1st Ohio General Assembly

The First Ohio General Assembly was the initial meeting of the Ohio state legislature, composed of the Ohio State Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives. It convened in Chillicothe, Ohio, on March 1, 1803, and adjourned April 16, 1803.[1] This General Assembly coincided with the first year of Edward Tiffin's first term as Ohio Governor.

1st Ohio General Assembly
2ndโ†’
Ohio's first statehouse at Chillicothe (1800)
Overview
TermMarch 1, 1803 (1803-03-01) โ€“ December 4, 1803 (1803-12-04)
Ohio Senate
Members14
President of the SenateNathaniel Massie (D-R)
Party controlDemocratic-Republican Party
House of Representatives
Members30
House SpeakerMichael Baldwin (D-R)
Party controlDemocratic-Republican Party
Sessions
1stMarch 1, 1803 โ€“ April 16, 1803

Background

Under Ohio's first constitution, State Senators were elected to two year terms. For the first class, half were elected for one year and half for two years. Members of the House were elected for each term. The Constitution was written in November, 1802, and submitted to the U S Congress. Elections for the first session were held in January, 1803. The apportionment of legislative districts was based on the 1802 Ohio Constitution, in section 7 of the Schedule.[1] Subsequent sessions would be elected each October, and meet the first Monday of December.

State Senate

Districts

For the first session, the constitution apportioned four senators for Hamilton County, one senator for Clermont County, one senator for Adams County, two senators for Ross County, one senator for Fairfield County, two senators for Washington County, one senator for Belmont County, two senators for Jefferson County, and one senator for Trumbull County.[1]

Members

District Senator[2][3] Party notes
Adams John Beasley successfully contested by Joseph Darlinton
Belmont William Vance
Clermont William Buchanan
Fairfield Robert F. Slaughter
Hamilton Francis Dunlavy Democratic-Republican
Jeremiah Morrow Democratic-Republican
John Paul Democratic-Republican
Daniel Symmes Democratic-Republican
Jefferson Zenas Kimberly
Bezaleel Wells Federalist
Ross Abraham Claypool
Nathaniel Massie Democratic-Republican elected Speaker of the Senate[2]
Trumbull Samuel Huntington Democratic-Republican
Washington Joseph Buell Democratic-Republican

Ohio House of Representatives

Districts

For the first session, the constitution apportioned eight representatives for Hamilton County, two representatives for Clermont County, three representatives for Adams County, four representatives for Ross County, two representatives for Fairfield County, three representatives for Washington County, two representatives for Belmont County, four representatives for Jefferson County, and two representatives for Trumbull County.[1]

Members

District Representatives[4][5] Party notes
Adams Thomas Kirker Democratic-Republican
Joseph Lucas
William Russell
Belmont Joseph Sharp
Elijah Woods Democratic-Republican
Clermont Amos Ellis
R. Walter Waring
Fairfield David Reece
William A. Trimble Democratic-Republican
Hamilton Thomas Brown
James Dunn
Robert McClure
William Maxwell
Thomas McFarland
Ephraim Kibbey
William James
John Bigger
Jefferson Thomas Elliott
Rudolph Bair Democratic-Republican
Isaac Meeks
Zacheus Beatty
Ross Michael Baldwin Democratic-Republican elected Speaker of the House[6]
Robert Culbertson
William Patton
Thomas Worthington Democratic-Republican
Trumbull Ephraim Quimby
Aaron Wheeler
Washington William Jackson
Robert Safford
Wyllys Silliman

Major events

In joint session, state officers were elected: William Creighton Jr. as Ohio Secretary of State, William McFarland as Ohio State Treasurer and Thomas Gibson as Ohio State Auditor.[6]

John Smith and Thomas Worthington were elected United States Senators, with no record of vote made.[6]

In joint session, local judges and three Ohio Supreme Court judges, Return Jonathan Meigs Jr., Samuel Huntington, and William Sprigg, were elected.[7]

Major legislation

Eight new counties were erected during this session:[7]

Existing territorial laws were recognized as in force, if not specifically invalidated.

See also

Notes

  1. Taylor & Taylor, p. 33.
  2. Taylor & Taylor, p. 35.
  3. Gilkey, p. 150.
  4. Taylor & Taylor, p. 35-36.
  5. Gilkey, p. 186-187.
  6. Taylor & Taylor, p. 36.
  7. Taylor & Taylor, p. 37.

References

  • Gilkey, Elliot Howard, ed. (1901). The Ohio Hundred Year Book: a Hand-book of the Public Men and Public Institutions of Ohio ... State of Ohio.
  • Taylor, William Alexander; Taylor, Aubrey Clarence (1899). Ohio statesmen and annals of progress: from the year 1788 to the year 1900 ... State of Ohio.
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