Preserved Last Wills


Record of the Month!
For the month of September, we are excited to feature two very rare will records dated prior to the 1875 Courthouse fire that have been recently discovered in the stacks.

Left: The Last Will and Testament of James Tartton, Signed July 19, 1851.
Right: The Last Will and Testament of Henry Wimer, Signed May 22, 1858.
In 1831 the County built its’ first large stone courthouse in the center of the square, replacing 2 smaller log cabins. The courthouse stood for 44 years, before a mysterious fire reduced it to smoldering ruins in early hours of April 3rd 1875. Sadly, the fire destroyed an estimated 2,500 boxes of early county and probate court records, making probate records prior to 1875 very rare.

The first will to be discovered was written by James Tartton on July 19, 1851. From this document we know that James was a farmer, his wife was Elizabeth Tartton and they had two sons named James Meriett and Washington Vanburen. We also know that James had some kind of connection to a Rachel Ann Hamman, Elizabeth Jane Boman, Mary Ellen Tartton, and Emily Tartton. The document states that his wife, Elizabeth, was to inherit his land, livestock, and crops. After Elizabeth’s passing, James willed his farm to his two sons, and the wills states that an amount of money was to be paid out to the four female relatives listed above.

The second will to be discovered was written by Henry Wimer on May 22, 1858. Unlike James Tartton’s will, Henry Wimer never actually states the name of his wife, only referring to her as “my beloved wife.” However, from this document we know that Henry and his wife had four sons named John, Michael, William and George. He also had two grandsons named Sylvester and Amos Wimer. The document states that his wife was to inherit a portion of his land, all household items, assorted crops, a buggy, and livestock. Additionally, a portion of land and crops were to be sold and the proceeds were to be divided between his wife and one of his four sons shortly after his death. Upon the passing of his wife, Henry then wills that large portions of his property be sold and the proceeds divided among his four sons and two grandchildren.

Although it is unclear how these records survived, we suspect that despite being written in the 1850s, they were not filed until after 1875 when the two gentlemen died. We invite anyone interested in these records to conduct some research on James Tartton and Henry Wimer and help us discover who these early residents of Licking County were and how they came to settle in this area of Ohio.

If this record interests you, please contact us at 740-670-5121 or archives@lcounty.com.

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