THE Columbus post office was established in 1813, and in 1838 was made a distributing office.

Matthew Matthews, Joel Buttles, Bela Latham, John G. Miller, Jacob Medary, Samuel Medary, Aaron F. Perry, Thomas Sparrow, Thomas Miller, Samuel Medary,

appointed " " " " " " " " "

postmaster in " " " " " " " " "

1813 1814 1829 1841 1845 1847 1849 1853 1857 1858.

— retired in " " " — died in    — retired in " " "

1814 1829. 1841. 1845. 1847. 1849. 1853. 1857. 1858.

The first act to incorporate the Borough of Columbus, was passed the 10th of February, 1816, and vested the corporate authority in nine Councilmen; from which body a Mayor, who also acted as President of the Council, a Recorder and Treasurer, were elected by the Council. The also appointed a Surveyor, a Marshal, and Clerk of the Market, and a Lister and Appraiser,

to list and value property for borough taxation. Th Recorder made out the tax duplicate, and the Marshal was the collector. The first election for Councilmen was held at the Columbus Inn, on the 6th of May, 1816.

The elections were by general ticket, and all the town voted at the same poll. The first members were to serve one, two and three years, so that three new members were elected each year after. The first Councilmen elect met at the same inn on the 13th of the same month, and organized. Of the first Board of Councilmen, there are yet living in the city Messrs. H. Brown and Jerimiah Armstrong.

In March, 1817, the old market house, that had been erected by contributions, was declared a nuisance, and an ordinance passed for its removal.

During the eighteen years of the borough organization, from 1816 to 1834, the following gentlemen served at various periods, as members of the Council, to wit: Mressrs. Robert W. McCoy, Jeremiah Armstrong, Robert Armstrong, Henry Brown, John Cutler, Caleb Houston, John Kerr,* Michael Patton, Jarvis Pike, James B. Gardiner, Christian Heyl, Wm. McElvain, James Kooken,

*Mr. Kerr died 20th of July, 1823. He was then a member of the Council, Associate Judge of the Court of Common pleas, and president of the Franklin Bank—an active business man, and highly respected.

Townsend Nichols, Ralph Osborn, P. H. Olmsted, John Jeffords, Eli C. King, L. Goodale, Charles Loffland, W. T. Martin, John Greenwood, John Laughry, James Robinson, John W. Smith, Wm. Long, Joel Buttles, Nathaniel McLean, Joseph Ridgway, George Jeffries, John Warner, Robert Brotherton, Jonathan Neereamer, Robert Riorden, Samuel Parsons, John Patterson, Moses Spurgion.

*Mr. Kilbourne, pursuant to an order of the council, resurveyed the town, and had the center stones planted at the crossings of the streets, as future land marks, from which our surveys are now made.

By an act of the Legislature, passed March 3d, 1834, Columbus was incorporated a city, and divided into three wards. All north of State street constituted the first ward, all between State and Rich the second, and all south of Rich the third ward; each ward to be represented by four Councilmen, to be elected on the second Monday of April, in the same year. The term of service of the first Board to be determined by lot, and afterward on member to be elected annually from each ward. The Mayor to be elected biennially by the people.

On the 14th of April, 1834 (being the second Monday,) the first election under the new charter was held, which result as follows:

Robert W. Mcoy, President; Wm. T. Martin, Recorder; William Long, Treasurer; J. A. Lapham, Surveyor; Abraham Stotts, Marshal and Clerk of Market.

Mr. McCoy was continued President by reëlections until he resigned his seat in July, 1853. He had been a member of the Council from the first election in 1816, and that body honored his long and faithful services by procuring and preserving in their chamber his well drawn and neatly framed likeness. They also honored Doctor Goodale, for his donation of the park grounds, with an elegant, full-sized portrait, handsomely framed, which also hangs in the Council chamber.

William T. Martin was continued Recorder till 1839, then William Miner till 1843, and then Joseph Ridgway, Jr., till 1850, when the office was abolished. In 1840, the Council appointed B. F. Martin City Clerk, by whom the business of Recorder was afterward performed, and he was continued by reäppointments until 1857, since when Joseph Dowdall has been City Clerk.

The successive Treasurers since 1834, have been William Long till 1836, then Jonathan Neereamer, till 1838, then John Greenwood, till 1843, and since then Wm. Armstrong, until the present time, 1858.

In 1851, the office of City Solicitor was created, and J. L. Bates appointed, who resigned in January, 1852. In April, 1852, Henry C. Noble was appointed. In 1853, Emory Butler, who resigned in April, 1854, in consequence of declining health, since which James A. Wilcox had filled the place.

The successive Mayors, Marshals, Surveyors, and Clerks of the Market have been as follows:

By an ordinance passed by the Council, on the 18th of February, 1846, the city was divided into five wards. All north of Gay street to constitute the first ward; all between Gay and State streets, the second; all between State and Rich streets, the third; all between Rich and Mound streets, the fourth; and all south of Mound street, the fifth. Each ward wo be represented by three members of Council.

But subsequently, by an act of the Legislature, passed May 3, 1852, for the organization of cities, etc., the number of Councilmen for each ward is reduced to two. The fifty-ninth section of that act provides, that on the first Monday in April, 1853, there shall be two members elected in each ward, one of whom shall serve two years, the other one year. And the last section of the same act provides, that the officers in office at the passage of the act, should hold out their respective terms.

It now became a question of whether to hold an election or not. The term of one of the members in each ward expired at this time, which would reduce the Council to the number required, without any election; but it would not be in accordance with the letter of the above provision, requiring an election at this particular time; and the members not being disposed to resign their places, the two members in each ward, whose terms did not expire, held on, and the Council ordered an election for two additional members. So that the first year under the new charter, each ward had four members instead of two; the second year three members, and the third year (1855) the Council was reduced to the number required—two in each ward.

The large Council, in 1853, was composed of the following gentlemen, to wit:

First Ward.	Second Ward	Third Ward.
Wm. Dennison, jr., M. P. Howlett, John Miller, John Noble.	J. W. Baldwin, Luther Donaldson, Benjamin Blake, Robert Cutler.	R. W. McCoy, Dwight Stone, Wm. Domigan. Robert Hume

Fourth Ward.	Fifth Ward.
Theodore Comstock, Augustus Decker William Miner, John Butler.	Lewis Hoster, Jacob Rinehard, James H. Stauring, John Rader.

The Councilmen of 1858 are —
First Ward— " Second Ward— " Third Ward— " Fourth Ward— " Fifth Ward— "	Holdemond Crary, G. Douty, Joseph H. Riley, Thomas Arnold, C. P. L. Butler, Theo. Comstock, J. E. St. Clair, John F. Ijams, James H. Stauring, Jacob Rinehard,	term " " " " " " " " "	expires " " " " " " " " "	April, " " " " " " " " "	1859. 1860. 1850. 1860. 1850. 1860. 1850. 1860. 1850. 1860.

In 1815, In 1820, In 1830 In 1840 In 1850 In 1858,

about United " " " generally

States " " " supposed

Census " " " to be about

700 1,450 2,437 17,871 42,909

POPULATION OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.

In 1810, In 1820, In 1830, In 1840, In 1850,

agreeably " " " "

to the " " " "

United " " " "

States " " " "

Census " " " "

3,486 10,292 14,741 25,049 42,909