Col. Sarchet, History of Guernsey County, Ohio. pp. 135-137.
(Housed in the Findley Room of the Cambridge, OH library.)

Another scholastic advertisement appeared in. the Times, in October, 1842 It was concerning the college at Antrim and reads as follows:

MADISON COLLEGE.

"The ensuing session wil1commence on the first Monday in November. Alexander Clark, A.. B..,. and Thomas Palmer,, Esq.,. will continue to conduct the interior- operations of the college. Boarding can be had at a very low rate in respectable families in town and country. Tuition, ten dollars per session. As a report has gone abroad that Antrim and neighborhood are unhealthy,. thetrustees feel it their duty to say that such is not the fact, that we are not subject to, any prevailing diseases, more I than the most healthy neighborhoods.

"By order of the Board,
"M. GREEN, Secretary.

"Antrim, September 17, 1842."

The history of this college, in short, is as follows: When Madison township was organized, there were four sections of land reserved by the state and set apart for public school purposes, numbers 1, 2, 9 and 10, situated in the northwest part of the township. These lands were directed by law to be ]eased to suitable persons for a certain period; they were to be built upon and improved that the value thereof might be increased and that a revenue might in time be derived, to meet the object intended. The lands were leased and settled upon and the improvements made. When the term of the leases expired the Legislature passed an act ordering the lands to be appraised and sold to the highest bidder at not less than the appraisement. Under this arrangement the lands were sold, and were bought principally by the lease-holders. The proceeds of these sales went into the general state fund for schools. The same rule held good in the other townships of Guernsey county, too. The northwest quarter of section io was purchased by A. Alexander. The old road from Cambridge to Steubenville passed through this. quarter section. Alexander was a man of much enterprise and conceived the idea of platting a town site on this land. Accordingly he surveyed out twenty-four lots, twelve on each side of this road. This was the beginning of Antrim. Subsequently, James Welch platted and laid off six lots as an addition to the place.

Doctor Findley bought the quarter lying west of Alexander's land and took up his residence in a log cabin there. When he was fairly well settled he began to make arrangements to start a school at the new place. Either in May, 1835, or 1836, he succeeded in enrolling the names of eight boys and young men of the vicinity as students. He used his cabin as a recitation room, and thus it was that Madison College had its establishment.

The people around Antrim gave their hearty support, and the students increased in numbers rapidly, so it was resolved, at a meeting of the town, that a united effort be made to provide suitable buildings for the embryo college. Subscriptions were made in money and material, as well as in work, many giving far beyond their means, so much were they interested. A site was chosen for the building at the east of the village, on the most elevated ground about it. David White, a resident, was the contractor. The building completed was a respectable two-story brick structure, containing two rooms on the first story, and one large room or hall on the second floor. The name given the new born institution was "Madison College." The board of trustees appointed under the laws of Ohio chose Doctor Findley as president, and Milton Green, M. D., secretary, who was the father of Mrs. Samuel J. McMahon. The institution prospered wonderfully. In 1846 Rev. Samuel Mehaffey, pastor of the Old-School Presbyterian church here, became president and this, possibly, became the means of the downfall of the institution. His successors were A. D. Clark, D. D., Rev. W. Doal, Rev. Thomas Palmer, and others who were employed as tutors. Then new members were added to the board of trustees and a college charter was obtained. Rev. Samuel Findley, Jr. (son of Doctor Findley), was chosen and installed president of the newly planned school. At this time the school was opened. for both sexes, and seemed to prosper until the plan of erecting a large, costly building was adopted. There was much opposition to this move, but the new building was erected, completed and occupied. Rev. H. Wilson succeeded Doctor Findley as president, and his successor was Rev. William Lorimer, during whose term the crisis was reached. The creditors of the college were beginning to press their claims hard, the mutterings of the great Civil war cloud were heard, and finally, when that storm burst, Madison College and its plans for a future existence were carried down, never more to rise, like the slavery question, over which the war was so successfully fought out.