Othniel Looker

Othniel Looker (October 4, 1757 – July 23, 1845) was a Democratic-Republican Party politician from Ohio. He served briefly as the fifth governor of Ohio.

Biography Sources vary on Looker's birth location. He was born either in Morris County, New Jersey, or on Long Island, New York. His gravestone was engraved with the Morris County location.

Looker moved with his mother to Hanover Township, New Jersey, when he was two-years-old, after the death of his father. He enlisted with the New Jersey militia in 1776, and served out the remainder of the American Revolutionary War as a private.

In 1779, Looker married Pamela Clark, and circa 1788 Looker moved to Vermont and then to New York, working as a school teacher.

Legacy

The Village Historical Society, in Harrison, Ohio, has restored the home of former Ohio Governor Othniel Looker. The Othniel Looker House is open to the public, free of charge, on a few dates during each year, and special tours can be arranged for school groups. The Othniel Looker House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.