Allen Trimble Wikoff was a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 politician who was Ohio Secretary of State

Ohio Secretary of State

The Secretary of State is responsible for overseeing elections in the State of Ohio. The Secretary of State also is responsible for registering business entities and granting them the authority to do business within the state, registering secured transactions, and granting access to public...

 from 1873-1875.

Allen Trimble Wikoff was born November 15, 1825 on an Adams County, Ohio

Adams County, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 27,330 people, 10,501 households, and 7,613 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 11,822 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...

 farm. In 1862, during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, he enlisted as a Lieutenant in the Ninety-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry

91st Ohio Infantry

The 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It primarily served in West Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.-Service:...

, was promoted to Captain, and served to the end of the war. He resided in Columbus

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

 after the war, read law and was admitted to the bar. In 1871, he became chief clerk in the office of Ohio Secretary of State under Isaac R. Sherwood

Isaac R. Sherwood

Isaac Ruth Sherwood was an American politician and newspaper editor from Toledo, Ohio, as well as an officer in the Union army during the Civil War. He served nine terms in the United States Congress, and was a noted pacifist during World War I.-Early life and career:Sherwood was born in...

. He was nominated as a Republican for the office of Secretary of State in 1872, and defeated Democrat Aquila Wiley and Progressive Ferdinand Schumacher

Ferdinand Schumacher

Ferdinand Schumacher , aka The Oatmeal King, was a German immigrant, an American entrepreneur and one of the founders of companies which merged to become the Quaker Oats Company.-Biography:...

. In 1874 he was nominated again, but lost to Democrat William Bell, Jr.

William Bell, Jr.

thumb|right|circa 1900|250pxWilliam Bell, Jr. was a Democratic politician in the U. S. State of Ohio who held many local offices, served in the Ohio House of Representatives, and was Ohio Secretary of State 1875-1877....

, with Progressive John R. Buchtel also running.

In 1874, 1875 and 1876, Wikoff was Chairman of the Republican State Executive Committee. In 1876, he was appointed Adjutant General by Governor Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...

, and was chosen National Republican Committeeman for the State. He resigned that position after one meeting.

In February 1877, Wikoff was appointed Pension Agent for the State of Ohio by President Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...

. He was re-appointed by President Hayes in 1881, and by Chester A. Arthur

Chester A. Arthur

Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...

, and held the office until July 31, 1885, when Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland

Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...

 replaced him with a Democrat.

In December, 1885, Wikoff was appointed receiver of the Cleveland and Marietta Railroad, and had charge of the property until 1893. In 1896 he was appointed to the Ohio Canal Commission by Governor Asa S. Bushnell. He was re-appointed by Governor Nash

George K. Nash

thumb|right|300pxGeorge Kilborn Nash was a Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 41st Governor of Ohio.-Biography:...

in 1900, and served until he died July 22, 1902.