Exploring our heritage - Huntington

By Rick Henly on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 |

Heritage Days will happen next month, June 16-20, 2010. Huntington resident Paula Kimmel has put together a number of articles that can help us learn more about our town.

This is the first of those articles.

Exploring Our Heritage

Samuel Huntington

Huntington City and County were named for Samuel Huntington, a congressman from Connecticut, who signed the United States Constitution. The country we know today was formed by this Constitution that was drafted in 1787.

What most people don’t know is that Samuel Huntington was the first de-facto president of the United States in Congress Assembled when the original Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union were ratified. The thirteen original colonies formed an alliance in 1781 when this document was signed. Many historians believe it was this event that created our country and established the American presidency.

Samuel Huntington presided over the Continental Congress until the election of President Thomas McKean. Eight more “presidents” would follow until the articles failed and the writers of the U.S. Constitution expressed a desire to form a more perfect union. The perpetual union was specifically cited by Abraham Lincoln 80 years later to justify his forcibly keeping the south from seceding.

Elias Murray, a nephew of Huntington, served in the War of 1812 in Tennessee. After the war he moved his family north to the Dallas Township (Andrews, Indiana) area. Murray took an active part in local political affairs and laid out the county seat, naming it Huntington, after his uncle the late Samuel Huntington.

The U.S. Constitution was signed July 4, 1776 and George Washington became president in 1789. President Samuel Huntington, like the others named before Washington, became a forgotten founder, but his name lives on in our city and county.

Remember to turn in Heritage Days Parade and activity entry forms. The coloring/essay contest forms are due to the Chamber or Visitors’ Bureau offices no later than June 7.

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