First Court
First Grant County Court Meeting
At the House of Henry Childers on the Dry Ridge Road
On April 10th, 1820, seven men met at the house of Henry Childers to conduct the first ever Grant County Court Meeting.
“Be it remembered that agreeably to an act of the General Assembly passed on the twelfth day of February Eighteen hundred and Twenty, entitled, "An act for the Division of Pendleton County," Jediah Ashcraft, William Layton, Samuel Simpson, Nathanial Henderson, John Sipple, William Woodyard, and Benjamin McFarland, Gentlemen Justices, named in the commission of the Peace, met at the house of Henry Childers on the Dry Ridge Road in the County of Grant on Monday the 10th day of April 1820, it being the time and place designated in said recited act of the General Assembly for holding the first County Court in said county, and produced their commission as Justices of the Peace for said County, from his Excellency Gabriel Slaughter Esqr., Lieutenant and acting Governor for the Commonwealth aforesaid and severally took the oaths required by law and thereupon a court was formed.
“Present: Jediah Ashcraft, William Layton, Samuel Simpson, Nathaniel Henderson, John Sipple, William Woodyard, & Benjamin McFarland.
“In the meeting, William Arnold was named County Sheriff and Hubbard B. Smith was appointed Clerk of the Court (during good behavior). Samuel Simpson made a motion that he be permitted to keep a tavern at his house under his Pendleton County License. William Arnold, Henry Childers, James Gauge, and William Pierce were granted tavern licenses from the newly formed County. Four constables were also chosen: Lewis M. Simpson, James Childers, Joseph Childers, and Robert Ellison. Commissioners of roads were chosen, tavern rates were set, nominations were made for County Surveyor. It was then ordered that the Court adjourn until court in Course.
"[Signed:] Samuel Simpson
The House of Henry Childers, where the first meeting took place, was located on the property where the present day “Hogan House” sits. The Justices met at this house only one more more time, and ultimately moved their meetings to County Sheriff, William Arnold's House until the first Court House could be constructed.