The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BP,IOGRAPIIICALI, ENCYCLOPAFDIA.
culties at his outset in life, he met them with vigor and
determination, and now-holding an honorabl)le and important office, an esteemed and lprominient citizen, a skilful
lawyer-reaps deservedly the reward of his tireless exertions.
with a Drawing of the Plant;" in I822 a "Treatise onl
Hydrophobia," and another on a curious case similar to
that of the Siamese twvinis, which occurred in his practice.
These papers were published in the Aew York Aledical
Reposilory. In i824 he published il the Pziladelhia
yournal of IMedical Science a full history of the great
Epidemic Fever that visited the Ohio valley and Marietta
in 1822 and 1823; and in 1825, in the Western you-nal of
Medicine, of Cincinnati, an account of the minor diseases
of the epidemic. In I826 he lb)ecame the author of a series
of papers on the "Natural and Civil History of Washington
County," printed in Sillinzan's _ournatl of Science, New
Haven. From that time until his death he was a frequent
contributor to that journal on conchological, geological,
hmieteorological and medical subjects. These were all very
valuable, especially those treating on the salt-I)eariing rock
in Ohio, and the history of salt manufacture from the first
settlement in that State. His " Diary of a Naturalist " was
exceedingly interesting and instructive. In I1837 he became
one of the assistant geologists on the Ohio State Geological
Survey, and in- I839 became President of the Medical
Society of Ohio, and delivered before it, at Cleveland, as
the annual address, a "History of the Diseases and Climate
of Southeastern Ohio from its First Settlement," which was
printed l)y the society and widely circulated. In the same
year he published a " History of the Settlement of Belville,
Western Virginia," which was continued through several
numtbers of the Hesperian, a magazine issued in Cincinnati.
In 1842-43 he contributed freq(luently to the Amzerican
Pioneer, then published monthly in the same city. In 1848
he issued his "Pioneer History,," an octavo volume of 525
pages, which was "an account of the first examinations of
the Ohio valley and early settlement of the Northwest Territory." This was followed in 1852 by his "Lives of the
Early Settlers of Ohio," an octavo volume of 539 pages.
In I830 he began a cabinet of natural history, firom the
fossil insects, shells and plants of Ohio, to which were
added minerals, insects and marine specimens from other
quarters. In a few years he had gathered four thousand
specimens, including many relics from "ancient mounds."
In 1855 he donated this valual)le cabinet to Marietta College, together with his scientific library, and many rare
works pertaining to the pioneer history of the West. These
occupy a room known as " Hildr-eth's Cabinet," and by.this
donation he became one of the leading benefactors of that
institution. He was a man of sincere piety, and was everywhere esteemed for his profound learning and his attractive
social qualities. George Osgood Hildr-eth, his son, was
educated at the Ohio University, at Athens, from which lie
graduated in 1829. Upon leaving this institution he
entered at once upon the study of medicine with his father,
and soon after entered the medical department of Transylvania University, at ILexington, Kentucky, from which he
graduated in i835. He commenced practice at once, associated with his father, at Marietta, and has uninterruptedly
ILDRETH, GEORGE OSGOOD, M.D., was
b orn in Marietta, Ohio, November I7th, I8I2.
His father, Dr. Samuel Prescott Hlildreth, widely
known as a medical practitioner, author and
scientist, was born in eAlthuen, Massachusetts,
September 3oth, I783, descending from a distinguished New England ancestry, traced directly to Richard
H —lildreth, who emigrated fr'om England more than two
centuries ago. His boyhood was passed on his father's
farm and in studies at a common school. Itis preparations
for a collegiate course were made at Phillips' Andover
Academy, but before the completion of his college training
he entered upon the study of medicine with Dr. Thomas
Kittrelge, at Andover, North parish. I n M a y, I805, not
then twenty-two years of age, he began practice in Hamp.
stead, Rockingham county, New Hampshire, and after a
sixteen months' residence in this place he started, Sep,
tember gth, I8O6, on horseback for the West, arriving at
Marietta, Ohio, October 4th. tiere he remained nine
weeks, and then went to IS!elpre, twelve miles distant, to
practise. Here, on August igth, I807, he married Rhoda,
daughter of Captain Pal-don Cook. She was a native of
New Bedford, Massachusetts, and came to Ohio in I804
with her mother, then a widow. In i8o8, after a stay of
fifteen months in Belpre, Dr. ttildreth returned to Marietta,
and there resided until his death, July 24th, I863. His
wife, a lady of most estimable qualities and many accomplishments, died at the same place, June 2ISt, I868. In
i8Io, when twenity-seven years of age, Dr. Hildreth was
elected to the Ohio Legislature, and re-elected in I8II.
At that time he was a supporter of the Jefferson and Madison administrations. His unsuccessful oppoiiefit in I8II
was the late Judge Ephraim Cutler, a Federalist. In later
years both acted in concert as Whigs. Upon the expiration
of his second term he declined to act further in that capacity. He was a man of decided political opinions, and of
such unswerving integrity that there was no inducement
that could lead him against the right. He was a Republican from the formation of that party, in 1854. The Legislature of which he was a member, in I8II, elected him
Collector of Non-resident Taxes, at a salary of $250 per
aninum, and he held that office for eight years, when, in
I819, it was abolished. In i8io he became clerk of the
Trustees of the Ministerial Lands, and retained that position until his death. At home and abroad he was highly
esteemed for his scientific labors. Among his publications
were, in i8o8, a "History of the Epidemic of the Year
I807; " in 1812 a "Description of the American Colombo,
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