James Kilbourne

Who was James Kilbourne?

James Kilbourne was an American surveyor and politician from Ohio.

Kilbourne was born in New Britain, Connecticut, and moved his family to Ohio in 1803, when he founded the city of Worthington, Ohio. In 1805 he was appointed United States surveyor of public lands. During the War of 1812, Kilbourne served as colonel of a frontier regiment.

In 1991, Worthington Kilbourne High School and Kilbourne Middle School, named after James Kilbourne, opened in the Worthington City School District.

He was a trustee of Ohio University from 1804 to 1820.

Kilbourne was elected as a Democratic-Republican to two terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's fifth district from 1813 to 1817. He was also a member of the Ohio House of Representatives in 1823, 1824, 1838 and 1839.

Ohio Presidential elector in 1820 for James Monroe.

He was the father of Byron Kilbourn, also a surveyor, who was a founder and mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.