Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County. William Alexander Taylor
eventually changed to city clerk. The office of city treasurer came over from the borough government and continued to April 29, 1862, when the office was abolished and its duties assigned to the county treasurer. In recent years the office of city treasurer was revived, which will account for the apparent break in the office. The office of city auditor is also of recent date. The office of city solicitor was created in 1852. The office of chief of the fire department was created in 1860. City surveyor was changed to civil engineer in 1857. The office of marshal was abolished in 1873 and the office of superintendent of police was substituted for it; so that the principal city officers were mayor, city solicitor, city clerk, city treasurer, city engineer, police judge, chief of fire department, superintendent of police and city auditor, and under these titles the incumbents since 1834, when the city government was organized, and the official cognates prior to 1850 will be classified, both for convenience and for the purpose of furnishing an intelligible idea of the duties performed by each.
City Solicitor.
James L. Bates, 1850-52, when he resigned; Emory Butler, part of 1852 and part of 1853, when he resigned; James A. Wilcox, 1854-60: Francis Collins, 1861-62; Hawley J. Wylie, 1863-66; Edward F. Bingham. 1867-70; Francis Collins, 1871-72; G. G. Collins, 1873-74; J. W. Quinn, 1875-76; E. P. Sharp, 1877-78; Alexander W. Krumm, 1879-81; Charles T. Clark, 1883-85; James Caren, 1885-89; Paul Jones, 1889-93; Gilbert H. Barger, 1893-97; Selwin N. Owen, 1897-99; Ira H. Cram, 1899-1901; Luke G. Byrne, 1901-03; George D. Jones, part of 1903; James M. Butler, 1903-05; George S. Marshall, 1905-08. incumbent.
Recorder.
The duties of city recorder and city clerk are similar. The "recorders" extended from 1816 to 1840. The office has since been titled city clerk.
The incumbents have been: Robert W. McCoy, 1816-17; James B. Gardiner, 1818; Ralph Osborn, 1819; John Kerr, 1820-22; William T. Martin, 1823; William Long, 1824-27; Lincoln Goodale, 1828-30; Nathaniel McLean, 1831: Ralph Osborn, 1832; John Patterson, 1833; William T. Martin, 1834-38; William Miner. 1839-42; Joseph Ridgway, Jr., 1843-49. The office ceased and determined at the close of the year 1849 and the duties of the recorder devolved upon the city clerk.
City Clerk.
Office was created in 1840. The incumbents have been: Benjamin F. Martin, 1840-56; Joseph Dowdall, 1857-60; J. J. Funston, 1861-63 Joseph Dowdall, 1864-65; Levi E. Wilson, 1866-73; Frank Wilson, 1874-78; H. E. Bryan, 1879-90; John M. Doane, 1890-98 (resigned); John T. Barr, 1898-1908 (incumbent).
Treasurers.
Robert Armstrong, 1816-17; Christian Heyl, 1818-27; Robert W. McCoy, 1828-33; William Long, 1834-35; Jonathan Neereamer, 1836-37; John Greenwood, 1838-42; William Armstrong, 1843-61; T. P. Martin, 1862. Office abolished April 29, 1862. Duties transferred to county treasurer. Office re-created in May, 1903. William C. Cussins, 1903-05; Charles H. Smith, 1906-08 (incumbent).
City Engineer.
The pioneer name for this office was surveyor. The incumbents have been: John Kerr, 1816-19; Jeremiah McLene, 1820; John Kerr, 1821-22; Jeremiah McLene, 1823-30; Joseph Ridgway, Jr., 1831; Byron Kilbourne, 1832-33; C. R, Prezriminsky, 1834; J. A. Lapham, 1835; Nathaniel Medbery, 1836; John Field, 1837; Uriah Lathrop, 1838-40; N. B. Kelley, 1841-43; Uriah Lathrop, 1844-56. Changed to city engineer in 1857. Phil D. Fisher, 1857-65; W. W. Pollard, 1866; H. W. Jaeger, 1867-68; B. F. Bowen, 1869-71; John Graham, 1872-73; Josiah Kinnear, 1874-77; T. N. Gulick, 1879; John Graham, 1880-87; R, R. Marble, 1887-89; Josiah Kinnear, 1889-97; Julian Griggs, 1897-1906; Henry Maetzel, 1908-08 (incumbent).
Superintendent of Police.
From 1816 to 1873 the head of the police force was known as marshal.
