John G. Breslin

John G. Breslin was a Democratic politician from the U.S. State of Ohio. He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, and was Speaker at age 24. He later was Ohio State Treasurer and in the railroad business.

John G. Breslin
8th Ohio State Treasurer
In office January 12, 1852 – January 14, 1856
Governor	Reuben Wood William Medill
Preceded by	Albert A. Bliss
Succeeded by	William H. Gibson
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the Seneca County district
In office December 4, 1848 – December 1, 1850
Preceded by	Warren P. Noble
Succeeded by	Jacob Decker
Personal details
Born	1824 Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Died	February 22, 1889 Huntington, West Virginia
Resting place	Greenlawn Cemetery, Tiffin, Ohio
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Anna C. Borland

Biography

Breslin was born at Lebanon, Pennsylvania in about 1824. Both his parents died when he was about three years old, and he was adopted by a family named McKissen. They moved to Dayton, Ohio when John was a boy, and he decided to make his own way at age 12.[1]

At age 12, Breslin walked to Columbus, Ohio, where he hired on as a printers apprentice to Samuel Medary, editor of the Columbus Statesman, a Democratic paper. He applied his time to work and study for six years. In 1842, Colonel Medary received a letter from Democrats in Tiffin, Ohio, asking him to recommend a young man to edit a Democratic paper in their city, and Medary recommended Breslin. Breslin published the first edition of the Seneca Advertiser May 6, 1842, and he continued with the paper until 1854.[1]

Breslin was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1848, and was re-elected in 1849. In 1848 he was selected by his peers as Speaker of the House at age 24.[2]

In 1851, Ohio adopted a new constitution. The office of Ohio State Treasurer became elective, and Breslin ran against the Whig incumbent Albert A. Bliss, and won office.[3]

While Breslin was Treasurer in Columbus, he met and married Anna C. Borland of Lancaster, Ohio.[1] He was re-elected in 1853, but lost to Republican William H. Gibson in 1855 while seeking a third term.[4] Gibson was a fellow Tiffin resident, and was related by marriage to Breslin.[5] Breslin served until the second Monday of January, 1856, and then moved back to Tiffin.

In June, 1857, Gibson was forced to resign, when it became public that Breslin had left the Treasury several hundred thousand dollars short at the end of his term. Breslin assured Gibson the money would be made good. Gibson was found guilty of nothing more than being too trusting.[5] Breslin removed to Canada to avoid the unpleasantness.[6]

After residing in Lancaster, Ohio for a year and a half, Breslin and his wife moved to Huntington, West Virginia in 1871, where he was general ticket agent for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. He worked there until his death February 22, 1889. His was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery, Tiffin.[7] His widow moved back to Lancaster.[1]

References

1. A Biographical record of Fairfield County, Ohio, illustrated. New York: S J Clarke Publishing Company. 1902. pp. 266–271.
2. Ohio General Assembly (1917). Manual of legislative practice in the General Assembly. State of Ohio. p. 281.
3. Bell, William, Jr. (1876). Annual report of the Secretary of State to the Governor and General Assembly for the year 1875... Ohio Secretary of State. p. 114.
4. Bell, 1876 : 121, 125
5. Bigger, David Dwight (1901). Ohio's silver-tongued orator: life and speeches of General William H. Gibson. Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House. pp. 274–278.
6. the runaway state treasurer July 12, 1858 New York Times
7. John G. Breslin at Find a Grave

External links

• Breslin Treasury defalcation March 12, 1859 in New York Times

Ohio House of Representatives
Preceded by Joseph S. Hawkins	Speaker of the Ohio House 1848-1849	Succeeded by Benjamin F. Leiter
Political offices
Preceded by Albert A. Bliss	Treasurer of Ohio 1852–1856	Succeeded by William Harvey Gibson