
| Thomas Cherrington | Oct. 1869 | Ironton |
| W. S. McCune | Oct. 1873 | Ironton |
| John Hamilton | Oct. 1877 | Ironton |
| W. S. Forgey | Oct. 1879 | Died in office and J. M. Richards appointed in 1880. |
| J. K. Richards | 1880 | Appointed |
| W. S. McCune | Oct. 1881 | Ironton (Walter S. – smk) |
Recorders
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #13, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 12 March 1903
| W. G. Robinson | March 25, 1817 | Appointed from Fayette Tp. |
| Joseph Wheeler | Aug. 25, 1823 | Fayette Tp. |
| John S. Kelvy | Oct. 11, 1836 | Fayette Tp. |
| Joseph Wheeler | Oct. 8, 1839 | Fayette Tp. |
| William Kyle | Oct. 11, 1842 | Fayette Tp. |
| James Davidson | Not on Walton’s list -smk. | |
| John S. Kelvy | Oct. 10, 1848 | Fayette Tp. |
| Washington Kerr | Oct. 14, 1851 | Fayette Tp. (the duties of office being performed by Misses Kelvy) |
| J. W. Wakefield | Oct. 10, 1854 | Windsor Tp. |
| George R. Richey | Oct. 14, 1856 | Upper Tp. |
| James A. Bartram | Oct. 11, 1859 | Upper Tp. |
| W. H. Donohoe | Oct. 13, 1868 | Elizabeth Tp. |
| Harrison Riggs | Oct. 1874 | Mason Tp. |
| William McKnight | Oct. 1877 | Ironton |
(I.R. Dec. 29, 1892 – A. D. Bruce enters on his duties as Recorder next Monday. Miss Misner will be his deputy – a first class Selection.) A. D. Bruce is still recorder in 1897.
Sheriff’s
Note: Sheriffs not in T. A. Walton’s list – smk.
| John Kelly | Mar. 24, 1817 | Upper |
| Joseph Davidson | Oct. 13, 1818 – 1822 | Fayette |
| William G. Robinson | Oct. 8, 1822 – 1827 | Fayette |
| Elisha B. Greene | 1827 -1829 | |
| W. G. Robinson | 1829 – 1833 | |
| Charles Wilgus | Oct. 9, 1833 -1837 | Union |
| W. G. Robinson | Oct. 11, 1836 | Fayette (1837-1841 – smk) |
| Charles W. Simmons | Oct. 9, 1840 | Aid (1841- 1845 – smk) |
| Joshua Hambleton | Oct. 8, 1844 | Fayette (1845-1849 – smk) |
| Lewis Shepard | Oct. 10, 1848 | Union (1849 – 1853 – smk) |
| Hugh Crawford | Oct. 12, 1852 | Upper (killed in an accident – smk) |
| C. W. Simmons | Oct. 11, 1853 | Windsor (1853- 1855 – smk) |
| William McGirr | Oct. 9, 1855 | Upper (1855-1860 – smk) |
| Joshua Hambleton | Oct. 11, 1859 | Upper (1860-1864 -smk) |
| Joseph Sutton | Not on Walton’s list – smk. | |
| John W. Earles | 1863 | Upper (1866- 1868 – smk) |
| W. T. Elswick | Oct. 1867 | Elizabeth (1868-1870 – smk) |
| Will S. Merrill | 1869 | Upper (1870 – 1874 – smk) |
| Thomas W. Rose | Oct. 1873 | Mason (1874 – 1878 – smk) |
| L. D. Markin | Oct. 1879 | (1878 – 1882 – smk) |
| Jasper Kimball | Oct. 1881 | (1882-1884 – smk) |
| T. H. B. Jones | (1884-1886) | |
| J. L. Fisher | (1887-1890) | |
| F. C. Gates | (1890-1894) re-elected in 1892 -smk | |
| Deputy Sheriff W. G. Ward | 1892 | W. G. Ward was deputy sheriff in 1892 – smk |
| I. R. Dovel | (1894-1898) | |
| Ward Taylor | (1898-1902) | |
| Sheriff Payne (1905) | 1905 | |
| Deputy Sheriff T.H. Neal | 1905 -smk |
Surveyors
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #13, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 12 March 1903
| William Carpenter | Oct. 6, 1823 | Upper Tp. |
| Thomas Walton | Oct. 9, 1832 | Rome Tp. |
| Thomas J. Hudson | Oct. 9, 1838 | Elizabeth Tp. |
| Robert Richey | Unexpired term. | |
| Jacob Heaberlin | Oct. 12, 1841 | Upper Tp. |
| Thomas Walton | Oct. 12, 1847 | Rome Tp. |
| John Rowe | Oct. 8, 1850 | Perry Tp. |
| Thomas A. Walton | Oct. 11, 1853 | Rome Tp. |
| G. T. Shirky | Oct. 11, 1859 | Union Tp. |
| William O. Callahan | Oct. 14, 1862 | Elizabeth Tp. |
| W. B. G. Hatcher | Oct. 1865 | Perry Tp. (year might be 1866 – smk) |
| W. B. G. Hatcher | Oct. 13, 1868 | Perry Tp. |
| Thomas A. Walton | Oct. 1871 | Rome Tp. resigned in June, 1872 |
| Thomas Gore | March 1872 | Upper Tp. appointed |
| W. B. G. Hatcher | Oct. 187_ | Upper Tp. (can’t make out year – smk) |
| J. R. C. Brown | Oct. 1875 | Ironton |
Treasurers
Source: From Thomas A. Walton story #12, printed in Ironton Register newspaper 19 Feb. 1903
| Thomas Kerr | June 6, 1817 | Fayette |
| John W. Silbert | Fayette (date not mentioned) | |
| Joseph Wheeler | Dec. 5, 1825 | Fayette |
| Stephen Wilson | 1835 | |
| W. G. Robinson | Oct. 13, 1835 | Fayette |
| John Kyle | Oct. 12, 1835 | Fayette |
| Theodore N. Johnson | Oct. 14, 1845 | Fayette (should be Benjamin not Theo. – smk) |
| Joshua Hamleton | Oct. 9, 1849 | Fayette |
| C. W. Simmons | Oct. 9, 1855 | Mason |
| John Snider | Oct. 13, 1857 | Mason (should be Snyder – smk) |
| Jesse B. Kimble | Oct. 8, 1861 | Rome |
| John Snider | Oct. 1867 | Mason |
| Simeon Crossley | Oct. 1869 | Hamilton (Died in office, April 1873 and William Betts appt.) |
| William Betts | Oct. 1873 | Upper |
| John Snider | Oct. 1877 | Upper |
| Jere Davidson | Oct. 1879 | Upper full name Jeremiah – smk. |