Joshua Folsom
Another of the pioneer visiting lawyers of the courts of Madison County, and who was Prosecuting Attorney from November, 1823, until the close of 1824, was Joshua Folsom, born at Henniker, N. H., in the year 1783. His parents were Quakers, and his ancestors came from the north part of England, and settled at Hingham, Mass., in the year 1638. His grandfather was known as "Quaker Joshua," and was extensively known and respected as a man of strong sense and integrity. Joshua Folsom, the subject of this sketch, studied at Dartmouth College, but did not graduate. After leaving college, he read law two years, at Baltimore, in the office of Robert Goodloe Harper, who was a very distinguished lawyer and orator, and member of the United States Senate. Mr. Folsom began the practice of law at Circleville, Ohio, about the year 1810, and practiced, also, in many other counties of the State, as most lawyers of that day did, on account of the paucity of cases at home. About the year 1824, at the time Grustavus Swan was appointed Judge, he went to Columbus to practice, being requested by Judge Swan to come there to take charge of his business. After remaining at Columbus two or three years, he returned to Circleville. In 1830, having accumulated a moderate fortune, for that day, and not being in good health, he retired from practice and settled on a large tract of land which he owned in Logan County, Ohio. Mr. Folsom was a man of very extensive information, having, also, a respectable knowledge of Latin, Greek and French, and being well read in history and general literature. We have, also, the authority of Hooking Hunter, for saying he was "a very good lawyer." Some of his arguments at the bar are yet remembered as very fine. He never held any office, except that of Prosecuting Attorney of Pickaway and Madison Counties.
From History of Madison County - W. H. Beers [Chicago, 1883]