Washington County, - AND THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF OHIO. BEING THE Centennial Historical Address, BEFORE THE CITIZENS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, -BY ISRAEL WARD ANDREWS, LL. D., President of Marietta College. MARIETTA, OHIO, JULY 4th, 1876. CINCINNATI: PETER G. THOMSON, PUBLISHER, 179 VINE STREET, 1877. 1204 13314-35 U 525813.10.2 HARVARD 1878. Mar. 11, night g f Marietta, Ohi's. CORRESPONDENCE. SECRETARY'S OFFICE WASHINGTON Co., AGRICULTURAL & MECHANICAL ASS'N. I. W. ANDREWS, D. D., Marietta, O., Feb. 19th, 1876. Dear Sir:-The Board of Directors of the Washington County Agricultural and Mechanical Association, at a meeting held Feb. 16th, 1876, in conformity with the recommendations of the Centennial authorities at Philadelphia, and the Annual Agricultural Convention of this State, and to carry such recommendations into effect, selected you to prepare and deliver an historical address the coming Fourth of July. It would afford me pleasure to receive your acceptance. Yours most respectfully, C. T. FRAZYER, Secretary. Marietta College, Feb. 22, 1876. Dear Sir:-I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th instant, conveying to me an invitation from the "Washington County Agricultural and Mechanical Association," to prepare and deliver, on the Fourth of July next, an historical address pertaining to the development of the county within the century. Will you convey to the Board of Directors my appreciation of the honor conferred on me in selecting me for this service, and my grateful acceptance of the same? Yours truly, ISRAEL W. ANDREWS. HON. C. T. FRAZYER, Secretary, &c. At a subsequent meeting of citizens, the following officers were appointed for the celebration of the Centennial Fourth of July: Hon. P. B. BUELL, President. Vice Presidents.-Adams, S. N. Merriam; Aurelius, J. D. James; Barlow, D. N. Dunsmore; Belpre, L. E. Stone; Decatur, A. Russell; Dunham, S. D. Ellenwood; Fairfield, C. H. Goddard; Fearing, Chas. Zimmer; Grandview, Jasper Lisk; Harmar, Col. D. Barber; Independence, August Hille; Lawrence, A. J. Dye; Liberty, John Congleton; Ludlow, Isaac Scott; Marietta-1st Ward, Wm. Glines; 2d, Jewett Palmer; 3d, I. R. Waters; Marietta Tp., W. F. Curtis; Muskingum, L. J. P. Putnam; Newport, J. B. Greene; Palmer, J. M. Murdock; Salem, Walter Thomas; Union, Matthew Jurden; Warren, C. B. Tuttle; Waterford, H. F. Devol; Watertown, Isaac Johnson; Wesley, B. F. Arnold. Col. T. W. MOORE, Marshal. Reading of the Declaration of Independence, Capt. W. H. GURLEY. On the 25th of May, President Grant issued a Proclamation bringing to the notice of the people, a joint resolution of Congress, recommending their assembling in their several counties and towns on the Centennial Anniversary, and " that they cause to have delivered on such day, an historical sketch of said county or town, and that a copy of said sketch may be filed, in print or manuscript, in the Clerk's office of the said county, and an additional copy be filed in the office of the Librarian of Congress, to the intent that a complete record may thus be obtained of the progress of our institutions during the first Centennial of their existence." In accordance with this recommendation and the arrangements previously made, the citizens of Washington County, assembled at Marietta, and duly celebrated the Centennial Anniversary of our National Independence. Hon. P. B. Buell presided, and Col. T. W. Moore officiated as marshal. Prayer was offered by Rev. S. C. Frampton, and the Declaration of Independence was read by William H. Gurley, Esq. The historical address was then delivered by the orator of the day. Historical Address. FE ELLOW CITIZENS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY: ELLOW On this day, one hundred years ago, the Thirteen United Colonies became THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The people of the colonies, through their representatives in General Congress assembled, publicly declared themselves absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and solemnly and religiously proclaimed to the world their determination to assume and maintain a separate and equal station among the nations of the earth. It was a bold declaration to be made by those small and feeble colonies, against a great and powerful nation. But they believed in the justness of their cause and could appeal to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of their intentions. They placed at firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence; and the more we study our national history from that eventful day to this, the clearer are the proofs that that protection has not been withheld. There is not need to recount the steps by which our fathers were led to dissolve the bonds that bound the colonies to the mother country. The first meeting to consider their grievances, was in 1765, when delegates from nine colonies met in New York. The pas |