HISTORICAL DATA
WHEN FREMONT BECAME A CITY
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following historical note was discovered in one of the old city ordinance books. Its author was Basil Meek, attorney, who acted at various times in the past century as Clerk of Courts of Sandusky County and as City Postmaster and as a member of the School Board.
On July 16, 1866, at a meeting of the Village Council, a resolution offered by Col. Haynes, then a member, was adopted providing for certification to the Governor, the Auditor and Secretary of State of the fact that Fremont had a population exceeding five thousand inhabitants, which fact had been established by a recent enumeration. The Resolution also provided that such State officers were to be requested to declare the Village a City of the second class.
On July 23, 1866, at a meeting of the Village Council, a document was entered in the Journal of the Council in the following words:
Whereas in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes in such cases made and provided, satisfactory evidence has been furnished to the undersigned authorities that the incorporated Village of Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio, has a population exceeding five thousand inhabitants, and has through its trustees certified its desire to accept the advancement to the grade of the City of the Second Class.
Therefore by virtue of the power conferred upon us by said Statute, we do declare the incorporated Village of Fremont to have become a city of the Second Class.
In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our official signatures, and caused the Great Seal of the State of Ohio, to be affixed at Columbus, this 18th day of July A.D. 1866.
J.D. Cox, Governor,
J.H. Godman, Auditor of State,
Wm. Henry Smith, Sec'y of State.
On December 17, 1866, at a Council meeting, an ordinance to perfect the organization of the City with respect to wards and election districts and dividing the City into wards was introduced by Col. Haynes and passed. The following division was made:
First Ward: All west of the Sandusky River and south of the center line of Croghan Street.
Second Ward: All west of the Sandusky River and north of the center line of Croghan Street.
Third Ward: All east of the Sandusky River.
On April 8, 1867, the first meeting of the Council as the City Council of Fremont was held. The venerable John Bell was Mayor and it is an interesting fact that he was the first Mayor of the Village of Lower Sandusky, which was organized in 1829.
The members of the First City Council were called Trustees; they were David Belts and Plate Brush from the First Ward; Ambrose Ochs and T.M. Quilter from the Second Ward; and J.D. Botefur and Thomas Kelley from the Third Ward. The Council was organized by the election of J.C. Botefur, President, and Dr. F. Wilmer, Clerk.
Thus it appears that Fremont became, in law, a City on April 8, 1867.
Basil Meek, Attorney
August 1, 1908