Under the act of May 1, 1873, the office of marshal was abolished and the office of superintendent of police was substituted therefor, the new official assuming duties of marshal, with added duties and responsibilities. The incumbents have been: Samuel King, 1816-17; James Fisher, 1818; Demming L. Rathbone, to June 26, 1819; William H. Richardson, remainder of 1819; Samuel Shannon, 1820-23; Benjamin Sells, 1824; Samuel Shannon, 1825-26; John Kelly, 1827; Benjamin Sells, 1828-29; Julius G. Godman, 1830; Benjamin Sells, part of 1830 (Godman deceased); John Kelly, 1831 (removed); Benjamin Sells appointed and served to end of 1832; George B. Harvey, 1833; Abraham Stotts, 1834-35; George B. Harvey, 1836-42; George B. Riordan, 1843; George B. Harvey, 1844-46; John Whitzell, 1847-50; John H. Turney, 1851; James Stephens, 1852-53; Henry M. Wakeman, 1854-56; John Coffroth, 1857-60; Samuel Thompson, 1861-64; Adam Stephens, 1865; Patrick Murphy, 1866-68; Charles Engleke; 1869-73. Marshal's office ceased and superintendent of police created May 1, 1873. Alexis Keeler, 1873; Samuel Thompson, 1874-75; Charles Engleke, 1876-79; Engleke removed and J. W. Lingo appointed 1879; Lingo removed in 1880 and S. A. Rhoads appointed; Rhoads removed December 3, 1880 and J. W. Lingo appointed; J. W. Lingo removed May 6, 1881, and S. A. Rhoads appointed; Rhoads removed October 28, 1881, and Samuel Thompson appointed. (These removals were purely partisan and political.) Samuel Thompson, 1881-85; John W. Lingo, 1885-87; John E. Murphy, 1887-93; Edward Pagles, 1893-95; Patrick Kelley, 1895-99; J. Macy Walcutt, part of 1899; William T. Tyler from August, 1899-03; Patrick Kelly, 1903-04. (John A. Russell was chosen superintendent in 1904, but died a few days after his selection.) John E. O'Connor, 1904-08 (incumbent).
Chief of Fire Department.
Office created and John Miller appointed chief engineer November 26, 1860. Without any vital or essential changes, the office and the duties devolving on the incumbent are nearly the same as originally framed, further than the natural expansion of powers to meet expanding responsibilities have been found necessary. The incumbents have been: John Miller, 1860-63; I. H. Marrow, 1864-67; William S. Huffman, 1868; Henry Heinmiller, 1869-80 (removed for political reasons); D. D. Tressenrider, 1881-90; Henry Heinmiller, 1890-98; Charles J. Lauer, 1898-1908 (incumbent).
Auditor.
The office of auditor was created by act of May, 1903, elective by the people. Sylvester C. Noble was elected to the office in 1903; reelected, and his present term will expire in 1910.
Police Judges and Clerks.
Until 1890 the mayors of cities and villages were ex officio judges of the police court, save in cases where other provision was made by special act of the legislature. The law was generalized until finally the police courts were established in all the cities. In Columbus the police judge became an elective office with a three-year term.
The judges incumbent and their clerks have been: Matthias Martin, 1890-93. Clerk, George W. Dun.
Thomas M. Bigger,. 1894-96. Clerk, S. N. Cook.
Samuel J. Swartz, 1897-98. Resigned to become mayor.
Moses B. Earnhart appointed to vacancy. Clerk, William S. Tussing.
N. W. Dick, 1900-02. Clerk. E. C. Frass.
Roy Wildermuth, 1903-07. Clerks, E. C. Frass, part of the time; Frank W. Phillips, the remainder.
Samuel G. Osborn, 1908 (incumbent). Clerk, Frank W. Philips.
Growth of the Population.
A local census taken in 1815 indicated a population of approximately seven hundred in the then town. In 1820 the federal census gave the borough a population of one thousand four hundred and fifty. In 1830, while still a borough, two thousand four hundred and eighty-seven. In 1840, after six years of city organization, six thousand and forty-eight. In 1850, seventeen thousand eight hundred and seventy-one. In 1860, about twenty-seven thousand five hundred. During the same period the population of the entire county, including the city, is given in the United States Census as follows: 1810, three thousand four hundred and eighty-six; 1820, ten thousand two hundred and ninety-two; 1830, fourteen thousand seven hundred and forty-one; 1840, twenty-five thousand and forty-nine; 1850, forty-two thousand nine hundred and nine. It will be seen that while in 1810 the population of Columbus was about one-seventh of the entire population of the county, in 1860 it was more than fifty-one hundredths of it.