CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

OF THE

ADOPTION OF OHIO'S FIRST CONSTITUTION.

The centennial of the adoption of the constitution of Ohio, was appropriately celebrated at Chillicothe Saturday, November 29, 1902, by the unveiling of a tablet, marking the location of the first state house of Ohio, which is the site of the present court house. This ceremony was followed by an address delivered in Memorial Hall.

The first suggestion that a tablet be erected to mark the site of the old stone court house of Ross County, used as the original state house of Ohio, was made by Mr. John Bennett, of Chillicothe, author of "Master Skylark," "Barnaby Lee," etc. The suggestion was presented to the Century Club, a woman's organization formed in 1896, the Chillicothe centennial year, by its president, Miss Alice Bennett. It was decided to make the work one of public subscription. The matter was placed in the hands of a committee composed of Miss Helen Franklin Stone, Mrs. James Clifford Douglas, Miss Helen E. Veaill, Miss Bessie Carlisle, of the Century Club; Miss Eliza Irwin Van Meter, Mrs. David Meade Massie, Miss Mary Petrea McClintick, of Massie Chapter, D. A. R.; Miss Diathea Tiffin Cook, of Tiffin Chapter, D. R.; William Trimble McClintick, Esq., of the Ross County Historical Society; Judge James Clifford Douglas, representing the Bar; Captain Rufus Hosler, of the county commissioners, since deceased; Hon. David Meade Massie, grandson of the founder of Chillicothe, representing the pioneers; and Mr. Henry Holcomb Bennett, representing the citizens at large.

The tablet was designed by Mr. H. H. Bennett, and executed by John Williams, of New York, who very successfully carried out in bronze the spirit of the design. The tablet, which is 36 inches long by 26 inches high, is set in the base of a pilaster

0. C.-1

on the right of the entrance to the court house. In the upper half the tablet bears two medallions, separated by the Roman fasces. In the one on the right is the great seal of the state of Ohio; in the other the old stone state house. lions surmount half wreaths of buckeye leaves. inscription:

Both medalBelow is this

ON THIS SITE STOOD THE FIRST STATE HOUSE OF OHIO,
WHEREIN WAS ADOPTED THE ORIGINAL CON-
STITUTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH,

NOVEMBER XXIX, MDCCCII."

PRESENTATION OF TABLET.

At II o'clock A. M., the people gathered on the esplanade of the court house, and after patriotic airs rendered 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 state house.

The building was of great historic interest. Within its walls was held the last session of the Legislature of the Northwest

ROBERT W. MANLY.

Territory; one hundred years ago today within its walls Ohio's first constitution was adopted by the members of the constitutional convention; for twelve years it served as Ohio's state house; 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.

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 be made for the purpose of raising funds for the erection of a "stone court house."

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 and granddaughter of Gov. Allen, 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 custom much that we now recognize as the world's history would have been 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 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 century ago, there came into being a republic whose form of government was an experiment on the part of those who formed it, and which was looked upon with suspicion and jealousy by the powers of Europe; but after weathering the storm which beset it during the first few years of its existence, it entered upon a period of growth and development truly wonderful, until to-day the experiment of 1787 has proven a