Historic Notary Seal

This historic Ohio notary seal is now in the collections of the Follett House Museum. It is much larger than the notary seals in use today. A Notary Public is a person authorized to witness the signing of important documents. Many banks, legal offices, and government offices have staff on hand who are recognized as notary publics (or notaries public -- both are acceptable according to Merriam-Webster) by the state of Ohio. Wills, deeds, and other legal transactions often need to be notarized. 

Several certificates of the commissions of notary publics that were  issued to Hewson L. Peeke and Rush R. Sloane are found in the files of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. Below is a document that indicates that Rush R. Sloane was appointed as Notary Public by Governor Seabury Ford, on September 8, 1849.

Rush R. Sloane was Mayor of Sandusky (1879-80), owned the former Sloane House Hotel, and was very active in the Underground Railroad activities of the Firelands.