Othniel Looker
Othniel Looker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 5th Governor of Ohio | |
| In office March 24, 1814 – December 8, 1814 | |
| Preceded by | Return J. Meigs, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Worthington |
| Speaker of the Ohio Senate | |
| In office December 6, 1813 – December 4, 1814 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Kirker |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Kirker |
| Ohio Senate from Hamilton County | |
| In office 1810 – 1812 1813–1817 | |
| Preceded by | Hezekiah Price(1810) Stephen Wood (1810) John Jones (1813) Francis McCormick (1813) |
| Succeeded by | John Jones (1812) Francis McCormick (1812) Ephraim Brown (1817) George P. Torrence (1817) |
| Ohio House of Representatives from Hamilton County | |
| In office 1807–1810 | |
| New York State Assembly | |
| In office 1803–1804 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 4, 1757 New York or New Jersey |
| Died | July 23, 1845 (aged 87) Palestine, Illinois |
Othniel Looker (October 4, 1757 – July 23, 1845) was a Democratic-Republican politician from Ohio. He served briefly as the fifth Governor of Ohio.
Biography
Sources vary on Looker's birth location. He was either born in Morris County, New Jersey[1] or on Long Island, New York.[2] His gravestone goes with the Morris County location.[3] He moved with his mother to Hanover Township, New Jersey when he was two years old after the death of his father.[4] He enlisted with the New Jersey militia in 1776 and served out the remainder of the Revolutionary War as a Private.
In 1779, Looker married Pamela Clark, and circa 1788 Looker moved to Vermont and then to New York, working as a school-teacher.[5]
Career
He served in the New York State Assembly from 1803 to 1804. After receiving a land grant for his war services, Looker moved to Hamilton County, Ohio in 1804, and served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1807 to 1810. He served in the Ohio State Senate from 1810 to 1817.[5]
While serving as Speaker of the Ohio Senate from 1813 to 1814, Looker was concurrently elevated to the governorship after Governor Return J. Meigs, Jr. resigned to become Postmaster General.[5] Looker sought re-election but was badly defeated by the far more well-known Thomas Worthington. He continued to live in Ohio until his wife's death, and later moved to Palestine, Illinois to be with his daughter Rachel Kitchell, and is buried there in Kitchell Cemetery. Looker was the Ohio Presidential elector in 1816 for James Monroe.[6]
Legacy
The Village Historical Society in Harrison, Ohio, has restored the home of Ohio Governor Othniel Looker. The Othniel Looker House is now open to the public, free of admission, on a few dates during the year, and special tours can be arranged for school groups. The Othniel Looker House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[7]
References
- ^ The Constitution of the Society of Sons of the Revolution
- ^ National Governors Association
- ^ Looker's gravestone
- ^ "Othniel Looker". Ohio Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Othniel Looker". Ohio History Central. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
- ^ Taylor, William Alexander; Taylor, Aubrey Clarence (1899). Ohio statesmen and annals of progress: from the year 1788 to the year 1900 ... Vol. 1. State of Ohio. p. 102.
- ^ "Gov. Othniel Looker House". Oxford Visitor's and Convention Bureau. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
External links
| Offices and distinctions |
|---|
- 1757 births
- 1845 deaths
- Governors of Ohio
- Members of the New York State Assembly
- Members of the Ohio House of Representatives
- New Jersey militiamen in the American Revolution
- Presidents of the Ohio State Senate
- People from Palestine, Illinois
- People from Harrison, Ohio
- People from Hanover Township, New Jersey
- Ohio Democratic-Republicans
- United States presidential electors, 1816
- People from Long Island
- Burials in Illinois
- Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States