The above are the wages paid primary teachers. The average wages

per month for High School teachers are $68.

The following districts have an enumeration of 300 or more:*

*The State Commissioner could not furnish the enumeration of Montpelier.

POPULATION.

The first federal census was taken when the area was embraced in the present counties of Wood, Henry, Hancock, Putnam, Paulding, Williams, Defiance and Fulton.

In 1820, this large district was returned as having a white population of 387; in 1830, and when Williams County had been set off as a separate jurisdiction, of 4,465; in 1840, 8,018; in 1850 (after the spoliation of its territory by the erection of Defiance and Fulton Counties), of 16,633; and in 1870, of 20,991.

The detailed results of the census of 1880 are as follows by townships:

The increase during the last decade cannot be otherwise than highly gratifying to all who are interested in the material progress of Williams County and its towns.

The population of Williams County in 1870 was as follows: Brady Township, 1,681; town of West Unity, 537; Bridgewater Township, 1,207; Center Township, 1,628; Florence Township, 1,678; Jefferson Township, 1,564; Madison Township, 1,532; town of Pioneer, 338; Mill Creek Township, 1,181; Northwest Township, 1,521; Pulaski Township, 3,547; town of Bryan, 2,284; Springfield Township, 1,981; town of Stryker, 671; St. Joseph Township, 1,844; town of Edgerton, 690; Superior Township, 1,627. Total of county, 20,991.

The entire valuation of 1878, including farm, town and per

sonal property, amounted to.......

.$7,805,299

..$ 709,501

Exhibiting an increase in four years of.................

Total amount of taxable property, real and personal,

on Williams County tax duplicate in 1845... Showing an increase in thirty-seven years of.........................

.$ 868,776

.$7,646,024

There are not many counties in Ohio that can exhibit a more rapid or satisfactory development.

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' SESSION, JUNE 7, 1841.

At this session (the seat of justice of Williams County having been removed from the margin of the county to near its geographical center), the board, conscious of having popular scrutiny directed to their action, recognized in their proceedings, that there had sprung up a mysterious power outside the population located upon the old bottom lands of the rivers, that quite overshadowed the first settlements, that had so long ruled by virtue of superior numerical strength, and we discover at this session that some attention was paid to the long-neglected section. As example: "Petition of J. B. Kimmell and others, for a county road, commencing at the township line where the Bellefontaine State road crosses the line between the townships of Farmer and Washington; thence running north on said township line to the State line between Ohio and Michigan." Petition granted. And another road, on petition of J. C. Church and others, asking for a county road commencing at the town of Bryan, running thence by the nearest and best route to Beaver Creek, near the saw-mill frame of A. Rawson, on Section 10, in Pulaski Township, was granted. Then follows the petition of A. C. Church and others, asking for a county road commencing at the town of Bryan, running thence by the nearest and best route to Beaver Creek, near the saw-mill of A. Rawson, on Section 10, Pulaski Township; thence northwestwardly and eastwardly, so far as to intersect a State road running northwardly near Beaver Creek, on the east side thereof; and these petitions, with many others that affected the new county seat interests appear to have been adopted nem. con., and thus illustrated the transfer of the people's power to a new locality.

At this session, the board ordered the names of several lawyers and physicians to be placed on the duplicate for taxation for the crime of practicing honorable professions.

Board allowed John Drake $24.69 for removing public records and furniture from Defiance to Bryan.

THE COUNTY JAIL.

At the special July session, 1841, the Board "consider Inlot No. 137, in the town of Bryan, in said county, the proper and most suitable situation for the erection of said jail, and select the same for that purpose, for which a bond was given by John A. Bryan, for himself, and William Trevitt, to the Commissioners of Williams County, and their successors in office." Upon what conditions the bond was executed, does

not appear. But it is recorded that Erastus H. Leland was appointed "a special Commissioner to sell at public auction, to the lowest responsible bidder, the job of clearing off the above-named Lot 137, with instructions to have the same done as soon as possible."

The board, at their session, October 30, 1841, "allow John Mc Dowell the sum of $525 for material and building of jail. Board also make an allowance to E. H. Leland of $7 for clearing off jail lot."

