OHIO

Archaeological and Historical

PUBLICATIONS.

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE ADOPTION OF OHIO'S FIRST CONSTITUTION.

The Centennial of the adoption of the Constitution of Ohio, was celebrated at Chillicothe Saturday, November 29, 1902 by the unveiling of a tablet, marking the site of the first state house of Ohio, which is the site of the present court house.

The weather was very inclement, snow and rain interfering with the ceremonies to the extent, at least, that the audience was small and the attendance from outside the city was not as large as the importance of the event deserved.

PRESENTATION OF TABLET.

At 11 o'clock the people gathered on the esplanade of the court house, and after patriotic airs by the Young Men's orchestra, Robert W. Manly, a great grandson of the first Governor of Ohio, presented the tablet in the following fitting address. Honorable Mayor of Chillicothe and Fellow Citizens:

We are assembled this morning to participate in the unveiling of a tablet, marking the site of the building which was used as Ohio's first statehouse.

The building was of great historic interest. Within its walls was held the last session of the Legislature of the Northwest territory; one hundred years ago to-day within its walls Ohio's first constitution was adopted by the members of the constitutional convention; for twelve years it served as Ohio's statehouse; in it the political and economic policies of our state were formulated and put into execution, the beneficial effects of which policies still influence the administration of our state affairs.

1 Vol. XII-1

ROBERT W. MANLY.

In 1798 General Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Northwest territory, appointed for Ross county Justices of a court of Quarter Session, and in the same year the court appointed Commissioners to arrange for the erection of a court house and other necessary county buildings and a deed was secured for the land upon which to erect the same.

In the year 1799, in view of the fact that the seat of government of the Northwest territory was to be removed from Cincinnati to Chillicothe, the court ordered that a levy of taxes of raising funds for the erection of a

In 1800 the court appointed a commission to advertise for bids for the erection of a court house and also appointed a commission to superintend the erection of the building.

In 1801 the erection of the building was completed and the Territorial Legislature of 1801-2 was held in the new structure. In 1852 the building was torn down to take the place of our present court house.

During the past year the ladies of our city, members of the Century club, inaugurated a movement to mark with a tablet the site of the old state house. The chapters of the Daughters of the Revolution and the Daughters of the American Revolution in this city, took up the movement, and these three organizations with the assistance of many of our citizens, together with Mr. Henry H. Bennett, of this city, as designer, provided the tablet we are to unveil this morning.

And now, sir, representing the members of the Century club, the Daughters of the Revolution and the Daughters of the American Revolution, I present, on their behalf, to the public, through you, this tablet which marks the site of that building which was used as the first state house of Ohio.

THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE TABLET.

Following the presentation address, Miss Effie Scott, greatgranddaughter of Gov. McArthur, unveiled the tablet.

Hon. W. D. Yaple, the Mayor of

the city, accepted the tablet in an address, as follows:

Members of the Century Club, Daughters

of the Revolution, Daughters of the
American Revolution and Ladies and
Gentlemen:

From the most ancient time, it has been a custom among all nations, in all stages of civilization, to erect monuments, statues and tablets to perpetuate the memory of individuals, and in commemoration of historical events and occurrences. But for this custon much that we now recognize as the world's history would have been forever lost. The great pyramids of Egypt, the wonder of all ages since their erection, still bear and for ages to come will bear mute testimony of the existence of a great nation whose prowess long since vanished from the face of the earth, while the inscriptions upon the obelisks and temples erected during the flourishing period of that people, perpetuate much of the history.

In our time the Federal government and many of our State governments have expended and are still expending large sums of money in the erection of monuments on the great battle fields of our several wars, and in converting them into national parks, so that we are not without precedent in assembling here for the purpose of formally dedicating this tablet in commemoration of an event of importance in the history of our city, county, state and nation.

With the adoption of the constitution of the United States but little more than a cenury ago, there came into being a Republic whose form of government was an experiment on the part of