By an act published June 19, 1795, adopted from the statutes of Pennsylvania, three Commissioners were ordered to be appointed in each county for one year, and each succeeding year one was to be appointed to take the place of the Commissioner first named. These appointments were made by the Justices of the Court, of General Quarter of the Peace on the first day of their January term. In 1799, the length of the official term was designated, viz.: The first Commissioner named on the list, one year; the second, two years; and the third, three years; one being appointed every year as before to supply the place of the retiring member. Their powers and duties were fully defined, and they were to meet annually the first Monday in July to attend to all county business coming under jurisdiction. This law of appointment existed until February 13, 1804, when a law was enacted requiring three Commissioners to be elected in each county, said election to he held on the first Monday in April, 1804. The Commissioners elect were to determine by lot the length of time each should remain in office, viz.: One to serve until the following October; one until the October election in 1805; and the third until the same period in 1806. Thus the office became rotary and thus it has since remained. Vacancies were filled by the Associate Judges, said appointee to continue in office until the succeeding October election. The board were to meet annually in June to perform such duties as the law required. On the 22nd of February, 1805, an act was passed by which, upon the erection of a new county, the Commissioners elected at the first election only held office until the next annual election; and January 15, 1810, all former acts were amended or repealed, but no change was made in the manner or time of holding office, only the duties of the Commissioners were enlarged and more fully described. A great many acts have since been passed defining and regulating their powers and duties, which may he found in the Ohio statutes.
After the organization of Madison County, William Gibson was Clerk of the Board of Commissioners from 1810 until June, 1812, when Philip Lewis became Clerk, and filled that position up to and including 1818. The duties were then performed hy Robert Hume until the creation of the Auditor's office, since which the Auditor has been Clerk of the board. The names of Commissioners who have served the county are as follows: 1810, Joshua Ewing, John Arbuckle and William Gibson. In the fall of 1810, Mr. Arbuckle resigned to accept the position of Associate Judge, and Jonathan Minshall was appointed to fill the vacancy. From 1811-15, Joshua Ewing, Jonathan Minshall and William Gibson; 1816, Ewing, Minshall and Burton Blizzard; 1817, Ewing, Blizzard and Philip Lewis; 1818, Blizzard, Lewis and Ira Finch; 1819, Finch, Blizzard and Patrick McLene; 1820, Blizzard, Finch and John Arbuckle; 1821, Finch, Arbuckle and Burton Blizzard; 1822, Blizzard, Finch and William Blaine; 1823, Finch, Blaine and Burton Blizzard; 1824, Blaine, Blizzard and Ira Finch; 1825, Blizzard, Finch and William Blaine; 1826, Finch, Blaine and Burton Blizzard; 1827, Blaine. Blizzard and John F. Chenoweth; 1828, Blizzard, Chenoweth and William Blaine; 1829, Chenoweth, Blaine and Burton Blizzard; 1830, Blaine, Blizzard and John F. Chenoweth; 1831, Blizzard, Blaine and Thomas Jones; 1832, Jones, Blizzard and Titus Dort; 1833, Blizzard, Dort and Thomas Jones; 1834, Dort, Jones and Burton Blizzard; 1835, Jones, Blizzard and Jacob Garrard; 1836, Blizzard, Garrard and Thomas Jones; 1837, Garrard, Jones and Burton Blizzard; 1838, Blizzard, Garrard and James Burnham; 1839, Garrard, Burnham and Burton Blizzard; 1840, Burnham, Garrard and James Guy; 1841, Garrard, Guy and James Burnham; 1842, Guy, Burnham and Edward Fitzgerald; 1843, Burnham, Fitzgerald and Charles Phellis; 1844, Fitzgerald, Phellis and James Burnham; 1845, Phellis, Burnham and Edward Fitzgerald; 1846, Burnham, Phellis and John F. Chenoweth; 1847, Phellis, Chenoweth and Mathew Rea; 1848, Chenoweth, Rea and Charles McCloud; 1849, Rea, McCloud and John F. Chenoweth; 1850, McCloud, Chenoweth and Jesse Watson; 1851, Watson, Henry Alder and James W. Robinson; 1852, Watson, Alder, and John Garrard; 1853, Alder, Garrard and John T. Maxey. In the fall of 1853, Garrard resigned, and Joseph Chrisman was appointed to fill the vacancy; so in the beginning of 1854 it stood Maxey, Joseph Chrisman and F. 0. P. Graham; but Chrisman and Graham soon resigned, and Edward Fitzgerald and Henry Alder were appointed to suceed them, so the most of 1854 the Board were: John T. Maxey, Edward Fitzgerald and Henry Alder; 1855, Maxey, Fitzgerald and David Haskell; 1856, Fitzgerald, Haskell and Harvey Fellows; 1857, Fitzgerald, Fellows and Charles Phellis; 1858, Fellows. Phellis and Benjamin Harrison; 1859, Phellis, Harrison and Thomas P. Jones; 1860, Harrison, Jones and Washington Withrow; 1861, Jones, Withrow and Jeremiah Converse; 1862, Withrow, Converse and Richard Whiteman; 1863, Converse, Whiteman and Ira Buzick; 1864, Whiteman, Buzick and Jeremiah Converse; 1865, Buzick, Converse and C. H. Slagle; 1866, Converse, Slagle and Edward Fitzgerald; 1867, Slagle, Fitzgerald and Charles Phellis; 1868, Fitzgerald, Phellis and John M.Lucas; 1869, Phellis, Lucas and William Hall; 1870, Lucas, Hall and Charles Phellis; 1871, Hall, Henry Burnham, vice Phellis resigned, and James Foster; 1872, Burnham, Foster and James Lilly; 1873, Foster, Lilly and Daniel Boyd; 1874, Lilly, Boyd and Benjamin Harrison; 1875, Boyd, Harrison and L. B. Wright; 1876, Harrison, Wright and James Millikin; 1877, Wright, Millikin and John M. Lucas; 1878, Millikin, Lucas and and James M. Willard; 1879, Lucas, Willard and James Millikin; 1880, Willard, Millikin and David Watson; 1881, Millikin, Watson and Charles Phellis, Jr.; 1882, Watson, Phellis and Henry Lilly; 1883, Phellis, Lilly and Charles H. Beale.