COUNTY COURT HOUSE.

At a session of Commissioners held February 14, 1842, it was ordered that the court house that is to be erected in and for this county be placed in the center of the public square in the town of Bryan-said square not included in the two lots deeded to the county at the south end of said square. The board order that the plan drawn by H. Daniels for a court house, specifying the dimensions of said court house to be fifty-three feet by eighty-seven and a half feet, including the porches, be, and is hereby adopted by the board for a court house for the county of Williams.

Incidentally, the following bill was allowed: "The board allow John Drake the sum of $5, for bringing one dozen chairs from Defiance to Bryan, and also $3 with an addition of 33 per cent added for candles, stationery, etc., as per bill rendered the 7th day of January, A. D. 1842.”

Following is the County Commissioners' understanding of what town proprietors promised: "The Commissioners, Payne C. Parker and Oney Rice, Jr., direct the auditor to make an entry on the record that they consider the understanding between the Proprietors of the town of Bryan and the Commissioners of Williams County, when they received the bond for the erection of a court house, the following, namely: That the signers of the bond were to lay out judiciously, under the direction of the Commissioners of Williams County, $8,500, and nothing further."

At the session April 20, 1842, "The Board order the Clerk to enter on the record the copy following of a letter to Messrs. Bryan and Trevitt, to wit: We, the Commissioners of Williams County, Ohio, have agreed upon and adopted a plan [of the court house] drawn by an architect of this section, the size of which is fifty by sixty-eight feet, to be executed in the Ionic order; the estimated cost in cash shall not exceed $10,000. The temporary court house is very uncomfortable and cold; the court, complaining to the Commissioners, say that they shall hold and call upon the Commissioners to see that the house is made comfortable and more

convenient.'

In regard to the jail building contract, "The board order the auditor to inform John McDowell that, if the jail is not finished for this county by the 1st Monday of June next, they will proceed against his sureties."

TAXES ON LAWYERS AND PHYSICIANS IN 1842.

The following names on the tax list will show who were in practice in the above-named year:

Lawyers-William Semans, William Carter, Horace Sessions, William C. Holgate, George B. Evans, Edwin Phelps, E. H. Leland, George L. Higgins.

Physicians-Thomas Kent, E. H. Allen, Ioram Allen, James M. Gillespie, Ira M. Ladd, Henry Marcellus, Stephen Major, William Porter, Oney Rice, Jr., Jonas Colby, Levi Colby, James Taylor.

LIST OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY AUDITORS FROM 1841 TO 1882 INCLUSIVE.

In pages immediately preceding this are embodied the names of persons who served in these offices from the organization of the county in 1824 until 1840 inclusive. In regular order now, and without interpolation of proceedings of the board, is continued and concluded the list of these officers:

1841-Commissioners, Oney Rice, Jr., Payne C. Parker and Albert Opdyke; Auditor, William A. Brown.

1842-Same officers.

1843-Commissioners, Levi Cunningham, Albert Opdyke and Oney Rice, Jr.; Auditor, William A. Stevens.

1844-Same officers.

1845-Same Board of Commissioners, except that John Stubbs takes the place of Oney Rice, Jr.; Auditor, same.

1846-Commissioners, George Ely, William Sheridan, Sr., and Albert Opdyke.

1847-Commissioners, William Sheridan, Sr., Harman Doolittle and George Ely; Auditor, William McKean.

1848-Commissioners, Ezekiel Masters, Harman Doolittle and Jacob Bowman; Auditor, same.

1849-Commissioners, same; Auditor, same.

1850-Commissioners, Jacob Bowman, Robert Ogle and Daniel Farnham; Auditor, same.

1851-Commissioners, Robert Ogle, Joseph Reasoner and John Washburn; Auditor, Jocob Bowman; Surveyor, James Thomson. 1852-Commissioners and Auditor, same.

1853-Commissioners, Thomas Burke, Joseph Reasoner and John Washburn; Auditor, M. B. Plummer.

1851-Commissioners, John Washburn, Thomas Burke and S. B. McKelvy; Auditor, George Ely; Treasurer, John Rings.

1855-Commissioners same as preceding year, except that William